Bowen Calls on Rob Bishop to Support Bill Banning Foreign Nuclear Waste

Hyde Park, Utah. - Congressional candidate Morgan Bowen expressed his support today for a bill that would outlaw the importation of foreign nuclear waste country-wide. This is of particular importance to citizens of the 1st Congressional district, who are facing an attempt to have hundreds of additional tons of nuclear waste transported to a disposal facility in Tooele County.

The bipartisan bill H.R 5632, which would prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into the United States, was introduced on March 13th by Rep. Bart Gordan (D-TN) and co-sponsored by Utah's Jim Matheson and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY). It was then referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Utah-based Energy Solutions issued a press release the same day opposing the bill. It is currently seeking a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to import nuclear waste from Italy. If their request is successful, 1,600 additional tons of nuclear waste would end up at Clive in Tooele County. If the NRC approves such a license, it may be the first of many. A bill banning all imported nuclear waste is therefore necessary to guarantee that Utah will not be subjected to foreign nuclear waste now or in the future.

“Energy Solutions is a politically powerful business in this state and has made large contributions to most of the Utah delegation. Jim Matheson has acted courageously in introducing this bill despite the pressure he has no doubt received from Energy Solutions. I call on my opponent, Rob Bishop, to express similar courage and make a public statement in support of a bill that is so clearly in the interests of his constituents as well as the entire country.”, stated Morgan Bowen.

Mayor Becker Appoints Vicki Bennett to Direct the Office of Sustainability and the Environment

SALT LAKE CITY – After a nationwide search, Mayor Ralph Becker announced today that Vicki Bennett has been appointed the new Director of the Office of Sustainability and the Environment. Bennett was the unanimous choice of a selection committee comprised of community members and city employees

Bennett has been serving as Salt Lake City’s Environmental Programs Manager since 2001. The selection committee was impressed by Bennett’s strong policy skills relating to a wide range of sustainability issues and her impeccable reputation in the community. Her supervisory experience and strong history of working in a municipal setting also made her the top choice.

In making the announcement, Mayor Becker remarked “Salt Lake City is fortunate to have such an incredible resource in Vicki Bennett. She will bring the vision and experience we need to accomplish all of the plans for sustainability I addressed during my campaign for Mayor.”

Bennett brings more than 25 years of experience working on environmental issues to the new position. Prior to her work for Salt Lake City, Bennett’s background included implementing Environmental Management Systems for PacificCorp and international environmental consulting for a diverse group of industries. She holds a Bachelors degree in Chemistry from the University of California at San Diego and an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Utah.

In accepting the new position, Bennett commented, “I am looking forward to getting to work immediately on Mayor Becker’s 180-day plan for the environment. Our first task will be to complete the measurement of the City’s carbon footprint according to the new Carbon Registry standards, and use the data to determine how each City department can best reduce its energy consumption.”

Bennett will be responsible for working on behalf of Salt Lake City to evaluate and integrate long-term economic, environmental and social considerations in City plans, actions, and expenditures. She will also work with organizations throughout the community to identify and pursue opportunities to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices.

Mayor Becker Makes Good on Campaign Promise: Retools City Planning Division

SALT LAKE CITY – Making good on a campaign promise, Mayor Becker announced today the retooling of the Planning Division within the City’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Mayor Becker explained, “Today we are laying the foundation for the alignment of critical planning functions that will help in our efforts to build a Great American City.”

Today the Mayor announced the creation of a new organizational structure for the Planning Division. To guide the reorganization of the division during this transition, Mayor Becker has appointed a leadership team that includes, Mary De La Mare-Schaefer, Interim Community and Economic Development Director, Esther Hunter, Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Orion Goff, Building Services and Licensing Director and Lyn Creswell, Chief Administrative Officer. This reorganization includes the departure of current Planning Director George Shaw and the announcement that a nationwide search will take place to find a new City Planning Director. The search is expected to take several months.

Some of the key elements of the new reorganization include:

· The Planner of the Day program has been eliminated. It will be replaced by the One-Stop-Shop Buzz Center which will provide a more efficient and convenient level of service for City residents by allowing them to address all of their planning and zoning needs in one place. The hours will be increased from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

· The zoning administration function has shifted to the newly established leadership team.

· An Ordinance Review and Resolution work group has been added.

· The Planning Division’s organizational chart has been flattened and two layers of management have been eliminated to expedite and streamline decision making.

· A Long-Range Planning and Complex Projects work group has been added.

Mayor Becker believes the retooling will ensure better customer service for City residents and help the division return to a focus on long-range planning and appropriate ordinance revisions.

“In an effort to restore public trust in the City’s planning process, these changes will provide consistent and predictable administrative interpretations by City planners,” the Mayor said. “I hope this will relieve much of the frustration many City residents have expressed to me over the past year. This reorganization is a critical first step toward aligning the planning work with the priorities I set out in my 180-Day Plan and the Blueprints for our city.”

As part of his 180-Day Plan, the Mayor promised to address a comprehensive review of staff, land-use ordinances, and overall planning policies within the Community and Economic Development Department.

Reflecting on the new changes, Mayor Becker remarked, “Before being elected mayor, I was acutely aware of the need for a complete and thorough review of the Planning Division’s functions, scope and effectiveness. While our recent review confirmed the fact we have hard working, committed employees, we also found there are fundamental process problems with how the City deals with planning, zoning and permits.”

“I am confident the many residents of Salt Lake City who interface with the Planning Division will appreciate the changes we are making and notice even more improvements going forward,” concluded Becker.

Michelle Obama meets with LDS leaders

Mrs. Michelle Obama met with two apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today shortly after a campaign stop in Salt Lake City on behalf of her husband, Senator Barack Obama.

Mrs. Obama met with Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Twelve Apostles.

Although the Church is neutral in party politics, it is common for political and government leaders to pay brief calls on Church leadership. The half-hour meeting focused mostly on family values.

(The above advisory was sent by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Utah media outlets Monday afternoon..)

Mayor-Elect Becker Announces Staffers

Salt Lake City Mayor-Elect Ralph Becker presented his first round of decisions regarding executive and support staff this morning.

• Chief of Staff - David Everitt
• Communications Director - Karen Hale
• Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs - Ben McAdams

Mayor-Elect Becker will also retain the current Chief Administrative Officer, Lyn Creswell, in his position, along with the current Economic Development Manager, Ed Butterfield. The positions of Senior Advisor for Policy, Education Partnership Coordinator, and Sustainability Director are not yet filled.

The Mayor-Elect's office will be structured slightly differently from the current mayor's office.

• The Chief of Staff will supervise the day-to-day operations of the mayor's office, and will coordinate the efforts of the Policy Advisor, the Communications Director, the Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs, and the CAO.
• The Communications Director will organize and direct communications with constituents, city departments, and the media. This includes the Salt Lake Solutions program for proactively addressing issues within the community.
• A Senior Advisor for Policy will coordinate the policy function, and will work closely with policy analysts throughout the city's departments to develop and implement the Mayor-Elect's 180-Day Plan and Blueprints.

Additionally, the Education Partnership Coordinator and the Administrator for the Office of Diversity will be located in the Mayor's office.

Mayor-Elect Becker will announce further structural changes by Friday of this week that will address the role of the Sustainability Director and the location of the Economic Development function.

Becker Transition Team Update

Salt Lake City Mayor-Elect Ralph Becker’s Transition Team Steering Committee reconvened Monday to report on findings and present recommendations to the Mayor-Elect. Committee members (listed below) focused on eight broad areas of study, and each member recruited 5-10 other individuals to carry out interviews and conduct research in their effort to evaluate the city’s effectiveness and efficiency.

Both the Mayor-Elect and Transition Team Chair Palmer DePaulis were very impressed. “The caliber of this input – particularly given the aggressive schedule we had to work with – is extremely high,” said DePaulis. “Each of these individuals marshaled a strong team that interviewed city employees, residents, business owners, experts in their area, and a whole range of other stakeholders. They also looked at what other cities are doing, and how they are organized, in order to compare best practices.”

Mayor-Elect Becker will spend the week ahead digesting the reports so that he can make informed decisions on both any structural adjustments and staffing changes. “While I certainly have some specific thoughts on changes within city government, I have waited for this input before making any decisions with regard to the city’s departments,” said the Mayor-Elect. “But I plan to move quickly now, and will announce by Friday afternoon major changes for the start of my administration.”

Mayor-Elect Becker spent time during Monday’s meeting thanking the Steering Committee. “It has been a huge undertaking, and I know that all of you and your team members have given a substantial amount of time and energy for this process,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to you for it, and the residents of Salt Lake City will be better served because of your efforts.”

Palmer DePaulis, Chair

Mike Zuhl, Vice-Chair

Natalie Gochnour, Economic Development
Karen Hale, Neighborhoods and Community
Patrice Arent, Legal and Justice
DJ Baxter, Public Works
Soren Simonsen, Sustainability
Jennifer Mayer-Glenn, Education
David Ibarra, Administrative Services
Gary Cox, Public Safety
Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Boards and Commissions
Ben McAdams, At-large
Bob Huefner, At-large