“At the age of eighteen, I began working in the mineral acquisition business, which quickly put me on a path that merged rural Utah with corporate boardrooms. From the beginning of my career, corporate governance and management have been a big part of my life. I’ve experienced all the elements of organizational culture, from being a member of an executive team to serving on various Boards of Directors.
My corporate background provides me with a unique perspective and the experience needed to understand organizational issues and find solutions. I did this on the Grand County Council in my first year, revamping our budget process, enhancing constituent services, and prioritizing strategic planning to ensure that goals are being set that create accountability. Like any organization, there are challenges and continuous opportunities for improvement. I have been relentless in my work because I understand that ultimately, the health and vitality of an organization falls on good leadership, beginning with the board of directors.
As the Utah Association of Counties continues to grow, our challenges and the opportunities to improve become more and more critical.
We have the opportunity to improve member county and association relationships.
We have the opportunity to further define the best role of UAC, as a resource for Utah's counties.
We have an opportunity to be a consistent quality resource to all counties and elected officials, regardless of class of county or political affiliation.
UAC is at a pivotal point. We need leadership that has the experience and work ethic to move the needle and unite the association behind a clear vision.
I am humbled to have received nominations from across the State. I believe that my leadership style is what UAC needs to move forward and be a resource to the counties. We are stronger together.”
Councilman Curtis Wells
Find information regarding the Utah Association of Counties:
http://uacnet.org/about/
Find information regarding the role of UAC President:
http://uacnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Official-UAC-Bylaws-Updated-November-16-2016.pdf
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Successes and challenges mark one year of Operation Rio Grande
SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 14, 2018) - On the one-year anniversary of the start of Operation Rio Grande, leadership, partners, businesses and residents gathered at The Gateway mall to hear an update on the successes, challenges and next steps for the operation.
The operation is broken up into three phases, each of which is ongoing, and has individual measures of success. The common goals of the three phases and the partners involved in the operation are to restore public safety to the area, assist individuals struggling with mental health and substance use, and prevent and minimize homelessness in order to transition to the new resource center model in June 2019. Modest gains have been made in reducing the length of stay people need in the downtown shelter (from 48.5 to 43.5 days) and increasing the number of successful exits from the shelter to the housing (from 119 to 138). For the full data breakdown of outcomes and measures, visit operationriogrande.utah.gov.
Phase One of Operation Rio Grande focuses on public safety and restoring order in the Rio Grande area of Salt Lake City. Law enforcement officials reported that part one offenses in the Rio Grande area had decreased by 44 percent compared to the three-year average. Even with a large law enforcement presence, service provider and the safe space usage remains strong as indicated by usage numbers and feedback from service providers.
Phase Two is centered around mental health and substance use treatment. Salt Lake County reported that 243 additional residential treatment beds have been added in the past year. In that time, 784 unique individuals have entered treatment with Salt Lake County contract providers. Of those, 132 have entered treatment through the drug court program. In addition, the new sober living program and expungement initiatives help individuals continue their recovery, maintain their sobriety, stay out of jail and work toward employment and stable housing.
The third phase, known as Dignity of Work, provides training and support for homeless individuals to become employed or take steps to become ready to work. The Department of Workforce Services reported that 106 individuals have become employed with the support of Dignity of Work employment counselors.
Although today marks one year since the start of the operation, partners acknowledged that there were still many challenges. The group discussed steps to take over the next year and into the future to address those challenges, as outlined below.
Phase One
Challenge
Next Steps / Next Planned Actions
Respond to dispersion concerns and camping hot spots (e.g., North Temple, Victory Road and Jordan River areas)
Proactive/reactive response as identified or discovered.
Deployment of public safety personnel to identify and disrupt criminal behavior.
Collaborate with community members.
Deploy police/ social worker outreach teams in coordination with service providers to employ non-law enforcement solutions.
Coordination of a multi-agency cleanup effort as needed.
Address safety issues inside the downtown shelter
Continue to work with The Road Home and other stakeholders on enhanced security screening.
Continue to use outreach troopers inside the shelter to build relationships with residents.
Monitor jail bed capacity needs
Coordination between DPS, SLCPD, County CJS, SL County Jail, and DA’s Office to address high utilizers of the criminal justice system.
Continue to enhance multi-jurisdictional coordination
DPS will continue to respond to requests for assistance related to dispersion of criminal activity or illegal camping issues related to ORG.
DPS will address drug distribution networks and other criminal activity affecting our homeless and other vulnerable populations across the state working with allied agencies and communities.
Phase Two
Challenge
Next Steps / Next Planned Actions
Lack of available trained social workers to support additional growth in mental health and substance use treatment
The U of U School of Medicine has a curriculum to train primary care clinicians on the essentials of treating basic mental health and substance use disorders.
Salt Lake County is meeting with University of Utah’s Department of Social Work to discuss other ideas.
Shortage of detox resources / providers
Salt Lake County is meeting with DWS and the State Office of Medicaid to discuss the possibility of making social detox a Medicaid covered service.
Additional social detox expansion is planned for October.
Increase opportunities for expungement
Salt Lake County (CJAC) has agreed to be a partner at Project Homeless Connect in October and will have an expungement services booth to provide access to this service.
Salt Lake County is working with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Utah State Legislature on draft legislation, making some expungements automated; partners are also discussing potential adjustments to the process to make expungements easier and more streamlined.
Increase capacity of sober living programs / providers
Salt Lake County is continuing to meet with all eligible sober living partners to expand network.
ORG Leadership team will encourage additional individuals to start new licensed sober living programs.
Increase capacity of structured criminal justice treatment programs
Form a steering committee to look at target population and recommend a plan to the State for year two.
Increase availability of treatment resources
VOA Murray Shelter (detox/residential treatment) will open in the next year.
ORG Leadership will work together encourage providers to expand treatment opportunities
Need for more health coverage for low income families and vulnerable groups
The State will either implement the partial expansion passed in the last Legislative session, or plan for full expansion, if the ballot initiative passes in November. Either of these pathways will expand the number of individuals eligible for health coverage.
Phase Three
Challenge
Next Steps / Next Planned Actions
It is difficult to locate and communicate with individuals experiencing homelessness, and difficult to keep them engaged in the voluntary process.
Test an incentive program to engage job seekers in Dignity of Work activities.
Connect work-ready job seekers to a targeted transportation plan that will help connect them to their worksites.
Some people don’t want to change or are not ready.
Ensure that Dignity of Work services and programs are well known among partners.
Continue to work closely with the drug court system.
Identify individuals who have employment history but currently struggle with barriers and need treatment. Connect them with treatment to support employment as the end goal.
Some individuals experience a lack of hope and self-confidence; many are in need of education and skills development.
Look at mentoring and coaching programs that leverage individuals who have been through similar experiences.
Work with job seekers attached to temporary employment to provide skill building and job development that move them into permanent employment and out of shelter.
Connect job seekers to training programs that result in obtainment of a credential and incorporate life skills with healthy habit formation.
The closure of the downtown shelter and decentralizing of services with the new resource centers.
Work with Shelter the Homeless and the selected shelter operators to ensure every resource center has an integrated Dignity of Work model as an emergency shelter exit and employment retention strategy.
Work with Shelter the Homeless and the Coordinated Entry manager to deliver employment as a diversion strategy.
For a complete set of statistics related to Operation Rio Grande and a one-year history timeline, visit operationriogrande.utah.gov.
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TINY STILLS
Announces Summer Tour
With Get Married
New Album
Laughing Into The Void
Available Now at TinyStills.com
SEPT 9TH | THE UNDERGROUND | SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Los Angeles, CA - Power pop band Tiny Stills has announced that they will be hitting the road this summer in support of their sophomore album, Laughing Into the Void. A full U.S. tour with fellow Californians Get Married, this summer run kicks off on August 10th in Los Angeles, and includes stops in Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, and more. For a full list of dates, please see below or visit: www.tinystills.com
Tiny Stills is a power pop band from Los Angeles influenced by Courtney Barnett, That Dog, and 90s/00s rock. Their first album, Falling is like Flying was released in 2014 and was a direct response to the isolation and anxiety that comes from life changing events after front-person and founding member Kailynn West was held up at gunpoint. It's upbeat and pop-y melodies were born from a desire to make something that felt and sounded nothing like the she felt at the time - happy. Since then, West has been the nucleus of the project with a rotating cast of band members, but most recent lineup includes Harry Foster (bass), Zach Comtois (guitar), and Tony Thaxton (drums).
After a last-minute lineup change left an opening on a national tour with Bayside's Anthony Raneri and A.W. in 2015, West stepped in at the last minute to complete the tour as Tiny Stills. She sold thank you cards with download links as merchandise after selling out of physical copies of the first record; from there, the project hit the ground running.
Tiny Stills released their sophomore album, Laughing Into the Void, on June 1st, 2018. The record premiered in full on Music Connection, in addition to being featured on Substream Magazine, Atwood Magazine, BuzzBands.LA, Hype Machine, and more. Full of brutal honesty, crunchy guitars, and catchy melodies, Laughing into the Void is here to help you remember that even the worst days have a silver lining: at least you're not alone.
For more information:
Website: www.tinystills.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinystills
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tinystills
Instagram: www.facebook.com/tinystills
WHO: Tiny Stills & Get Married
WHERE: The Underground | 833 Main St | Salt Lake City, UT
WHEN: Sunday, September 9th | 7pm
INFO: https://bit.ly/2JttPno
Upcoming Tour Dates w/Get Married:
Tuesday, August 14 - Las Vegas, NV - Cornish Pasty
Wednesday August 15 - Phoenix, AZ - The Trunk Space
Friday, August 17 - Denton, TX - The Bean Cave
Sunday, August 19 - Houston, TX - The Secret Group
Thursday, August 23 - Memphis, TN - The Hi-Tone
Friday, August 24 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Purgatory)
Sunday, August 26 - Richmond, VA - The Camel
Monday, August 27 - Philadelphia, PA - The Pharmacy
Wednesday, August 29 - Brooklyn, NY - Gold Sounds
Thursday, August 30 - Baltimore, MD - The Sidebar
Friday, August 31 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo
Saturday, September 1- Newport, KY - Wooden Cask Brewery
Sunday, September 2 - Chicago IL - Gman Tavern
Friday, September 7 - Denver, CO - Moe's
Saturday, September 8 - Fort Collins, CO - Pinball Jones Campus West
Sunday, September 9 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Underground
Monday, September 10 - Boise, ID - Mike's House
Tuesday, September 11 - Seattle, WA - Victory Lounge
Wednesday, September 12 - Portland, OR - Geodesic Art Space
Thursday, September 13 - Chico, CA - Naked Lounge
Friday, September 14 - Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial
Saturday, September 15 - San Jose, CA - The Art Boutiki
