This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski on Thursday announced the appointment of Lisa Shaffer to the post of director of the Department of Public Services.
The department's employees provide many of the services residents and visitors depend on every day, such as street repair, park maintenance, snow removal, open-space management, golf-cosurse operations, tree maintenance, street signs and signals maintenance, as well as the Youth City program. It's budget is $67 million this year.
Shaffer is an 11-year employee of Salt Lake City, including two years as administrative services director for public services. For the past five months, she has served as the department's interim director.
Her appointment is contingent on the advice and consent of the City Council.
"I'm very pleased to announce Lisa's appointment to director of public services," Biskupski said in a statement Thursday. "She has proven her strong leadership abilities as interim director, and she brings a wide range of project, personnel, and budget-management skills to the position. She is highly respected by her team and will ensure this highly visible department responds in a timely and efficient way in delivering services to the public."
For her part, Shaffer said she likes serving the residents of Salt Lake City
"Every decision I've made while working for the city is rooted in the basic truth that we work for the people. They count on us to provide essential services and to responsibly use their tax dollars in making their lives better," she said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to working with the hundreds of public services employees who work every day to keep this city running, and who are truly dedicated to serving the people who live in, and visit the place we call home."
— Christopher Smart