Utah releases master plan for the Governor s Mansion but much of it is hidden from taxpayers Utpol - Governor Cox HEAD TOPICS

Utah releases master plan for the Governor s Mansion but much of it is hidden from taxpayers

10/22/2022 1:25:00 AM

Utah releases master plan for the Governor s Mansion but much of it is hidden from taxpayers.

Utpol Governor Cox

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The Salt Lake Tribune

When pressed on whether taxpayers would want to know what security measures they would be paying for, an official said, “I can understand that frustration and all I can say is we’re going to err on the side of caution.” utpol Utah releases master plan for the Governor s Mansion but much of it is hidden from taxpayers. Oct. 21, 2022, 12:00 p.m.Executive Residence CommissionThe plan, Richins said, is a “coordinated effort” by the ERC, the Division of Facilities and Construction Management and the state’s Department of Public Safety to “guide the care of the Kearns Mansion and surrounding grounds over the next 50 years.” Richins said “the majority” of the redactions were approved by the state’s Department of Public Safety, and were done “according to the terms of GRAMA.” The material blacked out, she said, has to do with “security and private identifiable information.” Read more:
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Thousands of women are picking up part-time jobs at Starbucks to expand their families. Here's how the coffee giant is changing the lives of struggling couples. Read more >> security through obscurity Taxpayers funding security at the governors’ mansion which every future governor will use is not the problem; taxpayers funding security improvements to Spencer Cox’s private property is the problem. Experts discuss maternal and infant health care at national governors conference in UtahAs Gov. Spencer Cox began to unravel mental health issues at the beginning of his administration, he learned he could start with an 'upstream approach,' with maternal and infant care. Utah Jazz player lists lakefront Michigan mansion for $3.5MPro baller Kelly Olynyk has put his Oakland County, Michigan abode on the market following his trade to the Utah Jazz. Utah Utes mailbag: Should Utah fans worry whether or not Tavion Thomas plays? Utah Utes mailbag: 'What adjustments can Utah ’s defense make between now and Washington State to help put them in Pac-12 title contention?” - RichieOstler SLC approves ‘milestone’ deal with Utah Inland Port AuthorityThe agreement comes after years of conflict and paves the way for more transparency and collaboration between the port authority and Utah ’s capital. University of Utah breaks ground on $185M medical school buildingFifty years after the University of Utah opened the doors of the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the university broke ground on the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. Q&A with new Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy as season tips off tonightThe Utah Jazz play their first home game of a new season this week with a mostly new team and a new head coach. KSL-TV's Deanie Wimmer sat down with coach Will Hardy to find out that he's not exactly new to Utah , and Wednesday, he'll have an experienced ally — Jazz fans. Officials cite security for the redactions to the Executive Residence Committee’s plan for the historic mansion..An aerial shot of the property.Plus: Rising’s potential return in 2023, defensive adjustments, Pullman on a Thursday night, and more (Ashley Landis AP) Utah running back Tavion Thomas (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UCLA in Pasadena, Calif. (Francisco Kjolseth The Salt Lake Tribune) The Governor's Mansion, left, and the Glendinning Mansion, By Palak Jayswal Oct. 21, 2022, 12:00 p.m.  The sleek, modern abode underwent a drastic renovation in 2020, which took the structure “down to the studs. The state of Utah has released a “recommended” master plan for the historic Kearns Mansion — the official residence of the governor — but many of its recommendations are redacted, hidden behind black bars. The state’s Executive Residence Commission , which oversees the mansion, released the plan Thursday.m. It covers the entire block on the north side of South Temple, between G and H streets in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City. The primary suite is located on the first floor and has a fireplace, an ensuite bath and a sprawling room-sized closet. “The primary purpose for the master plan is to maintain a historic building for decades to come,” said Marlene Richins, deputy director of the Utah Department of Government Operations. “While there’s a lot redacted in that document that has to do with security, the overall purpose is a long-term plan for the maintenance and operations of the Kearns Mansion.” The plan, Richins said, is a “coordinated effort” by the ERC, the Division of Facilities and Construction Management and the state’s Department of Public Safety to “guide the care of the Kearns Mansion and surrounding grounds over the next 50 years.) In terms of outdoor amenities, the home has a patio and a dock on the lake — as well as a covered lounge area and plenty of lawn space.” The document has 802 pages, but most are in appendices, and the specific details of the master plan fill just 23 pages. After last weekend, when ESPN 700 radio reported that Thomas removed his pads and left the USC game early, Utes coach Kyle Whittingham has said he’s keeping quiet on Thomas. Five of those are the table of contents, acknowledgments and title pages. Of the 18 remaining pages, which hold the text of the plan, 10 are partially blacked out and four are blacked out completely. Nearly a third of the plan’s one-page executive summary is redacted. Richins said “the majority” of the redactions were approved by the state’s Department of Public Safety, and were done “according to the terms of GRAMA.” The material blacked out, she said, has to do with “security and private identifiable information.com , or leave it in the comments section at the end of this article and he will answer them in his weekly mailbag. ” The master plan, Richins said, is meant to secure the safety of the public as well as the governor and first family — and the committee considers those responsibilities “equal.” She declined to talk about specific security concerns, other than to say “there’s some vulnerabilities in that area we have to address.” “Keep in mind there’s a mansion that’s been very, very accessible to the public and we live in a dangerous world,” Richins said. “There is a large portion of this plan that is ensuring the safety of the public when they visit that mansion.” Richins acknowledged some taxpayers may want more information about security measures they’re paying for. Utah has perfectly fine pizza options. “I can understand that frustration,” Richins said, “and all I can say is we’re going to err on the side of caution.” The commission is “trying to be as transparent as possible,” she said, adding that the Utah Highway Patrol, the state agency tasked with providing security to the governor, was “very involved” throughout the plan. None of the unredacted portions of the master plan mention the Utah Highway Patrol. The Executive Residence Commission approved the proposed master plan , including a new underground parking garage to shield the comings and goings of the governor and the first family. The Salt Lake Tribune asked for a copy of the plan through an open records request in September, but was told the document discussed during the commission’s August public meeting was still in draft form. That is not in dispute, and I present most of last season as evidence. In the executive summary, the proposed recommendations were sorted into two main categories: “actions to improve the overall functionality of state-owned buildings and property” and “projects to maintain and preserve the historic buildings and property.” The “big moves” the summary lists include moving the Utah Division of Arts & Museums out of Glendinning Mansion, on the corner of South Temple and H Street. Glendinning would be repurposed for “visitor screening, tour orientation, executive mansion administration, partial public safety operational space and [to] extend the secure boundary to include all state-owned buildings on the block.” The Division of Arts & Museums has been looking over options for new state-owned office space since September. Glendinning Mansion houses the Alice Gallery, which has been the state’s only open art gallery since the Rio Gallery closed in March 2020, when the Rio Grande Depot was shuttered for restoration after an earthquake. Oregon State, where Utah scored 42 points and no running back had a productive day. Richins said no decisions have been made about a new space for the Alice Gallery. Other “big moves” include demolishing the 1950s addition to the Glendinning, rehabilitating the Carriage House as a reception area and office space, and preserving key plantings in the block’s landscape. But still more “big moves” have been redacted. The nine-member Executive Residence Commission, made up of state officials and private citizens, includes four people who also sit on the master plan steering committee. The steering committee, which began work on the master plan in summer 2020, includes first lady Abby Cox, Jon Pierpoint, chief of staff to Gov. Again, not ideal, but you can certainly overcome that and, frankly, Utah already has. Spencer Cox, as well as Jenney Rees, director of the Department of Government Operations (and Richins’ boss). Representatives from the Department of Public Safety, the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, the Division of Arts & Museums and the state Historic Preservation Office also sit on the steering committee. It will take “several years” to complete the improvements recommended in the plan, Richins said, so they will “benefit future first families and the public for years to come.” Because it’s a multiyear plan, Richins said, “I don’t know that [Gov. Cox] is going to benefit much from this plan. You have to get something from that phase of the game, even if it’s not what you envisioned back in August. This is keeping in mind first families for the next three, four decades.” Editor’s note • .