WVC City Spotlight Employee Newsletter

October 2026

Annual Employee Meetings

Two citywide employee meetings will be held in October. City Manager, Ifo Pili, and other department heads will provide updates and share information about what’s happening in West Valley City. Employees will also have opportunities to ask questions.

Both meetings will be held in the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Please plan to attend one of the two meetings based on your schedule.

Meeting Dates & Times:

Monday, October 5 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 7 at 10:00 a.m.

Our New Websites Are Live!

West Valley City’s new websites are officially live! We’ve launched all-new websites for the City, Police Department, Fire Department, and Parks & Recreation, replacing our previous CivicPlus websites with a new, modern platform.

Now that we’re live, there are a few things employees can do to help us make sure everything is working as it should:

Check the pages you use. Take a few minutes to click through the pages you regularly visit and make sure everything is working as expected. If you encounter a critical error, such as a broken or missing link or page, please send it to Aaron Crim via email or Teams. Please don't call.
Test your online forms. Pre-launch testing showed that our forms were working as expected, but the transition may reveal adjustments needed to individual forms, workflows, or recipients. If you rely on an online form as part of your regular

work, please submit a test and verify that it is being received correctly.

Search is still learning its way around. The new search function must index thousands of pages and documents across our websites, so search results may not be complete immediately. Results should continue to improve as indexing is completed.
Content updates are coming next. Information from our previous websites was migrated to the new platform and should be accurate and current. Once the immediate post-launch work is complete, I’ll begin accepting requests for necessary content updates, corrections, and minor adjustments.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and help throughout the transition. There will inevitably be a few loose ends to tie up as the new sites settle into their new digital home, but we’re officially up and running!

Get A Car Wash, Help A Child

It may be too early for some to be thinking about Christmas, but the City’s Giving Tree Program needs your help!

On Saturday October 3rd, West Valley City Police and the Neighborhood Services Division are holding a car wash fundraiser to benefit the Giving Tree Program. The program helps hundreds of local kids in need for Christmas.

Visit Shiny Shell Car Wash from 4 - 7 PM on Saturday at 3521 Caddy Hill Lane in West Valley City. 20% of proceeds will go to the Giving Tree. WVCPD officers will be there to say hi and hand out snacks!

Employee Golf Tournament

The 2nd Annual Employee Golf Tournament is upon us! Get your foursome ready to play at Stonebridge Golf Course on Friday, October 9th. This year, teams will be able to select their own tee time between 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Please get your team and tee time set up ASAP. If you aren’t quick enough, your tee time may be assigned to you. The cost is $15 per employee, which includes a boxed lunch.

Please reach out to Cody Allard to set up your team tee time or if you have any golfing questions: Cody can be reached at cody.allard@wvc-ut.gov or 801-957-9000 ext. 3.

Looking forward to seeing everyone out on the course!

ICYMI: Summer Employee Celebration

In September, WVC employees enjoyed food, fun, and prizes! Thanks to all those who worked to make the party a perfect end to the summer. Check out some party pics!

Employee Spotlight: Shining a Light On Employees Who Go Above and Beyond

Wondering who makes the West Valley City Spotlight look so amazing? It’s all thanks to Aaron Crim, this month’s Employee Spotlight! (And we promise, he did NOT write this article.)

Aaron is the Director of Digital Media in the Communications Department and has been with West Valley City for 23 years. Because of his years of experience in the City, he is also the “go-to” guy for many in the Communications Department and beyond.

“Aaron is someone you can always count on to get things done, and get them done right,” said Roxeanne Vainuku, Deputy Director for Communications. “I work with many situations that are urgent or critical, and often that means reaching out to the team for support. I know that when I call Aaron, he will immediately jump in to help.”

Aaron has seen a lot of changes since starting in West Valley City 23 years ago—especially in the ways we communicate. He breaks down how different things used to be at the start of his career:

“Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube didn't even exist when I started (yes, I am that old and I have been here that long), nor did iPhones. Our website was (maybe) 100 pages. Online bill pay was just becoming mainstream. Our city television station, Channel 17, utilized Texscan. Photos had to be developed. If we wanted to share video with local television stations, we duplicated it on VHS and hand-delivered it to the news desks (this was my first assignment on day two — I'm still working through the trauma of bailing out of a dilapidated Ford Taurus that caught on fire as I was leaving the ABC4 parking lot). Our newsletter was created in Quark Express and sent to a printing press with a list of addresses for mailing. Announcements were printed and pinned to bulletin boards.

It's been fun to learn about new technologies and platforms as they have been developed. Did you know we were the first city--possibly the first government agency--in Utah to have a Facebook page? Everyone thought it was a fad. Some even called me crazy for hopping on the bandwagon. But, here we are... 20 years later.”

Aaron’s experience and creativity make him a huge asset to the city. “Aaron brings such great ideas to the table,” said Roxeanne. “I love to brainstorm a project with Aaron because I know that his insight is going to help take our work to the next level.”

Aaron is a WVC native, and when he’s not working on the City website or fixing a crisis, you can find him working on a home renovation project or car, writing music, or traveling. He’s also an aviation geek—so if you see him standing in the parking lot looking at the sky he hasn’t lost it (probably), but he’s just watching an airplane.

Thank you for all you do, Aaron!

West Valley City’s Day of the Dead Celebration will be held on Saturday, October 24th! Come to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and experience traditional food, performances, and free activities for the whole family. Food options include Mexican food, pan de muerto, cafecito, and much more! Plus, you can explore traditional ofrendas in the main gallery to see how people honor their ancestors.

It’s a celebration you won’t soon forget! The festivities go from 12pm-6pm on October 24th. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for kids. Children ages 3 and younger get in free! Admission is just $5 for West Valley City residents.

Visit DayoftheDeadUtah.com for all the details!

Flu Shot Clinic

Get your flu shot this fall at City Hall!

October 8
1 - 4 PM
Multipurpose Room

Childcare Discount for City Employees

graphic of sunshine and butterflies, text says Click to learn more

We’re excited to share a new childcare discount option for all city employees! ABC Great Beginnings is offering a 10% discount! ABC Great Beginnings offers Day Camps, Night/Weekend Childcare, Before and After School Programs, Infant and Toddler Care, and more! This offer is valid at any of their 10+ locations!

Sunshine Academy Preschool and Daycare is also offering a 20% discount to city employees. In addition, first responders can access discounted hourly rates, subject to availability.

Click the links to learn more about either of these opportunities!