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Home My WebLink About01/27/2026 - Work Session - Minutes (Council Retreat)The City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, met on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The following Council Members were present: Victoria Petro, Daniel Dugan, Chris Wharton, Alejandro Puy, Sarah Young, Erika Carlsen The following Council Members were absent: Eva Lopez Chavez Present Legislative Leadership: Jennifer Bruno – Executive Director, Lehua Weaver – Deputy Director, Nick Tarbet – Deputy Director Present Administrative Leadership: Rachel Otto – Chief of Staff, Jill Love – Chief Administrative Officer Present City Staff: Mark Kittrell – City Attorney, Keith Reynolds – City Recorder, Stephanie Elliott – Minutes & Records Clerk, Linda Sanchez – City Council Operations Manager, Krystyn Mace – Council Administration Assistant, Amber Pehrson – Director of Communications & Systems The meeting was called to order at 1:48 p.m. MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, January 27, 2026 1 City Council Retreat A Retreat Summary Opening Council Member Puy called the retreat to order. Council Member Carlsen introduced the opening activity, during which Council Members shared the origins of their names. Budget Discussion Jennifer Bruno introduced a comprehensive discussion on City finances and funding tools. Topics included the structure and purpose of various City funds (General, Capital Improvement, Enterprise, and Internal Service Funds), one-time versus ongoing revenue sources, and the challenges of deferred maintenance versus new capital projects. Council Members discussed funding constraints related to sales and property taxes, tax- exempt properties, and their impact on residents. Staff and Council reviewed funding mechanisms, including Transportation Utility Fees (TUF) tax, gas tax revenues, bonds, Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) tax increment financing, grants, and other financing tools. Emphasis was placed on balancing fiscal responsibility, maintaining existing infrastructure, honoring commitments to constituents, and avoiding a reactive approach to City maintenance and investments. A Q&A followed, clarifying limitations and appropriate uses of bonds and funding sources. Council Member Priorities Council Member Young – District 7 Council Member Young highlighted projects focused on infrastructure improvements, support for small businesses, and enhancements to parks and open space. Priorities included proactive development planning, street improvements, park upgrades, senior housing, public amenities, and updated community processes within the district. Council Member Dugan – District 6 Council Member Dugan identified priorities in street maintenance, parks and recreation improvements, water conservation, public transportation upgrades, completion of capital improvement projects, environmental protection efforts, and affordable housing initiatives. Council Member Carlsen – District 5 Council Member Carlsen emphasized housing affordability, neighborhood stability, small- business support, investments in parks and recreation, community connections, reduced barriers to affordable housing development, and improvements to public spaces and emergency preparedness. Council Member Petro – District 1 Council Member Petro focused on community safety, protections against displacement, managing the impact of taxes and fees on residents, supporting small businesses affected MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, January 27, 2026 2 by construction, exploring revenue sources that did not rely on property or sales taxes, and continuing advocacy related to immigration and federal actions. Council Member Wharton – District 3 Council Member Wharton prioritized infrastructure maintenance, cemetery master planning, avoiding tax increases, and ensuring the City remained well-managed with a strong focus on overall community wellbeing. Council Member Puy – District 2 Council Member Puy identified priorities, including reducing the West-East side divide, investing in technology, supporting business growth, improving railroad crossing safety, expanding Westside amenities, increasing art installations, meeting project deadlines, and supporting thriving communities. Council Member Lopez Chavez – District 4 Council Member Lopez Chavez was absent from the meeting but submitted a recording with district priorities to share at the retreat. Priorities included housing and utility affordability, support for fixed-income residents, small business stability, homeownership opportunities, neighborhood reinvestment initiatives, protection of main streets and boulevards, support for union labor, and ensuring residents could remain in their homes as costs continued to rise. Council Members discussed shared priorities, including support for small businesses, proactive infrastructure maintenance, water and utility sustainability, creative funding solutions, and improving safety for streets, bike lanes, and trails. Emphasis was placed on addressing deferred maintenance before launching new projects and maximizing grant opportunities. Software Presentations Amber Pehrson presented Asana to the Council and highlighted the project-tracking and priority-management tools for Council and staff collaboration. Linda Sanchez and Krystyn Mace presented PrimeGov (Granicus) agenda and minute- taking software and clarified guidance on document annotation, meeting preparation timelines, and best practices for reviewing agenda materials. Closing Council Member Puy provided closing remarks, thanking participants and staff. Council Member Carlsen offered a recap of the retreat and key priorities discussed. MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, January 27, 2026 3 Meeting adjourned at 4:48 p.m. Minutes Approved: May 5, 2026 _______________________________ City Council Chair – Alejandro Puy _______________________________ City Recorder – Keith Reynolds Please refer to Meeting Materials (available at https://data.slc.gov by selecting City Council Meeting Information) for supportive content including electronic recordings and comments submitted prior to or during the meeting. Websites listed within the body of the Minutes may not remain active indefinitely. This document along with the digital recording constitutes the official minutes of the City Council Formal meeting held Tuesday, January 27, 2026 and is not intended to serve as a full transcript. Please refer to the electronic recording for entire content pursuant to Utah Code §52- 4-203. MINUTES OF THE SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, January 27, 2026 4 Alejandro Puy (May 12, 2026 12:10:12 MDT) 1-27-2026 Council Retreat Minutes - Approved Final Audit Report 2026-05-14 Created:2026-05-06 By:STEPHANIE ELLIOTT (STEPHANIE.ELLIOTT@slc.gov) Status:Signed Transaction ID:CBJCHBCAABAA8p5Z6WwO5Ni4ivV4a74tYcfuZ8hncxkN "1-27-2026 Council Retreat Minutes - Approved" History Document created by STEPHANIE ELLIOTT (STEPHANIE.ELLIOTT@slc.gov) 2026-05-06 - 5:23:24 PM GMT Document emailed to alejandro.puy@slc.gov for signature 2026-05-06 - 5:24:15 PM GMT Email viewed by alejandro.puy@slc.gov 2026-05-12 - 4:32:57 AM GMT Signer alejandro.puy@slc.gov entered name at signing as Alejandro Puy 2026-05-12 - 6:10:10 PM GMT Document e-signed by Alejandro Puy (alejandro.puy@slc.gov) Signature Date: 2026-05-12 - 6:10:12 PM GMT - Time Source: server - Signature Appearance Selected: MOBILE_DRAW Document emailed to Keith Reynolds (Keith.Reynolds@slc.gov) for signature 2026-05-12 - 6:10:14 PM GMT Email viewed by Keith Reynolds (Keith.Reynolds@slc.gov) 2026-05-14 - 3:09:11 PM GMT Document e-signed by Keith Reynolds (Keith.Reynolds@slc.gov) Signature Date: 2026-05-14 - 3:09:26 PM GMT - Time Source: server - Signature Appearance Selected: IMAGE Agreement completed. 2026-05-14 - 3:09:26 PM GMT