Park City, UT
Home MenuPCMC Newsletter-December 2011
Community E-Newsletter December, 2011
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, PARK CITY!
A Park City Holiday
Santa is coming to the Park City Ice Arena December 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dress warm and join us for our community event. The following activities are free of charge: visit with Santa, cookies, ice skating, hot chocolate, Christmas tree ornament, face painting, performances by Jeremy Ranch 5th Grade Choir, Figure Skating Club of Park City and Park City Glee. Click for more.
Update on the PC MARC
The opening date of the MARC will be January 12, 2012. With much anticipation, we look forward to opening this great new facility to the public.
We are still open at Iron Horse with a full schedule of group fitness and spinning classes as well as weights & cardio. It’s never too late to start feeling great!
Special Events Department Award
The Park City Special Events Department (Max Paap on the left and Tommy Youndblood on the right) received a Certificate of Recognition from the Recycling Coalition of Utah for Outstanding Achievement to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in the State of Utah
Another Recycling Award! . . . this time for Public Works
Public Works Operations staff has been recognized by Recycle Utah as “Recyclers of the Year” for varying the Citywide Cleanup program to a smaller multi weekend event, partnering with Recycle Utah to capture a greater concentration recyclable materials and reduce hazardous waste being introduced into the landfill.
Becoming an increasingly sustainable community has been a focus of City Council particularly over the last several years with a spotlight on recycling, energy conservation and environmental stewardship. By reducing the material which makes it to the landfill, several environmental benefits including extending the life of the landfill and reducing costs to residents.
Quinn’s Junction Water Treatment Plant
Construction of the Quinn’s Junction Water Treatment Plant (QJWTP) began during the summer of 2010 and will continue throughout the summer and fall of 2011. Final completion and startup of the QJWTP will be in early 2012. This project consists of a main treatment building and a separate maintenance building. The main building will contain all of the water treatment process equipment including piping, valves, membrane filters, finish water pumps and a 155,000 gallon reservoir. The maintenance building will be used by the Water Department to store spare parts such as pipes, valves, meters, and other equipment necessary to maintain the water system. Once online, the QJWTP will treat raw water imported from the Weber River at a rate of up to 3 million gallons per day. The QJWTP design includes provisions for future expansion to a capacity of 9 million gallons per day and space for hydropower turbines.
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?
Park City Municipal is registered for the Great Utah Shakeout, but you may want to register your family on the website, plus the website has lots of good resources.
FAM Program
For each of the past 20 years, Park City Municipal has teamed up with the Chamber/Bureau to present a FAM Program (short for familiarization program) for new city employees, front desk personnel and other interested community members. The underlying philosophy is that Park City depends on its hospitality business. One of the keys to our success is our knowledgeable and informed employees and citizens. This year, 55 people attended the FAM Program, There were presentations on Park City's unique past including fascinating pictures of our mining history and Olympic planning and celebrations, the Chamber/Bureau's marketing efforts, future trends and prospects for the ski industry, and an update on emerging city issues like affordable housing, open space & trails, walkability, economic development and the City's Low Carbon Diet program.
The presentations were followed by a social lunch at Bandits Restaurant. As usual we received excellent comments on the program which participants found to be very informative, worthwhile and well time well spent. We anticipate continuing this FAM Program which is offered once a year in early December, but if you missed this opportunity or would like more in-depth information on citywide issues, we offer a day long Leadership 101 program on Wednesday, February 8. Watch for details in the January newsletter.
For each of the past 20 years, Park City Municipal has teamed up with the Chamber/Bureau to present a FAM Program (short for familiarization program) for new city employees, front desk personnel and other interested community members. The underlying philosophy is that Park City depends on its hospitality business. One of the keys to our success is our knowledgeable and informed employees and citizens. This year, 55 people attended the FAM Program, There were presentations on Park City's unique past including fascinating pictures of our mining history and Olympic planning and celebrations, the Chamber/Bureau's marketing efforts, future trends and prospects for the ski industry, and an update on emerging city issues like affordable housing, open space & trails, walkability, economic development and the City's Low Carbon Diet program. The presentations were followed by a social lunch at Bandits Restaurant. As usual we received excellent comments on the program which participants found to be very informative, worthwhile and well time well spent. We anticipate continuing this FAM Program which is offered once a year in early December, but if you missed this opportunity or would like more in-depth information on citywide issues, we offer a day long Leadership 101 program on Wednesday, February 8. Watch for details in the January newsletter.
Winter Fires; Safety Tips for the Home
The high cost of home heating fuels and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternate sources of home heating. The use of woodburning stoves is growing and space heaters are selling rapidly, or coming out of storage. Fireplaces are burning wood and manmade logs. The following fire safety tips can help you maintain a fire safe home this winter.
To use wood stoves, fireplaces, and your furnace safely:
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Be sure the fireplace or stove is installed properly with adequate clearance
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Have the chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary
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Keep a screen in front of the fireplace opening
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Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace mantel
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Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out
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Have your furnace inspected to ensure that it’s in good working condition
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Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition
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Leave furnace repairs to qualified specialists
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Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system
News You Can Use
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There is free parking on Park City's Historic Main Street until Friday, December 17th.
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Park City Library is excited to launch a new eBook platform, Axis360. You can browse for eBooks by using the "Magic Wall," subject areas, or you can search by title. A one-time online registration is required. The registration process will allow for easy check out and reading. After you check out an eBook on Axis360, you will need to open it using the Blio reader, which is available for free download at this link. Axis360 eBooks are free to Park City Library cardholders. Ready to get started? Click here to access the Magic Wall.
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Improvements to the Spiro Ditch are underway to help reduce flooding during snow melt season, improve efficiency of the raw water system and ensure downstream water rights are met. Installation of a diversion structure will begin this month.
Green Your Routine
Cooling Temperatures? Check Your Tires!
Rapidly cooling temperatures can negatively impact air pressure in your tires. Low air pressure is bad because it is unsafe and it also wastes fuel! In fact, you can improve fuel efficiency by over 3% by keeping your tires properly inflated. Click here for more info on air pressure and other tips for maintaining a safe, fuel efficient vehicle.
In November, City Council . . .
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Authorized the City Manager to sign an agreement with Fehr & Peers for a corridor study and strategic plan for State Route 224 from Thaynes Canyon Drive to Bonanza Drive.
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Approved the Park City Heights Phase 1 Subdivision.
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Approved a Purchase Agreement with Ivory Development, LLC, for 195 acres of unimproved land within the Park City Heights Master Planned Development.
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Departments » Sustainability » For Homes
Appliances
- Clothes washers and dryers
- Computers
- Dishwashers
- Home audio equipment
- Refrigerator and freezers
- Room air conditioners
- Televisions, Home Theater Systems, Sound Bars, and more
- Water heaters
Dishwasher
- Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature. Many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater in your home to a lower temperature.
- Newer dishwashers don't require that you rinse your dishes. All you need to do is scrape off large pieces of food, and the dishwasher will take care of the rest. Soaking or prewashing is generally only recommended in cases of burned-on or dried-on food.
- Only run your dishwasher when you have a full load of dishes, but don't overload it.
- Don't use the "rinse hold" on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3-7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
- Let your dishes air dry if you don't have an automatic air-dry setting. To manually let your dishes air dry, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open.
- Keep the door shut as much as possible. Try not to stand in front of an open refrigerator while deciding what to take out. Preplan what you're after while the door is shut.
- A full fridge and freezer is more efficient than one that is less full. Add gallons of water to help take up the empty space.
- Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F.
- To check refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. To check the temperature of the freezer, place the thermometer between frozen packages and read after 24 hours.
- Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup decreases the energy efficiency of the unit. Don't allow frost to build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
- Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or dollar bill so its half in and half out. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.
- Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
- Pull the refrigerator away from the wall regularly to clean the coils with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Clean coils help the refrigerator run more efficiently.
- Only wash and dry full loads, but do not overload the machines.
- Wash clothes in cold water. New high efficiency detergents do not require warm or hot water.
- Clean your washing machine according to your owner's manual annually to ensure proper washing.
- Use your dryer's moisture sensor to detect when clothes are just dry, so they are not over-dried.
- Clean the lint filter of the dryer before every load to improve air circulation. Also, your dryer vents need to be regularly cleared of lint, which will save energy and prevent a fire.
- Dryer sheets also cause a film or residue to be left behind. These need to be regularly cleaned with warm soapy water to remove the residue.
- EnergyGuide Label - The Federal Trade Commission requires EnergyGuide labels on most home appliances (except for stove ranges and ovens), but not home electronics, such as computers, televisions, and home audio equipment. EnergyGuide labels provide an estimate of the product's energy consumption or energy efficiency. They also show the highest and lowest energy consumption or efficiency estimates of similar appliance models.
- ENERGY STAR Label - The common blue label with the white star appears on appliances and home electronics that meet strict energy efficiency criteria established by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The ENERGY STAR labeling program includes most home electronics and appliances except for stove ranges and ovens.
One important thing to know is that even though a product is labeled ENERGY STAR there may be other models who use even less energy. The ENERGY STAR label guarantees that it uses less than a specific standard set for each appliance. Some models are as energy efficient as the standard, while other models are even more energy efficient. Do your homework and look at the EnergyGuide Label or research energy consumption on ENERGY STAR's website to compare models.
And remember to recycle your old appliance rather than just throwing it away.