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The relationship between Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and the City Council has varied from contentious to testy in what appears to be a rough start for her administration.

Now, more than 100 days into her first term as the capital city's mayor, the council gives her lackluster marks in leadership and vision.

Salt Lake City's elections are officially nonpartisan. Nonetheless, the five senior council members interviewed — all of whom, with the exception of Charlie Luke, endorsed former Mayor Ralph Becker — said they want the mayor to do well.

"We want her to be successful. She needs to be successful so the city can be successful," said Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall. "That's what we all want. I look forward to more collaboration."

But to a person, the five members, who were interviewed individually, said they want the mayor to provide more vision and direction.

"It's 'where are we going and how do we get there?' " said Councilman Stan Penfold.

New council members Andrew Johnston and Derek Kitchen were not interviewed.

Key appointments • Vacancies in top City Hall positions ­— economic development, public services and the Redevelopment Agency, continue to vex the council.

"I don't want to rush her," said Councilwoman Lisa Adams, "but we're four months into her administration and six months since she was elected. I'm disappointed she didn't have some good people in mind when she let quality people go."

The departures of longtime directors Rick Graham, public services; Jeff Niermeyer, public utilities; and D.J. Baxter, RDA, remain sore spots with the council.

Biskupski's choice for Graham's replacement, April Townsend, lasted two weeks as director of public services. That, too, has provided heartburn.

For her part, Biskupski said she has been working diligently to vet the 110 positions that she can appoint. She retained all but eight of those employees. Most recently, she elevated Mike Brown to police chief. He had been acting as interim chief for 11 months, dating back to the forced resignation of Chris Burbank.

In addition, the mayor said, she has created an office of civic engagement, elevated the division of sustainability to department level and is restructuring the Department of Economic Development to better coordinate with the RDA as well as business, arts and culture.

Biskupski added that she would not be rushed into making important decisions that will have lasting impacts on the municipality.

"I'm at work every day doing what I said I would do," she said. "I am a working mayor. ... It will take time to make significant change but we are heading down that road. And those changes will serve the city very well."

Nonetheless, Council Chairman James Rogers said he has seen few initiatives coming from the mayor's office.

"We heard a lot of promises in the campaign and those promises were repeated in the State of the City [address]," he said. "We want to see them brought to the council and hopefully that will be done through this budget session."

City blueprint • The mayor is scheduled to deliver her proposed budget Tuesday. The administration has said the budget will answer many of the council's questions.

Still, Mendenhall wondered why, if Biskupski is undertaking a realignment at City Hall with sustainability and economic development as key aspects, the council hasn't been apprised of any details.

"We haven't heard any of that — how it will be organized and how we'll pay for it," she said. "New organization needs to be supported by articulated vision."

Mendenhall added that without appointments to key positions, the city cannot move forward.

"Without directors in those departments, they are coasting," Mendenhall said. "We aren't achieving improvements without directors in those positions."

Luke, however, emphasized that the council and the mayor must work together.

"It's a task for the mayor and it's a task for the council," he said. "We've been elected to work together and make things happen. We need to figure that out sooner, rather than later. And we're running out of time."

The administration and council cannot afford to sink into turf battles, Luke warned.

"Any time we have territorial battles and focus on who should be doing what, instead of the job, that's when the public loses."

Despite the critiques, Biskupski seemed upbeat.

"To have a woman leading a capital city — I'm drawing a little extra scrutiny," she said. "There will be more collaboration and this council should give us time."

The mayor said she spent a lot of time at the recent legislative session, lobbying for funding of new homeless shelters and services.

"That was a huge win," she said of the $9.4 million allocation, styled as the first installment of a multiyear project.

Not least, Biskupski said, she had been working to transform the annual budget "to where expenditures and revenues are matching."

The previous administration had not kept up with demands on the city's fleet, its streets, parks and storm drains. "I wanted those policy priorities reflected in this budget," she said.

Further, the mayor said she is moving forward with a realignment in City Hall. She wants to find an economic development director who will have a voice in selecting an RDA chief administrative officer.

"The previous administration did not stick to the state statute on how the RDA should function," she said. "The council is the board and the mayor is the executive director. It's my responsibility to make sure the policies are carried out as intended."

In her first 100 days, Biskupski said she has begun tackling air quality in a collaborative way. The new Department of Sustainability is working for cleaner air, the mayor said. But air-quality issues don't end at city limits.

"We have a lot of small cities that don't have the ability to have sustainability departments," she said. "I have offered our staff to help other cities who lack the expertise. And they have welcomed it."

Biskupski said she is creating a "responsive and fiscally responsible government" that will listen to residents and employees alike — and the City Council, too.

Rough ride?

Crumbling Salt Lake City streets are sure to be an important issue facing Mayor Jackie Biskupski. › B2