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February Newsletter
Community E-Newsletter February, 2012
10th Anniversary-XIX Olympic Winter Games
The Park City community is in the midst of celebrating the 10th anniversary of hosting the XIX Olympic Winter Games. From February 8-24, 2002, over 500,000 people visited Park City's Main Street Celebrations and over two billion people worldwide watched the Olympic Games on television.
It was widely proclaimed that these were the best Winter Olympic Games ever held, a feat we are still particularly proud of in Park City. Thousands of volunteers helped stage the events, and Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort were major competition venues.
As we look back on those exciting times we also realize that hosting the Olympics bequeathed Park City an amazing legacy. We are now seen as one of a handful of truly world class resort areas. We have incredible training facilities at our resorts. At the Utah Olympic Park, we have the highest percentage of Olympic athletes living and training in our community of any resort. We have new programs for our youth to experience sports. As a community we learned how to come together and provide our guests with a much higher level of service.
In honor of celebrating the 10th anniversary, a number of events are taking place, including the recently completed Visa World Cup Aerial & Mogul Competition at Deer Valley, which kicked off with a street dance and Olympic Torch Run reenactment. An exhibition of Olympic photos and memorabilia is on display at the Kimball Art Center through February.
Enjoy these memories and keep the fire lit within.
Park City Municipal Has Gone Mobile
Get the most up-to-date information on your smartphone at www.parkcity.org.
Popular links are right on the Home page. The ‘Maps’ link offers an easy to view web map. ‘Getting Around’ offers a Google Widget that gives Transit directions including bus routes and times. Recreation, Employment, Calendar Events & News are also a ‘click away’! The Full Website is also easily accessed from each mobile view page.
Contact Kay Lynn via email or call 615-5262 with any questions or problems.
To Ski or Not to Ski
Click here to see what the New York Times has to say about 36 hours in Park City.
Last month, a new state of the art, fully electric ice resurfacer arrived at the Park City Ice Arena. The Olympia Millennium-E can resurface over 20 ice sheets before needing to be charged. The machine has a laser-controlled blade adjustment system that keeps the whole ice sheet level consistent to within the thickness of a credit card! The resurfacer also has a speed controlled water output system that adjusts the water flow based on the speed of the driver, and puts down the same amount of water each time the ice is resurfaced. We are extremely pleased to better serve our guests with an improved and higher quality of ice. For more information, contact Jon Pistey, Arena Operations Manager, via email.
Great Utah Shakeout
Park City Municipal in coordination with Summit County, the State of Utah, surrounding cities and counties and FEMA Region 8 will be participating in the April 17, 2011, regional full scale exercise called the Great Utah Shakeout next April. Are you and your family prepared for a major disaster where you live and/or work? Register here.
News You Can Use
In January, City Council . . .
- Witnessed the swearing-in ceremony for elected Council members Andy Beerman, Dick Peek and Liza Simpson.
- Renewed a three-year contract with Municipal Bond Consulting for financial advisory services
- Amended the professional services agreement with MWH Americas, Inc. for construction management services at the Quinn’s Junction Water Treatment Plant
- Approved a professional services agreement with Stanley Consultants for reconstruction engineering design services of Empire Avenue
- Approved a professional service provider agreement with Alliance Engineering for the Wyatt Earp Way traffic calming project
- Awarded a professional services contract to IBI group for consulting services for the Historic Park City Alliance infrastructure improvements
- Approved an Annexation Agreement as part of the Settlement Agreement between Summit County and Quinns Junction Partnership
- Accepted an Annexation Petition by Quinns Junction Partnership for 29 acres of land at the southwest corner of US40 and SR 248
PC MARC
Come visit the new city-owned state-of-the-art recreation facility open to the public. PC MARC has affordable rates and incredible amenities. Enjoy an indoor track, tennis, cardio & weights, group fitness classes, bouldering, a party room, childcare and seasonal pools. Visit www.parkcityrecreation.org or call 435-615-5400 for more information.
Park City Library
Learn how to get a better refund, how to avoid an audit, and how to choose a tax preparer. There will be a question and answer period following the presentation.
| Wednesday, February 22nd (en español) 6-7 pm in the Roger Harlan Meeting Room |
Wednesday, February 29th (English) 6-7 pm in the Roger Harlan Meeting Room |
Quinn’s Water Treatment Plant
The Water Department is excited to be starting up the new Quinn’s Junction Water Treatment Plant in March. The plant is a state of the art membrane filtration facility. Watch for information next month about start-up activities.
Leadership Park City Presents Community Lecture
Jonathan Schechter from Jackson Hole will speak at the 18th Annual Community Leadership Lecture on Monday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. at the Santy Auditorium. The public is invited and it's free! Mr. Schechter will speak on Park Park City's economic prospects in the 21st century.
Green Your Routine
Park City’s Low Carbon Diet program is off and running and you’re invited to participate! This community-based initiative engages households at a grassroots level and encourages them to reduce their carbon footprint by 5,000 – 10,000 pounds CO2 per year. Thus far, participating households have been able to reduce their footprint by an average of 9,557 pounds CO2 each, the equivalent of removing a vehicle from the road. Participate for free, and get more information, at ParkCityGreen.org.
Home: Energy Myths
Following are some common home energy myths that may be costing you.
1. Setting the thermostat higher or lower will heat or cool the house faster.
Many a homeowner has come home to an uncomfortable house and set the thermostat higher or lower than necessary, thinking it will warm or cool faster. In reality, a furnace or air-conditioner works at the same speed, no matter what the thermostat setting. A home will warm up to 68ºF just as quickly if the thermostat is set at 68ºF as it would if the thermostat was set at 80ºF. In such instances, energy may be wasted as the heating or cooling system continues to run after it reaches your desired set point.
2. A heating and cooling system "works harder" to reach a comfortable temperature after setback or set forward.Many people do not adjust their thermostat at night or while the home is unoccupied because of the common misconception that the heating or cooling system must "work harder" or use more energy to reheat or re-cool the house. This is not how a thermostat works. The system turns on to reach a set level and then shuts off when that level is reached. It can be likened more to a switch that shuts on and off, rather than a gas pedal that accelerates faster the more you step on it.
3. Energy efficiency and energy conservation are the same thing.
Efficiency refers to using less to perform a specific task. Examples include replacing traditional lighting with LEDs (light emitting diodes), or installing a high performance appliance. Conservation refers to reducing your need for energy through changes in behavior, such as setting the thermostat lower or riding a bike to work.
4. When an appliance is turned off, it is off.
Many appliances and electronic devices—such as coffee makers and cell phone chargers—in the home continue to use power after they have been switched off. Sometimes as much as if they were on! This is known as standby power or “phantom load.” The only way to stop the power usage by these devices is to unplug them.
5. Leaving lights, computers and appliances on uses less energy than turning them on and off.
In most cases, the small surge of power needed to start a device is much less than the power that is wasted by leaving it on when it is not needed.
6. Duct tape is the best choice for sealing ducts.
Duct tape has very low durability when used to seal ducts, according to laboratory research. On new installations duct tape will not last long without extensive surface preparation, especially in dirty or dusty locations. Over time, duct tape will fall off as the adhesive dries out and the tape starts to wrinkle. Mastic or metal-backed tapes—available at your local hardware or do-it-yourself retailer—are better choices for duct sealing.
7. Purchasing an efficient air-conditioner or furnace will automatically reduce energy bills.
This is true to some extent, but optimal savings will not be achieved unless the system is sized and installed correctly. Installing an efficient, but over-sized, system can negate much of the potential savings, while a poorly designed duct system can also have an impact on efficiency and comfort. Windows, doors, and insulation also play a factor in heating and cooling efficiency.
8. Dimming lights by 50% will cut lighting costs in half.
In reality, the relationship is not quite direct and the savings may be less than expected. Dimmed lights do use less power, but when lights are dimmed, the voltage drops and the filament becomes cooler. This causes a loss in overall efficiency.
9. Closing off vents will help to lower heating and cooling costs.
Closing or covering up vents is typically not a good way to save on energy costs. Heating and cooling systems balance their load throughout the duct system. If one vent gets closed off, it throws the system off balance. Pressure can build up in the duct work, causing leakage and less air circulating in your home. This reduces system efficiency and home comfort.