Recent meetings with UDOT confirmed they are still moving forward with plans to widen 5600 South from three lanes to five. They still plan to start meeting with impacted home and business owners sometime this month. Their original plan was to start property right-of-way acquisitions in May, assuming they get everything in place. Roy City will continue reaching out to UDOT to get more information, with plans to share it with our residents.

As we close this winter season, I want to thank those home and business owners who took advantage of the Hill AFB free air sampling program. Since 2003, they have been testing the air for TCE within homes and businesses in communities surrounding the base. Decades ago, chemicals were dumped in landfills on base; those have leached to groundwater and created a chemical plume under seven neighboring cities, including the south end of Roy. Testing the air for vapor intrusion is the only way to detect if the groundwater is contaminated with TCE. TCE causes certain types of cancers and has potential health effects if exposed. If you do nothing else, please read the “Hill AFB Chemical Plume” material under the “Community” heading on the city’s website. It shows a map of the impacted Roy areas and information about the plume. If your home/business is in proximity of the plume, I encourage you to reach out to the Hill AFB point of contacts for more information, particularly if you live west of 2100 W., where the groundwater is more likely to be closer to the surface. You can request a free test.

High-speed fiber optic internet is in our city, so watch for Connext construction employees working in our neighborhoods. A large section of the south end of Roy is operational, with other areas under construction or in planning. The company is hoping to have the entire city under fiber within three years.

There is evidence that the pandemic is slowing. Don’t let your guard down as we return to a more normal living environment. Be safe!

Robert Dandoy
Roy City Mayor