11/12/2019 - Work Session - Minutes MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 , 2019
The City Council met in Work Session on Tuesday, November 12, 2019,
in Room 326, Committee Room, City County Building, 451 South State
Street.
In Attendance: Council Members Andrew Johnston, Amy Fowler,
Charlie Luke, James Rogers, and Analia Valdemoros .
Absent: Council Members Erin Mendenhall and Chris Wharton.
Staff in Attendance: Cindy Gust-Jenson, Council Executive
Director; David Litvack, Mayor' s Deputy Chief of Staff; Lynn Pace,
Acting City Attorney; Katherine Lewis, Senior City Attorney; Mike
Brown, Police Chief; Jennifer Seelig, Mayor' s Director of
Community Empowerment; Michelle Hoon, Homeless Services Project
Manager; and Kory Solorio, Assistant City Recorder.
Guests in Attendance: James Wood, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
(Item #1) ; Jason Groth, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Smart
Justice Coordinator (Item #4) ; Jean Hill, Salt Lake Valley
Coalition to End Homelessness Co-Chair (Item #4) ; Rob Wesemann,
Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness Co-Chair; Michele
Flynn, Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness Crisis
Response Core Function Group (Item #4) ; Jennifer Campbell, Salt
Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness Crisis Response Core
Function Group (Item #4) ; Jonathan Hardy, Department of Workforce
Service Housing and Community Development Director (Item #4) ; Erin
Litvack, Salt Lake County Deputy Mayor (Item #4) ; Katherine Fife;
Salt Lake County Programs Director (Item #4) ; Karen Crompton, Salt
Lake County Human Services Director (Item #4) ; and Gary Edwards,
Salt Lake County Health Department Executive Director (Item #4) .
Councilmember Luke presided at and conducted the meeting.
The meeting was called to order at 2 : 32 p.m.
AGENDA ITEMS
#1 . 2:32:25 PM BRIEFING FROM JAMES WOOD WITH THE KEM C. GARDNER
POLICY INSTITUTE REGARDING DATA INFORMING THE OPPORTUNITY INDEX
FOR CENSUS TRACTS IN SALT LAKE CITY, AS WELL AS DATA RELATED TO
LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BE LIKELY TO FACE
HOMELESSNESS DUE TO INCOME LEVELS, HOUSING EXPENSES, OR THE
POSSIBILITY OF CATASTROPHIC LIFE EVENTS . The discussion may also
include options that are being explored by the State's Commission
on Housing Affordability. View Attachments
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MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019
James Wood briefed the Council with attachments . Discussion
was held regarding potential study/concentration on designated
areas of the City with the same types of unfair/regulated (low
income) housing, housing vouchers, opportunity index changes, and
zoning effects on housing options .
Council Members requested the following item from Staff:
• Provide ideas for changes to current zoning which effect
housing affordability/options .
#2 . BRIEFING REGARDING A PROPOSAL TO REINSTATE A CITY
TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM AS A "LIVABLE STREETS" PROGRAM. During the
annual budget process for Fiscal Year 2019-20, the Council
allocated funding for the City 's traffic calming efforts and asked
that the Administration develop recommendations for how to utilize
the funds and identify any additional resources needed to improve
traffic calming efforts. The overarching goal for the program would
be to improve the overall safety, livability and attractiveness of
neighborhood streets. View Attachments
Item not held.
#3. FOLLOW-UP BRIEFING REGARDING THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO
SALT LAKE CITY' S BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019-20 . BUDGET AMENDMENTS
HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR TO REFLECT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CITY' S
BUDGETS, INCLUDING PROPOSED PROJECT ADDITIONS AND MODIFICATIONS.
The proposed amendment includes funding for maintenance of
existing art in the City and a study to learn more about
maintaining that art collection, funding police overtime for
patrols in City parks, and a roundabout at 2000 East Parley's
Canyon Boulevard to improve traffic flow and safety, among other
changes. (Budget Amendment No. 2) View Attachments
Item not held.
#4 . 306:37PM FACT-FINDING DISCUSSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON
HOMELESSNESS-RELATED TOPICS. The discussion may include the Utah
Strategic Plan on Homelessness, new State funding for immediate
housing for about 60 people, progress for creating new housing,
potential plans for cold-weather shelter, interactions with
unsheltered people, and clarity on the roles of stakeholders, among
other topics. View Attachments
Councilmember Luke stated the Council had talked about
homelessness for years and thanked everyone for joining the
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MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING
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meeting. He said because of the complexity of the homeless
situation, there were many different moving pieces related to
shelter and the opening of the new Resource Centers . He said there
was quite a bit of discussion with the recent cold front about
space in the emergency winter shelter. He acknowledged the Council
released a statement sharing similar concerns of what was heard
from the community and the timing/availability of the winter
shelter. He pointed out the State owned/controlled the land The
Road Home was on, where the shelter would end up, and the timeline
of the shelter. He said it was also known there were concerns about
what would happen if the closure date came and there were no
workable solutions in place. He said the Council was hosting a
fact-finding meeting to get a better understanding of how to work
together to keep people sheltered this winter. He indicated this
was a State-wide problem and not just related to Salt Lake City;
however, as the Capital City we had the majority of issues to face.
He said the Staters involvement was appreciated and asked other
cities/counties throughout the State to join the City in this
effort.
3:11:06 PM Jason Groth, ACLU, briefed the Council with a
PowerPoint presentation. Discussion was held regarding general
rights of people experiencing homelessness, current City Justice
Court practices/improvements, safety of homeless individuals who
resisted assistance/shelter, and recidivism of homeless crimes .
Council Members requested the following item from Staff:
• Provide further information on creating diversion programs .
3:40:30PM Jean Hill and Rob Wesemann, Salt Lake Valley Coalition
to End Homelessness, briefed the Council with attachments .
Discussion was held regarding supporting the Coalition and
receiving an update on opening Homeless Resource Centers (HRCs) .
3:49:32PM David Litvack, Michelle Hoon, and Mike Brown briefed
the Council with a PowerPoint presentation. Discussion was held
regarding the Transition Plan (in particular the Housing
Campaign) , City' s approach to working with individuals
experiencing homelessness/seeking to address their needs
(including the broader community) , release of mitigation/barrier
relief funds (State vouchers) , streamlining programs to help
facilitate release of State relief funds, safety for individuals
sleeping outside in below freezing weather, working with other
advocates to understand individual homeless needs,
decisions/options once the shelters were full, addressing public
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camping, Clean/Abatement Team reporting of items found in
encampment areas, empowering the Liberty Wells Community Council,
and zoning issues prohibiting affordability.
4:35:29PM Michelle Flynn and Jennifer Campbell, Salt Lake Valley
Coalition to End Homelessness (Crisis Response) , briefed the
Council . Comments included: purpose of the Core Group, comments
sent to the Crisis Response Core Function Group, working with sub-
groups, emergency shelter/outreach/diversion components within the
Crisis Core Function Group, outreach teams, and using resources as
strategically as possible.
4:43:35 PM Jonathan Hardy, Department of Workforce Services
Housing and Community Development, briefed the Council . Comments
included: Utah State Strategic Plan on Homelessness, unsheltered
homelessness, and how the State' s Strategic Plan tied into
unsheltered homelessness . Discussion followed regarding response
from other communities concerning homelessness/the State Strategic
Plan.
4:50:12PM Erin Litvack, Katherine Fife, Karen Crompton, and Gary
Edwards, Salt Lake County Mayor' s Administration, briefed the
Council . Comments included: Salt Lake County' s role in the Salt
Lake Valley Coalition to end Homelessness, other ways the County
contributed to homeless initiatives, social services provided at
the County for the homeless, Salt Lake County' s role in public
health/encampment/clean-ups, and mitigation throughout the City
and County. Discussion was held regarding transitioning
populations, camp clean-up on public property versus private
property, and resources needed to accomplish goals .
STANDING ITEMS
#5 . 5:23:17PM REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INCLUDING A
REVIEW OF COUNCIL INFORMATION ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Council
may give feedback or staff direction on any item related to City
Council business, including but not limited to:
• Artificial Turf Text Amendment;
• The National Alliance to End Homelessness 2020 conference;
and
• Scheduling Items.
Item not held.
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MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING
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#6. REPORT OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
Item not held.
#7 . CONSIDER A MOTION TO ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION, IN
KEEPING WITH UTAH CODE §52-4-205 FOR ANY ALLOWED PURPOSE.
Item not held.
The meeting adjourned at 5 : 23 p.m.
COUNCIL CHAIR
CITY RECORDER
This document is not intended to serve as a full transcript
as other items may have been discussed; please refer to the audio
or video for entire content pursuant to Utah Code §52-4-203 (2) (b) .
This document along with the digital recording constitute the
official minutes of the City Council Work Session meeting held
November 12, 2019 .
ks
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