Weber County Economic Update

Second quarter employment in the Wasatch Front North (WFN) region grew 2.7 percent from 2013 to 2014. The WFN increased employment at almost the same rate as the rest of the state, which grew 2.8 percent over the same period. In total, the region added 5,611 nonfarm payroll jobs year-over-year for a quarterly average of 213,346. Annual growth in the WFN slowed a bit from the 2.8 percent rate in the first quarter of 2014.

• Second-quarter total nonfarm employment in Weber County increased 2.2 percent year-over-year. Total county employment in the second quarter was 96,963, a 2,050 job increase from the same period in 2013.
• Private goods-producing employment increased 6.2 percent, or 1,070 jobs, from the second quarter of 2013. Manufacturing added 454 jobs, taking this industry’s employment from 12,361 in 2013 to 12,815 in 2014. Construction’s job total was 5,392 in the second quarter or 582 more jobs than a year earlier.
• Private service-providing employment added 1,121 jobs, a growth rate of 2 percent from the previous year. The trade/transportation/utilities and educational/healthcare/social services industries increased employment by 534 and 300 jobs, respectively.
• Government employment shrank 0.7 percent from the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2014. State and local governments added 55 and 30 positions respectively, while federal government lost a total of 226 jobs (declining 3.4 percent).
• September’s unemployment rate for Weber County was 4.1 percent. Over the last year, the county unemployment rate has fallen 0.7 percentage points. Weber County was 0.6 percentage points higher than the state average in September.
• On average, the number of initial unemployment claims filed per week in the second quarter (154) decreased by 16 claims from 2013 to 2014.  
• Second-quarter taxable sales in the county increased 5.1 percent from 2013 to 2014. In the second quarter of 2014 taxable sales were approximately $913.7 million, which was an increase of approximately $44 million from the previous year.

Davis County Economic Update

Second quarter employment in the Wasatch Front North (WFN) region grew 2.7 percent from 2013 to 2014. The WFN increased employment at almost the same rate as the rest of the state, which grew 2.8 percent over the same period. In total, the region added 5,611 nonfarm payroll jobs year-over-year for a quarterly average of 213,346. Annual growth in the WFN slowed a bit from the 2.8 percent rate in the first quarter of 2014.

• Total nonfarm employment in Davis County increased 3.2 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. From 2013 to 2014, Davis County added 3,496 jobs, resulting in a quarterly average of nonfarm employment equal to 114,439.
• Private goods-producing employment increased 7.2 percent, or 1,340 jobs, since the second quarter of 2013. Construction and manufacturing added 870 and 444 jobs, respectively.
• Private service-providing employment added 2,190 jobs year-over-year, a growth rate of 3.3 percent. The trade/transportation/utilities and the educational/healthcare/social services industries each tallied 652 and 583 new jobs.
• Government employment shrank 0.1 percent from 2013 to 2014. Federal and local governments cut jobs, losing an average of 103 and one position respectively over the year. State government added 70 jobs over the year.
• The Davis County unemployment rate settled at 3.3 percent in September 2014. Over the last 12-months the county unemployment rate has fallen 0.7 percentage points. Davis County was 0.2 percentage points lower than the state average in September.
• On average, the number of weekly initial unemployment claims filed during the third quarter decreased by 24 claims from 2013 to 2014.
• Spending in the county was also up; second-quarter taxable sales in the county increased 7.5 percent from 2013 to 2014, significantly higher than the state average of 4.2 percent. The year-over increase in spending was about $80 million higher than last year, bringing first quarter spending in 2014 to $1.15 billion.

Fourteen firms bid on designing county library in Kaysville

The design work for the proposed $4 million Davis County Kaysville Library Branch is drawing the interest of architectural firms along the Wasatch Front.

Work on the proposed library is scheduled to start in 2014, and completion is scheduled in 2015.

Construction of the new county library will be paid for using a separate mill levy homeowners
pay to maintain and operate the county’s existing seven libraries. Standard Examiner

Utah Announces Bid for 2026 Winter Olympics

Utah officials plan to make another bid to hold the Winter Olympics.

Gov. Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker made the announcement Monday outside the University of Utah stadium, where ceremonies were held for the 2002 Winter Games.

A committee of advisers urged Herbert and Becker to make what could be a longshot bid for the 2026 Winter Games — other U.S. cities could argue it's their turn. Salt Lake faces possible challenges from Denver and the Reno-Tahoe area.

Utah says it can capitalize on the infrastructure left in place from the 2002 Olympics. The Utah games were successful, but Salt Lake was tarnished by scandal.

Utah showered $1 million in cash, gifts and other favors on International Olympic Committee delegates in a scandal that rewrote the rule book for Olympic bids. Herald Journal

Job Fair Targets Displaced Hostess Workers

The long line snakes throughout the corridor of the health building on the campus of Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College.

Scores of former Hostess employees stand two abreast waiting to do something many have not done in more than two decades — interview for a new job.

The Utah Department of Workforce Services organized the event exclusively for former Hostess workers displaced earlier this month.

The renown snack cake maker shuttered 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers and 570 outlet stores nationwide, laying off 18,500 employees — including about 600 people in northern Utah.

The move followed a very public and contentious battle between management and members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union who went on strike when Hostess officials said they could no longer pay the full pension benefits.

Nearly 30 companies participated in the job fair, including Lofthouse, Kroeger, Kellogg's, FedEx, CSM Bakery, U.S. Food Service and Harmons.

“We've got jobs available and (want) to support the Hostess employees who have been displaced right before Christmas,” said Harmons spokesman Max Allen. “We have full-service bakeries in all of our stores. We're always looking for bakers and salespeople.” Deseret News

Key to economic success: Providing space for existing businesses to expand

It may be the land and business that is already here that shapes the economic growth of the Top of Utah, not what new industry is yet to come.

While Weber County officials are looking to develop an agritourism ordinance directed at diversifying a farm’s income through broadening its offerings and adding value to its products, Davis County economic gurus are marshaling resources to preserve strategically located land banks that can be used to provide space to existing businesses needing to expand.

Weber and Davis county economic officials share the same belief that it is government’s role to facilitate commercial growth, not pay for it.

“Davis (County) is looking to expand our manufacturing, distribution, Hill Air Force Base support businesses and services, as well as our information technology and communications,” says Kent Sulser, county director of Community and Economic Development.

“We are seeking growth in various clusters of advanced composites, aerospace, manufacturing, digital media, financial services, sports and outdoor products. Standard Examiner

Bountiful chooses "hometown" architect for city hall

The Bountiful City Council had a choice Thursday between a sleek, professional architect, a hometown firm with Bountiful ties and a hands-on firm that had a focus on letting the city officials drive the creative process.

The final winner would be designated to design and build a new city hall.

After a closed session and about 20 minutes of open discussion on Thursday afternoon, the council decided on PGA&W, the hometown firm.

Councilmember Tom Tilman, who sits on the steering committee for the new building, was a major supporter of that architect. The city worked with that firm on the fire station that was built on 100 South.

Construction on the $4.8 million building is expected to start in January and be completed within 14 months. Then, the city arts center and museum will move into a renovated version of the existing city hall. Davis Clipper

Como Springs Hotel by the banks of Weber River?

Matthew Godfrey, Morgan City’s economic development consultant, is “very confident” he has found a developer who wants to build a hotel in the area.  However, Godfrey says a letter from the Morgan County Council supporting improvements along the banks of the Weber River near Como Springs and the county fairgrounds would go a long way in bringing a hotel project to fruition.

“I have two people who will build the hotel, people willing to invest in the community,” said Godfrey, who is not at liberty to release the names.  “They need to see the county’s commitment.”

Godfrey said that two studies to verify the economics of a hotel in other city locations “do not validate demand.”  However, a hotel in the Como Springs area has “tremendous potential,” he said. 

Godfrey, with Better City, presented a map of the Como Springs area complete with a 60-room hotel/reception area, hot springs pools, water slides, cable park for wake boarding and water skiing without a boat, small splash pad, volleyball court, picnic area, parking lot, RV park, campground, and snow tubing hill with a “magic carpet” lift. Godfrey said developers would like to start construction within a year.

A majority of the county council voiced support of the plan, but most want public input before they make formal approvals or dedicate money to the project.

Councilman Lyle Nelson said the county could dip into the $14,000 flood account money, as well as economic development funds. The item will be on the council’s Aug. 21 agenda. Morgan County News

Hearings on impact fees in Davis County scheduled

Davis County and four cities that are part of the South Davis Metro Fire Agency are holding hearings next week to take public comment on a proposal to revise one-time impact fees for fire and emergency medical services.

The hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 7. The county hearing will take place at 10 a.m. at the Davis County Memorial Courthouse, 28 E. State St. in Farmington. The other hearings are slated for 7 p.m. at City Hall in Centerville, 250 N. Main St.; North Salt Lake, 10 E. Center St.; West Bountiful, 550 N. 800 West; and Woods Cross, 1555 S. 800 West.

Click here to see the fire impact fee facilities plan and analysis. Salt Lake Tribune

County’s I/M Center will close on Jan. 1

Fewer vehicle inspection requirements and reduced revenue for the Davis County Inspections/Maintenance Technical Center mean the facility will close its doors at the end of the year.

The center opened in 1996 to do both emissions testing and safety inspections on vehicles.

Through the years the center offered “a good service to the community,” said Davis County Health Director Lewis Garrett.

But the 2012 state legislature passed a number of bills which somewhat reduced the frequency of emissions tests required and greatly reduced the frequency of safety inspections. That means less revenue coming into the center, “Which opened with the idea it would support itself,” Garrett said. The Davis Clipper

Air Force cuts go easy on Utah

The Air Force rolled out the latest detail in its restructuring plan Tuesday, including projections for military and civilian job cuts in Utah. "The numbers they have put us at around a loss in Utah of 227 jobs," said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, whose district includes Hill Air Force Base.

Most of those cuts would impact Hill. The cuts are projections at this point as the Air Force works to adapt staffing to fit mandates of the budget presented by the White House. "The impact of today's announcement to Hill Air Force Base is a net reduction of 59 active duty, Reserve and Guard military authorizations through fiscal year 2013," said a statement from Hill on Tuesday.

"The net reduction of military authorizations comes from a variety of organizations across the installation and not from any one unit. These changes are in addition to the net reduction of 159 civilian authorizations previously announced." Deseret News

More than 250 jobs to be cut at Hill Air Force Base

Hill Air Force Base will lose 261 jobs as the Air Force restructures its civilian workforce and downsizes one of the base’s major components, the Ogden Air Logistics Center. Officials hope to achieve the cuts through attrition and early retirements. Salt Lake Tribune