In short
Christmas trees go to the curb by 6 a.m. on Monday, January 9, and winter parking rules are in force: no parking on the street during or right after a snowstorm, and none between 12 and 6 a.m. any night. Spring soccer registration runs January 1 to February 19, and pickleball league registration opens January 2 for residents and closes January 22. The mayor’s year-in-review reports a $10 million federal grant toward secondary water metering, a $2 million grant toward the new secondary water reservoir, and over 375 calls handled since the city started its own paramedic service in April 2022. The Syracuse Regional Museum has unveiled the city’s first mural, on its building along Antelope Drive.
Dates and deadlines
- January 1 to February 19: Spring soccer registration, leagues from age 3 through 9th grade
- January 2 (residents) and January 4 (non-residents): Pickleball league registration opens, $25 residents and $30 non-residents
- January 3 and 17: Think Tuesday senior games, free, 10 a.m.
- January 5: Library After Words discussion for adults and teens, 7 p.m.
- January 9: Christmas tree pickup, trees on the curb by 6 a.m.
- January 11: Senior monthly movie, 1 p.m., and library Book Bunch for 4th to 6th graders, 4 p.m.
- January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school and the library is closed
- January 17: No school for professional development, senior book club at the library 2 p.m., library puzzle night 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- January 22: Pickleball registration closes, or sooner if the league fills
- January 23: Library OrganizMO for teens, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- January 26: Library LEGO night, all ages, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- January 31 and February 2: Pickleball leagues begin, six weeks, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
- February 27: Arts Council symphony orchestra concert, 7:30 p.m. at Syracuse High School
Everything else
City Council
- Because of the holiday, the Council held one combined business meeting and work session on December 13, 2022. It received the external auditor’s annual report, which found no significant issues.
- The Council amended the city code on business licensing, including food trucks and home occupations, and after a public hearing amended the fee schedule for low impact business licenses and added a daily fine for fats, oils and grease violations.
- It authorized a construction contract with City Creek Construction for the Emergency Operations Center improvement project, engineering and design contracts with several firms, an agreement with Weber Basin Water Conservancy District to buy untreated water, and a new franchise agreement with Rocky Mountain Power.
- The Council normally meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, in person and on Zoom and YouTube, and public comment is welcome.
From the mayor
- The mayor writes that the city is at a critical point in setting its future, and that growth and road construction bring both disruption and benefits.
- Water: the city coordinated with UDOT, which needed fill dirt while the city needed a secondary water reservoir, and was awarded a $2 million grant toward that project in 2022. A separate $10 million federal grant covers just over half the city’s cost for state-mandated secondary water metering.
- The city’s “flip the strip” crews removed 2.62 acres of park strip sod, an estimated savings of 2,305,069 gallons of water a year, about what 36 homes use. The waiting list was long enough that other residents flipped their strips without city help.
- Public safety: Davis County is ending paramedic services, so Syracuse started its own in April 2022 and has handled over 375 calls. The fire department averages more than four calls a day. The city created a new wage policy after it could not fill police officer and paramedic positions.
- The mayor reports Syracuse’s violent crime rate is 73% lower than the state average at 0.7 per 1,000 residents a year, and its property crime rate of 7.2 per 1,000 was the state’s lowest for a second year, ranking the city in the top three safest in Utah.
- Business and budget: over 170 new businesses registered in 2022, including about 30 physical locations. The Utah Taxpayers Association listed Syracuse among the 10 Utah cities with the lowest cost of government.
- Other 2022 work: the RV dump station was re-engineered, a bulk water fill station was finished, recreation center flooring was replaced, and construction began on a parks maintenance facility due to come online this year, paid for partly by selling excess land also tied to the cemetery expansion.
Parks and recreation
- Adult fitness classes at the Community Center: High Fitness Wednesdays at 9 a.m. ($3 drop-in, $30 for a 10-time pass), Step It Up! Mondays and Fridays at 9 a.m., and Pump It Up! Tuesdays at 9 a.m. (both $3 drop-in, $20 for a 10-time pass). The first class is free.
- Kids’ paint classes run four Wednesdays a session from 3:45 to 5 p.m. for ages 10 and up, $40 with supplies: watercolors in January, acrylics in February, and “Imitate the Greats” in March. Registration for all programs is at www.syracuseut.gov.
- The Arts Council is looking for volunteers for its summer production of “Freaky Friday,” including director, assistant director, choreographer and music director. Send a letter of interest with experience and April through July conflicts to [email protected].
Winter and public works
- Parking on any street is unlawful during snowstorms and while plows are working, and between 12 and 6 a.m. regardless of weather. Offenders will be cited (Ordinance 11-20-050).
- Pushing or throwing snow into the street or onto sidewalks is also unlawful (Ordinance 4-05-160C). Residents are asked to clear sidewalks and ramps around their property. Snow plowing FAQs are on the city website under “News & Announcements.”
- To avoid burst pipes: insulate exposed pipes and hose bibs, disconnect garden hoses, seal leaks, let water drip overnight, and open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
- The Disaster Preparedness Committee recommends a winter emergency kit with flashlights, a portable radio, extra batteries, a phone power bank or car charger, a first aid kit, bottled water, nonperishable food and a manual can opener, and notes a March 2022 storm knocked out power to over 30,000 homes in the Salt Lake area.
City services
- Passport applications are processed at City Hall by appointment only, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., about 20 to 30 minutes each. Call 801-825-1477 to schedule. Forms come from travel.state.gov, fees must be a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, and everything must be submitted before 4 p.m. for same-day acceptance. More at www.syracuseut.com/passports.
- The Syracuse Library at 1875 S. 2000 W. is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 801-451-1850. Story time runs Tuesday through Thursday at 10:30 a.m., with a virtual option Wednesdays (sign up at daviscountyutah.gov/library/programs).
- Road repairs, street light and sign problems, park maintenance, water issues and garbage pickup can be reported through the “Report a Concern” icon on the city website. Job openings are under Government, then Employment Opportunities.
Community
- The museum’s mural was painted by a local art teacher working outside her school job, with input from museum staff, and the public is invited to see it any time.
- A Syracuse gymnast, age 20, won a world title in double mini trampoline at the 2022 FIG World Age Group Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria in November, competing on a six-member U.S. national team.
- Two Syracuse High students were named students of the month.
- The city’s employee spotlight features a firefighter II and paramedic with the Syracuse Fire Department, with the city 10 months.
- North Davis Communities That Care writes that children who eat with family at least five times a week are 33% less likely to use alcohol, and suggests 15 minutes a day of one-on-one time with a child.
- The issue lists sledding hills in Weber and Davis counties, including Meadows Park in Clinton, Andy Adams Park in Layton, and Chelemes Farm and Fox Hollow parks in Clearfield, plus a roundup of January events around Ogden and Davis County such as the First Friday Art Stroll and an Ogden winter farmers market.
Unofficial digest of a city PDF. The official version is linked below.
Comments
Comments are not set up yet.