Council clarifies Sugar Factory funding deal

(West Jordan Journal) The city council clarified details of their financial support for the Sugar Factory Arts Campus at their Feb. 24 meeting.

In a 6-1 vote, the council decided to transfer the 501c3 from being publicly owned by the city to privately owned by the Sugar Factory committee; a work session was scheduled to have the council approve the project and work out any differences with the committee; and the city will foot one-third of the project funds in impact fee funds once the committee has raised two-thirds of the project funds.

Jessie Ibrahim, a director with the West Jordan Youth Theater, said she is really excited about the project.

"There is a desire and a need for these kids to learn the importance of being able to stand up in front of a group and to be able to show confidence," Ibrahim said. "We need this theater going and this place built up. They need it now so they can be the ones standing here in the future and so that they can be the mayors."

However, Councilmember Ben Southworth spoke against the motion.

"This is not a question of support for the arts, but rather support for the arts at any cost," Southworth said. "I have a fundamental disagreement with the funding source that we are using. I don't get the connection of a parks impact fee with an arts facility. I think there are better ways to accomplish that. I think it artificially creates friction between the two interests and I think we've seen that."

Southworth felt using the fees collected from westside growth on the Sugar Factory continues to drive a wedge between the east and west sides of the city.

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