Midway City is joining the Utah Climate and Clean Air Compact. This decision along with several others as part of their most recent council meeting.
Utah’s business, faith, civic and, government leaders along with communities throughout the state make up the Utah Climate and Clean Air Compact. Last week Midway City Council members voted unanimously to join the coalition. Strategies include better building codes, improving air quality, energy efficiency, developing transit systems including active transportation and immediately addressing greenhouse gas emissions.
Midway City Mayor Celeste Johnson says they want to get their sustainability efforts back up and running. She wants to establish guidelines through resolutions rather than ordinances, believing residents are committed to sustainability practices.
“We adopted a clean air Utah and are getting no-idling signs up. It will probably be done through resolution. We're looking really just to raise awareness to get folks to become a part of this without having to necessarily legislate it. Midway is already very conscious and very much aware of these things. Another thing that I think is critically important for us are small recycling centers that we've had here in the County. Hasn’t been open for some time. We need a curbside recycling program that is Countywide so there are things like that that I believe we need to be doing.”
Midway Council will distribute about $450,000 in CARES Act funds. A large portion will be used to purchase a fully equipped EMS transport vehicle. Johnson wants business owners to know how to recoup funds for losses they experienced due to COVID-19. She says businesses must spend the money by the end of December.
“We have given about $200,000 of that money to the EMS for that van and transport equipment which will benefit our whole County, and we realized that’s not Midway specific, but Midway will absolutely benefit. And the remainder of the money is being used for our businesses. About $50,000 has gone to the Zermatt and the Homestead. And we had a zoom meeting last Thursday with about 15 of our business owners here on Main Street explaining how simple it is for them to qualify for the remainder of this money.”
The council approved a zone map change for the Mountain Spa development and open space preservation project. There will be a small resort in the middle of the project which will help Midway retain their commercial tax base. The city has allocated $1.5 million of open space bond money for the preservation project.
“This is a creative open space project because it does require that some large lots be created. A single home can be built on one of the lots. The plat will be restricted. There can be no further development. It’s a way to protect a very critical entry corridor into Midway. The exciting thing is that the very interior part of this parcel will be a fairly small-scale resort which benefits Midway commercially but the view corridors are being protected. At the City Council meeting we had nothing but positive feedback. The community is thrilled that these view corridors are going to be protected in perpetuity.”
Johnson says the City Council meeting next Tuesday will include an open conversation with Heber Light and Power and Rocky Mountain Power regarding the high transmission lines going into the Heber Valley and connecting with the Midway substation.
“As with all compromises, we believe we have found something that's mostly good and not everyone will be ecstatic, but we believe everyone will be on board.”
Johnson told KPCW she supports the Governor’s statewide mask mandate and new COVID-19 social restrictions.
