Utah
Utah Inland Port Authority needs clear plan for future before spending $150M bond, auditors say
The realm at I-80 close to 7200 West the place the Utah Inland Port is deliberate to be in-built Salt Lake Metropolis is pictured on Jan. 27, 2020. The Utah Inland Port Authority wants to stipulate clear objectives for the longer term — which it hasn’t but executed — earlier than beginning to spend a number of the $150 million in bonds accepted final 12 months, based on a brand new report. (Steve Griffin, Deseret Information)
Estimated learn time: 4-5 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Inland Port Authority wants to stipulate clear objectives for the longer term — which it hasn’t but executed — earlier than beginning to spend a number of the $150 million in bonds accepted final 12 months, based on a brand new report.
The restricted overview by the state Legislative Auditor Common’s Workplace started in spring this 12 months after the Utah Legislature modified the Utah Inland Port Authority Board’s make-up, and the brand new board was sworn in, in Might. Auditors famous within the report the board requested them to carry out the overview to “present course and potential threat areas as fast as doable.”
Auditors say they discovered a couple of “considerations,” together with “monetary dedication with out satisfactory planning, gaps in organizational construction that cut back inside controls, and the necessity for stronger procurement and contract administration.”
The auditors say the Inland Port Authority wants to put out a long-term plan, referred to as a grasp growth plan, to stipulate its objectives and targets and information growth selections. That should occur earlier than the authority spends the “sizable bond” it took out, apart from funding that will get accepted by the Inland Port Authority Board, based on the report.
The Inland Port Authority has a request for proposal looking for a marketing consultant to assist create a grasp growth plan, which auditors referred to as a “constructive step.” However auditors famous they’re “involved this has not been a better precedence on the port” — and the board ought to be certain that a grasp growth plan is in place earlier than utilizing the bond issued final winter.
The port authority marked a big enhance in spending from 2021 to 2022 due largely to $8.02 million for an up-front lease-to-own fee for the Stadler Rail check monitor, and $6.31 million put aside for safety of the port’s $150 million bond safety, auditors stated.
Port authority employees members informed auditors the Stadler Rail challenge was “beforehand recognized” as a state precedence, however auditors say the board ought to nonetheless “fastidiously weigh” whether or not such initiatives are a good suggestion for the port.
The Stadler Rail manufacturing plant within the space of 5600 West and 150 South is without doubt one of the initiatives the port authority has checked out to enhance Utah’s importing and manufacturing logistics. The constructing is near the place a proposed rail spur check monitor is being thought-about — utilizing the bonds, officers stated final 12 months.
Auditors stated the inland port can also be spending a big sum of money on rental and lease prices for buildings and land. For instance, the Inland Port Authority spent about $2.4 million from 2020 to 2022 on land put aside for a transload facility. A big soar on this 12 months’s spending is “primarily from about $4.6 million for the development of a street within the Northwest Quadrant of the port,” based on the overview.
“Once more, whereas these selections might show to be prudent, we’re involved about important monetary commitments being made with public funds earlier than a grasp growth plan is developed and all choices are thought-about,” auditors wrote.
Auditors additionally inspired extra involvement from the board to “maintain employees accountable” for outcomes. The audit advisable an audit committee and treasurer be put in place to strengthen this system’s inside controls.
“The finances overview course of is one other space that deserves extra consideration. Employees ought to make extra data publicly accessible for board members and the general public to know (Utah Inland Port Authority’s) finances,” the report states.
Auditors stated they discovered that in working with contractors, the port authority “didn’t have satisfactory measurable metrics and timelines in contracts to supply construction and accountability with contractors,” pointing to a different cause for extra board member involvement.
“We’re inspired to see that the port has been attentive to this and is engaged on enhancements to their course of,” auditors wrote.
The report additionally notes contractors are largely “sole sourced” by the Inland Port Authority, which means it solicits contract proposals from just one enterprise at a time reasonably than going by the everyday, aggressive request for proposal course of.
“This reduces transparency and might foster an surroundings the place public sources should not adequately safeguarded,” auditors wrote.
However as a separate entity from the state, the Utah Inland Port Authority is exempt from the procurement guidelines that state companies are required to comply with, based on the audit. The overview didn’t look into whether or not the authority needs to be topic to the identical procurement and transparency necessities, however auditors advised it as a problem for the Legislature to take a look at transferring ahead.
In a letter responding to the audit, the Utah Inland Port Authority board members and Govt Director Ben Hart stated they “wholeheartedly agree with all suggestions within the audit and have directed UIPA administration, together with new UIPA govt director Ben Hart, to maneuver ahead with implementing them together with different finest practices.”
The letter states that the Inland Port Authority has had unbiased monetary auditors overview its monetary statements yearly, and so they discovered that each one expenditures have been made “in accordance with the board accepted budgets and insurance policies and legislative statute.”
The board members and govt director additionally famous that the Inland Port Authority is “a studying and rising group,” and thanked auditors for the strategies.
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Utah
Utah family creates 'Giving Gallery' to spread joy of art
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — You might have heard of little libraries in neighborhoods, but have you heard of Giving Galleries?
A family in Cottonwood Heights is using their love for art to bring joy to those around them.
On the corner of Promenade and Camino is Abigail Bradshaw.
“I’m standing next to an art gallery, my art gallery. That’s my house,” she proudly said.
Abigail is showing her tiny art gallery filled with pieces made by her family and others who want to contribute. This home used to be her great-grandmother’s.
“She was an artist, and so, I wanted to continue that legacy,” said Katie Bradshaw, Abigail’s mom. They found a box, painted it, propped it up, and filled it with tiny art. Anyone can just look at the art, pick up something they like, or put their own piece inside.
Miles Jacobsen is a friend who saw what the Bradshaws were doing and added his artwork to the box.
For people who want to make their own masterpieces, there is also a box of free art supplies in the gallery box. You can come by to pick up paint, paintbrushes, and tiny canvasses to create your own art, which you can drop off at the “giving gallery” to bring joy to someone else.
“I feel really glad that people come and get some art and put it in there,” said Abigail.
Filling the box is something Katie does with her kids.
“I hope that they can carry this with them, that they continue sharing art, no matter where they are,” she said.
Spreading joy to everyone who walks by, and letting the cycle continue.
“I want them to feel happy and glad that they got some, so they could return some back here,” added Abigail.
Utah
Amid traffic, Utah walked to Leafs’ arena pregame
TORONTO — The Utah Hockey Club said players were forced to walk to their game against the Maple Leafs after their bus got stuck in Toronto traffic Sunday night.
The team posted a video on social media of team members walking to Scotiabank Arena, with player Maveric Lamoureux saying the bus was “not moving at all.”
Several city streets had been closed during the day for an annual Santa Claus parade.
The Maple Leafs earned their fourth consecutive win by defeating Utah 3-2.
The viral incident prompted Ontario Premier Doug Ford to call the congestion “embarrassing” and “unacceptable,” highlighting his government’s plan to address the city’s gridlock through bike lane legislation.
It wasn’t the first time a Toronto visitor had to ditch their vehicle to make it to an event on time.
In June, former One Direction band member Niall Horan had to walk through traffic to get to his concert at Scotiabank Arena.
Utah
Utah Highway Patrol responds to your suggestions on making Utah roads safer
SALT LAKE CITY — FOX 13 News is Driven to Change and that includes bringing you reports on important topics like road rage, construction, and wrong-way drivers. During our coverage, we continually ask for any questions or concerns you may have along Utah’s roadways.
The feedback has gotten an enormous response, so FOX 13 sat down with Lieutenant Cameron Roden on Good Day Utah to help address input we have been getting, from the perspective of Utah Highway Patrol.
Speeding in Utah, there’s so much of it, and then you can sometimes say that that leads to tailgating, which may lead to road rage incidents. What are you seeing out there in terms of speed and what can we do to lessen the effects of that?
Lt. Cameron Roden: Speed is our number one thing that we see. That’s our number one traffic stop that we make, and we know that it leads to the majority of crashes in the state of Utah. So we definitely put an emphasis on speed and it does lead to other things. Not just crashes. It leads to road rage and other things .So, as far as what changes can we make, we need to start with ourselves, and really say, ‘Hey, do I have a problem?’ You know, we just need to start with ourselves and not think that it’s something else’s problem. If we slow our speeds ourselves, and then it’ll start to to catch on and people will do that speed limit. So, but the legislature has definitely taken some steps to help us address, especially the the speeds that are those excessive speeds where we have that one zero five law now that addresses those speeds and increases fines and and hopefully discourages people from those extreme speeds.
Some of our viewers talked about maybe capping some of the speed limits for truck drivers. Is that something that’s even feasible?
You know, that would be something that would have to go through that, that legislative process to see whether we that would be something that would help. But ultimately, if we we start with ourselves, hopefully that will make that change and reduce crashes and fatalities.
There are things being done to try and intervene and stop wrong-way drivers before they happen. But some of our viewers propose things like spikes. What are your thoughts on implementing something like that?
We’ve had over the last several years, a rash of wrong-way drivers, and it’ll come in onesie twos, and then we’ll go for a period of time without that. And so, but this spike over the last couple of years has caused us to to create a task force to look at wrongly driving what things can be done. And so getting all these stakeholders together between UDOT and Highway Safety, looking at what technologies and things that could be implemented, and and things like, wrong way detection cameras. Those are some things that are being actually used in the state of Utah right now to help us spot those and and advance signage, getting people to realize they’re going the wrong way and turn around. The the spike strips have actually been talked about in our task force a little bit. And if something like that would even be, it is that technology available right now. And as what we could actually implement in the state of Utah, there’s nothing that really fits the bill right now because of our environment. We have our snow plows. We have snow and things like that. Something like that really wouldn’t be practical right now.
Probably the most talked about topic that we’ve received was distracted driving, texting while driving. You went out, I saw on the UHP social media page, that you guys just driving and you look to your right and left and you can find someone texting. What kind of enforcement do we have against distracted driving specifically on your phone?
This is something that we like you said, we see it every day. We go out to crashes,and and we may suspect that a driver may be distracted. And so, it’s something that’s definitely under-reported. It’s it’s a bigger problem than than the numbers really show.And so not only do we address it during our normal patrols.Our officers are seeing it, and addressing it while they’re out there.But we’ll also do targeted patrols where the highway safety office actually gives out additional funds for that targeted enforcement, where we’ll get an unmarked vehicle. We go out driving down the roads where we try to spot these vehicles and and get them stopped because those are those are a big danger on our roadways where our attention and our focus needs to be on driving.
If you have ideas or suggestions for how to make Utah’s roadways safer click here to be taken to our Driven to Change form. There you can share your ideas or suggestions.
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Share your ideas on how to make Utah’s roads safer
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