City Council - Regular Meeting

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Welcome to today's meeting. We're happy to have you here, whether you're joining us in person or online. We hope you continue to participate in whichever manner you feel the most comfortable. Before we move to our regular agenda, we want to take a moment to recognize our new District 4 Councilmember. After the interviews and the selection process earlier, Jennifer Nepier-Pierce was immediately sworn in into office, and now is a full member of the Select City Council. Welcome. Our staff is ready to coordinate more with you on your schedule and next steps, including a time when you may want to make some formal remarks. We'll give you some time for the meetings for that. So more formalities to come. In the meantime, welcome and congratulations. Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, and thank you everyone for joining us tonight. Before we move through the agenda, I want to quickly go through the registration information and share the reasoning about how and why we chair these meetings the way we do. We welcome everyone regardless of your opinion or side on an issue because we will have people with varying opinions on important issues. The council's goal is to make the meetings a place where people feel safe and comfortable participating. This is the most local level government and it is a key value of ours to ensure that we have created a respectful and safe environment so that no one is intimidated out of free participation. This also allows us to ensure that the meeting can continue and we can conduct the schedule city business. We invite each of you to contribute to this space. to speak your mind and to welcome others to do the same. In order to create this welcoming and safe space, we will pause the meeting at any action that causes a disruption to our ability to conduct the meeting or any safety concern involving threats or unprotected speech. If there are repeated actions or comments, it may result in removal from the meeting. To avoid intimidating others, please avoid the use of threatening and discriminatory language. Do not insult others based on religion, ethnicity, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability. Whether you agree or disagree with someone's comment, clapping, cheering, shouting, booing, snapping, gesturing, obstructing, or discouraging others from commenting is not allowed.

Council Member Wharton, you broke something.

As a reminder, as council members, we refrain from reacting or responding to allow everyone to share their opinions freely. This is to keep our reactions from affecting your ability to share your opinion freely. If you would like to follow up with any of us, please see council staff or Zoom chat for contact information. When making your comments, Please address the body and not an individual council member or elected official. If you have a handout for the council, please raise your hand and council staff will assist you. Council staff is also available during or after the meetings to help you with any questions or information sharing. The full meeting rules are listed at the door and our staff will post the link in Zoom. Just as a reminder, our public comment registration process, individuals might register to comment on scheduled public hearings. items until the hearing is closed. For the general comment section, we'll accept sign-ups until 7.30 p.m. The general comment section is limited to a maximum of one hour and will only include commenters who register before 7.30 p.m. So if you're here to give your general comment, please sign up and remember that it's possible that not everyone who signed up may be able to speak. Our next item is A4, And the council will consider adopting a joint ceremonial resolution with Mayor Mendenhall recognizing June 19, 2026 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City. I will now read the resolution. Joint resolution recognizing Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City, whereas President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective January 1st, 1863, declaring that all enslaved people in Confederate States free. However, many enslavers in the South continue to ignore this order and whereas on June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Ranger and Union soldiers, including U.S. Colored Troops, arrived to Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order Number Three, officially enforcing the emancipation of stolen Africans and some indigenous people still held in human bondage in Texas. and whereas President Lincoln recognized 1865 that without the military help of the black freemen, the war against the South could not have been won, and whereas Juneteenth is one of the oldest celebrated commemorations of the end of slavery in the United States, first celebrated in Texas in 1866, established as a federal holiday in 2021, and recognized by the state of Utah in 2022. And whereas Juneteenth allows Salt Lake City to celebrate the heritage, resilience, and contribution of Black Americans, honor their role in the struggle for justice, equality, and freedom, and commit to doing our part to help build a more equitable community and whereas Juneteenth also recognizes America's commitment to liberty and equality as reflected in the Constitution of the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 13th Amendment of the Constitution ratified by Congress on December 6th. 1865 and whereas even after the abolition of slavery other systems of racial oppression including sharecropping Jim Crow laws redlining and mass incarceration continue to harm black communities and perpetuate systemic inequities in health safety and education and Whereas honest acknowledgement of this history is essential to building a future rooted in the core American values of freedom, diversity, equity, and justice for all. And whereas both the federal government and Utah now recognizes Juneteenth as the official holiday Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Salt Lake City Council and Mayor of Salt Lake City recognize Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City in celebration of the cultural, economic, and humanitarian role of emancipation and the work towards that deliberation in our past, present, and future. Be further resolved The Salt Lake City reaffirms its commitment to freedom and dignity for all people and equitably opposes and rejects all forms of oppression and injustice. I will look for a motion.

Mr. Chair, I move that the council adopt the joint ceremony resolution with Mayor Mendenhall recognizing June 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City.

Second.

have a motion council member Dugan and a second by council member Carlson. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? This motion carries unanimously. I would like to welcome Betty Soar with Project Success here at the podium with us today to receive the resolution but also giving you a chance to say a few words if you wish and then after that we can take a photo.

Thank you, good evening everyone. It's indeed a pleasure to be with you again this year and this is something that we look forward to, being in your presence, having your support for this event along with the flag raising that's coming up. Juneteenth reminds us all of our interconnection as people in humanity. It's been said that none of us are free unless all of us are free. And there's an African proverb and saying that's Mbutu. It says, I am because we are. and because we are, therefore I am. And we're connected. Our histories and stories may be different, but all of us came here to do the same thing, to be successful, to contribute, and to do that without a thousand roadblocks and obstacles in our way. But we learn and we overcome those. And as we celebrate Juneteenth this year, our theme is around freedom, legacy, and traditions. All of us have family traditions and legacies that we get to pass on. As I was driving up today, I was thinking of one of the traditions that I grew up with, with my grandparents, and that was making ice cream. I'm aging myself. The old ice cream makers with the canister that said inside filled ice around it and rock salt. And we would fight to get a chance to turn. that thing around and around until it got hard and couldn't wait to get inside and get some wonderful ice cream. And those are things that we have to share with our young people. They get to press a button now, you know, or just go to the store and don't have to worry about cranking the turn to get ice cream. And so as we think about sharing our stories and the importance of truth, truth is truth. Facts are facts. And it's important that we honor those facts, that we protect that truth, and that we stand up. And so in celebrating with you and accepting this honor and this resolution, I just ask that we all recommit ourselves to that community engagement, recommit ourselves to working to build a better community, better city, a better state, and a better world. Reconnect ourselves to standing up for the rights of those, for everyone. Because again, if it hurts me, it's going to eventually hurt someone else. And we're not here for that. We're here to support each other, to build and strengthen one another, and ultimately to love one another. All right? All right. Thank you, and before I go, my dear sister in community, Mama Charlotte, AKA Mama Charlotte, Charlotte Starks. She's been on this journey with me for many, many years. She's a storyteller, and she's the president of iNubian Storytellers of Utah Leadership. I know we don't suppose to clap, do we? Oops, I'm sorry. I listened to the rules and then I broke them. Shame on me. But thank you so much for all you do and thank you for being in partnership with us on this wonderful commemoration.

Thank you. Betty and maybe Mama Charlotte, will you join us receiving the resolution here for a photo? So come this way.

Picture time. Do we want the proclamation? I think you're clear. Whatever.

Thank you, everyone. This brings us to the public hearing section of our agenda. These are specific proposals before the council that require a public hearing. Your comments should pertain to the hearing item. And if you go off topic, we'll ask you to stop your comment. And I read a few minutes ago the meeting rules. Just a quick reminder, we want to create a welcoming and safe space. We'll pause the meeting at any disruption to our ability to conduct the meeting or any safety concern involving threats or unprotected speech. If there are repeated actions or comments, it may result in the removal from the meeting. If you're on Zoom, please unmute your microphone when your name is called. Each person will have two minutes. If you reach the two minute mark, the host will announce time and your microphone will be muted. We will be calling the names in the order of sign up. If you need staff assistance in the room, please raise your hand and someone will be with you. If you're having technical issues in Zoom or you need any other assistance, message staff support and Akshay from our staff can assist you. If you're unable to finish your comments in those two minutes, please share the rest via email, mail, or calling our office. The contact information is listed at slc.gov slash council. If you have a handout for the council, please notify the council staff and they will assist you. Public hearing B1 is an ordinance for the indefinite alleyway closure in Jefferson Park. Before we begin taking comments, I will turn the time over to Brian Fulmer, council policy analyst, to give us a short introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a proposal from Public Lands to indefinitely close but retain ownership of two city-owned alleys within Jefferson Park in Council District 5. The intent is to consolidate parcels within the park for improvements funded by the Reimagined Nature General Obligation Bond. As a reminder, the public hearing needs to be continued due to a noticing error. Thank you.

Thank you, Brian. Taylor, please start with the first public comment on this hearing.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do not have anyone registered to speak to this item.

Okay, I need a motion.

Chair, I move that the council continue the public hearing to a future council meeting.

Second.

I have a motion by Council Member Pietro and a second by Council Member Carlson. Is there any discussion? I'm gonna call the question. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any oppose? Okay, I'm gonna, this carries unanimously.

We have an abstention, sorry.

That's okay, so we have six council members voting in favor and one council member abstaining. I'm going to ask that portion of the question to give you that opportunity for future motions. C1 is a potential item, it's an ordinance for the budget amendment number five, fiscal year 2025, 2026, and I need a motion.

Chair, I move that the council adopt the remaining items in the budget amendment as proposed by the administration and close the budget amendment.

Second. Motion by Councilmember Pietra, seconded by Councilmember Dugan. Is there any discussion? All of those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Any abstentions? Okay, this.

I abstain.

This motion carries by six in favor and one abstention. New business portion of the agenda is the advice and consent for the Salt Lake City Judicial Nominating Commission members. And I need a motion.

Chair, I move that the council approve the appointment of Kate Fairchild and David Qualey as Salt Lake City's Judicial Nominating Commission members.

Second.

I have a motion by Council Member Pietro, seconded by Council Member Young. Is there any discussion? I'm gonna call the question. All of those in favor say aye. Aye. Any abstentions?

One.

And any opposed? This motion carries with six members voting for it and one abstention. The unfinished business of the agenda, which is E1, is the resolution or the intention to designate the Sugar House Special Assessment Area, and I need a motion.

Mr. Chair, I move that the Council adopt the resolution of intention to designate an assessment area for economic promotion of activities in Sugar House over a three year period.

Second.

I have a motion by Council Member Young and a seconded by Council Member Dugan. Is there any discussion? I'm going to call the question. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any abstentions?

I abstain.

Any opposed? This motion carries with six members voting in favor and one abstention. The consent agenda, and I need a motion. Move for approval. Motion.

Second.

By Council Member Wharton, seconded by Council Member Dugan. All of those in favor say aye. Aye. Any abstentions?

I abstain.

Any opposed? That carries. Six members voting in favor, one abstaining, and carries forward. Now we're going to... go to the general comment portion of the agenda but before that item g1 is questions for the mayor mayor thank you for being here any questions for the mayor No questions for the mayor. And now we have general comment portion of the agenda, and this is the section where the public can comment on any city business not scheduled for a public hearing. It is limited to an hour, and only those individuals who register before 7.30 may be able to speak. Our meeting rules apply to those stated before. Please avoid disruptions or threats, or we may ask a member of staff to assist you out of the meeting. same rules than before two minutes to speak they're gonna call your name unmute yourself if you're online and if you have if you need assistance message raise your hand here in the room or message staff support and actually from our staff can assist you if you are unable to finish your comment you can email it to us call call us or send it by mail, and you can find the information for that at slc.gov slash council. Taylor, begin with our first public comment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have about six people registered. The first will be Bernie Hart, followed by Calvin Forres, and then Mike Juarez. Bernie is here in person.

Congratulations.

Interesting coin flip.

I don't know what to say. I don't know what to talk about. I don't know how to present what I think my concerns are to the city council or the mayor's office. I've been doing this for years and I've shared my concerns and nobody listens. I'm gonna take it on myself as taking the full responsibility for that situation because possibly maybe I said things the wrong way. I wasn't kind enough. I wasn't right. I didn't present enough facts. But whatever brought us to this point of my personal frustration in a place where many people in the city are being hurt unintentionally by programs that aren't helping them when they were promised to be helped. And it's on me to find a way to get somebody in the city to listen and look at the reality of what I think the situation is and the reality that I see is not just based on my assumptions, they're based on things that I have seen and documents that I have become familiar with. People are being hurt and I can't find the right way to communicate with anybody in this city, so for me, through all the efforts, at times I think people don't care, because they don't get back to me, they don't talk, they don't engage, they just ignore the situation, and people continue to get hurt. I will look and continue to push for new ways to communicate with the city council at the mayor's office to get them to do and be what I feel is responsibility to the citizens of Salt Lake City to find things that help the people that we all care about. So, thanks. Glad we got two new council members this year. That makes me happy.

Next will be Calvin Forrest followed by Mike Juarez and then Olive Jacoby. Calvin is here in person.

Okay, good evening, everybody. Pleasure to be here. I don't think I've actually been here this time of the year, quite frankly. We're usually out doing fun stuff. It's really bright in here. It's kind of nice. It's not quite as dark and dingy as it is in the wintertime. But either way, I just wanted to bring up some things you may be aware of some of the legislation that had passed recently. But the one I really want to talk about is House Bill 396. It was called the Public Project Subcontractor Amendments. And it's a really great piece of legislation that got enacted pretty much unanimously in both houses, signed by the governor. Sorry, didn't mean to throw you in with him. But either way, so what it basically does is it gives public entities from up and down the board all political subdivisions from the state, down to the cities, down to school boards, water districts, everybody. The means to enforce rules through Doppel and the Tax Commission, in effect, a subcontractor needs to provide to the general contractor and the owner of the project, which would be you folks, the names of everybody that is working on that project. whether it be the main sub or many lower tier subs. However many people are on there, they have to specify the estimated work hours of that project, which is a big piece of this, so that they can ensure that the workers on that school or possibly an apartment building that has got some city money in it they are being treated fairly and that all the burden is being properly paid for taxes for workers comp for unemployment insurance to level the playing field and at the heart of that is to protect the workers because as you know with the carpenters union that's what we're all about right we're out there you know with dirty hands but making that clean money and so we want to make sure that that city money is clean right that it's not going

Next is Mike Juarez, followed by Olive Jacoby, and then Annie Isaacson. Mike, you may now unmute.

Thank you, I appreciate being here being having the opportunity to speak with the city council. My name is Mike. I'm an avid user of the tracks and bus lines in Salt Lake City. And I'm here to urge the council to reconsider any motions towards discontinuing the hive past program. A decade long program that has allowed those living in certain districts of Salt Lake to move and make use of the public transit for 42 dollars a month. It is understood the largest pain point the city government has brought up regarding the pass is lack of use. However, hundreds if not thousands of Salt Lakers use the pass every day, a number that would absolutely increase exponentially if the city provided proper advertising and accessibility. Regardless, the pass is a critical lifeline for low-income individuals, especially given Salt Lake City's aggressive and some would say necessary push for housing, which is structured around the development of apartment complexes with inadequate parking options, if any at all. Eliminating the pass would harm people who can't afford cars, hinder access to work and making a living, and likely increase fare evasion on trains and buses. Instead, other options should be considered. A modest price increase instead of a full elimination, reducing administrative costs, or better advertising accessibility to boost ridership from hundreds of thousands of potential users. We understand the way in which the city is run successfully is through the use of proper budget. But I want to assure you that this is not the way this is not a program that should be cut in the select city hive passes discontinued. It will accomplish 2 things. It will make it look like the Salt Lake City Council doesn't care about poor or impoverished people, which isn't true. And it will increase the amount of theft perpetrated against the, because most would rather risk getting a ticket than losing their jobs. And should the Hive Pass be canceled, that is exactly what will happen. Please keep the Salt Lake City Hive Pass program active. Please do not make it harder to live here. I appreciate your consideration. And again, I want to thank the council for providing me with their time. Thank you very much.

And next will be Olive Jacoby, followed by Annie Isaacson, and then Kenneth Bullock. Olive, you may now unmute.

Hello, my name is Olive Peterson Jacoby. I live in District 5 and I am here virtually today to just once again express my disappointment with the City's Council. At every meeting, you remind us that you are our most local level of government. And at every meeting, I find myself questioning why then you don't do more for your community. I understand that this is a difficult job that you're doing. It's not one that I would personally want. But as a member of this community, I see all the ways in which the city is failing its most vulnerable residents. And I see all the ways that this council is exacerbating these problems. You constantly give money to the police, but then talk about wanting to help vulnerable populations, wanting to help the homeless, wanting to help people of color. You cannot fund the police and say these things You cannot entertain further criminalizing homelessness and then also say again that you care about homeless people. You talk about wanting this city to be equitable and for everyone to be safe and welcome here, but it takes you months to sue the Department of Homeland Security when they try to open an ICE detention facility. All around the city, there's hostile architecture. Most of the new shiny bus stops that you're putting up are in already privileged areas. Same with the bike lanes that you're putting up. It's just, I love this city. And I do think on some level, you all must care about it too. But you absolutely must get more creative if you want first of all to help the people in this city but also to stay in power. The pendulum is swinging and people are there our eyes are being opened to how unjust everything is. I challenge you all to do more and to really stretch your imagination to find problems to fix.

ELLIE WILSON- And next will be Annie Isaacson followed by Kenneth Bullock. Annie is Annie is here in person.

Hi, Jennifer. I'm Annie Isaacson from the Center City Neighborhood Council and I'm here with Ben and I've spoken to another, there's five of us on the board, another member who was actually an applicant and some other community managers today. We're all extremely excited and anxious to get engaged with you. We have things on the docket that are land use related that are hovering in your and we're anxious and I know Austin, who is our chair, would like to set up a time for you to meet with us and we could help get you on board. I and others really value this city council. We feel like you do listen. We feel like you do care. You have a tough job because you have all different constituencies fighting for different things and we value the fact that you listen and take time Center City Neighbor Council is very engaged, very involved, and we'll try to share information. Erica's come to some of our things in a way that's helpful and not loaded on you, but just wanted to welcome you. I wanted to thank City Council for making it swift and making a good decision out of so many good candidates that came before you today, and thank you for making a good choice.

And next is Kenneth Gluck, who's here in person.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair. Jennifer, congratulations. You're going to do a phenomenal job in the city. Very lucky to have you. Knowing that my two minutes are not going to be enough to discuss the issues that I would like, I've provided a summary of two issues that I would like to talk to you about. But first, I'd like to tell you a little bit about who I am, since most of you don't know. I'm a 61-year resident of Salt Lake City. almost exclusively in the Sugar House area. Well, I have lived exclusively within eight blocks of where I grew up and where I currently live. I've served on the Board of Adjustments when you had it. I've served on the Public Utility Advisory Board. And if you ever drive along 11th Avenue on holidays and you see next to the mausoleum, there's a little small cemetery section that has British, Canadian, and Scottish flags. I'm the one who takes care of that. with the permission of the Cemetery Sexton. And I also worked with Senator Stevenson. I know the mayor made a request for $11 million. I think it was for roads, but I assisted with getting the road money for the cemetery. I'm here to talk about two issues. One is the number of lobbyists that you have. It is really quite unconscionable to think that you have 11 lobbyists and and an association that represents the city. Over my 32 years as director of the league, I don't think there is a more well-spoken elected official that I've met than the mayor. Now, with your participation, Jennifer, you don't need to spend $800,000 on lobbyists. It's an obscene amount, especially when one gets $150,000 that has conflicts as being a mayor, president of the league, and has 50 clients. Your lobbyists represent 300. I'm

Thank you, thank you. Thank you, we cannot interact right now. Staff can give you the information. Next public comment.

That was the final register commenter.

Thank you everyone for your comments. This concludes our Salt Lake City Council meeting. The Council Forum meeting now stands adjourned.