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New Salt Lake City Council Members Sworn In

Four Salt Lake City Council members were sworn in today. Three are new and one is beginning a second term. The newcomer’s ambitions range from air quality and economic development to civility.

District 1 Councilman-elect James Rogers says as a new member of the Salt Lake City Council, he’s focused on rehabilitating neglected residential, community and commercial areas in his district, pointing to his work overseeing the renovation of a commercial office space just west of Capitol Hill. 

“I have witnessed firsthand, the tremendous benefits that not only come from the beautification of such an area,” Rogers says. But the quantifiable impact that such improvement brings to the community in terms of safety, new business, tax revenues and other growth opportunities.”

Erin Mendenhall, Executive Director of Breath Utah, was elected to represent District 5 in Salt Lake City. Mendenhall says she’s especially concerned with confronting infrastructure issues related to the region’s booming population.

“I will work to find collaborative solutions to our difficult issues from a declining sewer system to our future transit options and our air quality,” Mendenhall says. “I will work to be the good neighbor I see our city council seats to be.”

District 7 Councilwoman-elect Lisa Ramsey Adams says her fair-minded, moderate approach will guide her decisions, though she didn’t point to any specific policy changes she would make.  

“As beautiful as a setting as it has, it is the people who live here who make it a place of welcome and warmth,” Adams says. “I hope to promote kindness, respect, understanding, civility and caring as I serve on the city council.”

In all, four councilmembers, including Incumbent District 3 councilman Stan Penfold were elected to the council in November.

Newly-elected members will meet with the full city council for the first time tomorrow to carry out official business. 

Whittney Evans grew up southern Ohio and has worked in public radio since 2005. She has a communications degree from Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, where she learned the ropes of reporting, producing and hosting. Whittney moved to Utah in 2009 where she became a reporter, producer and morning host at KCPW. Her reporting ranges from the hyper-local issues affecting Salt Lake City residents, to state-wide issues of national interest. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the guitar and getting to know the breathtaking landscape of the Mountain West.
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