I attended WordCamp 2010 Utah Saturday and Tom Dickson from BlendTec came to blend WordPress. In case you are wondering what WordPress is. It is a the software that this site and many others are built on. When the new 3.0 version was released, there 11 million downloads in 42 days.

I won’t bore you with all the geek stuff from the camp. BUT I will share this video of “Will It Blend WordPress”

Enjoy

They are back, the third annual Cottonwood Heights Movies in the Park.

Friday August 13th 7:00pm the fun for the whole family begins.

Inflatable Rides, Scales and Tails begins at 8:00pm

Then the movie Monsters Vs Aliens begins at dusk

The first of three shows will be at
Mount View Elementary School
1651 East Fort Union Blvd
Cottonwood Heights UT 84121

The best part is it’s F R E E

Carolyn Stewart of an agent for a Cottonwood Heights Real Estate Firm had an idea of raising 800 pounds of peanut butter for the Utah Food Bank. With the help of her associates and affiliates we raised over a ton. What an awesome thing!

Why Are Interest Rates Going Down?

For months, the alleged experts, and myself, adopted the theory that after the Feds  stopped buying Mortgage Backed Securities Purchase Program on March 31, interest rates would move up.  But here we are, more than 60 days later, and rates are at their lowest point of the year.

What the heck??

Let’s start with some general economic realities.  First, there is a fixed amount of cash in the world.  Second, there are only four basic places to put that cash:

1.    In the stock market.

2.    In the real estate market, which includes the financing of real estate (Mortgage Backed Securities).

3.    In the Commodities Market (gold, silver, orange juice, pork bellies, etc).

4.    Or leave it in cash (CDs, money markets, etc).

Cash itself has a near zero rate of return.  Rates on CDs barely outpace inflation.  Commodities are mostly an unknown for the average investor.  So, for the most part, we look at cash moving back and forth from Stocks to Bonds (MBSs) and vice versa.

When the stock market is moving up, investors buy stocks with their cash, which means the cash leaves the bond market.  To attract buyers back to bonds, the bond traders have to offer bonds with higher yields (that is loans with higher interest rates).

When the stock market is trending lower, you hear the expression “flight to quality” towards the safety and stability of bonds.  When more people look to buy bonds, bond traders lower the yields (hence lower rates).

How does this relate today?  Look at the failing economies in Europe and Greece.  Investors are nervous about the impact on our stock market as international partners struggle.  The Dow has dropped nearly 2000 points!  So people are pulling their cash out and buying MBSs at a feverish rate… therefore, lower rates.

Will it last?

Many stock analysts are predicting a rebound beginning in July.  That seems to make sense for me and that is great news for all those Salt Lake home buyers who closed for their Tax Credit (the close date may extend).  It also is helping all those sellers who went to Contract in April and are house hunting in May! In the meantime, buyers and homeowners can enjoy the low rates and take advantage!

We are back into a more traditional interest rate forecasting model.  Watch stocks, watch inflation, and watch jobs numbers, and you will make wiser decisions.

They are back, the third annual Cottonwood Heights Movies in the Park.

Friday July 16th 7:00pm the fun for the whole family begins.

Inflatable Rides, Scales and Tails begins at 8:00pm

Then the movie Cloudy With A Chance With Meatballs begins at dusk

The first of three shows will be at
Mill Hollow Park
2900 E Mill Hollow Drive
Cottonwood Heights UT 84121

The best part is it’s F R E E

Watch for future shows

August 13th

The City Of Cottonwood Heights
Request For Proposal for IT Services

Complete Document

1. Introduction. Cottonwood Heights, Utah (the  City ) is a Utah municipality of approximately 37,000 residents that is located in the Southeastern quadrant of the Salt Lake Valley. The City currently has approximately 65 employees, about 37 of which work in the City s police department ( CHPD ). There currently are about 40 fixed computer work stations at the City s offices, and an additional 20+ mobile computer workstations mounted in CHPD vehicles.

Software platforms currently in use in the City are as follows:

(a) Microsoft Office Suite 2003 (with planned upgrade to Suite 2007)

(b) Microsoft Server 2003 (with planned upgrade to Microsoft Server 2008)

(c) Microsoft Exchange Server

(d) Microsoft XP Professional (with planned upgrade to Windows 7 Professional)

(e) Caselle Clarity   financial software

(f) ESRI Products   GIS software

(g) Spillman   police software

(h) Laserfiche   imaging software

(i) Various other small platforms with minimal useage

The City desires to enter into an annual, renewable contract with a qualified and acceptable provider (the  Provider ) for provision of all labor, supplies and materials necessary to provide information technology ( IT ) maintenance and support to the City as described below (the  Services ). Consequently, the City now is requesting proposals for performance of the Services from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011 from qualified independent contractor proposers. While full-time on-site IT services are not required or desired, the City does anticipate needing (a) on-site support eight hours weekly, or as needed, during regular business hours, and (b) additional support via remote access or by telephone. Therefore, proposers must have an established local presence with ability to regularly provide the Services on-site as scheduled by the City, and also must be available 24/7/365 to provide IT services via remote access or by telephone.

The Service Contract will be structured as a contract for services as needed and requested by the City; will incorporate specified hourly rates and charges; and will not guaranty the Provider any minimum number of hours or base remuneration.

As more fully explained below, the City s selection of the Provider will be based on the bid received as well as on the City s determination of the bidders  respective expertise, experience, and resources.

Request For Proposal Insurance Requirements

There is a lot going on in the city of Cottonwood Heights.

A developer wants to build a tall building, nearby neighbors don’t want it.

The city planning commission is under fire for the process. Apparently there were some mistakes made, but the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission backed up and corrected it.

There is the issue of the Canyons School District Bond Vote on June 22 2010. The city of Cottonwood Heights is one of five cities that make up the Canyons School District. The Canyons School Board is recommending $250,000,000 Bond to take care of the immediate problems.

Tall buildings pay a pretty good chunk of cash for property tax without adding children to the school district, that seems like it makes sense.

So the hot seat is on the Cottonwood Heights City Council. We have schools that are old that need replacing and/or major renovations. Both for modernization and seismic safety.

So if the Cottonwood Heights City Council approves the tall buildings proposal and rezoning of three areas, the kids win BUT they tick off an affluent neighborhood.

You can read My Not So Humble Opinion About The Tall Building Being Proposed in Cottonwood Heights

Being part of Cottonwood Heights Neighborhood Watch I have learned one of those obvious BUT because I am not the criminal type it has never occurred to me.

What happens everyday in the spring around 3:00PM?

There is a lot of activity in the neighborhood cars coming and going dropping kids off. There is a hustle and bustle going on.

Then garage doors are up and kids are getting on bikes and taking off.

It is very easy for folks to drive down the street and spot golf clubs, skis, archery, tools and other expensive items that are easily grabbed and gone. It happens so quick and the hustle and bustle is the perfect distraction.

If you see suspicious cars going through the neighborhood slow CALL the Cottonwood Heights Police Dispatch 801-840-4000 or 9-1-1 if there is a crime in progress.

When calling the Cottonwood Heights Police the key is to get as much detail as possible. How many people in the vehicle, race, gender, any article of clothing especially color and the direction they are headed. Another key factor is to not let on you are calling, they will leave the area quickly.

My opinion of the Tall Buildings in Cottonwood Heights

What are the pros and cons and the points that people make.

The argument that are against is that it is not who we are having a tall building.
I tend to disagree with that, we already have the most Class A office space in the state outside of Salt Lake City. We are a Class A Office Space enclave, we are pretty much a white collar community because of it.

It will ruin the view shed.
I am not sure it will be ruined, we are talking about 12 stories here, the Beckstrand project that is on the table will not have the highest elevation. So to think this building will all of sudden change the mountain landscape is something I don’t see.

Traffic
This is the only point I see that has any validity.
There are measures that can be taken to mitigate traffic. Not bring it back to the kind of traffic it once was 20-30 years ago. That is a waste of good debating energy.

The City of Cottonwood Heights has already had work done to mitigate traffic in the area. W are talking about intersection of 3000 East and 6200. According to Brad Gibson 95% of the work is complete but we are only seeing 25-30% of the benefit. The improvement will come when completed. The two left turning lanes on 6200 S were extended to hold more cars, the other part of the project is to have 3 left turning lanes on 3000 E. UDOT has to give it’s blessing once that is done then we should have some relief. It’s rush hour folks GET OVER IT.

Now let’s look at the pros
We will have more jobs in the area.
Don’t know about you, but there seems to be a shortage of them around the country and we have the opportunity to have more.
Microsoft opened a shop in Utah County, creating about 100 HIGH PAYING JOBS. I am not a rocket scientist or anything but I think a bunch of high paying jobs is a good thing.

Jobs keep home prices stable and if not stable the values could actually go up. While most of North America is having problems in that arena we can actually create a very favorable market for ourselves.

So again the only valid point I see is traffic.

Taxes

Ah, I know it’s always about the money. Your darn right it’s about the money. Let’s examine where a large chunk of the property taxes go SCHOOLS.

Here we are a white collar community in the 21st Century and our school buildings are mid to late 20th century. Besides the fact that they are old and not able to deal with today’s technological needs, there are some that are seismically unsafe and need to be replaced.

Our school district is looking at a bond of $250 million dollars just to to get phase one of what is needed to make our schools safe and modern. We need a an estimated $650 million dollars, now granted it is for the whole district and not just Cottonwood Heights.

There are a few ways to collect more property taxes (pay for schools).
1. Build more houses that would put more strain on the schools, not smart.
2. Raise taxes that is not something anyone wants BUT a little won’t hurt too bad
3. More Class A Office Space

I have been attending meetings on this issue. The largest group of naysayers come from the Old Mill, Mill Hollow and the Overlook at Old Mill Subdivisions.

At the Cottonwood Heights Planning Meeting they were there in force. Looking like a group of empty nesters, retired or semi-retired gang. For the record they blatantly violated the  rules of the meeting and saw no reason for remorse, there was one gentleman that sat and lectured the planning commission.

One woman said she was a photographer and accused the architect of not being true to scale, of course she could tell that by looking at a power point slide from twenty feet away. Another gentleman stood and said that crime would go up including murder.

These things are not based on fact just people that are opposed and as a Veteran of the US Military I defend their right to assemble and express themselves.

These folks that are not concerned with jobs or schools. They have pretty much have had their careers and are now set up. As for schools there kids are done and I am sorry folks if you had started to rebuild our schools during your watch we would not be so far behind. So now we have to play catch up, and that means there is a little more traffic near your home at rush hour to fix the mess that your watch has left behind. I am sorry, there are trailer parks in Arizona, thanks for the fish.

To learn more about the actual building visit The Proposed Tall Building At Old Mill

Info about the 12 Story Building that is proposed by Beckstrand and Associates at Old Mill on the north side of Cottonwood Heights.

The proposed 12 Story Building at the Old Mill Corporate Center is in my opinion ascetically pleasing.
Click Here to view larger images

It will be a LEED Certified Building, which is politically correct and what is expected by fortune 500 companies today.

The proposed building is not bordering any residential parcels. The freeway and a golf course to the north, another office complex to the west and to the south, and oh more offices and hotel and restaurants to the east.

Here is a link to a google map showing where the building would sit

As for the elevation issue, there are buildings around that have higher elevations, they may not be taller. The parcel that the proposed building sits on is lower in elevation than some of the other building parcels in the area.

Old Mill Corporate Center Tall Building Proposal From the South Looking North

Old Mill Corporate Center Tall Building Proposal From The North Looking South

Old Mill Corporate Center Tall Building Proposal From The West Looking East

Old Mill Corporate Center Tall Building Proposal From View From Golf Course