Mayor-Elect Ralph Becker Announces Full Inauguration Day Schedule

Themes for the Day Will Include: Open Community Dialogue, the Environment, Sustainability and the Arts

Salt Lake City – Mayor-elect Ralph Becker takes the oath of office this Monday, January 7, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. on the east steps of the City & County Building. Mayor-elect Becker will be sworn in alongside newly elected council members Luke Garrott, JT Martin and re-elected council member Van Turner.

In a day that reflects many of the themes Becker has outlined in his blueprints for Salt Lake City, the Mayor-elect’s inauguration day activities, which are open to the public, include a poetry reading by Utah’s Poet Laureate Katherine Coles, photographic exhibits, a tree planting and time for citizens of Salt Lake City to drop by and meet their new mayor.

12:00 p.m. Oath of Office Ceremony

East Steps

Event Notes: Satellite truck parking will be located on the north and south sides of the building. The entrance point to the event for media can be accessed on Washington Square via the west sidewalk.

1:15 p.m. Ribbon Cutting for Inaugural Art Exhibits

First Floor Gallery

Event Notes: Two visual art exhibits will be on view in the First Floor Gallery of the Salt Lake City & County Building. “Entrada” is a collaborative exhibit by photographer and Salt Lake native, Bruce Hucko, and the first Poet Laureate for the State of Utah, David Lee. In addition, the First Floor Gallery will feature a group show by several of Salt Lake’s finest nature photographers. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the exhibit will remain open to the public for 30 days.

1:20 p.m. Brief Media Availability

First Floor

Event Notes: This will be the best opportunity for attending media to ask Mayor Becker a few quick questions following the oath of office ceremony.

1:30 p.m. Reception

Third Floor

2:30-3:00 p.m. Tree Planting Ceremony

Southwest Corner of Washington Square

Event Notes: Participants in this ceremony will include Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, Representatives from Tree Utah, Salt Lake City Urban Forrester Bill Rutherford, and 3rd and 4th grade students from the Open Classroom Charter School will perform a song.

3:00-3:30 p.m. Scheduled Media Interviews

Mayor’s Office

Event Notes: Media who would like to schedule a one-on-one interview with Mayor-elect Becker should contact Helen Langan at 641-6569 to schedule a specific time.

3:30-4:30 p.m. “Meet Your New Mayor”

Second Floor

Event Notes: This event will be an opportunity for the citizens and staff of Salt Lake City to stop by the City & County Building and greet the new mayor.

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