Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with Mayor Lenise Peterman to talk about the happenings taking place in Helper. She came in to discuss the new city council members, current grants and First Friday events.
The City Council is now full of members to help make decisions about the city. Some vacancies had to be filled and surprisingly there were a total of 13 applications that were submitted. “I was super excited about that and I am very optimistic that a lot of those same folks will either run again in the future or will jump on some boards and help Helper continue to grow and prosper,” stated Mayor Peterman. She applauds those individuals for stepping up to help their community.
She recently worked closely with Carbon County Commissioner, Casey Hopes in securing funds to help update the 911 software for the local dispatch center. “So we were able to secure half of the cost via grant, and then got pretty creative in coming up with the matching funds through 911 funds, and through the Carbon Tax Advisory Board and then the cities will chip in just a quarter. So it’s a pretty big deal and we’re excited to deliver that because it goes right to the heart of public safety,” said Mayor Peterman.
She also wanted to remind community members that there will be some construction taking place on Main Street. “Our cinderblock Public Works garages are getting emptied out and it will be demolished. Super excited to see a new, metal, insulated building coming on line that will be far more functional than what they’ve had to deal with. It will have a really nice brick façade that will match our City Hall so it won’t be a looming metal building on Main Street, but it will blend in and I’m excited about that,” stated Mayor Peterman. She appreciates the patience that will be shown to workers as they construct the new building.
As for First Friday events, the city has turned over those events to the Main Street America Board who will now facilitate those events with the help from downtown businesses. “Their purpose is all things Main Street, it’s about revitalizing, it’s about beautifying, it’s got a couple of different points that they work on. Last year, they were really responsible for recruiting businesses to participate and take ownership of a First Friday. So they’ll be looking to do that again for 2024,” said Mayor Peterman. The Main Street America Board’s purpose is to assist those businesses along Main Street with whatever needs they may have to be successful businesses.
To learn more about Helper City please visit their website at https://www.helpercity.net/