Becker, who in January took the reins of Salt Lake City government from former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, has made it a point to salve the wounds of elected officials in Davis County (who frequently butted heads with Anderson) by promoting an attitude of cooperation.
"I feel we can work together as neighbors. We have a lot of things in common," he said during the meeting held at the West Bountiful city offices last week.
He spoke of the Jordan River Parkway, a project of trails just west of I-15 through much of Salt Lake County, saying he would like to see the trail planned for the Legacy Parkway in southwest Davis County, connect with the Jordan River Parkway. "Right now they do not meet, but they're less than a mile apart."
North Salt Lake Mayor Shanna Schaefermeyer said the land which would connect the trails is wetlands, to which Becker suggested a boardwalk be built, so those using the trails system could move from one county to the other.
He said Salt Lake City officials have had inquiries as to the possibility of the trails connecting and Davis County economic and community de-velopment director Wilf Sommerkorn said his office has fielded similar questions too.
Speaking of the boardwalk idea, West Point Mayor John Petroff noted that Syracuse has a boardwalk as part of its trails system (Syracuse Mayor Fred Panucci was absent from the meeting).
"We'd love to work with you in making that connection work," Becker said.
Becker, who was nearly late for the meeting because of the traffic jam, sympathized with the plight of Davis County commuters heading into and out of the Salt Lake area, saying he knows what Davis commuters go through, be-cause he and his wife used to bring their son to gymnastics classes in Woods Cross on a regular basis.
Becker also expressed interest in Salt Lake City officials working with Davis County on the proposed soccer stadium if it is built on a site which borders both counties.
He also asked for input from elected officials here in the proposed Broadway-style theater.
Becker noted that Sandy City has been aggressively pursuing the theater, but he believes it should be located in Salt Lake City because building it elsewhere, "takes away from the concept of a downtown -- the expectation everyone has of a downtown."
He asked for the support of Davis officials because, he said, Davis County residents looking for a cultural experience would be more likely to use the facility if it were in Salt Lake City, rather than Sandy. "There's a couple of bills (in the state Legislature) that could affect the decision," he said.
mwilliams@davisclipper.com
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