From Deseret News archives:
Salt Lake County seeking more staffing
Corroon wants to add environmental, emergency officials
The mayor plans on asking the council today to fund the equivalent of two new full-time county employees. The County Council must approve the positions before any hiring can take place.
Corroon is pushing an environmental agenda that includes xeriscaping at all new county facilities. The mayor said he needs the environmental-coordinator position in part because the county needs someone to oversee and carry out an executive order he signed in April to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into the county's daily operations. The coordinator also would manage other county environmental initiatives and ordinances.
"We must set an example ourselves by being more energy efficient and water-wise in our own county operations," Corroon said.
The salary with benefits for the position would be approximately $50,000, said Darrin Casper, the county's chief financial officer.
Corroon said the coordinator has the potential to save the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in water and energy bills. An audit presented to the County Council last week shows the county is losing $171,070 worth of wasted water every year.
"We had the realization that we can save a lot of money" by looking at environmental efficiency, he said. "It's time for us to take the lead in helping to clean up our air, our water, and in protecting our one-of-a-kind natural environment."
Councilman Joe Hatch said the new position will likely pay for itself in money saved through the environmental changes.
"The coordinator can have a real financial benefit by lowering water and power bills, xeriscaping, zoning correctly. Those sorts of things pay back economically over time," he said.
Corroon also wants to make sure the county is prepared for disaster. An emergency-services coordinator would find companies to provide the county with supplies, as well as look at surrounding cities and see what other emergency plans are out there. The emergency-services coordinator would also work with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to negotiate the use of church facilities in the case of a disaster.
The position would cost the county approximately $75,000 to $90,000 annually, Casper said. The price tag for the position may seem expensive, but Philip Bernal, associate director of public works, said the position is necessary.
"When talking about the life and death of a half a million people, it's worth it," he said.
