Becker to talk about 'livability' in Tuesday's State of City address

SALT LAKE CITY — The capital city's "livability" will be Mayor Ralph Becker's top priority for at least the next two years, beginning with his State of the City address Tuesday.

In his third address since becoming mayor, Becker will focus on "environment, engagement, equality and efficiency" as the guiding principles for the remainder of his administration, spokeswoman Lisa Harrison Smith said.

"These are areas the mayor has been talking about for a while," Smith said. "He's focused on creating increased livability in Salt Lake City."

The mayor's address will lay out a plan for increasing public input on city projects, improving relations between City Hall and the capital's neighborhoods and dealing with projected budget shortfalls. The mayor will speak at 7 p.m. in Room 315 of the Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State.

"We're expecting a big announcement on sustainability," Smith said. "This announcement will be something that will be accomplished early on this year."

Becker made good on his 2009 State of the City promises to focus on building a new public safety complex, downtown theater and a sports complex. The mayor watched voters sign off on a $125 million bond for the public safety complex in November and has pushed forward with plans for both the Main Street theater and the $21 million sports complex along the Jordan River.

In a recent interview with the Deseret News, Becker said he also planned to spend 2010 mapping out the city's northwest quadrant, cracking down on aggressive panhandlers and clearing the way for liquor sales in some neighborhoods.

e-mail: afalk@desnews.com