Canyon Rim Community Association wants you

The Canyon Rim Community Association is working to reestablish and energize the association’s subcommittees and is looking for volunteers to help.

“People think we’re all about planning and zoning, but we do so much more than that,” CRCA President Brian Howick said.

Currently, there are seven subcommittees which would welcome new members. As more people become involved, it enables the community council to be more responsive to the needs of the community.

Under the association’s bylaws, the chair of the subcommittee must be a member of the CRCA, but anyone from the community may serve wherever they feel they can make a difference.

“People who have a passion for something, who want to help their community and get things done to benefit the population,” should consider serving on a subcommittee, Howick said.

The Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee focuses on keeping the community ready for an emergency. They help out with the annual Prepare Fair in September, and they promote Community Emergency Response Team certification.

They want to help the community be ready in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake, fire or flood. Right now, they are working with the Congregation Kol Ami and area schools to develop local stashes of emergency supplies, particularly cleaning and medical supplies, as well as hand and power tools that would be needed for clean up.

The Economic Planning and Zoning Subcommittee works with Millcreek Township and Salt Lake County on proposals that would impact Canyon Rim.

If a business wanted a zoning change, for instance, it would go first to the county, then back to the neighborhood to gather information. Then that business would bring its proposal to the CRCA, which would make a recommendation to the Millcreek Township Planning Commission.

The planning commission makes a recommendation to the county, which has the final say. While the process seems cumbersome, it provides an avenue for local residents to have a voice in these matters.

This subcommittee also works to bring businesses into Canyon Rim, and develop places where the community can spend their money locally. They explore what the community would like to look like in 10, 20, or 50 years, and work toward those goals.

The Events Subcommittee assists with summer movies in the park once a month during June, July and August. They sponsor the Ventures Outdoor Festival in June, a fair featuring all things outdoors from sports to cooking. They also work with the Canyon Rim Community Connection to support the spring Easter Egg Hunt and Millfreaks in the Park each October.

“These events have a beneficial impact on the community. People come together and mingle. It creates a sense of community identity,” Howick said.

The Parks and Recreation Subcommittee recently completed work on the Heritage Lot at 2300 East Heritage Way. Now, they are turning their attention to other parks in Canyon Rim. Both Canyon Rim Park and Tanner Park are experiencing the ravages of time and the facilities are starting to show their age.

The Communications Subcommittee helps to coordinate information from the county as well as the Olympus Hills, Millcreek and East Millcreek community councils. This subcommittee will be involved in posting information on the Millcreek Township website, such as meeting agendas and articles about community events.

The Executive Subcommittee includes CRCA officers, and is currently made up of Brian Howick, president, Jeff Waters, vice president, Lou Melini, treasurer, and Kory Meyerink, elections officer.

They are looking for a secretary who would be responsible for taking the minutes at monthly CRCA meetings. That position would require about four hours of time per month, including the two hours for the meeting itself.

The newest subcommittee is the K-12 Subcommittee that is working with the schools in Canyon Rim to give them a voice with the CRCA, and by extension, a voice at the county level. The subcommittee is also working to increase volunteerism in the schools and bring an awareness of what’s happening at the schools to the community at large.

The CRCA and its subcommittees helped establish paved nature trails at Tanner Park, 2760 South 2700 East. They worked with Granite School District and Salt Lake County to add a new school crossing at 2300 East and 3000 South. And they worked with the other three community councils in Millcreek Township to build the Millcreek Community Center and Library at 2266 East Evergreen Avenue (3435 South).

“All of these are victories by the community association volunteers,” Howick said.

The subcommittees meet at least once per quarter, though the time commitment varies, depending on what each subcommittee is currently working on. Often members collaborate via email. As the subcommittee finalizes its plans, they then bring those plans to the CRCA for approval and support.

The CRCA meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 2375 East 3300 South. The next meeting will be Jan. 15 and all residents of Canyon Rim are welcome to attend. Those interested in volunteering on any of CRCA’s subcommittees can attend the meeting or contact CRCA President Brian Howick at 801.979.1445.