2026-10-06 - City Council Formal Meeting

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06:41Welcome everyone to the formal meeting

06:44uh for October 6, 2026. Um

06:50we're happy to have you uh here whether

06:52you are joining us in person or joining

06:55us online. Uh we hope that you continue

06:57to participate in whichever manner you

06:59feel the most comfortable. Uh the item

07:04uh A2 is the pledge of allegiance.

07:06Please join us

07:11to the flag of the United States of

07:14America and to the republic for which it

07:17stands. One nation under God,

07:20indivisible with liberty and justice for

07:23all.

07:32Uh thank thank you again uh for those uh

07:35that are joining us tonight. Uh before

07:38we mo move through the agenda, I want to

07:40quickly go through the registration

07:41information and share the reasoning

07:44about how and why we chair these

07:47meetings the way we do. Uh we welcome

07:49everyone regardless of your opinion or

07:51your side of any issue because we will

07:54have to uh we'll have people with

07:56varying opinions on important issues. Uh

07:59the council's goal is to make the

08:00meetings a place where people feel safe

08:03and comfortable participating.

08:05This is the most local uh level of

08:08government uh and it is a key value of

08:10ours to ensure that we have created a

08:12respectful and safe environment so no

08:15one feels intimidated out of free

08:17participation. This also allows us to

08:20ensure that the meeting can continue and

08:22that we can conduct the schedule city

08:25business. We invite each of you to

08:27contribute to this space to speak your

08:29mind and to welcome others do the same.

08:32In order to create this welcoming and

08:35safe space, we will pause the meeting at

08:38any action that causes a disruption to

08:40our ability to conduct our meeting or

08:43any safety concerns involving threats or

08:46unprotected speech. If there are

08:48repeated actions or comments, it may

08:50result in the removal from the meeting.

08:54To avoid intimidating others, please

08:56avoid the use of threatening and

08:58discriminatory language. Do not insult

09:00others based on religion,

09:03ethnicity, race, color, gender, sexual

09:06orientation, physical ability. Whether

09:09you agree or disagree with someone's

09:11comment, clapping, cheering, shouting,

09:14booing, snapping, gesturing,

09:16obstructing, or discouraging others from

09:19commenting, it is not allowed. As a

09:22reminder, as council members, we refrain

09:24from reacting or responding to allow

09:27everyone to share their opinions freely.

09:29This is to keep our reactions from

09:31affecting your ability to share your

09:33opinion freely. If you would like to

09:36follow up with us, please see council

09:39staff uh and of those online uh connect

09:43through zoom uh for contact information.

09:46When me making comments, please address

09:49the body and not any individual elected

09:51official. If you have a handout for the

09:54council, please raise your hand and c

09:57and council staff will assist you.

10:00Council staff are available during and

10:01after the meeting to help with any

10:03questions or information sharing. The

10:06full meeting rules are listed at the

10:08door and our staff will post those uh

10:11that link on Zoom. As a reminder uh of

10:14our public comment registration process,

10:16individuals may register to comment on

10:19schedule public hearings u until the

10:22hearing is closed. For the general

10:25comment section, we will accept signups

10:27until 7:30m.

10:29The general comment section is limited

10:31to a maximum of one hour and will only

10:34include commenters who register before

10:367:30 p.m. If you are here to give

10:39general comment, please sign up and

10:42remember that it is possible that not

10:44everyone who sign up may be able to

10:46speak.

10:48This brings us to uh the agenda item A4,

10:51which is approving the council work

10:54session meeting minutes for June 16,

10:572026, August 18, 2026, as well as the

11:01formal meeting minutes of July 14, 2026,

11:04August 18, 2026, August 25th, 2026,

11:08September 8, 2026, and September 15,

11:112026. I need a motion.

11:13>> Move for approval.

11:14>> Second.

11:16I have a motion by council member Petro

11:19and a second by council member Dugan.

11:21Any discussion? All those in favor say

11:24I.

11:25>> I.

11:27>> And

11:28do we have uh online uh I see uh council

11:32member Nepir Pierce. Do we have

11:35>> I sorry I was muted. Yes. Hi.

11:39>> Do we have council member Young online?

11:42>> She's um trying to join. Okay. We will

11:44watch for

11:45>> um so this motion carries unanimously

11:47six with one member absent. Our next

11:50item is item A5 which uh the council

11:53will consider adopting a joint

11:55ceremonial resolution with Mayor Menden

11:57Hall recognizing October as

12:00Italian-American Heritage Month. I will

12:02turn the time over to Council Member

12:04Petro who will read the resolution.

12:07>> This is a joint resolution declaring

12:08October 2026 Italian-American Heritage

12:12Month in Salt Lake City.

12:14Whereas Salt Lake City is home to a

12:16vibrant assembly of diverse individuals,

12:18including the proud and longstanding

12:21Italian-Americans.

12:23And whereas Italian immigrants helped

12:25shape the economic and industrial

12:26development of Utah and Salt Lake City

12:28during the late 19th and early 20th

12:31centuries, contributing to essential

12:32labor throughout the region.

12:35And whereas Italian-Americans have made

12:38notable contributions to various fields,

12:40enriching a the cultural tapestry of our

12:42city through their traditions and values

12:45and leaving a lasting legacy.

12:47And whereas Italian-Americans formed

12:50strong mutual aid and civic

12:51organizations, including the

12:53Italian-American Civic League,

12:55established in Utah on January 18th,

12:571934, which remains active today and

13:01continues to support community

13:02engagement and charitable efforts.

13:05And whereas Italian-Americans continue

13:07to serve Salt Lake City today through

13:09civic leadership, small businesses,

13:11scientation,

13:13artistic innovation, trade, and

13:15engagement.

13:17And whereas Italian-Americans have p

13:20preserved their heritage through

13:21festivals, events, and organizations,

13:24fostering a sense of unity and pride

13:26within the Italian-American community,

13:28strengthening community bonds, and

13:30creating a more inclusive and connected

13:32city. Now therefore, be it resolved that

13:36the Salt Lake City Council and the mayor

13:37of Salt Lake City hereby recognize the

13:40month of October as Italian-American

13:42Heritage Month in our city, extend their

13:45appreciation, and encourage all

13:47community members to join in celebrating

13:49the contributions and culture of

13:51Italian-Americans.

13:53>> Thank you, Council. Thank you, Council

13:55Member Petro. I I will look for a

13:57motion.

13:59>> Mr. Chair, I move that we approve the

14:01resolution, adopt the resolution.

14:04>> Second.

14:06>> I have a motion by Council Member

14:08Wharton and a second by Council Member

14:10Carlson. Is there any discussion?

14:13>> I'd like to go ahead.

14:14>> Um, I learned from the Italian-Americans

14:18who are here because we are diasporatic.

14:20My people stopped not too far from Ellis

14:22Island, but others ventured on here to

14:25work in the mines. Uh, I learned that

14:28historic Little Italy is under Highway

14:3215.

14:34Um, and now our Italian friends are

14:38still just killing it everywhere they

14:40go, whether it's as photographers and

14:42art producers or uh in the beauty

14:46industry or you all might recognize that

14:48you drive on Mario Capeki Drive when you

14:50go up there because massive scientific

14:52innovations or when you get brilliant

14:54guidance from our leader here. it. We're

14:57still killing it here, but we have no

14:59centralized home. And I hope that in

15:01addition to this resolution, I can get

15:03the city and this council and the mayor

15:06to really work strategically to allowing

15:10the Italian-American community to have

15:12pride of place, to reclaim their story,

15:14and to do what we do, which is to rise

15:18from ashes and to make everyone around

15:21us rich and better looking. So,

15:24[laughter] um, I'm hoping that this is a

15:26resolution that isn't just words on a

15:27paper, but does also lead us to action

15:30to correct a historical wrong and allow

15:32us to elevate the complete story of

15:34Utah, not just the silly ones that like

15:36Hulu publishes about us to the rest of

15:38the world. So, I want to thank my

15:40friends from the Italian-American Civic

15:42League for being here. I hope all of you

15:43join us at our Italian American Civic

15:47League gala on October 24th. guaranteed

15:49the best food and the best dressed

15:51people you will see in the entire state.

15:53Um, but I thank you all for being here

15:55and for your contributions and I look

15:57forward to building with you.

15:59>> Thank you, Council Member.

16:01Thank you, Council Member Petro. I have

16:03a motion on the table. All of those in

16:05favor say I.

16:06>> I.

16:08>> I.

16:10>> Any oppose? Any abstensions? It seems

16:12like it carries unanimously. 7 to Z.

16:16Thank you. Uh, I would like to welcome

16:18Dana Rosi, chair of Fesa Italana, Nikico

16:22Fuco, Italia, Italian Italian Italian

16:24honorary conso,

16:26Anthony Oliver, Italian-American civic

16:29historian, and Lauren uh Sparaphor,

16:32Italian-American civic league women's

16:34chapter president here uh with us today

16:37to receive the resolution. Thank you for

16:40being here. Uh, any of you would like to

16:42say a few words? and you can go.

16:46Go ahead.

16:48>> Good evening, council members. I am Dana

16:51Rosi, the co-director of Fest Italana

16:53SLC. I am proud to be here with uh as

16:57mentioned Lawrence Spataphor and Anthony

16:59Oliver, board members of the

17:01Italian-American Civic League and also

17:03Michael Aie, my co-director of Festa

17:06Italana SLC.

17:08On behalf of the Italian-American Civic

17:10League, thank you for proclaiming

17:13October as Italian-American Heritage

17:15Month in Salt Lake City. We are deeply

17:18grateful for this recognition and for

17:20your acknowledgement of the

17:21contributions Italian-Americans have

17:23made to our city, our state, and our

17:25nation.

17:27The members of the Italian-American

17:28Civic League have worked for generations

17:31to preserve our heritage, strengthen our

17:34community, and ensure that our

17:36traditions continue to be passed on to

17:39future generations.

17:41The League was founded in part to

17:43support Italian immigrants as they built

17:45new lives here in Utah.

17:48That spirit of welcoming and supporting

17:50newcomers remains just important, just

17:53as important as people from all around

17:56the world continue to make a new home in

17:58Utah and the United States.

18:01Italian-American Heritage Month is about

18:03more than celebrating food, music, and

18:05culture. It is about honoring the

18:08courage and sacrifices of our immigrant

18:10ancestors who left everything familiar

18:13behind to create create new

18:15opportunities for their families.

18:18Through hard work, perseverance, and a

18:21strong sense of community, they help

18:23build the foundation upon which many of

18:25us stand today.

18:27As descendants of those immigrants, we

18:29have a responsibility to remember where

18:31we came from, to celebrate our culture

18:34with pride, and to share it with others.

18:37Events like Festy Italana allow us to do

18:40exactly that, bringing people together

18:43to experience the rich traditions and

18:45values that continue to shape our

18:47community.

18:49Thank you again for this resolution and

18:51for helping us honor the generations of

18:53Italian Americans whose contributions

18:56have enriched Salt Lake City. Gracia

18:58Mille.

18:59>> Thank you. Um some of you or all of you

19:02would like to come and receive the

19:04resolution. We can take a photo.

19:31Thank you.

19:52of course.

20:07Thank you.

20:09Thank you.

20:24>> What?

20:33>> So, this brings us to the public hearing

20:35section of our agenda. These are

20:36specific proposals in front of the

20:38council that require a public hearing.

20:40Your comments should pertain to the

20:43hearing item. And if you go off topic,

20:45we will ask you to stop your comment. In

20:48order to create this welcome and safe

20:50space, we'll pause the meeting at any

20:52disruption or or or any um or to our

20:55ability to conduct the meeting or any

20:58safety concerns uh involve threats or

21:00unprotected speech. uh if there are

21:02repeated actions or comments uh they may

21:06result uh in the removal from the

21:08meeting. So uh as a reminder, please

21:11avoid comments that include profanity,

21:13personal attacks, discriminatory

21:15language. Such comments can be

21:17intimidating for others and that are not

21:19persuasive or compelling to the council.

21:22If you're on Zoom, please unmute your

21:25microphone when your name is called.

21:27Each person will have two minutes.

21:31If you reach the two-minute mark, the

21:33host will announce time and I will

21:35repeat it a couple times until like you

21:37stop. Um, if your microphone will and

21:40your microphone will be muted. Uh, we

21:42will be calling the names in the order

21:44of signups. Uh, if you need a staff

21:47assistance in the room, please raise

21:49your hand and someone will be with you.

21:52Uh if you're having technical issues uh

21:54for those that are online um message uh

21:57staff support and Macy from our staff

22:00can assist you. If you're unable to

22:02finish your comment, please share the

22:03rest via email. You can also mail it to

22:07us or you can call our office. Uh

22:09contact information is listed at

22:11slc.govconsel.

22:14Um, if you have a handout for us, please

22:17make sure that you raise your hand so

22:19staff can make it uh make that handout

22:21available to us. Our first public uh

22:24hearing item [clears throat] is uh B1, a

22:27resolution for the waiver of proximity

22:30for Taste of Thai at 2130 South Highline

22:34Drive. Um, before we begin taking

22:37comments, I will turn the time to Austin

22:39Kimmel, council policy analyst to give

22:41us a short introduction. Austin. Thanks,

22:43council members. This is a public

22:45hearing for a proposed alley proximity

22:47waiver for Taste of Thai, a restaurant

22:50at 2130 South Highland Drive in District

22:537. As of May 2026, state code requires

22:56that cities approve an alcohol waiver of

22:58proximity before the Department of

23:00Alcohol Beverage Services or DABs can

23:03issue a retail license to a business

23:04near a community location such as a

23:07public park, playground, or library.

23:10This business is across the street from

23:11the Sprag Library Branch in District 7

23:13on Highland Drive. State code also

23:16requires that the council take action on

23:19this item 30 days after the public

23:21hearing. A vote is tenatively scheduled

23:24for November 10th. Thanks.

23:27>> Thank you, Austin. Uh Taylor, can you

23:29begin with our first public comment on

23:31this item?

23:33>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. We don't have

23:34anyone registered to speak to this item.

23:37>> I need a motion.

23:38>> Mr. Mr. Chair, I move that the council

23:40close the public hearing and defer

23:41action to a future council meeting.

23:45>> I have a motion by council member Dugan

23:47and a second by council member Wharton.

23:49Is there any discussion?

23:51I keep saying this because this is a new

23:53process um that I really like that we

23:56have the chance to wave

23:59>> uh you know and allow these businesses

24:01to to sell um alcohol. And um I also

24:05would like to highlight that the city

24:07goes beyond what is required by state

24:09law um by mailing all of the neighbors

24:12in the surrounding area to seek their

24:14feedback. Um and I really appreciate

24:17that the city does that. And uh um in

24:20any case I have a motion. Dugan uh made

24:23it and council member Wharton is for the

24:25second. Uh is there any discussion

24:27beyond what I just said? No. I'm going

24:29to call the question. All of those in

24:31favor say I.

24:32>> I. I.

24:33>> I. Any oppose?

24:36Any abstensions? This motion carries

24:38unanimously. This moves us to item B2,

24:41which is an ordinance for the community

24:44correctional facilities and jails text

24:46amendment. I'm going to welcome uh

24:50Austin Kimmel, council policy analyst,

24:51to give us a short introduction before

24:53we take comment.

24:55>> Thank you. This is a public hearing for

24:57a proposal to remove community

24:59correctional facilities and jails as

25:02allowed uses in the land use tables in

25:04title 21A of Salt Lake City code. The

25:08planning commission init initiated the

25:10tax amendment and planning staff also

25:12included jails for removal from the

25:15public lands district as part of that

25:16amendment. The proposed tax amendment

25:19would not apply to state and federally

25:21owned lands because they are not subject

25:23to local zoning laws. However, the

25:26amendment would apply to privately owned

25:28properties. Thank you.

25:29>> Thank you, Austin. Taylor, can you begin

25:31with our first public comment on this

25:33item?

25:34>> Thanks, Mr. Chair. There's no one

25:35registered to speak to this item.

25:38>> Okay, I need a motion.

25:39>> Mr. Chair, I move the council close the

25:40public hearing and defer action to a

25:42future council meeting.

25:43>> Second.

25:44>> Council member Dugan made the motion.

25:45Council member Carlson made the seconded

25:48that motion. Uh, any discussion?

25:52I'm going to call the question. All

25:54those in favor say I.

25:55>> I.

25:55>> I.

25:56>> I.

25:58>> It doesn't seem there is any oppose or

26:00abstensions. This motion carries

26:01unanimously. Our uh next item is B3.

26:06This is an ordinance sunny map amendment

26:09at approximately 237 and 239 South 1000

26:13East. And uh before we begin taking

26:16public comment, I'm going to welcome

26:18Kate Werrett, council policy analyst to

26:20give us a short introduction. Kate.

26:22>> Great. Thank you. This public hearing is

26:24to receive comments regarding the

26:26proposed amendment to zoning of these

26:28cityowned parcels. This will change the

26:31zoning from SR3 and SR2 and excuse me R2

26:36to PL which is public lands district. A

26:40portion of this property is currently

26:42zoned public lands district as well.

26:44These parcels are mainly covered by

26:48Victory Park and the 10th East Senior

26:50Center. the parcels. Um the goal of this

26:53reszone is to remove the split zone

26:57the split zoning across the parcels.

26:59Planning commission voted unanimously to

27:02recommend city council approval.

27:04Planning staff also recommended approval

27:06of this reszone. The project is in

27:09district 4. Thank you.

27:13>> Thank you. Kate Taylor, can you begin

27:15with our first public comment on this

27:16item?

27:17>> Mr. Chair, there are two people

27:18registered to speak to this item. The

27:20first will be Cindy Cromer, followed by

27:22Jeff Carlton. Cindy is here in person.

27:26>> Hi, my name is Cindy Cromer. I um

27:30have uh lived near the Tenthy Senior

27:32Center since 1992. I want to thank Mayor

27:35Manden Hall for initiating this

27:37petition. She could fix the error faster

27:40than anyone else, and she's done that.

27:43Last year, the county council tried to

27:46close this center. There have been two

27:48good outcomes from the county's reckless

27:50effort. One is that the building is now

27:53on the National Register as a direct

27:55result. And the second is that this

27:57zoning error, which became evident

28:00again, and the city's mayor promptly

28:04initiated a petition to correct it. How

28:07long has this mistake been on the zoning

28:10maps? I thought that it occurred 31

28:13years ago with the zoning rewrite in

28:151995.

28:17After looking at the planning staff

28:20report, I think the error may have been

28:22older going back to the first plan I

28:24worked on, the East Central Neighborhood

28:27Plan in 1984.

28:30Certainly, once I moved near the center,

28:32I should have spotted the error in 1995

28:35or 2005, but I didn't. I finally noticed

28:39it in 2016, and I thought the planning

28:42commission had taken care of it, but it

28:44didn't. So, it is staggering to consider

28:48how much work has gone into fixing this

28:50mistake, the carbon footprint of an

28:53error. Please suspend the rules and

28:56adopt the ordinance tonight and take

28:58care of this. And again, my thanks to

29:00Mayor Menden Hall.

29:05>> And that was the final register

29:07commenter for this item.

29:12I am going to move uh ask for a motion.

29:16>> Uh Mr. Chair, um I move that the council

29:19close the public hearing and adopt the

29:21ordinance.

29:25>> Second.

29:26>> Motion by council member Wharton,

29:27seconded by council member Carlson. Any

29:30discussion?

29:33Uh

29:35thank you. I'm going to call the

29:36question. All those in favor say I.

29:38>> I.

29:38>> I.

29:39>> I. I

29:40>> this motion carries unanimously. It

29:42doesn't seem that there is any

29:43abstensions or uh votes for the

29:46negative. Um thank you all of um Cindy

29:50for commenting on this. Um the we're

29:54going to move to item number B4. This is

29:57an ordinance for affordable housing

29:59incentive fines tax amendment. I'm going

30:01to welcome the uh Michael Sanders,

30:04council policy analyst to give us a

30:06short introduction.

30:07>> Thanks council. So, this cleanup

30:10ordinance proposal updates where the

30:12city houses fines for the affordable

30:15housing incentives program. It would

30:17move the fine for affordability

30:19violations from the consolidated fee

30:20schedule into city code where the city

30:23must establish fines. It would also add

30:26two fines to city code that the

30:28program's restrictive covenants

30:30currently include. On June 24th, 2026,

30:33the planning commission recommended that

30:34the council approve the ordinance and

30:36the council was last briefed on this

30:38proposal on September 15th of this year.

30:43>> Thank you, Michael. Taylor, can you

30:45begin with our first public comment on

30:46this item?

30:48>> Mr. Chair, we do not have anyone

30:49registered to speak to this item.

30:52>> Um, so thank you. Um,

30:56I'm going to need a motion.

30:59I move that the council close the public

31:01hearing and adopt the ordinance.

31:03>> Second.

31:04>> Council member Petro made the motion.

31:06Council member Dugan seconded. Uh any

31:09discussion?

31:11Doesn't seem that there is any. All

31:13those in favor say I.

31:15>> I.

31:16>> I.

31:17>> Any oppose or abstensions? It doesn't

31:20seem there is. This motion carries

31:22unanimously.

31:24Item B5 is an ordinance for the zoning

31:27map and general plan amendment at

31:30approximately

31:32140 North B Street and 272 East Third

31:36Avenue. I'm going to uh turn the time to

31:40Nick Tarvet, council polit deputy

31:42director to give us a short introduction

31:45before we begin taking comments. Nick.

31:48>> Uh thank you. Um the Ellerbed Ellerbeck

31:51bed and breakfast is currently operating

31:53as a legal non-conforming use. If the

31:55reason was approved, it would not change

31:58the existing use or historic structure,

32:00rather bring the business under legal

32:02non-conforming status. The planning

32:04commission recommended against the

32:06approval of the other parcel 272 East

32:08Third A, which is currently a

32:10one-bedroom house that has no occupants

32:12for a number of years now. If reszoned

32:14to MU2, the house would be available for

32:16more uses, including retail or

32:17short-term occupancy. If the reszones

32:20are approved, the council has been

32:22considering what would be an appropriate

32:24payment to the city's housing fund to

32:26mitigate the loss of a potential housing

32:28unit. Staff will continue to work with

32:31planning staff and will come back with

32:32recommendations at a future council

32:34meeting.

32:36>> Thank you, Nick. Taylor, can you begin

32:39uh with our first public comment?

32:41>> Thank you. There are six people

32:43registered to speak to this item. The

32:44first will be Cindy Cromer, followed by

32:46Ruthie Sullivan and then Jeff Carlton.

32:49Cindy's here in person.

32:51>> Back in the 1980s, bed and breakfast

32:54ends became a trend. Nancy and John Pace

32:57had one on South Temple. Jan Bartlett

33:00and Nancy Saxton had one on 900 East. My

33:02home had beds and breakfast in almost

33:06all directions.

33:08The B&Bs were seen as an adaptive reuse

33:10for a big house. The trend has waned

33:13with some of those conditional uses

33:15morphing into offices, retail spaces,

33:18and short-term rentals. So, what's the

33:21harm here? The harm is that the house on

33:23Third Avenue is exactly what my tenants

33:25want, either to rent or own. A small

33:28house on a small lot in a highly

33:30desirable neighborhood. In fact, I had a

33:33call this afternoon about selling a

33:35small house on a small lot in the East

33:37Central neighborhood. The harm is

33:40three-fold. Potential renters or owners

33:43don't get their dream. Secondly, this

33:46house will be out of the city's supply

33:47of housing possibly forever. And third,

33:51and this is the worst part, the market

33:53will not replace this small house on a

33:56small lot and certainly not in the

33:58avenues. It is this type of encroachment

34:01of commercial and institutional uses

34:04which got us in the mess we're in now

34:06regarding more modest housing. Please

34:09support the existing zoning on the house

34:12as recommended by the planning

34:13commission. Thank you.

34:17>> Next will be Ruthie Sullivan followed by

34:19Jeff Carlton and then Jared Brown.

34:21Ruthie is here in person.

34:29Hello, I am Ruthie Sullivan and I am the

34:33real estate agent that helped the Aldens

34:35purchase the Ellerbec manion. It was

34:37being at that time not run well and

34:40being somewhat dilapidated and not cared

34:42for. The books were even inflated as we

34:45began looking at things and they

34:47purchased it and breathed life into it

34:50in such a beautiful way. They enhanced

34:52not only the visuals of it, they they

34:55very much have honored the the culture

34:58of the avenues, they've honored the

35:00citizens of the avenues. I have several

35:02friends that live there. The talk of

35:04going to the cafe that they opened out

35:06of the carriage house and how they're

35:08like, "Oh my goodness, I had no idea

35:09that you helped them purchase the

35:11Ellerbeck mansion. We we love it. We

35:13take our guests there." I've had people

35:15tell me that they bring all of their out

35:17of state guests to that place so that

35:19they can honor and and experience what

35:22Salt Lake began as. Um, the cottage

35:25that's behind it, it was it's so small

35:29that not I I mean I I sell all day long

35:32to to people who are not interested in

35:35that size of a property for the price

35:37that they have paid for it and would

35:39have to pay for it in order to have it.

35:41There's so many other options that work

35:44better even for first-time home buyers.

35:46And I propose that they they are given

35:49the chance to reszone it so that they're

35:51protected and not operating just

35:53underneath what is a grandfather um

35:56situation and so that they're allowed to

35:59have protection themselves. What they

36:01touch turns beautiful. They try to

36:03honor. If you even go, if you've been

36:05there, I hope you all, if you haven't

36:06been there, I hope you go and visit the

36:08cafe at at a minimum and and look at the

36:11menu. Look at how they've tried to honor

36:13what the historic district h is all

36:16about. I mean, they really have breathed

36:18life and anything they touch together,

36:20its synergy, and it's it expands

36:24everything that [clears throat] the

36:26community wants. They're

36:27community-minded people. So, I hope that

36:29you will vote it in.

36:33>> Next will be Jeff Carlton, followed by

36:36Jared Jared Brown, and then Lily Lily

36:39Litig. Jeff, you may know.

36:42>> Harry, no.

36:44>> Hi, council members. Uh, this is Jeff

36:47Carlton. I'm a local business owner and

36:50I live in the avenues. I apologize for

36:52the dogs getting excited just now.

36:55Um, I'm

36:57on Fourth Avenue and live just a block

37:00from the Ellerbeck Mansion and I am

37:03strongly in support of allowing them to

37:05zone it in the most appropriate way that

37:07they can. They have brought this uh

37:10building back to life. The cottage that

37:13we're referencing is next door. It's a

37:16one-bedroom cottage, so the harm to the

37:18neighborhood is to give up one bedroom,

37:20at most two people living in there. Uh

37:23there's much better uses for that space

37:26than just housing. The if if some of the

37:29comments are about parking in the

37:31neighborhood. I walk my dogs who you

37:33hear in the background uh by that space

37:36every day almost and there is plenty of

37:38parking on the street. So that that the

37:40neighborhood can accommodate that. At

37:42the same time, our neighborhood needs

37:44more retail spaces like that. We don't

37:46need to get into a car to drive to a

37:48coffee shop, you know, five blocks away.

37:51um if we could just wander down the

37:52street and and enjoy the wonderful

37:54hospitality these people have uh have

37:57given us. So, I hope you'll allow them

38:00to do the reszone and to make the best

38:01use of that space. They're good

38:03stewards. Um they pay attention the

38:05historic nature of that space and um the

38:09neighborhood's better for it. Thanks so

38:10much.

38:13>> And next will be Jared Brown followed by

38:15Willie Litig and then Jed Butler. Jared

38:18is here in person.

38:24My name is Jared Brown, owner occupied

38:26resident at 13C Street. The Aldens have

38:29ignored the elements of the current code

38:31which protects our community. They have

38:33been found in violation of multiple

38:35offenses. They bought the 272 house next

38:38door to operate a private cottage Airbnb

38:41short-term rental, which was also found

38:43to be in violation. They are going to

38:45try to sell you on how they need the MU2

38:48zoning change because the current rules

38:50are ambiguous and it's hindering their

38:52business. This is not true. The mansion

38:55was relatively has a relatively short

38:57history of being anything but a

38:59residence which is less than 30 years.

39:01The 272 house next door has only ever

39:04been a residence. In past meetings, the

39:06Aldens have mentioned omitted and out of

39:09context text info information from the

39:12avenues update [clears throat] plan to

39:13plan to sell their idea for the 272

39:16property. However, the final draft of

39:18this new plan for the avenues has not

39:20yet been approved or implemented. Please

39:23do not do so now. The planning staff

39:26have given a negative endorsement for

39:28both property applications submitted by

39:30the Aldens. If this goes through

39:32tonight, a new precedent will be set.

39:35Any owner would be entitled to use their

39:37house history to justify a commercial

39:39pursuit. To my point, I will apply for

39:42my house to also become an MU2. My home

39:45has ample historical relevance for me to

39:48run a retail store and short-term

39:49rental. This book written by Bruce R.

39:52McConi, uh, Mormon doctrine

39:56was wr written, he grew up in my house.

39:58This is a great excuse for me to run a

40:00bookshop out of my house. During World

40:02War II, my house provided shelter for

40:05women and children. This is a great

40:06historical justification for me to run

40:08an Airbnb. Who cares the effects it'll

40:10have on my other neighbors? Once changed

40:13to an MU2, I can then make the home a

40:16retail store or anything else I want at

40:18any time. I ask, please do not allow

40:21this to pass. Thank you.

40:26And next will be Willie Litig and then

40:28Jed Butler. Willie is here in person.

40:39Hello, my name is [clears throat] Lily

40:41Litig. I live at 121 D Street where I

40:45have for what 47 years. Um, I've also

40:52been uh on the board of Avenues

40:54Community Council and also have been the

40:57uh board chair of Avenues Community

40:59Council. My wife and I each have spent u

41:03six years on the historic landmarks

41:07commission. In fact, we bought our house

41:08before it was a historic district. I

41:12bought my house in a residential

41:14neighborhood.

41:16I am here tonight because we need to

41:19protect our residential neighborhoods.

41:22What is being proposed but

41:26the good part is it was it turned down

41:29in planning

41:31but what is being proposed is what they

41:33call commercial creep.

41:36That is it starts as a small building it

41:39adds a little and it proposes to add

41:42more. We have ample bakeries and coffee

41:45shops in the avenues. Although we just

41:48heard from somebody that said that there

41:50is

41:52no need for parking. It is a nightmare

41:55to park on that street. It's a bike lane

42:00on both streets and uh and but it's not

42:04the protected bike way. So someone opens

42:07a door, you get what they call in

42:09cycling door. Um, we cannot afford that.

42:15Um, God, I get up here and I get all

42:17shattered as to what I was going to say.

42:20But anyway, um, this is a great

42:22opportunity for you to say no. I

42:25appreciate that and um, I hope you will

42:29follow through. Thank you.

42:32>> Next will be Jed Butler who's here in

42:34person.

42:42Hello, my name is Jed Butler. Uh, I live

42:45at 428 East 5th Avenue in the Avenues.

42:49It's right between ENS Streets. Um, I

42:52know the neighborhood really well. I

42:53live there. I've lived there for a bunch

42:54of years now and uh it's it's a really

42:59really unique place and I feel very

43:02lucky to live there. And I just want to

43:04say I really uh love uh the Aldens and

43:07the Ellerbeck. It's funny I have a

43:09family connection. My sister-in-law

43:12uh remembers uh going there for

43:14Christmas mornings uh in the 70s and 80s

43:18uh when it was owned by the Armstrongs

43:20back in the back in the day. And it's

43:23just I love historic architecture. It's

43:25so cool to see that building preserved

43:27so well and given so much life. Um and

43:30I'll I'll just I know there's been a lot

43:32of complaints about parking. I walk

43:33there all the time. I feel like it's

43:35it's pretty easy to park there actually.

43:38But um yeah, I would just it's I feel

43:42like this is a cool opportunity for the

43:43council to to do something right for a

43:46business owner. I'm also a business

43:47owner, so my heart goes out. Um but it's

43:50a cool opportunity to reward people who

43:52are doing good in the community. Thank

43:54you.

43:58>> That was the final commenter for this

44:00item.

44:01Thank you all of those that share your

44:03comments. Um I will need a motion.

44:08>> Mr. Chair, I move that we close the

44:11public hearing and defer action to a

44:13future council meeting. Um so just to

44:16clarify for the um residents that are

44:18here, this would just this is not the

44:20final vote. This is just to close the

44:22public hearing and then a final vote

44:24will be scheduled at a later date. Um

44:27but I appreciate the comments that we've

44:29heard. Um, oh, sorry. Do you want me to

44:33>> I mean, uh, just finish your thought.

44:36>> No, I'll wait. I'll wait for someone to

44:37second.

44:38>> Second. Can we Can I have a second on

44:40this one?

44:40>> Second.

44:41>> Okay. Now, now, um, is any discussion on

44:44this one?

44:44>> Oh, well, yes, I do. Yes. Thank you.

44:47Since you asked, um,

44:51uh, I I in my mind, this is is difficult

44:56because I I hate losing a housing unit.

44:58Um, and I understand the concern that

45:01the other neighbors have articulated.

45:03Um, at the same time, this is, uh, as I

45:07talked about before, I used to live on

45:08this block and, um, this this house, um,

45:13I was worried was going to become a

45:14story of demolition by neglect, that we

45:16were going to actually lose the house.

45:18Um, so I appreciate that this, um, that

45:22that did not happen. um and um am

45:26inclined to um support the proposal, but

45:29I want to um ask I know that the Aldens

45:33have been working with the planning

45:34division to talk about public benefits

45:37um for the loss of the unit. Uh and I'm

45:40interested to see how those go. Um and

45:43um I'm sure we can that they'll get

45:46something worked out before and then we

45:49can schedule it for a final vote, but

45:51that's where I'm leaning right now. Um,

45:54and I just want to let residents know I

45:57appreciate the comments on both sides. I

45:58did take both of them to heart and

46:01thought about this carefully. Um, and

46:04thank you.

46:05>> Anybody else?

46:08Okay, I have a motion by Council Wharton

46:10and a second by Council Dugan. All those

46:12in favor say I.

46:14>> I.

46:15>> I.

46:16>> Any oppose? Any abstensions?

46:18This motion carries unanimously.

46:21Um we're going to move on to the next

46:24item which is item B6.

46:27Uh this is an ordinance for the public

46:29utilities impact fee facility plan uh

46:33analysis and consolidated fee schedule.

46:36Austin Kimmel, council policy anal

46:38analyst is going to give us a short

46:40introduction. Austin.

46:42>> Thanks council members. The department

46:44of public utilities is proposing

46:46increases to the city's utility impact

46:48fees. If approved, it would be the first

46:50update to the city's water, sewer, and

46:53storm water impact fees since 1999.

46:56Impact fees are one-time charges imposed

46:59on new development to help pay for

47:01necessary utility infrastructure

47:02upgrades to serve that new development.

47:05They are paid when a building permit is

47:07issued or when a project connects to the

47:10system with a utility permit. Current

47:12impact fees have not been updated in 27

47:14years and no longer reflect rising

47:17construction costs, inflation, and

47:19ongoing infrastructure investments that

47:21have supported the growth Salt Lake City

47:23has experienced since then. Without

47:26adjusting impact fees, other revenue

47:28sources would subsidize utility

47:29improvements to support new development.

47:32During the August 18th briefing, the

47:34council indicated that it would base the

47:37sewer impact fees on meter size as

47:39detailed in option one in the council's

47:42attached staff report. The council also

47:45chose to phase the utility impact fees

47:47over two years, implementing 70% of the

47:50full fee starting in January 2027 and

47:54the full fee effective July 1st, 2028.

47:59This is the second of two public

48:00hearings scheduled for the proposed

48:02utility impact fee increases. At the

48:05conclusion of this hearing, the council

48:06is scheduled to consider voting on the

48:08proposed ordinance amending the city's

48:10consolidated fee schedule to update

48:13water, sewer, and storm water impact

48:14fees. Thank you.

48:16>> Thank you, Austin. Taylor, can you begin

48:19with our first public comment on this

48:21item?

48:22>> Mr. Chair, we have four people

48:23registered to speak to this item. The

48:25first will be Lillian Oscerson, followed

48:27by Dustin Holt, and then Anthony

48:29Washburn. Lillian, you may now unmute.

48:33>> Uh, my apologies. I did not I was having

48:36technical difficulties while filling out

48:37the form. I did not mean to click on

48:40this one. Sorry.

48:42Then we'll move on to Dustin Holt,

48:44followed by Anthony Washburn, and then

48:46Mark Isaac. Dustin's here in person.

48:51I was hoping Lily would go so I collect

48:53my thoughts. Dustin Hold 224 Enzy Vista.

48:56Uh Mr. Chair, council members, I'm here

48:58tonight uh both as a resident of Salt

49:00Lake City, but also as a small business

49:02owner and real estate developer. I'm a

49:04principal partner at DB Urban

49:06Communities. We are have an office here

49:08in Salt Lake City. Um we primarily

49:11develop here in Salt Lake City. Over the

49:13last 10 years, we've been a part of 11

49:15projects and about 1100 multif family

49:17units or other units. Our average

49:20project size is 100 units. um as

49:22currently proposed we are or currently

49:25proposed we are opposed to this change

49:27in impact fees. I just want to highlight

49:29a couple of things. Um according to the

49:31Chemard Institute over the last f 10

49:34years Salt Lake City has uh averaged

49:382500 residential units and over the last

49:415 years that number increases to 2900.

49:44So we think there's a fatal flaw in the

49:46denominator used in the impact fee

49:49facility plan. Um, you guys are

49:50averaging about 1,200 units a year. So,

49:53we think that could be anywhere from 500

49:55to 880 units shy a year, which is pretty

49:58significant over a 5year period. Also,

50:00um, just want to reference current

50:03capital infrastructure plans. So, many

50:05times, in fact, in all of those 11

50:07projects, we've been asked to improve

50:10current facilities, water, sewer, storm,

50:13in some instances all three. Those have

50:15come at a cost between h 100,000 and

50:17$300,000 per project. Um those are

50:20generally done right now through bonds

50:22either cash bonds or uh

50:26the other bond I'm blanking right now.

50:28Um but that's again our our average

50:30project size of 100 units. That's an an

50:32additional $1,000 to $3,000 cost per

50:36unit. It's different because we post

50:38that money and as soon as the

50:39infrastructure is completed and the city

50:41accepts it, we get those funds back. um

50:44it truly is your development, your

50:46impact, your cost and this changes those

50:49uh that approach fundamentally. So we

50:55>> thank you

50:56>> very much.

50:59>> Next will be Anthony Washburn followed

51:02by Mark Isaac and then Bernie Hart.

51:04Anony's here in person.

51:10>> Good evening. My name is Anthony

51:11Washburn and I serve on the Popular

51:13Grove Community Council. I'm also a

51:15strong supporter of the Westside and the

51:17communities that call it home. I'm here

51:19today to express my support for the

51:21proposed increase public utility impact

51:23fees. These fees have not been

51:25meaningfully updated since the 1990s and

51:28I believe it is important that we

51:29recognize the significance cost and

51:31inflation have changed over this period

51:33of time and our infrastructure needs

51:35have changed as well. Recent flooding in

51:38Popular Grove caused by aging and

51:40failing pipelines is a reminder that we

51:41cannot continue to defer investment in

51:44our infrastructure. Updating impact fees

51:46is one way that we can help ensure that

51:48our systems are adequately funded and

51:50better prepared to serve our growing

51:52community.

51:54Um I believe it is important to

51:56recognize that development has benefited

51:58from an impact fee structure that has

52:00been outdated for more than a decade.

52:02Updating those fees is a reasonable step

52:04towards bringing our infrastructure

52:06funding in line with today's realities.

52:08That said, I would support a slower road

52:10roll out or transition for nonprofit

52:12organizations to help minimize the

52:14immediate impact on those groups. But

52:16overall, I would like to see these

52:18updated fees take effect by January 1st.

52:20Thank you for your time and for

52:22considering my comments.

52:26>> Next is Mark Isac followed by Bernie

52:29Hart. Mark is here in person.

52:36Good evening, council, senior staff. My

52:38name is Mark Isaac. Uh, at risk of

52:40shooting myself in the foot here, I'm

52:42here in support of the public utility

52:45efforts to establish increase in impact

52:48fees and I'm a consultant. Dustin's been

52:51one of my clients in the past that might

52:53be at risk. Um, but I just wanted to

52:55talk briefly about the work that Laura

52:57Briefer, Chrissy Bell, Jason Draper, and

53:00the senior staff and the administration

53:02of the public utilities did with the

53:04private sector asking for our feedback,

53:08comments, and thoughts with regards to

53:10the depth, the level of detail, the

53:13amount of increase in the public utility

53:16fees, and the increase in impact fees

53:18that hasn't occurred since 1999. So as a

53:21courtesy to them they reached out to us

53:23in the private sector for feedback and

53:26we owe them the same courtesy back. The

53:28one difficulty we have in the private

53:30sector when we develop we are

53:32established with five criteria of cost

53:36land design and then your cost of

53:39construction materials labor and finance

53:42and the riddle is the fifth and it's

53:44government service. We never know how

53:46long it's going to take for the approval

53:48or how much it's going to cost us at the

53:50back end of approval because the public

53:53utility work and dynamic is never

53:55occurring until we're final at permit.

53:59By then, we've established finance and

54:01we've established design and it's a bit

54:03of a ghost in the system. I think it's

54:05going to provide a consistency and a

54:08certainty to us in cost and cost

54:10implications that we have time to plan

54:12for. Subsequently, I'm in support of the

54:16public utility increase, but more

54:18specifically, I'm in support of the

54:20senior staff and the level of detail and

54:22work that they've done with all of us in

54:24the private sector to make sure that

54:25they were doing it right. Thank you.

54:30>> And next is Bernie Hart, who is here in

54:32person.

54:45Good evening. My name is Bernie Hart.

54:47Um, I couldn't pop pass up an

54:50opportunity

54:51to suggest that every sewer connection

54:54and water connection that it go takes

54:57place and is put in place in the city of

54:59Salt Lake and in Salt Lake County

55:01impacts the Great Salt Lake. So the the

55:05the more you can do or we can do to to

55:08slow down building, slow down growth and

55:12that good place to start is fewer sewer

55:15connections and more expensive fewer

55:18sewer connections and make it difficult

55:20for the some of that stuff to happen. So

55:23if we're going to fill up the salt salt

55:25lake or even try to we have to start

55:28making I think these kinds of decisions.

55:31So, thank you.

55:36And

55:36>> that was the final register commenter

55:37for this item.

55:39>> Thank you. All of those who share your

55:40comments on this item. Are there is

55:42there a motion?

55:43>> Mr. Chair, I move the council close the

55:45public hearing adopt an ordinance

55:46amending the Salt Lake City consolidated

55:48fee schedule to update the Department

55:50Utilities water, sewer, and storm water

55:53impact fees. As reflected in the

55:55ordinance, the sewer impact fees are

55:57based on meter size and reflect only 70%

56:00of the fee justified by the impact fee

56:03analysis. The council consider intends

56:05to consider phasing in the full fee

56:07justified by the impact fee analysis by

56:10July 1st, 2028.

56:12>> Second.

56:13>> Have a motion by council member Dugan, a

56:15second by council member Carlson Petro.

56:18Sorry, take that back. Council member

56:20seconded by council member Petro. Uh is

56:23there any discussion?

56:26I I you know I would like to say that um

56:30it it is uh you know 30 years of of an

56:34update that was very much needed. Uh

56:37many of our neighbors uh we've been

56:39updating the cost of of all of these

56:42fees to residential neighbor neighbors

56:45uh over the last few years and we have

56:47heard the impact that many of our

56:49neighbors are are seeing in their bills

56:51and the public utilities. Um it it

56:54really it's um growth has to pay for

56:57growth and it's it's challenging to

56:59justify uh a fee that hasn't been

57:02touched in 30 years. Um and it really is

57:07uh that that means to my neighbors that

57:09they are subsidizing the development

57:12that is happening in in in some parts of

57:14our city. So, um I I do appreciate the

57:18administration and effort and to really

57:21reaching out to developers and really

57:23trying to uh you know give them the

57:25heads up and hearing feedback from them

57:28about how this could work. Um and you

57:30know we uh uh we starting with a phase

57:34approach to this fee. Um it was also

57:37very interesting to me that many cities

57:39in this state have much larger

57:42calculations for fees. um for impact

57:45fees than we do. Um and the growth uh

57:49you know the impact on growth in those

57:51cities is not slowing down. Uh with time

57:54they're able with the predictability

57:57that this gives them gives them the time

57:59to to uh really find the the the cost

58:03and and build it into their pro into

58:05their plans. So um it really has

58:11you know educated me on how this works

58:14and how uh the impact uh you know how

58:18the impact can be minimized. I I do want

58:21to um uh highlight that uh the work uh

58:26this this is one of those challenges

58:27that none of these things are easy to

58:29decide right uh much like we have

58:31decided to increase fees uh and public

58:34utilities or taxes in the last few years

58:37because of the inflation inflationary

58:39cost and everything that that the city

58:41does is cost costing more money. So this

58:44is a a a shoe in for me and makes a lot

58:48of sense. So any other thoughts?

58:52>> Uh I think for

58:58people who would build here and cross

59:00the arbitrary line into newer

59:03municipalities, they're already paying

59:05higher rates. Yet our municipality is

59:09the one that shoulders the burden for

59:13everything for those million people that

59:16comes with the clean water. And so this

59:19is not just necessary, it's right and

59:21good. And my neighbors didn't get their

59:25increases phased in. Our rate payers

59:28from Salt Lake City to Cottonwood

59:30Heights all up and down have been

59:33patient and understanding. While our

59:38ability to provide clean water to a

59:40million people has remained a priority,

59:43that becomes more and more difficult to

59:45achieve every day because of rising

59:47costs, because of outdated

59:49infrastructure, because an entire

59:51generation kicked the can down the road

59:53on maintenance, and now we have to not

59:55only deal with a drying Great Salt Lake

59:57and a water crisis, but also how we

1:00:00address the infrastructure issues. So,

1:00:03love my developer friends. Still willing

1:00:06to sit down with you. Sorry for the

1:00:08stress this causes. This is the cost of

1:00:10growth and I trust that our public

1:00:13utilities department will do their best

1:00:15to make sure that just like we told my

1:00:18neighbors, we cannot avoid this rate

1:00:20increase, but we will make sure that you

1:00:23see value in the service you receive as

1:00:27a result. The same thing should be true

1:00:30for our developer community who will

1:00:31feel this primarily um that they should

1:00:34see a service and a value commensurate

1:00:37with what we're asking out of them.

1:00:40>> Thank you. Uh I'm going to call the

1:00:42question. All those in favor say I.

1:00:44>> I.

1:00:47>> This um any oppose or abstensions? This

1:00:52uh motion carries unanimously.

1:00:55Moving on to item B7. This is

1:00:58anformational item. This is the wet line

1:01:00mitigation disposition of significant

1:01:02parcel require um public hearing. Uh I'm

1:01:06going to turn the time to Nick Tarbet,

1:01:08council deputy director to to give us a

1:01:11short introduction and he might give us

1:01:12an introduction for this item and the

1:01:15item uh that follows.

1:01:17>> Yes, sir. The Department of Airports is

1:01:20proposing the city dispose of

1:01:22approximately 900 acres of property

1:01:23acquired with federal aviation grant

1:01:26funds for the mitigation of wetland

1:01:28impacts caused by the West Runway

1:01:30expansion in the 1990s. The property

1:01:33would be sold to the Utah Department of

1:01:36Natural Resources after the city grants

1:01:38a conservation easement to be held by

1:01:41Utah Openlands. Tonight, there are two

1:01:43related public hearings. The first item

1:01:45B7 is the disposition of significant

1:01:48parcel. Tonight, the council would hold

1:01:50the public hearing to provide for the

1:01:52public to provide feedback to the

1:01:53administration on this proposal. The

1:01:55council does not take any formal action

1:01:57other than to hold this hearing. Item B8

1:02:00is the public benefit analysis that

1:02:02would consider waving the purchase price

1:02:04for the city's grant of a conservation

1:02:06easement to Utah Opens. The council

1:02:09would adopt a resolution authorizing the

1:02:11mayor to execute the conservation

1:02:12easement without payment in return.

1:02:17>> Thank you, Nick, for that information.

1:02:21Uh, Taylor, can you begin with our first

1:02:23public comment on this item?

1:02:25>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have 18 people

1:02:27registered to speak to this item. The

1:02:29first will be Chelsea Duke, followed by

1:02:31Ren Griffith, and then Walker Newman.

1:02:33Chelsea is here in person.

1:02:40Good evening, Mr. Chair, council

1:02:42members. My name is Chelsea Duke. I'm

1:02:44the wildlife lands coordinator for the

1:02:46Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

1:02:47within the Department of Natural

1:02:49Resources. The DWR's main goal in this

1:02:51acquisition is to protect, conserve, and

1:02:53enhance the wetlands around the Great

1:02:55Salt Lake. Our team of highly trained

1:02:57full-time biologists would manage this

1:02:59parcel in conjunction with the 660 acres

1:03:02owned adjacent to this parcel known as

1:03:05Blackhawk Waterfell Management Area. The

1:03:07Jordan River Delta is a highly managed

1:03:09wetland system with a long history of

1:03:11human development and this property is

1:03:13currently dominated by invasive species,

1:03:15particularly fragmitees. DWR wetland

1:03:18managers have access to highly

1:03:20specialized equipment specifically

1:03:21suited for large-scale wetland

1:03:22restoration and invasive species

1:03:24control. The DWR works with other state,

1:03:27federal, private, and nonprofit partners

1:03:30to manage fragmitees on a lakewide

1:03:32scale. Our waterfell management areas

1:03:34are managed in a way to help waterfell

1:03:36and other migrating bird species. These

1:03:39properties are closed to public access

1:03:41during specific times of year to protect

1:03:43nesting birds and provide crucial rest

1:03:45areas. Because RWAs are primarily for

1:03:48wildlife, it is also um crucial that

1:03:51they remain protected from development.

1:03:53DWR has a strong history of wetland

1:03:55management that has been in place on our

1:03:58other waterfell management areas around

1:03:59the Great Salt Lake for decades. Our

1:04:02wetland management team has de decades

1:04:04of combined experience managing Great

1:04:06Salt Lake wetlands. We manage WAS for a

1:04:08diverse wetland habitat which provide

1:04:11habitat for waterfell, shorebirds,

1:04:13waiting birds, and other wildlife. If

1:04:15DWR acquires these parcels, we are

1:04:17required by state law to write a habitat

1:04:19management plan for the entire property,

1:04:21which includes all proposed management

1:04:23practices. There will be a committee

1:04:24that will consist of local government

1:04:26officials, neighboring land owners, as

1:04:27well as any stakeholders that have an

1:04:29interest in the property's management.

1:04:31All management decisions will be aligned

1:04:33with the terms of the conservation

1:04:34easement as well as the 404 permit

1:04:36required by the US Army Corps of

1:04:37Engineers. Thank you.

1:04:41Next will be Ren Griffith, followed by

1:04:43Walker Newman, and then John Pearson.

1:04:45Ren, you may now unmute.

1:04:48>> Good evening, chair and members of the

1:04:49council. My name is Ren Griffith, and

1:04:51I'm the policy advocate for the Utah

1:04:53Audabon Council. We support transferring

1:04:56these acres to the Department of Natural

1:04:58Resources with a permanent conservation

1:05:00easement held by Utah Open Lands. Today,

1:05:03development restrictions cover only part

1:05:04of this land. A perpetual easement

1:05:06protects all of it and it holds no

1:05:08matter how federal wetland rules change.

1:05:11We think the airport, DNR, and Utah open

1:05:13lands for this work. But protection from

1:05:15development is only half the question.

1:05:18The other half is what kind of habitat

1:05:20this land will be. For three decades,

1:05:22the airport has kept this property

1:05:23closed to hunting and trespassing, and

1:05:25it has become a place where migrating

1:05:27birds can rest undisturbed. The

1:05:29airport's 1992 Army Corps permit

1:05:31requires the specific mix of habitat

1:05:34including seasonally exposed mudflat and

1:05:36sailing wet meadow. That habitat serves

1:05:38avisets, fallopes, and snowy clovers and

1:05:41is different from ponds managed for

1:05:42ducks. A waterfall management area can

1:05:44protect that matrix, but only if the

1:05:46terms require it. So we respectfully ask

1:05:48for three things. First, that the

1:05:50easement permanently maps a hunting free

1:05:52wildlife rest area across a meaningful

1:05:55share of the property. Second, that the

1:05:57easement writes the permits habitat

1:05:59requirements into its terms so they

1:06:01don't depend on future federal

1:06:02enforcement. Third, that the council not

1:06:05adopt the easement waiver until the

1:06:07easement, the access plan, and an

1:06:09aviation safety review of hunting near

1:06:11the runways are public. We share

1:06:13concerns Great Salt Lake Ottabbon has

1:06:15raised, and these terms let the city

1:06:18protect the land and its spurs at the

1:06:19same time. I've also submitted these uh

1:06:22comments virtually for your records.

1:06:23Thank you so much.

1:06:27Next is Walker Newman, followed by John

1:06:29Pearson, and then Adam Vonmach. Walker,

1:06:33you may now unmute.

1:06:38>> Good evening. My name is Walker Newman.

1:06:40I'm a waterfell hunter and personally

1:06:42hunted this area and the surrounding

1:06:44wetlands. I've spent enough time out

1:06:46there to see how important these aort

1:06:49wetlands are as a rest area for water

1:06:51foul and other migratory birds. I

1:06:54strongly support hunting and public

1:06:56hunting opportunities, but because I am

1:06:58a hunter and because I have experience

1:07:00in this area, I believe these particular

1:07:03wetlands should remain hunt- free. These

1:07:06birds need somewhere they can rest

1:07:07without hunting pressure. Having a

1:07:10hunt-free rest area also benefits

1:07:12hunters because it gives birds a place

1:07:14to stay instead of constantly being

1:07:16pressured and pushed out of the area.

1:07:18These airport wetlands have filled that

1:07:20role for decades, and we should not

1:07:23change that. Now, I'm not asking for

1:07:25just part of the property to remain

1:07:27hunt-ree. I respectfully ask the city

1:07:30council to strictly prohibit hunting on

1:07:32all Salt Lake City airport property

1:07:36included in the conservation easement

1:07:38and allow it to continue serving as a

1:07:40rest area for migrating waterfell and

1:07:42shorebirds.

1:07:44I'm a hunter. I support hunting, but I

1:07:46also believe good waterfell management

1:07:48means knowing when an area is more

1:07:50valuable to hunters and wildlife by not

1:07:53hunting it. Thank you.

1:07:58>> Next is John Pearson followed by Adam

1:08:00Vonmach and then Ethan Core. John, you

1:08:03may now unmute.

1:08:05>> Good evening, council. Thank you for

1:08:07taking my comment. My name is John

1:08:08Pearson. and I'm a physician and much of

1:08:10my work focuses on environmental and

1:08:12planetary health, meaning the connection

1:08:14between ecosystem health and human

1:08:16health. I'm asking the council to slow

1:08:18this process down. The airport wetlands

1:08:20should not be considered as an isolated

1:08:22parcel of land. They're part of the

1:08:23interconnected Great Salt Lake system.

1:08:25Wetlands, mud flats, shoreline habitat,

1:08:27waterfall impoundments, and the lake all

1:08:29interact with the same limited water

1:08:31supply. That matters for birds, but it

1:08:33also matters for people. As Great Salt

1:08:35Lake declines, more lake bed is exposed,

1:08:37increasing the risk of windb blown dust

1:08:38reaching communities along the Wasatch

1:08:40Front. Protecting lake elevation is

1:08:42therefore not only a conservation issue,

1:08:44it's a public health issue. A 2026 Utah

1:08:47State University study found that evapo

1:08:49transpiration from peripheral wetlands

1:08:50between the downstream stream gauges and

1:08:52the open lake was associated with an

1:08:54average 17% reduction in measured stream

1:08:56flow before water reached the lake. That

1:08:59study includes both natural and managed

1:09:00wetlands. So it doesn't mean WAS

1:09:02themselves are causing that loss. But it

1:09:04does raise an important management

1:09:05question. When we impound and retain

1:09:07fresh water and purple wetlands, how do

1:09:09we manage how do we balance the

1:09:11waterfall habitat goals against the need

1:09:13to deliver open water to the lake? We

1:09:15should be thinking about this landscape

1:09:17as a mosaic. Waterfall habitats

1:09:19important. So are seasonally exposed mud

1:09:20flats, sailing shorelines, shallow

1:09:22wetlands, undisturbed refuge, and the

1:09:24lake itself. The airport's federal

1:09:26mitigation permit explicitly recognized

1:09:28diversity by requiring multiple habitat

1:09:30types, including exposed mud flat. So,

1:09:32I'm asking the council not to rush this

1:09:34into one ownership and management model.

1:09:36Please pause the transfer long enough to

1:09:38evaluate alternatives. And I'm asking

1:09:39the mayor to do the same. Continued city

1:09:41ownership, natural land stewardship,

1:09:43incorporation of the Great Salt Lake

1:09:44shoreline, conservation strategy,

1:09:46conservation partnership stewardship or

1:09:48DNR, if DNR proceeds, binding

1:09:50protections for permanent refuge,

1:09:52mudflat habitat, and lake compatible

1:09:53phys hydraology. This is a planetary

1:09:56health decision. The health of birds,

1:09:57wetlands, lake, and people breathing

1:09:59there are all connected. We should make

1:10:00that decision with that system in view.

1:10:02Thank you.

1:10:04>> Next is Adam von Mach followed by Ethan

1:10:08Core and then Punito Kuban. Adam is here

1:10:11in person.

1:10:14>> Good evening, members of the council.

1:10:16I'm Adam Vonmach, landman for GBAR

1:10:18Ventures and Gilmore Livestock

1:10:19Corporation, a Utah Century Farm and

1:10:21Ranch. The Gilmore family has farmed and

1:10:23ranched here since 1896. They have

1:10:26endured multiple takings by the city and

1:10:27airport to help this city grow. Indeed,

1:10:30part of the mitigation site is pasture

1:10:31land the city condemned from them. The

1:10:33Gilmore remember your ass asurances at

1:10:35that time of the city's per which

1:10:36included the city's permanent

1:10:38protection, a respect for agriculture

1:10:40and no public access. They invested over

1:10:42a decade in two public planning

1:10:44processes culminating in the northwest

1:10:46quadrant master plan and what we

1:10:47understood as renewed co commitments by

1:10:50the city to these principles of

1:10:51stewardship, respect for agriculture and

1:10:53your continued protection of this

1:10:55significant city-owned property. This

1:10:57area is already protected. Selling it is

1:10:59not what makes conservation possible.

1:11:02This is a significant city property.

1:11:03City procedures call for evaluating

1:11:05continued city uses and asking other

1:11:07departments whether they need it after

1:11:09all that planning. Why did no department

1:11:11find sufficient reason to retain it?

1:11:13Show us an evaluation. Show us why

1:11:15continued ownership and partnerships

1:11:16were rejected. A departmental desire to

1:11:18shed management responsibility and cost

1:11:20is not established that this land has

1:11:22stopped serving the city. You created

1:11:24this mitigation site to replace

1:11:25sensitive lands destroyed by your runway

1:11:27expansion. You took that land from your

1:11:29neighbors to do it. and now you turn

1:11:31your back on it because it's

1:11:32inconvenient. The state bought the

1:11:34Blackhawk without a usable public

1:11:35access. This transaction seeks to solve

1:11:38their access problem and the airport's

1:11:39management burden while neighbors

1:11:41inherit the consequence. It also allows

1:11:43the state to bully your area

1:11:44constituents into accepting area

1:11:46policies they spent generations working

1:11:48alongside you to reject. Selling to the

1:11:50state removes your ability to protect

1:11:51this land, your constituents, and the

1:11:53city's documented priorities. It also

1:11:55breaks faith with your residents in the

1:11:57area. Do not let your promises be so

1:11:59easily cast aside and let us help you as

1:12:01we have for generations instead of

1:12:03selling out.

1:12:05The presence of a working century farm

1:12:06and ranch in Salt Lake City is

1:12:08remarkable and it deserves a future and

1:12:10the next generation deserves room to

1:12:11carry that legacy forward. Your decision

1:12:13tonight will determine that legacy.

1:12:18>> Next will be Ethan Cork followed by

1:12:20Punito Kuban and then Lauren Dragas.

1:12:24Ethan is here in person.

1:12:27Hi, council members. My name is Ethan

1:12:29Core. I'm a graduate student at the

1:12:31University of Utah and an avid bird nerd

1:12:33in the Salt Lake City area. I've learned

1:12:35a lot about the Great Salt Lake since

1:12:37moving out here over a year ago. The

1:12:39lake supports over 300 bird species and

1:12:41up to 12 million migratory birds every

1:12:43year. While I agree that wild that water

1:12:45foul management areas do a good job

1:12:47preserving wetlands, wetlands are just

1:12:48one of many habitats and subhabitats

1:12:51that make up the Great Salt Lake

1:12:52ecosystem. We have mud flats, pliers,

1:12:54saline shoreline, and low disturbance

1:12:56resting areas, all of which support

1:12:58different ecological functions for these

1:13:00birds. If you look at the Army Corps

1:13:02section 404 permit from the 1992 airport

1:13:05expansion, they recognize these

1:13:06different habitats. It specifies

1:13:08maintenance of a habitat mix that

1:13:10includes seasonally exposed mud flats,

1:13:12emergent marsh, and saline wet meadow.

1:13:15It also requires that this management

1:13:17and maintenance of the wetland values be

1:13:18done in perpetuity. An ecological

1:13:21disaster is brewing as a result of the

1:13:22drying lake. So all I ask is that we

1:13:24take our time to evaluate all possible

1:13:27options in the land sale so we don't

1:13:28make an irrevocable mistake that impacts

1:13:30increasingly fragile ecosystem.

1:13:33Please pause the transfer until the city

1:13:35has fully evaluated and consider the

1:13:37ecological effects proposed hunting and

1:13:39public access changes and reasonable

1:13:41conservation alternatives. Thank you.

1:13:47Next is Punita Kiban followed by Lauren

1:13:51Dragas and then Alan Hansen. Punita is

1:13:54here in person.

1:13:57>> So before I speak, did everyone get my

1:13:59hand out?

1:14:00>> Yes.

1:14:03>> Okay. So council members, can we talk

1:14:05about mosaic wetlands? I'm Punita

1:14:08Kustavan, a conservation biologist,

1:14:10founding chair of Birdsafe Utah, and

1:14:12board member of Great Salt Lake Ottabon.

1:14:14I ask you to immediately pause the

1:14:16proposed sale of these 951 acres so we

1:14:19can meet and discuss maintenance and

1:14:20management of shorebird habitat. These

1:14:22delicate wetlands are connect are a

1:14:24connected mosaic of shallow water, mud

1:14:26flats, hypers saline pliers, uplands and

1:14:30shoreline habitat that we continue to

1:14:32keep losing around the great salt lake.

1:14:34American avisets, black neck stilts,

1:14:36long build curus, long build dowagers,

1:14:39snowy clovers and other species depend

1:14:41on this mosaic habitat to feed, rest,

1:14:43migrate and breed. Hunting and human

1:14:45disturbance can disrupt feeding and

1:14:47force birds to expend energy needed for

1:14:49migration and reproduction. The state

1:14:52approached the airport about purchasing

1:14:53this property to expand the Blackhawk

1:14:55hunting area that would threaten

1:14:57wildlife that depends on these wetlands

1:15:00and these mitigation properties

1:15:02need to be managed as a no hunting low

1:15:04disturbance area and it should remain

1:15:06that way. Shorebird conservation is

1:15:09fundamentally different from managing a

1:15:10duck hunting empoundment or a series of

1:15:13BMS and ponds. The ponds actually cause

1:15:16fragmitees to spread.

1:15:18Shorebirds need diverse connected areas

1:15:20of shallow water, exposed mud flats,

1:15:22salt plas, uplands, meadows, and

1:15:24undisturbed shoreline. Converting this

1:15:26refuge into a hunting area could reduce

1:15:29those habitats and increase disturbance.

1:15:32Please take four actions. First, please

1:15:34pause the sale and schedule a public

1:15:36hearing at a later date. Second, please

1:15:39release all documents and allow

1:15:41meaningful public and scientific review.

1:15:43Third, reject any transfer that does not

1:15:45permanently prohibit public hunting

1:15:48across the 951 acres. Fourth, require

1:15:53enforcable conservation protections, a

1:15:55scientifically developed management

1:15:56plan, and an oversight involving tribal

1:16:00nations, scientists, residents, and

1:16:02relevant agencies. We need a maintenance

1:16:06>> time.

1:16:11Next will be Lauren Jarus, followed by

1:16:14Alan Hansen and then Michael Sullivan.

1:16:16Lauren is here in person.

1:16:22>> Hello, council. I'm Lauren Dus, a senior

1:16:25at Westminster University, majoring in

1:16:27environmental studies and interning at

1:16:30Birds Safe Utah with the Great Salt Lake

1:16:32Autobond. I'm here today asking you to

1:16:34put a pause on this sale of these

1:16:37protected wetlands until we can discuss

1:16:39other alternatives.

1:16:41put a stop to any transfer that does not

1:16:44permanently prohibit public hunting

1:16:46across all 951 acres and require

1:16:49mandatory conservation protections that

1:16:52run with the land and bind future owners

1:16:55and managers. The public the public

1:16:57needs access to all sale documents,

1:16:59permits, mitigation requirements, and

1:17:02habitat and public access plans. These

1:17:05plans require meaningful public and

1:17:07scientific re review before they can go

1:17:10to any vote. We are asking the city to

1:17:13preserve permanent hunt hunting free

1:17:16resting habitat, evaluate the ecological

1:17:18consequences of the proposed transfer

1:17:21and consider alternative conservation

1:17:23and management approaches for this

1:17:25critical habitat. These are our wetlands

1:17:28too and they need to stay protected.

1:17:29Thank you.

1:17:32Next is Alan Hansen, followed by Michael

1:17:35Sullivan and then Heather Dove. Alan's

1:17:37here in person.

1:17:44>> Good evening. Thank you for letting me

1:17:47uh approach each of you. My name is Alan

1:17:49Hansen. I currently serve as the

1:17:51president of the Brown Livestock and

1:17:53Waterfell Reclamation Club located about

1:17:57a half mile to the north of this 950

1:18:00acres. Um, in the early 70s, yes, in

1:18:041970, I was invited to go out there and

1:18:06hunt on the Harrison Duck Club. And it

1:18:09was at that point where I found my love

1:18:10for that that shoreline and for that

1:18:13portion that is now known as the

1:18:15southwest

1:18:17um what is it? the south southshoreline

1:18:21uh group of duck clubs and I vowed at

1:18:25that point that I would find a way to

1:18:27become a steward of that property on my

1:18:29own and 10 years ago I was able to along

1:18:33with 16 other men um purchase 250 acres

1:18:38and it's it's an awesome responsibility

1:18:41to manage this wetlands we're out there

1:18:44I'm out there couple times a week I

1:18:46drive through this mitigation area. I

1:18:48see what it's all about. I know what its

1:18:50purpose is. I've been to the aviation

1:18:52meetings with the airport and listened

1:18:54to them talk about transferring

1:18:57properties and the benefit of it. I'm

1:19:00I'm all for having the wetlands. I love

1:19:02the wetlands, but we have to protect it

1:19:05and that area needs to be protected. And

1:19:07I would ask you to delay this. Listen to

1:19:09these folks that are petitioning you to

1:19:12listen and and delay this. ask the mayor

1:19:16to put it on pause. We know it costs the

1:19:18city money to mitigate that fragmite out

1:19:20there, but you know what? It's a battle

1:19:23we're going to have forever.

1:19:26I just love that land and we need it to

1:19:29be able to be available for all, but it

1:19:31needs to be managed in such a way that

1:19:33everyone can enjoy it. And in this case,

1:19:36that mitigation property needs to stay

1:19:37as it is. Thank you.

1:19:41Next is Michael Sullivan followed by

1:19:43Heather Dove and then Jean Tamben.

1:19:46Michael is here in person.

1:19:52>> Thank you. My name is Michael Sullivan.

1:19:53I represent the I'm the president of the

1:19:55Harrison Duck Club. We are the neighbors

1:19:58to this property. Uh when the property

1:20:01was set aside, it became a excellent

1:20:05place for shorebirds, water foul

1:20:09uh to rest

1:20:12and it's it's done wonders for for that.

1:20:16And uh I didn't think this could ever

1:20:19change, but apparently I'm wrong. And uh

1:20:24I propose that

1:20:26take a little more time, look into this

1:20:28a little more. Uh it's an excellent

1:20:32place for the birds to rest and uh

1:20:37I I would like to see it uh not hunted.

1:20:40[clears throat]

1:20:41So thank you.

1:20:46>> Next is Heather Dove, followed by Jean

1:20:49Tambin and then Wendy Fischer. Heather's

1:20:51here in person.

1:20:54[clears throat]

1:20:58>> Good evening. Uh, it's Heather Dove. I'm

1:21:00past president of Great Salt Lake

1:21:02Ottabon, currently a board member and

1:21:04director of conservation. First of all,

1:21:06I applaud the mayor's 2023 vision for

1:21:09the Shoreline Heritage Preservation

1:21:11Area. I think it's an excellent idea.

1:21:14The city is uh recognizing this area um

1:21:17as something that needs to be protected

1:21:19from development. Um my colleagues uh

1:21:22Punita John and Ethan have already laid

1:21:24out um some uh options and it's in your

1:21:27handout. What I want to talk about

1:21:29tonight is proposing specifically that

1:21:32instead of giving this land over hunting

1:21:34water foul, we choose to manage this

1:21:37land primarily for the protection of our

1:21:39migratory shore birds, the very guild of

1:21:41birds that make Great Salt Lake so

1:21:43special. the very birds whose survival

1:21:46absolutely depends on the Great Salt

1:21:48Lake as evidenced by the multi-year

1:21:50Inter Mountain West Shorebird survey.

1:21:53Don't get me wrong, I love ducks, but

1:21:55they can be found in great abundance

1:21:57across the nation. It's the shorebirds

1:22:00that are declining and are the aven

1:22:02treasures here at Great Salt Lake. We

1:22:05have at least nine WAS, at least six

1:22:08large private duck clubs, lots of

1:22:10smaller duck clubs around the lake, and

1:22:12many more of these throughout the state,

1:22:14not to mention the Barra River Refuge.

1:22:16So, the point is the hunters have a lot

1:22:20of areas that they can hunt. In

1:22:22contrast, there's only three places

1:22:24around the lake managed for shorebirds.

1:22:26Gilmore Sanctuary, Inland Sea Bird Shore

1:22:29Reserve, and uh Great Salt Lake

1:22:31Shoreland Preserve. Unlike water fowl,

1:22:34shorebirds have been steadily losing

1:22:36their specialized habitat and are now in

1:22:38serious decline. Uh the mud flats ply

1:22:42sailing uh wet meadows, uplands and

1:22:44shallow shorelines that they require are

1:22:47disappearing and they cannot utilize the

1:22:49deeper water of the impoundments created

1:22:52for water foul. The shorebird survey

1:22:55shows that as the availability and

1:22:58viability of the same

1:23:03Next is Jean Tambin, followed by Wendy

1:23:06Fischer, and then Sylvia Wilcox. Jean's

1:23:08here in person. Um,

1:23:09>> hi, I'm Jean Tabin. I actually Park

1:23:12City, Utah. I'm a physician and I'm here

1:23:15because I care about the amazing shore

1:23:17birds that use these wetlands and about

1:23:20the Great Salt Lake. I care about uh

1:23:22saving the Great Salt Lake and all of

1:23:24its wetlands um both for our environment

1:23:27and our and for our health and for again

1:23:30these amazing birds. I believe firmly

1:23:32that if we're serious about saving the

1:23:34Great Salt Lake, we must permanently

1:23:37conserve the wetlands around them. We've

1:23:39allowed too much human activity,

1:23:41including industry even around our

1:23:43wetlands. We must preserve all of the

1:23:47950 acres and the birds that inhabit it.

1:23:50Um for me that means no root roads, no

1:23:52hunting, no building. Um please delay

1:23:56the sales if you know if that you know

1:23:59we have to know how to permanently

1:24:01conserve this land properly. I love the

1:24:03idea of Utah open lands uh being

1:24:06involved. Um again I think we need to

1:24:08preserve permanently um and make this

1:24:11area hunting free, a bird refuge and um

1:24:14you know we need to save it for the

1:24:17Great Salt Lake. Thank you.

1:24:22Next is Wendy Fischer, followed by

1:24:23Sylvia Wilcox and then Mary Beth

1:24:26Whitaker. Wendy is here in person.

1:24:30>> Wendy Fischer, executive director, Utah

1:24:32Open Lands, 1488 South Main Street.

1:24:34[clears throat]

1:24:36My goal tonight is to clarify what's at

1:24:38stake in the intent behind this effort.

1:24:40When the airport authority approached

1:24:41Utah open lands, it envisioned

1:24:43protecting not only the 450 acres

1:24:45covered by the section 404 wetland

1:24:47mitigation permit, but also an

1:24:49additional 500 acres, making this prior

1:24:53property a potential cornerstone of

1:24:54preservation on the entire Great Salt

1:24:56Lake shoreline. I want to emphasize that

1:24:58public recreation has not been

1:25:01identified as a conservation value in

1:25:04the discussions of the initial drafting

1:25:06of the conservation easement so far.

1:25:08This is intentional. The easement

1:25:11extends the section 404 permits

1:25:12mitigation plan beyond the 450 acre

1:25:15mitigation site, ensuring conservation

1:25:17values come first. We have already spent

1:25:20countless hours documenting current

1:25:22conditions, management practices through

1:25:24our baseline documentation, and that

1:25:25work continues. Utah lands has extensive

1:25:28experience collaborating with experts,

1:25:30other conservation entities, and

1:25:32affected parties in achieving management

1:25:34plan goals that are in line with the

1:25:35intentions of the conservation easement.

1:25:37We are the oldest local land trust in

1:25:39the state. We have successfully defended

1:25:42and enforced our conservation easements.

1:25:45I have seen wetlands developed and

1:25:47recreated elsewhere through mitigation

1:25:49banks and I have watched legislatively

1:25:51protected land later be targeted for

1:25:53development. I therefore ask you to

1:25:55continue pursuing this conservation

1:25:57easement and to formalize the commitment

1:25:59to protect this land's conservation

1:26:00values. Even as wetland resources shift

1:26:03and change in climate, the easement will

1:26:05safeguard this habitat in perpetuity. I

1:26:07applaud the mindful and forwardthinking

1:26:09vision demonstrated by the Salt Lake

1:26:11City Airport Authority in recognizing

1:26:13the importance of permanent preservation

1:26:15that codifies the goals they have

1:26:17tangibly executed on the land itself.

1:26:21I would ask that the Salt Lake City wave

1:26:23the fees that would be assessed and I

1:26:26ask you to consider the fact that those

1:26:28fees are just about a market value. They

1:26:31do not take into account the

1:26:34>> All right.

1:26:39>> Next is Sylvia Wilcox, followed by Mary

1:26:41Beth Whitaker and then Justin Mackin.

1:26:44Sylvia, you may now unmute.

1:26:47>> Thank you.

1:26:49When I visit the Farmington Bay Wildlife

1:26:51Management Area, I'm always gratified to

1:26:53know that vehicular access is restricted

1:26:56for several months during nesting and

1:26:57rearing of hatchlings. And of course,

1:26:59that dogs are prohibited also. This same

1:27:02area, a very large one, is then open to

1:27:05hunting in the fall. I believe we need

1:27:07more areas where bird nesting and

1:27:08rearing is protected. However, in my

1:27:11opinion, we do not need more hunting

1:27:13areas. Our wetlands are increasingly

1:27:15diminished, being encroached upon by

1:27:17construction and suffering from other

1:27:19causes such as invas invasive species,

1:27:22water loss, and pollution. Birds,

1:27:25especially shorebirds, and their

1:27:27associated ecosystems that include

1:27:29numerous plant and animal species, need

1:27:32more protection, not less. I support a

1:27:34permanent conservation easement, but

1:27:37oppose any hunting on it. I request a

1:27:40clear and detailed management plan to

1:27:42protect these wetlands from all the

1:27:43aforementioned threats in perpetuity.

1:27:46Thank you.

1:27:49>> Next is Mary Beth Whitaker followed by

1:27:51Justin Mackin and then Heidi Hovind.

1:27:54Mary Beth is here in person.

1:27:58Beth Whitaker. I support the statements

1:28:01made by my colleagues and friends in the

1:28:04Ottabon Society, but I'm just speaking

1:28:07as a private citizen right now. I came

1:28:10here to not feel helpless and hopeless

1:28:13about what's happening at the Great Salt

1:28:15Lake. And I rely on Salt Lake City to do

1:28:19the right thing. They usually do, and

1:28:21they're my main hope in this state.

1:28:25So, I want to put my hope in you that

1:28:27you will take your time to consider the

1:28:29environmental consequences

1:28:32and especially for bird life here in

1:28:34Utah. And I' I'd love for you to stay in

1:28:38control of this situation because I have

1:28:40trust in you that you do care about the

1:28:43environment. So, I ask that you take

1:28:45your time and not give up your control

1:28:48until you're very certain that things

1:28:50will stay protected for future

1:28:52generations. Thank you.

1:28:58Next is Justin Matkin, followed by Heidi

1:29:01Hovind, and then Mike Stangle. Justin's

1:29:04here in person.

1:29:05>> Good evening. Justin Matkin. I'm a Salt

1:29:06Lake City resident of the Yrest

1:29:08neighborhood. Uh, thank you for the

1:29:10opportunity to address this issue. I'm

1:29:12one of the few people who have h access

1:29:14to this um surrounding area by the Salt

1:29:17Lake City mitigation property and I've

1:29:19observed spent dozens of hours observing

1:29:21how the water foul and the other birds

1:29:23use these ponds that the city has

1:29:25created. Let me just tell you that this

1:29:27is an amazing success story for these

1:29:30for this pond. the the city purchased

1:29:33these properties from land owners to

1:29:35mitigate the airport u back in the 90s

1:29:38and they created these ponds where none

1:29:40none existed and because they have

1:29:43strictly prohibited hunting and strictly

1:29:45prohibited trespassing over the last 30

1:29:47years these ponds have become a critical

1:29:50arrest area for the birds especially

1:29:53during the fall migration when it's

1:29:56hunting season so I would recommend that

1:29:58before this the city does anything,

1:30:01including the mayor's office, that y'all

1:30:03take a trip out there and look at it. It

1:30:05is absolutely spectacular. It is hard to

1:30:07imagine

1:30:09um what it looks like when you see

1:30:11thousands and thousands of birds flying

1:30:13over the duck clubs and then they know

1:30:15they get shot at when they fly over

1:30:17there. And so what they do is they fly

1:30:18high and they get to these ponds and

1:30:20they just drop right out of the sky,

1:30:22land right on them. And it is it is a

1:30:24spectacle to behold. Um I would like to

1:30:28I would like to um also challenge one

1:30:31other aspect that I think has gone over

1:30:33which is this property was declared

1:30:36surplus by the city kind of uh in my

1:30:40view um I I don't know how it was

1:30:43declared surplus the city in order to

1:30:45declare this property surplus the city

1:30:46had to have concluded that it no longer

1:30:48needs it that it's it's surplus property

1:30:50we don't need this we can sell it to

1:30:53somebody else I want to bring up a

1:30:55couple of different couple important

1:30:56important points here. One is the city

1:30:58has a perpetual obligation to maintain

1:31:01this property under the 404 permit.

1:31:04It says it spends I think the principal

1:31:07reason why the airport's trying to get

1:31:08rid of it is because it's spending

1:31:10$70,000 a year to to to maintain it, but

1:31:14it already owns all the equipment. It

1:31:15owns the marshm it uses. It owns all the

1:31:18mowers. It it has all the equipment and

1:31:21is equipped to do it. The second of all

1:31:23is that the is that the city is going to

1:31:25be expanding the airport runway in a

1:31:27couple of years in five years for

1:31:29another half mile which will impact

1:31:31additional wetlands which will require

1:31:33additional mitigation. So I don't know

1:31:35why this city is considering selling

1:31:37property that it owns in its inventory

1:31:40when it's going to need extra property

1:31:42to mitigate in just a few years. It's

1:31:44very shortsighted in my opinion. The

1:31:46city the council's option here is to ask

1:31:49for a second hearing. it and has the

1:31:51right under the ordinance to ask for a

1:31:53second hearing. Even though the mayor's

1:31:54office is the office that approves the

1:31:56sale, you have an option to make to ask

1:31:58for a second hearing and to

1:32:06>> next will be Heidi Hovind followed by

1:32:08Mike Stangle and then Bryson Vincent.

1:32:10Heidi is here in person.

1:32:16>> Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

1:32:18I'm Heidi Hovind, director of Gilmore

1:32:20Sanctuary of National Ottabon Society,

1:32:23which has legal access to the private

1:32:25road that many call the Gun Club Road to

1:32:28manage nearly 3,500 acres of wetlands

1:32:31and uplands west of the airport

1:32:32mitigation wetlands. This is the same

1:32:35road that cuts through the middle of the

1:32:36airport mitigation wetlands and uh it is

1:32:40also protected by the um Gagan drain

1:32:43where there's a large electronic gate.

1:32:47Um and as somebody who represents a

1:32:50major land order, we are considerably

1:32:53concerned about protecting our entitled

1:32:55access and property from public access.

1:32:58We are concerned about trespass,

1:33:00vandalism, dumping, damage to

1:33:02infrastructure and management

1:33:03operations, stolen equipment, disruption

1:33:06to wildlife and habitat and homeless

1:33:08encampments. All of this which happened

1:33:12um last year in the wintertime when the

1:33:14electronic gate was inoperable.

1:33:16Um and although the posted road was uh

1:33:19posted as private, there was no way to

1:33:21prevent unauthorized access in the

1:33:24demand. If the land transfer is to

1:33:26happen, National Ottabon has a number of

1:33:29points we'd like to be considered.

1:33:31Maintain secure access to private

1:33:33properties outside the mitigation

1:33:35wetland property. The mitigation

1:33:37wetlands have never been hunted.

1:33:39Consider retaining all or half of the

1:33:41mitigation wetlands as a rest area,

1:33:43closing all or half of the wetlands to

1:33:45public hunting and access. Nesting birds

1:33:48are highly sensitive to human

1:33:50disturbance, particularly since most of

1:33:52the wetland species nest on the ground.

1:33:54Consider keeping the mitigation wetlands

1:33:56closed to public access during the

1:33:58nesting season, as is common with

1:34:00wildlife management areas. Commit some

1:34:03of the proceeds from the sale to

1:34:05developing a robust management plan and

1:34:07securing private access as they are

1:34:09costly and not typically included in

1:34:11operating budgets. And finally, include

1:34:14input from non-governmental wetland

1:34:16managers in a public.

1:34:18>> I'm

1:34:22next is Mike Stangle followed by Bryson

1:34:25Vincent. Mike is here first.

1:34:35>> Hi, I'm Mike Sangle. I live at 12 11127

1:34:40South Eagle View Drive in Sandy. I um

1:34:44agree with most people here and I'm not

1:34:46sure it's a city's responsibility to

1:34:49know what all to do with the property.

1:34:50I'm here for a whole different rationale

1:34:52reason. The property was condemned and

1:34:55taken from my father's estate

1:34:59in 97. and you have a a duty for the

1:35:02Utah code to offer first refusal to the

1:35:07people you condemned it from in order to

1:35:09buy it back. I just want you to give me

1:35:14that respect and and do what's right by

1:35:17the code. Um

1:35:20I could go on to a lot of other issues,

1:35:22but that's the main issue I'm here to

1:35:24talk about. I sent a letter in to the

1:35:26county recorders office and city

1:35:28recorder or city attorney. I assume

1:35:31you've seen that. If you haven't, I've

1:35:32got one here for you if you want one.

1:35:36That's it. That's all.

1:35:39>> Next is

1:35:41Bryson Vincent. Bryson, we now on mute.

1:35:50>> Hi, council. Uh, I strongly support the

1:35:52proposal of the Utah Department of

1:35:53Natural Resources and Division of

1:35:55Wildlife Resources to acquire

1:35:56approximately 951 acres of Salt Lake

1:35:59City airport property and manage it as a

1:36:02wildlife management area. At a time when

1:36:04wetlands and wildlife habitat along the

1:36:06Great Salt Lake are under increased

1:36:08pressure, permanently protecting and

1:36:10professionally managing nearly a

1:36:12thousand acres of habitat is exactly the

1:36:14kind of long-term conservation

1:36:16investment Utah should be making. DWR's

1:36:19wildlife management areas are

1:36:20specifically managed to conserve

1:36:22critical wildlife habitat and improve

1:36:24habitat conditions and provide places

1:36:26for wildlife and wildlife re related

1:36:29recreation.

1:36:31I understand some organizations oppose

1:36:33the proposal because hunting could be

1:36:34allowed on the property. I believe that

1:36:36concern overlooks the larger

1:36:39conservation benefit of placing this

1:36:40land under professional wildlife

1:36:42management. Utah's WMAS protect and

1:36:45improve habitat for far more than hunted

1:36:46species, including shorebirds,

1:36:48songbirds, raptors, and other migratory

1:36:50and resident wildlife. DWR manages more

1:36:54than 600,000 acres of wildlife habitat

1:36:57statewide using habitat restoration,

1:36:59vegetation management, water management,

1:37:01and other cons conservation practices.

1:37:04Hunting is one component of that system,

1:37:06not its overriding purpose. Hunters and

1:37:08anglers have also been among the primary

1:37:11financial supporters of this con

1:37:13conservation system. Utah WMAS are

1:37:16funded largely through hunting and

1:37:17fishing license revenue and federal

1:37:20wildlife and sport fish restoration

1:37:22program supported by excess taxes on

1:37:24hunting and fishing equipment. Those

1:37:26dollars help acquire, restore, and

1:37:28manage habitat that benefits wildlife

1:37:30whether is hunted or not. Rather than

1:37:32allowing the opposition to regulated

1:37:34hunted to stand in the way of protecting

1:37:35951 acres of Great Salt Lake area

1:37:38habitat, I encourage Salt Lake City DNR

1:37:40and DWR to move forward with this

1:37:42acquisition to ensure the land remains

1:37:44protected, improved, and managed for

1:37:46wildlife for generations to come. Thank

1:37:48you.

1:37:51>> And that was the final register

1:37:52commenter for this item.

1:37:56>> Thank you all for your comments on this

1:37:59item. Um, I need a motion.

1:38:01>> Mr. Chair, I move that the council close

1:38:03the public hearing.

1:38:06>> Need a second.

1:38:08>> Second.

1:38:09>> Motion by council member Dugan. A second

1:38:11by council member Petro. Any discussion?

1:38:14Council member Dugan.

1:38:15>> Yes. Yeah, please. Thank you very much.

1:38:17Uh, and first of all, I want to thank

1:38:20everybody for joining us here tonight.

1:38:23Uh this is probably one of the most

1:38:25passionate hearings we've had and I

1:38:28really appreciate all the inputs uh and

1:38:32the thoughtfulness that went into the

1:38:33inputs uh and the desire to protect

1:38:39this area but also the desire to protect

1:38:41our great Salt Lake uh because our our

1:38:44health,

1:38:46our individual health, our family's

1:38:48health is uh vital to that lake to the

1:38:54lake and so

1:38:57and the shoreboards too, but we are also

1:39:01part of that ecosystem and I appreciate

1:39:03everybody being here tonight to discuss

1:39:05this and it does you know

1:39:10you know tell us that we do need to

1:39:12pause and we do need to look at all the

1:39:15avenues we have in front of us. I think

1:39:17the um DWR and DNR have an idea on the

1:39:22water foul management side of the house

1:39:25and they want to preserve this area for

1:39:27conservation. But I think that

1:39:28management plan and section 404 are in

1:39:32conflict in different things and I think

1:39:34we also have some uh uh

1:39:38residents here who also are in conflict

1:39:40with the waterfell. The shorebirds and

1:39:42the waterfell management are in conflict

1:39:45with each other. Uh, and we also need to

1:39:47preserve and restore the Great Salt

1:39:48Lake. And so that impoundment of water

1:39:50compared to the LiAs and the mud flats.

1:39:52I'm not the scientist, but they're

1:39:54they're not all in this one area. Yes,

1:39:57it's a cross of area, but we need to

1:39:58look at that. We need to look at that

1:39:59and how we do this. And does it require

1:40:02the city to transfer the land to uh the

1:40:06state or can we do that ourselves by

1:40:09just transferring it to uh

1:40:12another one of our departments using

1:40:15Falick money to to to manage that. Can

1:40:19we do it ourselves without giving

1:40:21someone else that uh responsibility and

1:40:24also that authority to do something that

1:40:26we may not all agree with? Yes, the DNR

1:40:29has to DWR still has to have it go

1:40:31through a public process on their

1:40:32waterfront management plan, but that

1:40:34doesn't always uh maybe ex uh agree with

1:40:37what you're looking for. So, I agree we

1:40:40need a pause and I agree we need to be

1:40:41have a thoughtful deliberate council or

1:40:44conversations on this on this subject

1:40:46and we also probably need to look at

1:40:49open our eyes on transferring the land.

1:40:51Do we need to transfer it or not? But

1:40:53that should be a deliberate process

1:40:55going forward. Now, we're going to have

1:40:56another vote after this on the easement

1:40:59side of the house and but it's they both

1:41:02to me are one and the same. So, uh I

1:41:05really appreciate all the inputs to

1:41:07everybody. I think we're reading them

1:41:08through them thoroughly. I probably

1:41:10didn't capture all that was said here,

1:41:12but I really appreciate the the

1:41:14thoughtfulness that goes through here

1:41:16and I I look forward to more thoughtful

1:41:18conversations because we want want to

1:41:20preserve this property because we so

1:41:22love Salt Lake City and if we uh don't

1:41:28do this right, we're not doing ourselves

1:41:29a service and our and our kids and our

1:41:31grandkids. So, thank you very much,

1:41:33>> Council Carlson.

1:41:35>> Uh thank you for your comments. Uh,

1:41:37Council Member Dugan, I share many of

1:41:39your concerns about the need to take a

1:41:42pause and to consider um all that we've

1:41:45heard here tonight. Um, I also want to

1:41:47say thank you to all of the uh folks who

1:41:51showed up today. What I heard across

1:41:53comments, whether you're a hunter or a a

1:41:57bird nerd, um was a deep sense of

1:42:00respect for the Great Salt Lake, a deep

1:42:03sense of respect for our connection um

1:42:06with the greater ecosystem that not only

1:42:08affects us, but affects so many other

1:42:11species even beyond our imaginations.

1:42:14And so I just want to say thank you um

1:42:16to all of those who have shown up

1:42:17tonight and I'm looking forward to uh

1:42:20getting more information on this. Thank

1:42:22you.

1:42:25>> Okay, I have a motion uh by council

1:42:29member Dugan, seconded by council member

1:42:30Petro. All of those in favor say I.

1:42:34>> I.

1:42:34>> I.

1:42:34>> I.

1:42:36>> This motion uh is there anybody

1:42:39abstaining or voting against that? No,

1:42:42it seems like it was unanimous. Um, this

1:42:46brings us to item uh B8, which is a

1:42:49resolution um the conservation easement

1:42:52public benefit analysis and we already

1:42:55made an introduction on this item. So,

1:42:58Taylor, can you begin with public

1:43:00comments on this um item?

1:43:04>> We have three people registered to speak

1:43:06to this item. The first will be Ren

1:43:08Griffith, followed by John Pearson, and

1:43:10then Justin Mackin. Ren, you may now

1:43:12unmute.

1:43:16Good evening again, chair, members of

1:43:19the council. This is Ren Griffith,

1:43:21policy advocate for the Utah Audabon

1:43:23Council. I would now like to discuss why

1:43:25protecting birds matters and why it is

1:43:27vital for the easement to write the

1:43:28permits, habitat requirements, and

1:43:30hunting prohibition into its terms so

1:43:32they don't depend on future federal

1:43:34enforcement. This is a vital step before

1:43:36moving forward with the sale or

1:43:37finalizing easement language. As we have

1:43:39seen in 2025 and 2026, the US Army Corps

1:43:43of Engineers and the EPA's definitions

1:43:45of the waters of the United States and

1:43:46subsequent protections are subject to

1:43:48change. North America's birds are in

1:43:50long-term decline, and the trend has not

1:43:52turned around. The 2025 US State of the

1:43:54Birds report finds that about a third of

1:43:56American bird species, 229 in all, are

1:44:00at high or moderate conservation

1:44:01concern. Shorebirds, the group most tied

1:44:03to the Great Salt Lake, are down 33%

1:44:06since 1970. And grassland and airland

1:44:08birds are down 43% and 41%. Shoreirds

1:44:12also have more tipping point species,

1:44:14those that have lost more than half

1:44:16their populations in 50 years, than any

1:44:18other habitat group. The same report

1:44:20shows that conservation works. Ducks are

1:44:22up by 24% since 1970, largely because

1:44:25wetland protections are expanded, but

1:44:27waterfile have dropped 20% since 2014. A

1:44:31reminder that those gains depend on

1:44:32keeping protections that produce them.

1:44:34Birds also do work that people rely on

1:44:36often without noticing until it stops.

1:44:38First is pest control. The world's

1:44:40insect eating birds consume an estimated

1:44:42400 to 500 million metric tons of prey

1:44:45per year. Much of it is planteing

1:44:47insects. The second is seed dispersal.

1:44:50Utah's pinion juniper country, the

1:44:52pinion jay, spreads pinion pine by

1:44:54catching its seeds. The species has lost

1:44:56about 83.5% of its population since

1:44:591968. And final is sanitation. There

1:45:03have been many instances across the

1:45:05world where as bird populations decline

1:45:08uh we see more diseases and things being

1:45:10spread among the population. I've sent

1:45:12this and some additional research to the

1:45:14comments. Thank you so much for your

1:45:16time.

1:45:20And next is John Pearson followed by

1:45:23Justin Mackin and then Punito Kiban.

1:45:25John, you may now unmute.

1:45:28>> Thank you again council for hearing my

1:45:30comment on this issue. I do support a

1:45:33permanent conservation of these

1:45:34wetlands. But as has been part of the

1:45:37discussion tonight, I do think the

1:45:38council should treat the proposed

1:45:40easement should not treat the proposed

1:45:42easement as sufficient evidence that

1:45:43public benefit has been fully

1:45:44established. I think a conservation e

1:45:46easement can prevent development and

1:45:48still leave major ecological questions

1:45:50unresolved.

1:45:52We still do not have the approved

1:45:53long-term management plan as required by

1:45:55the original Army Corps permit. That's

1:45:57not part of the public record. Uh our

1:45:59group has put in an FOIA request for

1:46:01that. We also don't know the full

1:46:03hunting areas such as the relationship

1:46:06with the Blackhawk Wildlife Management

1:46:08Area. Uh the birds don't know that the

1:46:11areas have been off limits by legal

1:46:13decree. They think this whole 1600 acres

1:46:16which includes the Blackhawk area owned

1:46:18by DNR that they are trying to establish

1:46:20roadway access to as well as the wild uh

1:46:23the airport wetlands area. They think

1:46:25this is a whole refuge area for them.

1:46:27And so when the city potentially

1:46:29transfers this and the easement gets

1:46:31written and says, "Oh, no hunting within

1:46:33the mitigation ponds area, but you can

1:46:36have access to this other area that's

1:46:37adjacent." This does cause ecological

1:46:40harm and that needs to be looked at as a

1:46:42whole system together. and think about

1:46:43the Great Salt Lake as this integrated

1:46:45system that you have the lake, the

1:46:47surrounding wetlands, impoundments, mud

1:46:48flats, and shoreline are all competing

1:46:50for exchange in the same limited water.

1:46:53And so I want the city to not wave the

1:46:56value of this easement until the council

1:46:58can evaluate the actual public benefit

1:47:00against actual public benefits against

1:47:02the full management plan and the broader

1:47:04health of the Great Salt Lake.

1:47:06Conservation status alone is not the

1:47:08same as a conservation outcome. The

1:47:10easement should protect the ecological

1:47:12functions the public is being told it

1:47:14will preserve. Thank you. I yield the

1:47:16rest of my time.

1:47:19>> Next is Justin Mackin followed by Punito

1:47:22Kud

1:47:24and Justin's here in person.

1:47:26>> Thank you. I'm double [clears throat]

1:47:27dipping a little bit but I appreciate

1:47:28your time. So on the conservation

1:47:30easement, you only need a conservation

1:47:33easement if the property is transferred.

1:47:36Um, if you if you maintain ownership of

1:47:39the property,

1:47:41the city's in control of what happens.

1:47:43The property is currently zoned open

1:47:45space. It has no access, has no

1:47:48utilities, and a big part of it covered

1:47:50by a 404 permit. The other areas are

1:47:53essentially mud flats. So, the chance

1:47:55this property could be developed is

1:47:57about as close to zero as you can get to

1:47:59zero without actually being zero. It is

1:48:01extraordinarily small. Now, I appreciate

1:48:03the fact that, you know, we want to

1:48:06advocate for conservation easements and

1:48:08put things in conservation in

1:48:09perpetuity, but we have to be honest.

1:48:12This we're being greenwashed a little

1:48:14bit by this because we don't need a

1:48:17conservation easement when the city's in

1:48:19control of what happens to the property.

1:48:20And I don't believe the city has any

1:48:22interest or legal ability to develop it.

1:48:25So, your touch point on this decision

1:48:28tonight is this vote. You control what

1:48:31happens to this conservation easement

1:48:33because the council has to approve it.

1:48:35If the council doesn't approve it, then

1:48:37this stops at the very least. You should

1:48:40table this because otherwise number the

1:48:43topic number seven was justformational.

1:48:45It just is for here you to listen. This

1:48:47is the point where you all have to make

1:48:49a decision. What are you going to do?

1:48:51Are you going to allow this conservation

1:48:53to go conser conservation easement to go

1:48:55forward or not? Now, critically,

1:48:58somehow this conservation easement was

1:49:01valued at $500,000.

1:49:04I How do you explain that? I have no

1:49:06idea. But, but what the airport proposes

1:49:08to do is reduce the purchase price of

1:49:11the land by $500,000.

1:49:14So, so you understand that, right? So,

1:49:17the value that this that the airport is

1:49:19planning to get is reduced by the the

1:49:22appraisal value that they've associated

1:49:24with this easement. So when you say

1:49:27you're not allowing

1:49:29>> I'm

1:49:32next is Punita Sububian who is here in

1:49:36person.

1:49:40Hi again my name is Pita Kustavan. the

1:49:43chair of birds safe Utah and board

1:49:44member of Great Salt Lake Ottabon and I

1:49:48strongly support the permanent

1:49:50conservation of these wetlands. But

1:49:53that's why I'm asking the council to

1:49:55slow down for treating this particular

1:49:57easement and ownership structure as the

1:49:59only path forward. The airport wetlands

1:50:02are part of a much larger Great Salt

1:50:04Lake ecosystem and their value is not

1:50:06simply that they remain undeveloped. It

1:50:09is also a mix of mudflat, wetland,

1:50:11shoreland, refuge habitat, and complex

1:50:14hydraological functions. And there are a

1:50:17lot of alternatives the city could

1:50:18examine.

1:50:20The city could retain ownership and

1:50:22manage the property as natural lands.

1:50:24Similar to other city open space

1:50:26stewardship, the wetlands could become

1:50:28part of a broader Great Salt Lake

1:50:29shoreline conservation strategy. A

1:50:32conservation nonprofit or land trust

1:50:34could play a larger stewardship role.

1:50:36The city could also explore

1:50:38collaborative management with

1:50:39conservation organizations and

1:50:41interested tribal nations. And if it

1:50:45transfers to DNR ultimately

1:50:48remains the preferred option, the

1:50:50easement could include enforceable

1:50:52protections for permanent hunting free

1:50:54refuge, seasonally exposed mud flats,

1:50:57shoreline habitat, hydraology, and

1:50:59biodiversity.

1:51:00Additionally, DWR has said it intends to

1:51:03open the Blackhawk WMA to hunting and

1:51:06seeks property to seeks this property to

1:51:09allow access. This must be considered

1:51:11together. The birds do not know that the

1:51:13land is being sold. The birds think the

1:51:16entire region is the rest area and

1:51:18currently being ecologically and

1:51:20functioning as a rest area. So, the

1:51:23council should pause the fee waiver

1:51:25until those impacts are better

1:51:26understood.

1:51:28These approaches are not mutually

1:51:30exclusive. Please use this moment to ask

1:51:32what arrangements

1:51:34best protects the ecological functions

1:51:37of the property in perpetuity.

1:51:40Conservation status is not the same as

1:51:43cons.

1:51:46>> That was the final register commenter

1:51:48for this item.

1:51:50>> Council need a motion.

1:51:51>> Mr. Chair, I move the council close the

1:51:53public hearing and defer action to a

1:51:55future coun.

1:51:57Sorry, I think there's one more person

1:51:59who would like to speak at this item.

1:52:01>> Oh,

1:52:01>> yeah. Um I Let's Let's allow that one

1:52:04more comment.

1:52:06>> Will you state your name for the record?

1:52:12>> I'm Wendy Fischer. I'm the executive

1:52:13director of Utah Open Lands and I

1:52:15actually registered for this part of the

1:52:17public comment. So, I'm not exactly sure

1:52:18what happened, but I will add this. In

1:52:212000, the legislature put together law

1:52:25to protect 250 acres on the Jordan

1:52:27River. In 2009, that legislation was

1:52:31overturned and unlimited height and

1:52:33unlimited de development was proposed

1:52:36for that property. It is only because of

1:52:39work with Utah Open Lands and various

1:52:41other organizations that we were able to

1:52:43permanently protect that 250 acres which

1:52:46is considered a gold standard preserve

1:52:48along the Jordan River. So, as we

1:52:51consider the conservation easement, we

1:52:53do believe that permanent protection is

1:52:55critical. It's not to say that this

1:52:57administration doesn't value

1:52:59conservation. We know that it does.

1:53:01Otherwise, this would not be something

1:53:02that we are considering here today.

1:53:05But time and time again, we have watched

1:53:08where conservation has not been where

1:53:11conservation ements have not been placed

1:53:12on the property and 10 years from now,

1:53:15intentions have changed. And that's one

1:53:17of the reasons that we think yes,

1:53:19working through a process of a

1:53:20management plan, working through the

1:53:22terms of the conservation easement, all

1:53:24of those elements are critical if you

1:53:26really want to preserve this land for

1:53:29future generations. And it has always

1:53:30been the intent, it's our understanding

1:53:33that the airport authority wanted to see

1:53:35the conservation easement placed on this

1:53:37property so there would never be a

1:53:39question about whether or not this could

1:53:41be developed into the future. Utah lands

1:53:43has spent significant time working with

1:53:45various different private land owners

1:53:47and I along the shores of the Great Salt

1:53:49Lake. Those conversations are always

1:53:51positive, but they're always weighing

1:53:53changing wetland regulations and what

1:53:56they can do with their property before

1:53:58they talk about doing conservation

1:53:59easement. Again, that's one of the

1:54:01things that we think is really important

1:54:03about ensuring this is protected

1:54:04forever.

1:54:08>> So now the motion

1:54:11>> uh Mr. Chairman, move that the council

1:54:12close the public hearing and defer

1:54:14action to a future council meeting.

1:54:15>> Second motion by council member Dugan,

1:54:18seconded by council member Carlson. Any

1:54:20discussion?

1:54:22>> Again, thank you for the conversation

1:54:23and I look forward to uh future

1:54:26conversations on the subject.

1:54:29>> Uh I'm going to call the question. All

1:54:30those in favor say I.

1:54:32>> I.

1:54:32>> I.

1:54:33>> I.

1:54:33>> Any oppose? Any abstensions? This motion

1:54:36carries unanimously. This brings us to

1:54:39the C portion of the agenda, which is

1:54:42potential action items. Um, this is an

1:54:45ordinance for budget amendment number

1:54:47one, fiscal year 2026, 2027.

1:54:50Um, I need a motion. Mr. Chair, I move

1:54:54that the council adopt an ordinance

1:54:55amending budget amendment number one for

1:54:57fiscal year 2026-27,

1:54:59including the council adopted items in

1:55:01legislative intent listed on the motion

1:55:04seat. No need to read the All right.

1:55:08That's motion.

1:55:09>> That's your motion. Who's the second?

1:55:11>> Second.

1:55:12>> Second.

1:55:13>> Okay. I have a motion by council member

1:55:15Dugan and a second by council member

1:55:16Petro. Uh any discussion?

1:55:19All those in favor say I.

1:55:21>> I.

1:55:21>> I.

1:55:21>> I.

1:55:22>> I.

1:55:23>> Any oppose? Any extensions? This motion

1:55:25carries unanimously. Um we are at the E.

1:55:30There's no new business. So we jumping

1:55:33to the E section of the agenda. uh which

1:55:36is unfinished business. Um I need a

1:55:39motion.

1:55:41>> Mr. Chair, I move that the council

1:55:42approve the resolution confirming

1:55:44support for the snow water supply

1:55:45forecasting grant application.

1:55:48>> Second.

1:55:48>> Council member Warden for the motion and

1:55:52council member Petro for the second. Uh

1:55:54is there any discussion?

1:55:57No. No discussion. I'm going to call the

1:56:00question. All those in favor say I.

1:56:02>> I.

1:56:03>> I. Any oppose or abstensions? No. This

1:56:06motion carries unanimously and I need a

1:56:09motion to approve the consent agenda.

1:56:11>> Move for approval.

1:56:13>> Second.

1:56:14>> Motion by council member Warden and

1:56:15seconded by Council Member Petro. All

1:56:17those Any discussion? All those in favor

1:56:20say I.

1:56:21>> I. I.

1:56:22>> Any uh abstensions? I saw it. I saw it.

1:56:25Everybody said I. Any uh uh that motion

1:56:31carries unanimously. Um, moving on to

1:56:34the section G of the agenda. Are there

1:56:37any questions for the mayor or the

1:56:39mayor's representative? Rachel, thank

1:56:41you for being here. Any questions? Okay,

1:56:44thank you. Um, now we are in the uh

1:56:47general comment portion of the agenda.

1:56:50Um this is for the public to comment on

1:56:52city business not scheduled for a public

1:56:54hearing and it's limited to a maximum of

1:56:56one hour and there are uh and only to

1:56:59those individuals who register before

1:57:017:30 can participate. Um I am going to

1:57:07um the rules apply to the public

1:57:09hearings. So uh you're going to have two

1:57:12minutes. The host will announce time

1:57:13when those two minutes are called. Um

1:57:16and if you have any assistance needed,

1:57:18you can call uh for staff to support you

1:57:21on Zoom or in the room. The room is

1:57:23quite empty now. Um I Taylor, can you

1:57:27begin with a public uh first public

1:57:30general comment?

1:57:32>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first will be

1:57:35Richard Norwok followed by Kent Davis

1:57:37and then Shane Manwearing. Richard is

1:57:39here in person.

1:57:49Hello, my name is Richard Noak. I'm

1:57:51actually I'm running for House District

1:57:5325. So that will include the west side

1:57:56of Salt Lake City and north side of West

1:57:59Valley City. So I'll be involved in the

1:58:02legislature of of some of the things

1:58:05that will be going on in the city and

1:58:07possibly along the shoreline. So a

1:58:09little background on myself. I spent

1:58:11seven years working with a local aviary

1:58:13as a agriculturist.

1:58:15Then I opened avian sanctuary and

1:58:17protection where we've gone to city

1:58:20parks and cleaned up a lot of mess, sick

1:58:22birds, the pollution in the water. That

1:58:24kind of leads me to this wetland issue.

1:58:27I see if it's publicly used, there's the

1:58:30possibility of contamination.

1:58:33I also have an environmental stewardship

1:58:35certificate through parks and wreck. So,

1:58:37I've studied what can happen when people

1:58:39are allowed onto protected properties.

1:58:42So, if I'm in the legislature, I'll be

1:58:44working on water conservation,

1:58:46environmental conservation. These are

1:58:48bills that I'm going to work on when I'm

1:58:50up on the hill. And I'm hoping to work

1:58:52with also the city councils, the county

1:58:54councils, and the other nonprofits that

1:58:57work with the Great Salt Lake. So, I'm

1:59:00personally into conservation. I've been

1:59:03out to some of these areas that are

1:59:05beautiful, and they do need some

1:59:06protection.

1:59:08So again, my name is Richard Noak. I'm

1:59:11looking forward to working with the

1:59:12legislature to help improve the Great

1:59:14Salt Lake and the environments around

1:59:16it. Thank you.

1:59:21>> Next is Kent Davis, followed by Shane

1:59:23Manary, and then Brian Mench. Kent, you

1:59:26may now unmute.

1:59:28>> Uh, good evening everybody. My name is

1:59:30Kent Davis. I am the Republican nominee

1:59:32for Salt Lake County District Attorney

1:59:34and I might not be the council or I

1:59:36might not be the candidate you expected

1:59:37to hear from this evening. Uh and that's

1:59:39exactly I would like to talk to you. I

1:59:41apologize for not being there in person

1:59:43but uh my better threequarters is also

1:59:45an attorney and the executive director

1:59:47of a conservation international

1:59:49conservation nonprofit and she's out of

1:59:51town. So I am playing Mr. Dad. Um why am

1:59:55I qualified for the position that I

1:59:57seek? My first job out out of law school

2:00:00was clerking for a federal judge. I went

2:00:01from there to the United States

2:00:02Department of Justice uh pursuing to the

2:00:04attorney general honors program. I

2:00:07worked briefly as a public defender in

2:00:09Arizona before moving back here to Salt

2:00:11Lake County to work as a deputy district

2:00:13attorney. Um I'm the transplant. My my

2:00:15better threequarters is the is the

2:00:18reason why I'm here. Um, I have been

2:00:21visiting through uh visiting uh

2:00:23municipal councils all throughout the

2:00:25valley and uh the reason I'm doing that

2:00:27is because I'm seeking a county position

2:00:30and if I only showed up at the places

2:00:31where electoral math helped me that

2:00:33would tell you the kind of leader that I

2:00:34would be. Uh my commitment to Salt Lake

2:00:37City is the same commitment that I have

2:00:38been making to every other municipality

2:00:40and that is to show up to publish

2:00:43written standards to document decisions

2:00:45and then regularly publish performance

2:00:47metrics.

2:00:49Um,

2:00:50I want to open an actual line to to

2:00:53everybody so that if and when I am

2:00:55elected, I'm able to hit the ground

2:00:56running. I'm an easy guy to find. I

2:00:58encourage everybody to do so. Uh, please

2:01:00reach out to me. I'm happy to attend a

2:01:02town hall if the council will have me.

2:01:04I'd happy to sit down with any council

2:01:05member individually or the mayor. Um,

2:01:08and then and that's it. And I look

2:01:09forward to being a candidate that you

2:01:11can trust.

2:01:14>> Next will be Shane Manwearing, followed

2:01:16by Brian Mench, and then Bernie Hart.

2:01:18Shane, you may now unmute.

2:01:27>> Shane, you there?

2:01:32>> Next comment.

2:01:35>> Next will be Brian Mench, followed by

2:01:37Bernie Hart. Brian, you may now unmute.

2:01:41>> Can you hear me? Okay.

2:01:43>> Yes, we can hear you.

2:01:44>> Yes.

2:01:46The oil company HF Sinclair is planning

2:01:49to lay a gasoline pipeline through the

2:01:51watershed of Parley's immigration canyon

2:01:53and mountain across Salt Lake City's

2:01:56eastern foothills and down into Woods

2:01:59Cross. All Salt Lake City residents

2:02:02should be alarmed by the proposal. The

2:02:05watershed is at risk. The watershed at

2:02:07risk provides drinking water for nearly

2:02:09400,000 residents. 300 immigration

2:02:13homeowners are totally dependent on

2:02:15wells for their water. A pipeline leak

2:02:18would jeopardize all of that. Every

2:02:21pipeline carrying fossil fuels

2:02:23eventually leaks somewhere. We simply

2:02:26cannot allow that kind of risk to our

2:02:28water supply. Salt Lake City residents

2:02:31should know that better than anyone

2:02:33given the two Red View Creek crude oil

2:02:35pipeline ruptures in 2010 that smothered

2:02:38Liberty Park pond and sickened residents

2:02:41all along the creek. Even a year later,

2:02:44water sampling from the creek still

2:02:46found carcinogenic chemicals in some

2:02:49spots 400 times higher than the EPA's

2:02:53quote acceptable limits. Redu Creek

2:02:56homeowners are still experiencing health

2:02:58impacts and at least two residents who

2:03:01are healthy middle-aged men have died of

2:03:03diseases likely triggered by their

2:03:06exposure.

2:03:07Gasoline leaks may be an even greater

2:03:10hazard, especially in this location,

2:03:12because it penetrates soil and

2:03:13subsurface geologic formations more

2:03:16easily, increasing the risk of

2:03:18contaminating the wellwater that

2:03:20immigration homeowners depend on.

2:03:22Gasoline is far more flammable than oil

2:03:24and its vapor is explosive, adding

2:03:27greatly to fire risk in a canyon with

2:03:29only one exit road and an extreme fire

2:03:31risk rating. Utah does not need more

2:03:34supply, and the pipeline will not

2:03:36decrease our price of gas or diesel.

2:03:39Refined products from Sinclair's new

2:03:41pipeline is destined for Nevada and

2:03:44California, not Utah. 23% of Utah's

2:03:48refined products are

2:04:00Next comment.

2:04:03>> Next will be Bernie Hart followed by

2:04:06Shane Manwing. Again, Bernie's here in

2:04:08person.

2:04:17I don't know what mood I want to be in.

2:04:20Um,

2:04:26we're entering an important time in

2:04:29looking at and considering

2:04:32what we want to do about the homeless

2:04:34population or dealing with the homeless

2:04:36population in Salt Lake City. There's a

2:04:38lot of balls in the air. A lot of people

2:04:41are making suggestions. A lot of people

2:04:43are doing this and that. And I have no

2:04:46confidence in anybody I think except

2:04:50council people because too many people

2:04:53have a vested interest in what's going

2:04:55on. Uh the mayor is part of the

2:04:57decision-making process of what's going

2:05:00happen in the future. I'm not confident

2:05:02that I can depend on her to do what's in

2:05:05the best interest of the homeless.

2:05:08Salt Lake City is bringing Harvard to

2:05:11town and Stanford to town to set up a

2:05:15way to measure outcomes.

2:05:20Stanford has never measured a successful

2:05:23system.

2:05:25Harvard has never measured a successful

2:05:28system. Boston has a failed homeless

2:05:31polic policy and Stanford. I would

2:05:36challenge them to find any place in

2:05:38California that they could show that

2:05:40there's been a level of success.

2:05:43Somebody has to start asking tougher

2:05:46questions in support of the homeless

2:05:49population themselves, not in support of

2:05:53the current failed system. And it fails

2:05:57because it never worked. And if anybody

2:06:00had the courage to start measuring the

2:06:03effectiveness of any intricate part of

2:06:06that system, the whole system would fall

2:06:09apart.

2:06:11But that would be better than continuing

2:06:13with something that's doing more harm

2:06:15than good. So I implore you to get the

2:06:20editing process.

2:06:28Then we'll circle back to Shane Manwary

2:06:30in case he's able to unmute. Shane, you

2:06:33may now unmute.

2:06:46Okay.

2:06:48Thank you all those who participated

2:06:50from uh the public um comment section of

2:06:54the agenda. This uh concludes the select

2:06:57city council meeting for today. This uh

2:06:59council meeting um now stands adjourned.

2:07:06[music]