This past year, despite an irresponsible, outrageous, regressive 9.5% cut in the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, HAND rehabilitated one hundred twelve houses, provided over a million dollars in rehabilitation and new construction loans, and successfully solicited pledges to support the vital Weed & Seed program. In recognition of her years of brilliant, dedicated service and successes, LuAnn Clark received the Local Government Service Award from NeighborWorks America. Congratulations, and thank you to LuAnn.

This year, HAND will work with others throughout the country to persuade the federal government to shoulder its responsibilities to local governments by increasing CDBG funds. HAND also will work with our administration and City Council to finally adopt and implement a new citywide housing plan. If that plan does not present irrational and unnecessary obstacles, such as a proposed prohibition against funding of 100% affordable housing projects, we should be able to continue much of the great progress experienced the past several years.

Safe, inviting public spaces are vital for residents to be able to gather, recreate, and reflect. Without quality gathering places like public parks, residents become isolated in their homes, cars, and offices, and loneliness and social division result. The extraordinary hard work and dedication of Rick Graham, our Director of Public services, and Val Pope, who heads our Parks Division, have helped City residents fulfill our need to associate, communicate, and celebrate with one another.

Thanks to the efforts of the Public Services Division, Liberty Park is a phenomenally beautiful jewel in our city, accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Over the past few years, we installed a new lighting system, a jogging path, and a segregated bike and skating path in Liberty Park, making it safer and more usable for the thousands who visit the park each year. We also built a bridge and gazebo on the Park�s lake island, reconstructed the North Shelter and Tennis House, and completely rebuilt the concession building. With the generous support of the Rotary Club, we constructed Rotary Play Park, the first park in Salt Lake City accessible to children of all levels of ability. Snapshots of Liberty Park before and after the improvements of the last seven years would demonstrate the kind of progress to which we should commit in all of our major parks.