Park City, UT
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March, 2011 Community E-NewsletterPark City Council Targets for Action 2011
At last month’s annual visioning session, City Council identified the following targets for action in 2011.
• Preserve Park City Character
• Maintain World Class, Multi-Seasonal Resort Community Status
• Continue Effective Transportation
• Protect Water and Park City’s Natural Environment
• Safeguard Recreation, Open Space and Trails
• Sustain Regional Collaboration and Partnerships
• Uphold Open & Responsive Government to the Community
Park City Road Show
The Park City Road Show highlights the accomplishments of the past year and the goals for 2011. To arrange a presentation to your professional or business group, Home Owners Association or community organization, email Phyllis Robinson, Park City Community and Public Affairs Manager.
Winter Trails Survey
Over the past several years, local entities have worked to provide additional opportunities for winter recreation outside of traditional alpine skiing. Grooming services are now provided. Since 2007, the amount of available groomed trails has more than doubled to almost 70 kilometers. Trail counters are used to gauge the actual number of users accessing the system.
In 2011, staff created a survey to better understand the winter use of trails in Park City. The survey’s intent was to collect demographic information, types of use, economic impact, trail experience, conditions, concerns relating to dogs and their impact on wildlife in the area, and general feedback.
The survey was posted on the Park City Municipal and Mountain Trails Foundation websites January 11th - 31st. A total of 864 people participated in the survey.
View survey results.
Summit County Beef
Park City Municipal Corporation is one of the founding members of the Summit County Beef program. Over the past twelve months the City, along with representatives from Uinta Headwaters RC&D, Summit County, Utah State University Ag Extension, The Park City Chamber/Bureau, Utah’s Own, Summit Land Conservancy, Flashpoint Media, and local ranchers have worked to bring grass-fed beef from eastern Summit County to western Summit County grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers. February 22, Salt Lake Magazine awarded the program the Green Fork Sustainability Award - exactly one year from the first meeting of the group.
"Summit County Beef is the first project of Summit County Food Coalition, made up of ranchers, government officials, concerned citizens and non-profit organizations. The group hopes to create a steady supply of local grass-fed beef for Utah consumers and started with a bang in November. Not only is grass-fed beef better for human and bovine health, it also helps ranchers keep their land in agricultural use and preserves open space, the reason we all love Utah." -Salt Lake Magazine, February 2011
Under the leadership of Uinta Headwaters RC&D and Summit County, the program is looking forward to expanding in the coming year. More details and to buy beef direct.Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)-Open House! (3/10/2011; 7-9:00 p.m.)
Do you like fresh local produce? Would you like a convenient pickup option? Come learn about community supported agriculture options available in Park City. Uinta Headwaters and Recycle Utah would like to invite you to a free CSA Open House on Thursday March 10th at the Miners Hospital on Park Avenue. Stop in between 7 and 9 p.m. You’ll have a chance to meet the farmers and ask questions about their farming methods, standards, and program details. Many will be offering a special promotion if you sign up at the event. There will also be snacks, treats and prizes!
Event Summary Details
Date: Thursday, March 10, 2011
Time: 7 PM - 9 PM
Location: Miners Hospital (1354 Park Ave.; Park City, UT)
Sponsors: Uinta Headwaters RC&D Council & Recycle UtahTransit Facility Construction
The Transit Facility, located at 1053 Iron Horse Drive, is steadily moving forward for an August 2011 completion. The project consists of a 34,000 square foot bus barn that will house 38 of the Park City Transit buses and includes parking for 86 employee vehicles on the roof. Also included in the project is a 14,000 square foot Maintenance Building and a Fueling Station for Transit buses and fleet vehicles. Public Officials from the Hainan Province in China
Public officials from the Hainan Province in China visited Park City in February. Mayor Dana Williams (center right), City Manager Tom Bakaly (center left) and Summit County Councilman Chris Robinson (not pictured) met with the students to talk about the role of local government in economic development and the growth of Park City from a winter to a multi-season resort economy. Hainan is an island resort southwest of Hong Kong and on the same latitude as Hawaii. The public officials are part of a special Master of Public Administration program at the University of Utah.Bus, Bike, Walk Program
City employees participated in the 6th annual internal Park City Municipal Bus, Bike and Walk Program during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The goal of the program is to limit the number of cars entering and exiting Park City during Sundance, in addition to mitigating parking concerns within town.
The program is simple; participants earned a ‘card’ any time they “Leave the Car at Home” and still make the trip to work, or in other words “Bus, Bike, Walk”. All cards earned from January 20th through January 29th were eligible for a prize drawing.
The program resulted in reducing 3,065 lbs. of CO2 and saving $2,220 in fuel consumption.
News You Can Use
In February, City Council . . .
• Conducted its annual visioning session
• Denied an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval for a conditional use permit at 1440 Empire Avenue.
• Amended the Municipal Code regarding for-hire vehicle licensing to include vehicle age limits, background checks and a drug free workplace policy requirement.
Green Your Routine
Dishwashers
It's commonly assumed that washing dishes by hand saves hot water. However, washing dishes by hand several time a day can be more expensive than operating an energy-efficient dishwasher. You can consume less energy with an energy-efficient dishwasher when properly used and when only operating it with full loads. MoreRecreation
The annual Play Magazine will be mailed out this month to all City and western Summit County residents. Find all the great program offerings from Recreation, Ice, Library, Golf and McPolin Farm events. Registration opens April 1 for all Summer recreation programs.
Recreation Services continues with its free “spotlight classes” in March. Zumba on Wednesdays, 8:00am and Pilates on Tuesdays, 11:00am. Drop in for a free class and receive a “Be Our Guest Card” to use for any class or facility drop in.
Visit our webpage often for updated program information, dates and deadlines.Ice
The Park City Ice Arena has a few early spring activities coming soon. Our early spring sessions of Learn to Skate/Play Hockey classes will begin the first week of March. We offer classes for all ages and ability levels. For complete class descriptions click here for Learn to Skate or here for the Learn to Play Hockey class flyer. Call our front desk at (435) 615-5707, or stop in the ice arena to register – classes fill up fast! The next session after this will start mid-April
Bonanza Bulletin
The pedestrian tunnel and access ramps will be available for public use May 1.
Comstock Talk
The Comstock/Sidewinder Walkability Project is slated for construction this summer. The project includes an 8’ separated pathway along the east side of Comstock Drive and a 6’ sidewalk on the south side of Sidewinder Drive from Comstock Drive to Gold Dust Lane. The project will complete the walkability spine route through Park Meadows and Prospector, connecting the McLeod Creek trail to the Rail Trail. The project also represents an integral upgrade to the ‘safe routes to school program’, sponsored by the Park City School District.
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Departments » Sustainability » For Homes
Cleaning Supplies
When looking for natural and non-toxic cleaning products, avoid anything with synthetic ingredients or fragrances, petrochemicals, VOCs, chlorine bleach, phthalates, formaldehydes and more. You should always read the labels of any product, and if a product does not have a label with ingredients then it almost surely has harmful chemicals inside. Look out for words like Caution, Warning, Notice and Danger, which could signal a potential harmful chemical. Learn more about healthy cleaning products here.
When purchasing natural cleaning products make sure they bottle includes a list of ingredients. You should be able to pronounce the names of all of them and should know exactly what each one is. The best kind of natural cleaning product you can buy should be made with simple ingredients that you could find in the store and make yourself.
Exposure to these toxins indoors can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous systems. And we certainly don't want ourselves, our family or our pets to come in contact with these toxins or experience any of these health problems. Children and pets are especially at risk because they experience a higher dose of toxins, not to mention their immune systems are still developing and not able to shed toxins from the bodies as quickly as adults.
There are three categories into which most of the hazardous ingredients in household cleaning products fall are:
1. Carcinogens – Carcinogens cause cancer and/or promote cancer’s growth.
2. Endocrine disruptors – Endocrine disruptors mimic human hormones, confusing the body with false signals. Exposure to endocrine disruptors can lead to numerous health concerns including reproductive, developmental, growth and behavior problems. Endocrine disruptors have been linked to reduced fertility, premature puberty, miscarriage, menstrual problems, challenged immune systems, abnormal prostate size, ADHD, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and certain cancers.
3. Neurotoxins – Neurotoxins alter neurons, affecting brain activity, causing a range of problems from headaches to loss of intellect.
Here are some startling facts about the chemicals found in cleaning products.
- 17,000: the number of petrochemicals available for home use, only 30 percent of which have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment.
- 63: the number of synthetic chemical products found in the average American home, translating to roughly 10 gallons of harmful chemicals.
- 100: the number of times higher that indoor air pollution levels can be above outdoor air pollution levels, according to US EPA estimates.
- 275: the number of active ingredients in antimicrobials that the EPA classifies as pesticides because they are designed to kill microbes.
- 5 billion: the number of pounds of chemicals that the institutional cleaning industry uses each year.
- 23: the average gallons of chemicals (that's 87 liters) that a janitor uses each year, 25 percent of which are hazardous.
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Borax
- Hydrogen Peroxide (3% concentration)
- Club Soda (plain)
- Lemon Juice
- Liquid Castile Soap
- Corn Meal
- Olive Oil or Walnut Oil
- Toothpaste
- Pure Essential Oils - like lavender, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and tea tree oils
With all of these ingredients you can make your own natural and non-toxic cleaning supplies, which cost a lot less as well.
- All-Purpose Cleaners: This cleaner can be used for just about every surface in your home, from kitchen counters and appliances to bathroom surfaces and walls.
- Carpet Cleaner: To clean and disinfect your carpet, blend 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup cornmeal. Sprinkle mixture over rug and rub with a cloth. Let rest for several hours or overnight, then vacuum. An even simpler way to clean your carpet is to sprinkly plain baking soda on your carpet, let rest for an hour and then vacuum up. You can also add dry lavender buds to the baking soda for an extra fresh smell.
- Hard Floor Cleaner: This solution can be used for all hard floors (except when directed by the manufacturer to avoid even mild detergents): Combine 1/4 liquid castile soap, up to 1/2 cup white vinegar or lemon juice, and 2 gallons of warm water in a large plastic bucket. Use with a mop or sponge.
- Glass Cleaner: To make your windows shine, you can simply use club soda in a spray bottle. Add 1 tsp. of lemon juice to increase your window cleaner’s degreasing power. Leftover newspaper works very well to reduce streaks
- Bathroom Surface Cleaners: You can use the all-purpose cleaners recommended above or, for even simpler bathroom cleaning, use baking soda or borax as a scouring powder. For a softer scrub, combine 1/2 cup baking soda with enough liquid soap to achieve a frosting-like consistency. You may want to add 5-10 drops of an essential oil for fragrance. Club soda works wonders on plumbing fixtures.
- Toilet Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda or borax, or pour white vinegar into the toilet, and let sit for a few minutes. Scrub with a good toilet brush.
- Oven Cleaner: Cover the oven floor with baking soda, spray with water until very damp, and let set overnight. Spray with water every few hours before you go to bed to keep damp. In the morning, clean out the baking soda, and the stuck-on gunk will be loosened and ready to scrub off.
- Drain Cleaner: Put two tablespoons of baking soda into/over the drain of your sink or tub. Then pour one cup of vinegar on the baking soda. This will begin to fizz a lot and is completely normal. Wait a few minutes, and then pour a kettle of boiling water over the soda/vinegar residue.
- Mold Remover: Combe 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with 1 cup water. Spray on mold and do not rinse. You can also treat mold with a spray mixture of 2 tsp. tea tree oil and 2 cups water.
- Wood Polish: To polish wood furniture, dab olive oil or walnut oil onto a soft cloth and rub.
- Silver Polish: Just put some toothpaste on an old toothbrush or wet cloth and go to town. When you’re done polishing, rinse the item well in warm water and then dry with a soft cloth.