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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/05/2026 - Work Session - Meeting Materials   SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA SPECIAL FORMAL MEETING   05 January 2026 Monday 12:00 PM Council Chambers 451 South State Street Room 315 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 SLCCouncil.com   CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS: Amy Fowler, Chair District 7 James Rogers, Vice Chair District 1 Andrew Johnston District 2 Chris Wharton District 3 Ana Valdemoros District 4 Darin Mano District 5 Dan Dugan District 6   WELCOME AND REVIEW OF STANDARDS OF CONDUCT   Generated: 15:20:37 A.Oath of Office Ceremony   1.Call to order..................................... Chris Wharton, Chair Salt Lake City Council 2.Flag Ceremony ............................... Salt Lake City Police Motor Squad 3.National Anthem.............................. West High School Choir 4.Welcome......................................... Chris Wharton, Chair Salt Lake City Council 5.Prayer.............................................. Ute Elder Forrest S. Cuch B.Administration of the Oath of Office and Remarks   1.Victoria Elisa Petro, City Council District Administered by - Keith Reynolds, Salt Lake City Recorder 2.Chris Wharton, City Council District 3 Administered by - Keith Reynolds, Salt Lake City Recorder 3.Erika Carlsen, City Council District 5 Administered by - Keith Reynolds, Salt Lake City Recorder 4.Sarah Young, City Council District 7 Administered by - Keith Reynolds, Salt Lake City Recorder C.Closing Remarks ​​​ 1.Closing Remarks................................. Chris Wharton, Chair Salt Lake City Council CERTIFICATE OF POSTING On or before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2026, the undersigned, duly appointed City Recorder, does hereby certify that the above notice and agenda was (1) posted on the Utah Public Notice Website created under Utah Code Section 63F-1-701, and (2) a copy of the foregoing provided to The Salt Lake Tribune and/or the Deseret News and to a local media correspondent and any others who have indicated interest.   KEITH REYNOLDS SALT LAKE CITY RECORDER It’s fitting that we hold our oath of office ceremony here at the main library. Libraries have long been an important part of Salt Lake City’s story. The City Library system started in 1898, just across the street from here, on the top floor of the City & County Building. The main library moved to the State Street location in 1905, then back to the civic center in the 1960s with the old library building, and then to this beautiful building in 2003. One hundred and twenty eight years ago, the city library had nearly 12,000 books. Today, this building alone holds half a million books, periodicals, and media materials. Our libraries are symbols of progress. From their architecture to their ever- changing and expanding collections, they tell a story of our City’s past and they also provide a place for us to imagine its future. As the longest serving member of the council and having just come out of my third campaign, I’ve given a few of these speeches before. But as some of you know, over a year ago I became a father, and like many parents I cannot help but see the world through a lens that focuses on her future. Ella, my daughter, is the seventh generation in our family to call Salt Lake City home. So today, while she sits in the audience with us, I want to do something a little different with my remarks and share a letter I’ve written to Ella about my hopes for her future, and the future of all Salt Lakers. 2 Dear Ella, By the time you are old enough to read this, you will have heard me talk many times about being a sixth-generation Salt Laker, and you being the seventh generation in our family to call this place home. I was so excited to have your Dad and four of those generations of our family stand with me today as I took the oath of office for my third term on the Salt Lake City Council—including you, your Grandma Cindy, and your Great Grandma Janet (“GG”). I hope you always feel safe here. And I’m not just talking about physical safety. I hope you feel safe to be who you are and to live the life you want to live. As you get older, you’re going to learn more about what life was like in 2026. It’s not a time when everyone feels safe in our community or in our country because of hate, fear, and greed. But there are so many of us that are working hard everyday to make sure that truth, equality, and justice prevail and that love conquers all. I hope the work we are doing to address climate change means you won’t have to worry about red air quality days. I hope you see the Great Salt Lake is restored to its natural levels and that exploring its ecosystems teaches you the importance of caring for our planet. I hope you learn to drive on our streets and that you always, always go the speed limit. But I also hope that when you meet up with friends or go shopping at 9th & 9th, that it’s just as easy to bike or take public transit to get there as it is to drive a car. 3 I hope you love our parks. I imagine you taking turns on the slide at Warm Springs, sharing at the splash pad at Liberty Park, and making friends climbing on the Sandhill Crane at Glendale Park. I hope you learn to ride a bike down the Jordan River Trail and that you never tire of the views from hiking in our foothills. I think that our parks and public lands are one of our city’s most incredible assets and I’m working hard to make sure that the care we take of them today means you and your children can enjoy them down the road. I hope your summers are filled with drone shows and parades through Downtown. I hope the lights at Temple Square always make you feel the Christmas spirit. I hope you know that these and other traditions are part of what makes Salt Lake City special - that they are a part of keeping our community together. I hope your life will be enriched by world class art, culture, and entertainment right here in your home town. I see you spending days with your Dad at the art museum, sitting on the edge of your seat at the Eccles Theatre, and cheering your heart out at the Delta Center. I hope you are inspired by the 2034 Olympics. And that welcoming people from different places and with different abilities always comes naturally to you. You already love ambling through rows of books at the Marmalade Library, your eyes darting from one volume to another. I hope that sense of curiosity and wonder never goes away. 4 I hope you’ll have your pick of any career you want to pursue and that you’ll never have to worry about whether you can afford to live in Salt Lake City, and that the work my friends and I are doing on the council today makes that a choice you get to make, rather than a decision the market makes for you. Naturally, I hope you’ll choose to stay here after you’ve grown up (except, of course, for the eight years you serve as President of the United States). But wherever you chose to live, I hope you will always be proud to be from Salt Lake City—a place that defies expectations and punches above its weight. A place that welcomes people of different cultures, nationalities, and faith traditions. A place that’s always been a little different. A place that elected a majority queer, majority minority, and as of today, a majority woman City Council to lead us through one of the most critical times in our history. On Tuesday nights, when I’m away from you and Dad, know that I am working hard to make these hopes and wishes a reality for you, for our family, and for all Salt Lakers. I love you baby girl. With all my heart, Daddy Thank you to my husband Chris for supporting me through all the work, stress, and time of three campaigns and three terms. Thank you to my amazing campaign teams at Elevate, Tissot, and Landslide. Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters. Thank you, sincerely, to residents of District Three for trusting me to be your voice at City Hall. Thank you all for being here today. It truly means so much. I want to begin by saying: gracias a mis abuelitos por ser inmigrantes. Su sueño, su trabajo, y la familia que crearon valió la pena. Thank you to my family—my tía Mari, tío Epi, Gabie, Bill, Jave, my mom, Kevin, Dado, and Dean. Your love truly gave me wings to fly. And thank you to Rosa—my best friend, my refuge, and my life partner. I’m deeply grateful to Seth—my campaign manager, trusted advisor, and my friend. And to Delaney, Jackie, Gabie, Tia, the Bens, and every volunteer who knocked doors, made a donation, and showed up with heart. You believed in this campaign, and you carried it forward. Thank you to my neighbors and friends Fraser, Rae, Missy, Jina, Bill, Laney, and so many others for your support. And please join me in thanking Council Member Mano for his steadfast service to our city. Most importantly, thank you to the voters of District 5. Thank you for placing your faith and trust in me. I accept this role with humility – and with a deep sense of responsibility and accountability to you. Many of you know that I’m a deeply spiritual person, and I find a lot of solace in Buddhism. There’s a story from that tradition that I return to often. There once was a forest, filled with plants, animals, and rivers. One day, a great forest fire broke out. Frightened, the animals of the forest ran for their lives—all except a small parrot. This small parrot swooped into a nearby river, soaked her feathe rs, and then flew above the fire, and shook her body to drop what little water she could on the fire. And then she did this again and again. Her feet burned. The smoke filled her lungs. Still, she returned. Now in this world, there are many gods. One of them, watching from above, wanted to understand what was going on, so he transformed himself into a large eagle. He flew next to the exhausted parrot and said, “What are you doing? You’ll never make a difference.” And the brave little parrot replied, “That’s not the point. The point is that I try.” Moved by her determination and compassion, the god became a great rainstorm and put the fire out. I share this story because here in District 5, and across Salt Lake City, we are facing fires of our own. The rising cost of living. Homeownership that feels further and further out of reach. Aging infrastructure. Homelessness. Water scarcity and saving the Great Salt Lake. Small businesses struggling to stay open. The east/west divide. Whether you rent or own, whether you’ve lived here for generations or just arrived, whether you walk your neighborhood every morning or run a small business on 9th South—on any one of these challenges, it’s easy to think: I’m just one person. What difference can I make? The point is that we try. And I believe, deeply, that together we can make a difference. And together, we will. One small act leads to another. Homeownership programs that support family and neighborhood stability. Seeds planted along the Green Loop that grow into shade and beauty. Adults who help create safe neighborhoods where young people feel loved and accepted—and less likely to fall through the cracks. A coffee shop that becomes a third space of belonging and connection. And city employees who ensure our local government remains responsive and worthy of the public’s trust. As I begin these four years of service, I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy. I mentioned my grandparents earlier—my Abuela is 90 years old. She is my elder. My ancestor. One who came before. And here’s the truth: every one of us here will someday be an ancestor, too. So the question before us is simple: What does it mean to be a good ancestor to Salt Lake City? To this land we share? To the neighborhoods of District 5? To those who will come after us? I pledge to do my part—to work steadfastly on your behalf, to run toward our fires, and to lead with long-term vision, determination, love, and accountability. But I cannot do it alone. This work belongs to all of us—the people who have the privilege and responsibility of living at this moment in time. And my hope is that 100 years from now, those who call Salt Lake City home will say: I’m so grateful they lived when they did—and that they made the hard choices that allowed people and place to flourish. The decisions of the next four years are a small bridge from one generation to the next. As your council member, I pledge to make thoughtful decisions grounded in community voices—those here today, and those still to come. My service will be measured not by words, but by budgets passed, tradeoffs faced honestly, and decisions made with care—even when they are difficult. Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me. I’m ready to get to work.