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Show A-2 Wed/Thurs/Fri, May 13-15, 2020 The Park Record The Park Record. Serving Summit County since 1880 The Park Record, Park City’s No. 1 source for local news, opinion and advertising, is available for home delivery in Summit, Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties. Single copies are also available at 116 locations throughout Park City, Heber City, Summit County and Salt Lake City. SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Summit County (home delivery): $56 per year (includes Sunday editions of The Salt Lake Tribune) Outside Summit County (home delivery available in Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties; all other addresses will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service): $80 per year To subscribe please call 435–649– 9014 or visit www.parkrecord.com and click the Subscribe link in the Reader Tools section of the toolbar at the bottom of the page. To report a missing paper, please call 801–204–6100. 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Phone: 435–649–9014 Fax: 435–649–4942 Email: circulation@parkrecord.com Published every Wednesday and Saturday CEO resigns in wake of KKK revelations Banjo is facing a state audit after news report detailed founder’s past BUBBA BROWN The Park Record The CEO and founder of Kimball Junction-based Banjo has resigned after revelations about his past ties to white supremacist groups imperiled the artificial intelligence firm’s contracts with the state of Utah and other prominent clients. The company announced the departure of Damien Patton, a visible presence in Utah’s tech scene, in a statement posted on its website Friday. In April, a news report from the tech news outlet OneZero revealed that Patton was once a member of the Ku Klux Klan and, as a 17-year-old, was the driver in a 1990 drive-by shooting of a synagogue in Tennessee. “I’m deeply honored to have worked alongside the Banjo team and am proud of all we have accomplished thus far,” Patton said in the statement. “I am confident Banjo’s greatest days are still ahead, and will do everything in my power to ensure our mission succeeds. However, under the current circumstances, I believe Banjo’s best path forward is under different leadership.” After Patton’s past came to light, the Utah Attorney General’s Office suspended its contract with Banjo, pending a third-party audit to examine issues like data privacy and the potential of bias in the technology. According to news reports, State Auditor John Dougall will conduct the review. The Park City Police Department and Summit County Sheriff’s Office both utilize Banjo’s services through the company’s contract with the Attorney General’s Office. Park City Man- ager Matt Dias has said City Hall supports the review. Banjo uses its artificial intelligence technology to collect massive amounts of data from various sources, then provides information to law enforcement agencies and first responders. The company says its service allows authorities to respond faster to emergencies. Critics have voiced privacy concerns regarding Banjo’s technology and government entities having access to it. The company maintains the data it gathers is anonymized and that it uses sufficient safeguards to protect privacy. The company has confronted increased questioning following a March VICE news report that examined Banjo’s contracts with government agencies in Utah. Patton apologized for his past actions after the publication of the OneZero report. He has said he no lon- Continued from A-1 Continued from A-1 Businesses reopen Protections will remain ger holds racist views, characterizing them as “abhorrent and indefensible.” “I am deeply ashamed of this time in my life and feel sincere remorse and deep regret for my affiliation with hateful groups whose actions and beliefs are completely despicable, immoral and indefensible,” he said in a statement in April. “I am sorry to all those who I have hurt and offended and understand that no apology will undo what I have done. For the last 30 years, I have worked to right this grievous mistake as a lost, misguided adolescent kid.” Taking over for Patton as CEO is Justin R. Lindsey, who has been Banjo’s chief technology officer. “Nine months ago I was inspired by Banjo’s mission to join the company full time as the CTO,” Lindsey said in the statement. “As CEO, I’m looking forward to continuing Banjo’s dedication to technology solutions that protect privacy.” These properties are among those subject to a federal eviction moratorium that is in place through July. • Aspen Villas • Holiday Village • Iron Horse is posted between the staffer working the cash register and customers. A sign posted at Alpaca International indicates a maximum of five customers are allowed inside an any one time, people must wear masks inside and the store wants people inside to stay at least 6 feet away from others as Alpaca International practices social distancing. The store has also designed a oneway route through the shelves ands racks, delineating the direction with red arrows on the floor that guide customers from the entry, toward the merchandise in the rear and then back toward the cash register and the door. The merchandise layout was also changed, and Boccaccio opted for goods with a lighter color and differing textures than is typical. “They wanted to see sure signs of hope, colorful, happy,” she said about the desires of customers as the spread of the coronavirus continues. The efforts at Alpaca International are likely similar to those that have or will be undertaken at many shops, boutiques and galleries in coming weeks, as more places reopen with the summer-tourism season approaching. The retail industry in Park City must comply with the health guidelines, but it also needs to ensure it offers an environment that will provide some level of comfort to shoppers who might continue to be leery of being in tight quarters with others. Each business will make its own decisions regarding reopening dates and hours. They will also have latitude as they rework the insides so long as they comply with health orders. There has been widespread attention on Main Street, the best-known shopping, dining and entertainment district in Park City, but similar steps will be taken at businesses elsewhere as well. The Main Street core, which relies heavily on sales from visitors to Park City, took a significant hit in business with the early closure of the mountain resorts and a stay-at-home order that severely restricted activities other than those that were deemed essential, such as grocery shopping. Many Main Street businesses temporarily close at the end of the ski season to remodel, restock or provide time off to staffers, but the shutdowns this year started during March, a usually lucrative month as skiers and snowboarders TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Alpaca International is among the businesses on Main Street that have reopened. Sales numbers on Saturday, the day of the reopening, beat expectations, the owner says, acknowledging the projections were low compared to a typical Saturday in May. arrive for late-season vacations. City Hall has projected a significant drop in sales-tax numbers, reflecting the business conditions across Park City. Officials are worried the low numbers will continue for months. The Historic Park City Alliance, an organization that represents businesses in the Main Street core, has drafted a months-long plan to reignite the street. The plan outlines numerous ideas like a marketing campaign and creating so-called “Vibrancy Days” to attract people to Main Street. Last weekend was the first since the shutdown that appeared at least outwardly to have drawn crowds, although they were not consistent throughout Saturday and Sunday. There were people seen shopping, strolling and enjoying meals on the outdoor dining decks. The leadership of the Historic Park City Alliance on Monday said it had not compiled sales estimates from the businesses that were open last weekend. At Alpaca International, sales on Saturday were better than they were on Sunday. The numbers on Saturday beat expectations, but Boccaccio acknowledged the projections were low compared to a typical Saturday in May. She said she hopes foot traffic through the store will steadily increase over the next several months, as customer trust rises regarding the health measures. “They couldn’t wait to come around. ... They don’t even think of going to any mall,” she said about the shoppers last weekend, adding that they want to back Main Street. “Now they want to support small, local businesses.” been concerned about mounting bills. Iron Horse is offering a rent deferral program that allows residents to repay past-due rent on a payment plan over six or 12 months, he said. He added that Iron Horse is not pursuing evictions for nonpayment of rent and is not planning to start doing so. “Especially right now, we are very understanding of the situation,” Powell said. “We have no intentions to take any punitive action at this time, pending a massive issue.” Gonzalez said that such efforts are a step in the right direction, but added that she hoped payment plans landlords allow will not include fees or penalties, pointing out that people will be repaying overdue rent while still making current rent payments, all in what will likely remain a struggling economy. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, 31% of Americans failed to pay April rent by April 5, while 20% failed to pay May rent by May 5. Nearly 95% of the 11.5 million apartments the council sampled paid April’s rent by the end of the month, however, suggesting the impact of federal stimulus payments reaching struggling households, according to a press release. Undocumented workers did not receive stimulus money. Gonzalez said Summit County is ill-equipped to support people who lose housing, with no homeless shelter and an already-taxed nonprofit community. The closest resources are in the Salt Lake Valley, she added. Local nonprofit Mountainlands Community Housing Trust has a transitional housing program, but its offerings are down to two units, accord- Continued from A-1 Economy addressed • Parkside • Silver Meadows • Washington Mill • Elk Meadows • Liberty Peak • New Park Studios • Richer Place • CROWN at Summit Mountain Source: Summit County Others properties that have federally backed loans or were created using some federal programs may also be subject to the moratorium. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has a list of some of these properties at nlihc.org/federal-moratoriums. ing to housing resources coordinator Daniela Lo Feudo. There are families in both of those units, Lo Feudo said, and 15 households on the waitlist. She said she refers people seeking assistance to other community resources like Utah Community Action. She added that she has not heard of evictions happening in the community. The pandemic makes it an especially dangerous time to be homeless, Gonzalez said, with social distancing guidelines harder to follow. For some Iron Horse residents, Smith said, concerns about rent have surpassed those of the virus, even after officials identified the complex as a hot spot for COVID-19 last month. “People were very concerned, obviously. The first month there was fear, uncertainty,” Smith said. “Concerns about finances trumped those pretty quickly.” sickness as he cautioned about the timing of a reopening for business. The Main Street core is also suffering. The leader of the Historic Park City Alliance, which represents businesses on Main Street or just off the street, said during the event there were just 30 businesses reopened by then. Alison Kuhlow, the executive director of the Historic Park City Alliance, said traffic is low along Main Street but added May is typically slow on Main Street anyway. 9110 N Uinta Drive Tuhaye Convenient Banking Stop by or use our online banking or mobile app. 5 B D | 7 BA | 5 ,7 70 SQ. F T. | O FFE R E D AT $2 ,9 95 ,0 0 0 Bank the way that’s best for you. People Banking With People Matthew Sidford Realtor® 435.962.4544 matthew@sidfordrealestate.com sidfordrealestate.com Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed accurate. Buyer to verify all information. Bank with the Local, Experienced People You Can Trust grandvalleybank.com 1225 Deer Valley Dr. 435-615-2265 |