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Park City mayor, in break from precedent, readies formal State of the City address

Park City Mayor Andy Beerman on Tuesday is scheduled to deliver a State of the City address, remarks that are expected to touch on the successes of his first year in office as well as outline the municipal work plan for the coming year in a formal setting that will command attention that mayors over the years have not drawn for a single speech.

The State of the City address will follow shortly after a municipal retreat designed to craft a vision for the year. The mayor and Park City Councilors huddled with staffers to cover a wide range of issues during the retreat with the goal of prioritizing the government’s work.

The mayor in an interview said the State of the City address on Tuesday will review City Hall’s progress in 2018, including the successful ballot measure that raised most of the funds for the planned acquisition of Treasure in a conservation agreement. Other highlights will include work on creating an arts and cultural district in Bonanza Park as well as on City Hall’s energy programs.



Beerman said the address will have a “heavy focus” on City Hall’s key priorities — transportation, housing, energy and social equity. The elected officials and staffers spend extensive time on the broad ideals outlined in the topics or on detailed issues or proposals related to them. Rank-and-file Parkites have appeared to be supportive of the priorities, re-electing incumbents during City Hall campaigns and backing municipal ballot measures.

The mayor said he will announce three new initiatives during the address on Tuesday. One will be known as “Love Where You Live.” It is a mayoral initiative, Beerman said. He declined to discuss the details of “Love Where You Live,” citing the upcoming announcement. Beerman said an unspecified new resource for Park City residents will be announced as part of another one of the initiatives.



The other will be an initiative centered on the infrastructure for electric vehicles, such as the installation of new charging stations. An expansion of the infrastructure would be seen as advancing City Hall’s energy priority. Park City leaders over the years have supported the use of cleaner-burning power sources like solar-generated electricity. The leaders contend the cleaner-burning sources are a way to combat a changing climate. They say a warming planet could someday threaten the ski industry that drives the Park City-area economy.

Beerman said the State of the City address will likely run approximately 30 minutes with another 20 minutes for a question-and-answer session. The event will also provide the opportunity for roundtable discussions among the elected officials, members of City Hall panels like the Park City Planning Commission and the public.

City Hall will provide pies for a “pie-luck” dessert.

Park City mayors over the past 20-plus years have not delivered a formal State of the City address. Some of them have used an appearance at the daylong Leadership 101 event, held annually early in the year, to deliver a de facto State of the City address.

The State of the City event is scheduled on Feb. 12 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Santy Auditorium at the Park City Library.


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