By pamela manson

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Murray • With the effects of the recession beginning to ease, the city will focus this year on projects that have been on hold, including capital improvements, Mayor Dan Snarr says.

"I am optimistic that we are making headway in improving our financial picture and that this is a time for us to evaluate our needs and set priorities," Snarr said Tuesday night in his State of the City address.

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At a glance

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By the numbers

In 2011, Murray City employees:

Responded to more than 3,500 medical calls and transported more than 2,000 patients.

Investigated more than 270 complaints to code-enforcement officers.

Handled approximately 8,000 criminal cases.

Repaired 3,900 potholes with 87 tons of asphalt.

Maintained a 99.99 percent “power on” rating.

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The mayor said the city plans to have a capital-improvement plan in place within months that was developed in partnership with staffers, Murray residents and City Council members.

For years, officials have discussed the need to replace City Hall. According to Snarr, "the time has come to develop a financial strategy to get this process underway."

Other projects being considered are the construction of a performing arts center; an update to the Murray armory; the completion of Cottonwood Street to 4500 South; and the arrival of a Bus Rapid Transit route, Snarr said.

The mayor also mentioned the possibility of participating in the rebuilding of Hillcrest Junior High, so the city could share the facility. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, he said the site could be a good location for a recreational facility, saying "it’s easier to add on to something already being built."

But the mid-valley city has other needs as well. The city’s vehicles and computers are aging, Snarr said, and the irrigation system at Lynn F. Pett Murray Parkway Golf Course will soon need to be replaced.

And in his speech, Snarr said employee pay remains a priority.

Murray reduced its workforce in 2011 through an early-retirement incentive and streamlined city government. The remaining employees, Snarr said, continued to offer excellent service. He listed some accomplishments from last year — police calls answered, potholes filled, business licences issued — and said the city must recognize employee efforts "with more than words this next year."

"We must compensate them with a cost-of-living adjustment and the reinstatement of our merit system," Snarr said. "As the true face of Murray City services, our employees stood with us through the economic downturn and the reorganization. This is our opportunity to stand with them."