I was intrigued by the March 26 report regarding the firing of two westside individuals from the Advisory council to the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA). The stated reason was they had a different idea than the authority regarding the objectives of the subcommittee. Jill Flygare, the chief operating advisor, indicated the community members wanted it to be more organized and the port leaders saw it as an informal forum to discuss policy.
More importantly, Flygare is quoted as stating, “Right at this moment we’re really looking for broad conversations before we get to very specific solutions.” Also, “And they in conversations were really looking to get directly into the weeds, and that’s not where we are at this time. It became a frustration point.” Well, this is the most honest, telling point I have seen coming from UIPA.
I do not wish to target Flygare. Rather it appears the philosophy of UIPA has been to avoid dealing with specific problems, regardless of their importance, while approving development. This is not about the weeds; it is about marketing. Specifically, the westside citizens are being replaced by Kesa Valkopana, who owns a construction business within the port’s jurisdictional area, as well as Laura Nelson, who is part of FJ Management, parent company of Maverik, Flying J and Big West oil refinery.
Most important, this is not about getting to the weeds. It is more about sowing weeds. Actually, it appears to me that the port authority people do not want any weeds knocked down — they just want to sow more weeds. They are doing a great job of that. They are escaping all culpability from the havoc and destruction they are wreaking on the Wasatch Front.
At this time, when many tech companies are interested in Utah, we are saying that Utah — with the port and satellite ports — will no longer be a viable place to live. The tech industry will find other places. Utah will be a site of diminishing returns.
Jan Ellen Burton, Salt Lake City