04/04/2024 - Meeting Minutes PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY
Formal Meeting
Thursday,April 4,2024
5:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
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APPROVED MINUTES
1. Convening the Meeting 5:00 PM
A. Call to order
- Aaron Wiley
- Jenny Hewson
- Ginger Cannon
- Samantha Finch
- Dave John
- Meredith Benally
- Kerri Nakamura
- Melanie Pehrson
- Phil Carroll
- Brianna Binnebose
B. Chair Comments 5 mins
Ms. Pehrson called the meeting to order. She shared that Mr. Scrivner is out of town on spring
break so that she will run the meeting today.
2. Approval of Minutes 5:05 PM
- Approve March 7, 2024 meeting minutes 5 mins
Ms. Larsen shared she received some feedback and has made those corrections. Ms. Hewson
motioned to approve the March meeting minutes. Mr.Wiley seconded the motion.The Board
unanimously voted to approve the March minutes.
3. Public Comment 5:10 PM
- Verbal comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes; 15 minutes total.Written
comments are welcome.
4. Board Action Items 5:25 PM
A. Review and approve Jordan River Trails Subcommittee non-PNUT Board members. 10 mins
Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the Jordan River Trails Subcommittee write-up with non-
PNUT members' bios. Ms. Pehrson said she also shared the link with everyone this morning to
review. She noted that Ms. Hewson highlighted a good point on who they allow on
subcommittees, especially non-PNUT Board members. She shared Ms. Hewson's suggestion that
non-PNUT Board members should be content experts. Ms. Pehrson said it would be important
for the people with their bios listed to attend meetings regularly. Ms. Pehrson shared the
background of the non-PNUT Board members she'd want on the Jordan River Trails
Subcommittee.
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
Ms. Hewson said if they do vote on this, she will abstain from the vote. Ms. Cannon said she's
comfortable with what they are putting in their bios,the fact that Ms. Pehrson has engaged with
them, and knowing some of them and their expertise based on the subcommittee's work
objective that these individuals would help. Ms. Cannon is fine voting for approval and said Ms.
Pehrson can always add the last individual's bio at another time, and the Board votes again. Ms.
Cannon said that in working with the Bylaws subcommittee,they are looking for some statement
addressing the role non-PNUT Board members on subcommittees will have outside of their
expertise and how they will activate the committee. Ms. Pehrson said it would be a presence at
events or logistical support behind the scenes. She said she's met with Public Lands staff and
narrowed down some SMART goals they could pursue.A lot of what she's hoping for is tangible
engagement with the people. Non-PNUT Board subcommittee members are connected within
the community and share the word while channeling feedback.
Ms. Finch asked about Ms. Pehrson's personal connection with the individuals and how they
came to be candidates for the subcommittee position. Ms. Pehrson said she met Ms.Tori Bird a
few months ago through her professional position. Still, she's also on the Community Advisory
Group (CAG)for the Emerald Ribbon Master Plan. Mr. Dan Potts is a community council member
as well as CAG. Ms.Alicia De Leon is also on the CAG with her. Mr. Wiley said one of the biggest
purposes is to communicate between the community, seeing and saying and community and
supporting the City-wide. He asked if it would be beneficial to have somebody with a background
who could help collect all that information, document it, and make it useful. Ms. Pehrson said
that's a really good question and something they will hash out. Ms. Hewson said the key is that
each of these individuals represents a specific community, so during the meetings,they'll have to
figure out a way to tease out the main points.
Ms. Nakamura asked for more information about why some Board members are uncomfortable
with external subcommittee members because she hadn't heard that expressed before. She said
that as she moved forward with her subcommittee and recruiting people, she wondered if they
needed to pull the thread on that little bit and determine where they stood as a group. Ms.
Cannon said it's within their Bylaws that they can have external subcommittee members under
certain circumstances outlined in the Bylaws and approved by the Board. Ms. Hewson said PNUT
Board members have a clear responsibility, do the Open Meetings Training,follow a code of
conduct, and are fully respectful. She feels there's a grey line between what we expect from
external individuals. She feels they should have another category, such as stakeholder
presentative, so there's a clear division between how the PNUT Board engages with the
community, but it is separate from those on the subcommittees. Ms. Cannon said they can
always modify the Bylaws if there are concerns. The Board continued to discuss non-PNUT Board
members on subcommittees.
Ms. Finch asked if there was a certain number Ms. Pehrson was targeting to have on the
subcommittee. Ms. Pehrson said she didn't have predetermined stipulations on how many
people she would have on the subcommittee or for specific areas of expertise. She added that is
a good consideration. Ms. Hewson said these sorts of things will be teased out with how new this
process is. Ms. Finch asked if there were any concerns or conflicts of interest when Ms. Pehrson
chose these people. Ms. Pehrson said she thought about it a little. Mr.Wiley said it could depend
on your definition of conflict of interest because all of them are stakeholders in some way in the
Jordan River. Ms. Pehrson noted in their last meeting that there were productive conversations
about that and that she hopes to create something tangible so the community can see what's
happening. Ms. Finch asked if the non-PNUT Board members were aware that, at some point,
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
they could be removed from the subcommittee. Ms. Pehrson said no, but she will make that
clear to them. Ms. Pehrson thanked everyone for their comments. Ms. Cannon made a motion to
approve the non-PNUT Board members for the Jordan River Trail subcommittee with the removal
of Mr.Jason Seaton. Ms. Nakamura seconded the motion.The Board unanimously voted to
approve the non-PNUT Board members for the Jordan River Trail subcommittee. Ms. Hewson
abstained from the vote.
5. Director's Report 5:35 PM
- Summary of current high-priority department items. - Kristin Riker 5 mins
Ms. Riker passed out copies of the 2023 Annual Report. She said they are online as well. She
explained they followed a different format this year to follow the outline of the Master Plan and
those goals.This is the staff's way to get back with the public, Council, and PNUT on how the staff
is doing to meet the goals of the Master Plan. She thanked Ms. Larsen for her work with the
division directors to get the information, and Ms. McCain did a lot. She outlined the structure of
the annual report. Ms. Cannon said that she loves how this format came from the Board, as
they've had those discussions during their meetings. Ms. Riker shared a flyer for the upcoming
Earth Day events. Ms. Larsen said all the events should be on the PNUT calendar.
Ms. Riker shared a discussion with division directors about the PNUT subcommittee and staff
participation in these subcommittees. She said they've had this conversation with Mr. Fonarow,
who attends every Foothills Trails subcommittee meeting and carries out those meetings. She
said it's great, but there's been a lot more requests for staff to attend. She would like to ask the
Board to start a new process where if a subcommittee wants staff to attend,to fill out a new
form Ms. Lareen created. Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the form. She will be sharing
this with the Board. Ms. Riker said she sees staff attending the subcommittee meetings to form
and advise from the Public Lands perspective, offer some city guard rails that are city policy and
direction, and support the subcommittee goals. She shared the example of Ms. Larsen attending
all the Communications subcommittee meetings and knows that part of that is setting the
agenda. Ms. Riker requests that Ms. Larsen send the draft agenda out, ask the Communications
subcommittee to work on it via email and return the final agenda to Ms. Larsen. She added that
she would let staff know if the board doesn't feel like this process is working. She would like to
track how much time staff spend in the subcommittee meetings and try to limit that so they can
do all the other good work they are doing. Ms. Pehrson liked this idea and used the example of
Ms. Maponga coming to her subcommittee meetings. Ms. Pehrson said they don't want to
burden staff and expect them to carry the meeting. Ms. Nakamura said they heard the same
concern from Transportation during the discussion of a joint subcommittee.The Transportation
staff wants them to remain aware of their staff's time.
Ms. Riker shared her screen to display photos of a sinkhole at Nibley Golf Course.The sinkhole is
about six feet by 10 feet wide.The north parking lot has been closed off. Public Utilities sent a
camera down into the hole, and they found an old structure.Apparently, in the 1900s, a resort
had huge ponds in this area. She shared an image of the old structure and map. Public Utilities
thinks the cavern is about 120 feet long, 80 feet wide, and 10 feet deep, and someone decided to
put some asphalt over the top. Ms. Riker said they are working with Public Utilities and
Engineering to determine what to do next.
Ms. Riker highlighted some upcoming events on the PNUT calendar. Ms. Pehrson thanked Ms.
Riker for the annual report and said it was beautiful. Ms. Hewson shared an event that the
Friends of the Cemetery and Tree Utah are also organizing a tree planting in April.
6. Staff Presentations, Updates& Discussions 5:40 PM
A. High-level summary of Planning& Design projects. - Makaylah Maponga 15 mins
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
Ms. Maponga shared that she's here to provide a high-level overview of some projects.They have
over 70 active projects, so she'll focus on what's happening in the immediate future.
Emerald Ribbon Action Plan
Staff has wrapped up Phase 2 of engagement,focusing on three concept designs for the Jordan
River Corridor. Staff had two open houses in mid-March; over 150 people attended and gave
input.An online survey has been open since March and has around 500 responses. It will be
closing this Sunday.
Cottonwood Park& Peace Labyrinth
These parks are now beginning Phase 1 of community engagement,which is run in-house.At this
phase,they want to obtain a broad collection of ideas of what people like, don't like, and what
they want to see.Then,the ultimate vision is to bring on a consultant to help staff with more in-
depth engagement, design, and concept work.There's a separate survey open for each park, and
staff will be tabling at different events.The engagement will conclude at the beginning of May.
Steenblik& Donnor Trail Park
These parks underwent a similar engagement process to obtain a broad scope of ideas. They are
now in the middle of contracting and are very close to bringing on a consultant who will do
concept designs and then execute a second phase of engagement where staff will present those
concepts to the public.That will be early summer for Donner Trail Park.Arts Council funded
Donner Trail Park to include some public artwork.The Design Board has been going through the
commissioning process and will select a final artist this month. Ms. Pehrson asked if they are
focusing on in-state or local artists. Ms. Maponga said it was a national call with around 40
responses.There's been a lot of interest, and she's unsure how it's narrowed down.
Sunnyside Park
Sunnyside Park will enter Phase 1 of engagement as soon as the contract with the consultant is
finalized. A lot of things are pending, and engagement will come very soon.
Fairmont Park
They are initiating an RFU process to bring on a consultant.This project is a little bigger and more
complicated, so they want a consultant right at the beginning, and staff is continuing to work with
stakeholder organizations as well as the City Council and the Mayor's office to determine the
scope of work.
Taufer Park
This playground is being replaced in partnership with Kaboom, Delta Airlines, and the Utah Jazz.
The project is in the final phase of engagement, and there's an online survey currently proposing
two playground designs. It's asking people which one they want to see, and that will culminate
with build day on June 15T. Kaboom, Delta, and the jazz provide materials,volunteers,time, and
funds to make this possible. It's open for community members to sign up. Ms. Nakamura asked if
this was an event where they'd do the park all in one day. Ms. Riker said yes,which would be the
second one for Salt Lake City; the first was Miami Park.
Ms. Maponga shared that construction for the first phase of the 9-Line Orchard project began in
2019.Tree Utah planted in the fall for the first round of trees,which was around a dozen trees.
This next round of planting will be on April 1211 from 8-1 PM, and they will be planting around 30
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
trees.The last round of planting will also serve as the grand opening on April 301h from 1-4 PM.
This was one of the Mayor's goals, and she plans to attend.
Ms. Maponga said that's all the active stuff and has a list of other ongoing work. Ms. Finch asked
if a consultant had been selected for Fairmont Park yet. Ms. Maponga said there would be an
RFQ release. Ms. Finch asked if that would come out in 2-3 months. Ms. Maponga said she
believes so.
Glendale Park
Phase 1 construction is out to bid. Phase 1 will be implemented on the property's westside,
including an all-abilities playground, basketball court, festival area, and parking lot. Construction
is anticipated to start in early summer,with Phase 1 completed in late spring 202S.The project is
seeking SITES Gold. Ms. Pehrson asked if it's a little behind schedule and if there's an extension.
Ms. Riker said it was supposed to be done in April, and staff has been working with state parks.
They see that the staff is doing a lot there, and they're pretty happy with the progress made and
have allowed an extension. Ms. Maponga said they've been flexible as long as they continue to
show intent and effort.
Pioneer Park
Staff is in the process of doing detailed design for Phase 1. No timeline on that yet. Ms. Pehrson
asked for clarity if it was the plan implementation they saw about a year and a half ago. Ms. Riker
said Phase 1 includes the misting fountain, pavilion, playground, and greenery.
Allen Park
The Adaptive Reuse and Management Plan team is working towards a final draft of the plan,
which is anticipated to be ready for review later this month.A draft copy will be shared for PNUT
to review before final revisions are made. Once final revisions are complete,the Planning Team
will present to the City Council, and an RFQ will be pursued to bring on a consultant to do the
design for Phase 1.
Liberty Park Basketball Court
Reconstruction was primarily completed in the fall of last year. That project was to remake the
20-year-old basketball court. Staff replicated it with its exact footprint and added a couple of
concrete pads for new bleachers and fencing.The work was paused because of some bad
weather, but they will be starting back up again.This project was also selected for funding
through the Arts Council, so they'll put a mural on it. They anticipate that work will be in June,
with a grand opening in partnership with the jazz and Delta,who also contributed funding to the
project.
Backman Community Open Space
The outdoor classroom and nature playground design is complete, and construction will begin
this summer.This is the final phase of open space improvements due to the installation of the
Backman Bridge,which was two separate projects; there was the bridge and then the open
space.The outdoor playground is associated with the bridge phase of the project.The project will
include new trails and outdoor classrooms for Backman Elementary students, nature play
features, and native plantings. It will also complete a reroute of the Jordan River Parkway Trail to
incorporate the new Backman Bridge into the alignment. Construction is anticipated to be
completed by the end of this year.
Jefferson Park
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
They are working on the installation of a new playground. Staff ordered and received playground
equipment last year before its selection for funding through CIP and the GO Bond.There are
three active and pending projects at this project. Staff was trying to decide whether to
consolidate the projects and get them done in one big vision and construction effort.They went
to a community meeting with District 5, and the community indicated they wanted to see the
playground move forward and other improvements come later. So,the staff is pursuing the
playground installation and hoping to have it installed in early summer. Ms. Nakamura shared
that the community wants to see some activity there and something tangible happening.
Jordan Park Pathways
This is an improvement to circulation within Jordan Park as well as an improvement to the
pavilion.The southern pavilion design is complete, and the staff is submitting for a building
permit. They are hoping to begin construction in the next four months.
Regional Athletic Complex(RAC) - Playground
They are in the final design stages for the new playground at the RAC, located on the south end,
closer to the community entry points.The anticipated installation is for the fall of this year, so
ideally, it will align with the Monster Block Party event.
Liberty Park- Fireplaces
Staff is in the middle of a project to clean, restore, repair, and decommission the three historic
fireplaces at Liberty Park.They've taken a lot of damage the last two years, and once something
starts to crumble, it's prone to more damage. Fires were constantly being lit in them, and they
were shut down during the winter.The ultimate plan is to fill the boxes so they can't be used as
fireplaces anymore. Staff is working with the Historic Landmark Commission to put in some
plaques that commemorate what the spaces were and what they were used for, and maybe
include some information about why the design changed and why they're not used anymore.
Ms. Maponga opened it up for questions. Ms. Nakamura asked if there were any updates on
Fleet Block. Ms. Maponga said they are working with CAN and the Mayor's office to determine
the next steps. Public Lands pitched doing an initial phase of information sharing, resulting in a
new website being developed because information is scattered across multiple web pages. So,
their main focus has been consolidating and putting a clear message together.The steps would
be to return to the community within the next couple of months so that people know what's
already happened and have information.The Board and staff continued to discuss the Fleet
Block project.
Ms. Cannon asked if the Planning& Design Team is working on any capital projects related to
golf courses. Ms. Riker said the Planning Team has helped golf with cart path repairs. They are
also working on the Rose Park Golf Course irrigation upgrades. Ms. Riker said the Rose Park
irrigation had been significantly delayed due to the Public Utilities project at the Rose Park Golf
Course. Public Lands doesn't want to install new irrigation to have it ripped out. Smaller projects
Golf does themselves.
Ms. Finch asked if the staff had a webpage summarizing all the projects, similar to what Ms.
Maponga shared tonight. Ms. Maponga said all the projects have web pages but no consolidated
page. Ms. Riker added that the staff updates the individual project pages because there's so
much information. Mr. Carroll asked if there were any updates on the 337 Pocket Park. Ms.
Maponga said the project has been assigned but hasn't started yet. Mr. Carroll said it should be
in the final stages of being built, and he thought there would be a dedication to the ground. Ms.
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
Riker asked if he meant the Marmalade Park. Ms. Riker said that the park is in the final stages,
and RDA is building it, so there aren't any updates from Public Lands.They don't have a grand
opening day, but it should happen later in the summer. Ms. Pehrson stated that RDA is building
it, but Public Lands will take over maintenance. Ms. Riker said yes.
Ms. Pehrson said people like to see a tangible process towards things. She doesn't know the
solution because she knows there's so much happening, but something so people can see where
their money is going. Ms. Maponga said that's something staff can explore with the
communications team, maybe like a monthly blog, but it's a great point. Ms. Riker spoke about
what's happening in the background to even get to a point where they can start building
anything, as there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work happening. It can take 2-3 years before a
project event starts. Ms. Cannon said it's the familiarity with that process that creates a
disconnect with the public. She hopes that, as Board members,they can help communicate that
to their communities. Ms. Maponga said a blog outlining the CIP process and video went out a
while back. Ms. Maponga noted that their project pages have a project timeline.The Board and
staff continued to discuss updating the public on project updates. Ms. Pehrson thanked Ms.
Maponga for her update. Ms. Maponga thanked the board for their comments and will
determine ways to implement feedback on best-communicating project updates to the public.
A. Staff Updates. -Ashlyn Larsen 5 mins
Ms. Larsen reminded everyone about completing the OPMA training. She listed the names of
board members who would need to submit those. She thanked those who have completed the
training.The due date was today. Mr.John, Ms. Benally, and Mr. Wiley will work on that.
7. Board Discussion 6:00 PM
A. Subcommittee Reporting 20 mins
Foothills Trails Subcommittee
Mr. Carroll said they didn't meet this month and have no updates.
Bylaws Subcommittee
Ms. Cannon said they have notes in their subcommittee folder that Board members can review
what they talked about at each meeting. Ms. Larsen shared her screen to display the suggested
edits for the Bylaws. All the changes were highlighted in yellow.They aren't asking for approval
tonight but for feedback.
- Under Powers & Duties,they added a duty listed further in the document but not directly
in the Chair's duties, so it's duplicated as a Chair duty.
- Under Regular Meetings, add a sentence encouraging Board members attending virtually
to keep their cameras on to encourage participation and group dialogue. This idea came
from a discussion with other advisory boards where the chair asks board members to
keep their cameras on. This is to encourage participation and group dialogue. Ms. Larsen
asked if it could also be added that when Board members joining virtually are voting,
they come off mute to vote. Ms. Cannon said that's something they could add. Ms.
Nakamura likes this idea. Her concern is sometimes when there's an unstable
connection.The Board continued to discuss having cameras on during Board meetings.
- Regarding subcommittees around member responsibilities,the Bylaws subcommittee
has been working on ironing out the process of establishing subcommittees.They have
been working on a template that's easy to work on and draft before bringing it to the
Board for approval,which could potentially be a different process for outside experts or
subject matter experts of non-PNUT Board members.They've played with Google Forms.
They added a sentence to the Bylaws about establishing some forms.They also said
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
SMART Goal to the subcommittee write-up and referenced online resources on
developing a SMART goal.
- Under Subcommittee Membership, Ms. Riker stated earlier this evening that they may
need to take out what they initially included and reference the staff request form.
- Concerning Section 3 regarding subcommittee membership and what Ms. Hewson
expressed earlier,the Bylaws are open to revisiting that clause relating to non-PNUT
Board members on subcommittees. Ms. Cannon asked for feedback and comments on
the document.
- Regarding Section 2 about non-Board members and if the Board will keep non-Board
members on subcommittees,they should think of a form that people can fill out to
highlight their expertise and anticipated role on the subcommittee.A more official
process.
- The last big change is related to Public involvement. Ms. Finch said this was going off a
request that the Chair could make a statement regarding civility before Public Comment.
The Bylaws are meant to be guidelines for how the Board governs itself, and in reading
through the Public Involvement, she said it could take this Public Involvement piece and
make it outward facing. She added a statement that the Chair could read before
accepting Public Comment. She got this from when they first wrote the Bylaws with some
help from the City attorney.The Board and staff continued to discuss a Public
Involvement statement that could be read at each meeting.
Ms. Pehrson asked what they wanted, the deadline for comments, and suggestions for the edits
before the next meeting. Ms. Cannon suggested having edits by April 29t" before the Bylaws
Subcommittee meets. Ms. Larsen asked when the final draft will be ready for the Board to vote
on. Ms. Cannon said June. Ms. Pehrson noted the discussion in May and the action in June.The
Board and staff continued to discuss the Bylaws.
Jordan River Trail
Ms. Pehrson said she started a document for a SMART Goal. Ms. Larsen shared her screen to
display the write-up.The feedback she gets from community members is wanting to see what's
happening. One SMART Goal option was a series of five pop-events,thoughts putting up a
temporary kiosk, something indicating that this a spot your funding is going towards.Another
option was a GIS mapping system of all the projects on the Jordan River, maybe in collaboration
with a University of Utah student to show the progress of each project along the 10-mile stretch.
Another SMART Goal suggestion was connecting with businesses to sponsor, either financially or
volunteers or in-kind,for cleanups and community stewardship.These are three options she
wants to discuss at their next subcommittee. Ms. Hewson sensed at the last meeting that they
were in the desert, and she thinks the key will be how they communicate this to the rest of the
subcommittee, which gets back to understanding the subcommittee's role for various members.
The Board continued to discuss fleshing out subcommittee goals.
Mr. Wiley asked what the overarching goal of the subcommittee is. Ms. Hewson said that's
something they're still needing to figure out. She thinks they need an overarching goal and a
clear timeline. She doesn't think pulling off a piece of the project will satisfy everyone on the
subcommittee. Mr.Wiley said he thinks they've done a greatjob of highlighting some specific
things to achieve and what could be helpful to identify some of the problems and then going
back to the subcommittee memberships or stakeholders and saying, "Where can you provide
value?"This could put the responsibility on the individual who wants to serve. He said when
looking at building out or structuring a goal, he's trying to identify all the problems and the
overall goal. He recalled them mentioning that they want to make sure that they're
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
communicating the work they're doing back to the community and also wanting to provide
feedback back to the community.The Board and staff continued to discuss SMART goals for the
Jordan River Trail subcommittee.
Golf Subcommittee
Ms. Cannon is still developing the scope for the subcommittee. She's spoken with three experts
on different subjects, and they have some ideas.They believe the scope is too large,would take
an interdisciplinary effort, and the literature doesn't support much of what she wants to do. She
will return to Golf and present what's feasible if they want students to work on this, how it would
look, and if they need some funding. She is working on tightening the work scope before
returning it to PNUT. Ms. Cannon is also trying to time it, if they bring on a student,to align with
when graduate students are getting matched to professional projects. The Board and staff
continued to discuss the Golf subcommittee.
Urban Trails Subcommittee
Ms. Nakamura said that Ms. Cannon attended the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting as
she was out of town. Ms. Nakamura hopes to bring the Urban Trails Subcommittee write-up back
in May as they couldn't get on the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) in April, but they are
going in May.TAB meets on Monday, and PNUT meets on Thursday, but she assumes that TAB
will give her a thumbs up. Ms. Cannon said the BAC gave them a member, and they were even
comfortable with their scope being a little squishy. Mr.Whittaker also attended the meeting,
which Ms. Cannon said was helpful because he could speak to soft-surface trails and describe
what his subcommittee does.The BAC was also interested in their Bylaws. Overall,they are
supportive of the Urban Trails Subcommittee. Ms. Cannon thinks that some TAB members will
also want to participate. Ms. Nakamura is finalizing approvals from all the other boards before
bringing them in for final approval to PNUT. Ms. Cannon said they will also have more input on
outside membership by that time, which will help them know if they can't be added later. Ms.
Nakamura said they would have a member from TAB and BAC, but there is also outside interest.
Communications Subcommittee
Ms. Pehrson said they used that time to review the agenda. Ms. Pehrson asked Ms. Larsen if Mr.
Scrivner had put minutes from their last meeting in the folder. Ms. Pehrson shared with the
Board that they take notes during their meetings,which can be found in the Communications
Subcommittee folder. Ms. Hewson said in her subcommittees, everyone contributes by taking
notes. Ms. Nakamura would like to connect with Ms. Hewson to learn how she implements that.
The Board continued to discuss best practices for taking notes during their subcommittee
meetings.
B. Stakeholder Presentation Update 15 mins
Ms. Pehrson said they would discuss that with Ms. Pontuti outside of this meeting later.
C. Board comments and question period. 15 mins
Ms. Nakamura said she's working with her community council on the Mead Underpass Project.
Her community council is working with Salt Lake City, U-Dot.They put in an application to the U
of U Masters City Planning Program,which they will pitch to them this Wednesday.The
community council has put in a Love Your Community Block Grant, encouraging them to do a
project grant and a clean-up day.The vision is to take the West Temple overpass area, which now
disconnects from the Ballpark and Central Ninth communities, and turn it into a connector. They
want to create a public space under the underpass and lean into the shade the underpass
creates. She referenced the bike park under the underpass.The Love Your Block Grant is for
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD Of SALT LAKE CITY
murals to be included in that space. Community members have shared wanting pickleball courts
or a fenced-in dog area. Ms. Nakamura and the Board and staff continued to discuss this project
she's involved in.
Mr. Wiley mentioned the futsal courts and how that group has a lot of support;they need places
to put them. He shared that when they installed the futsal court at Sherwood Park, it was
activating that park and deterring a lot of unwanted dealings in that area. He continued speaking
about activating the futsal court in the Sherwood Park area. He said futsal courts could be
considered when placing them under the underpass. Ms. Nakamura said she'll take note of his
idea.The Board discussed ways to use underpass space.
Ms. Benally said she knows many parks have grass put over them. She asked if there's ever a
time when there's a study done where they take away some of that grass and see what kind of
indigenous plants have returned so that those can be fostered and nurtured. Ms. Riker said no,
but that's an interesting idea. She said they are looking at turf reduction in the parks, particular
areas that aren't actively used, like medians and islands. Ms. Riker said that would be an
interesting thing to pursue. Ms. Benally noted that many indigenous plants are drought-resistant
and retain the soil. Ms. Riker said they tend to get a lot of weeds if they wait and see what comes
back. What staff has done in areas where they removed turf and to be naturalized, staff will
propagate their native plants to put in those areas. It's helpful if there's irrigation there or they
do it along riparian corridors. Ms. Pehrson said the Board has discussed an Indigenous
Subcommittee, and she asked Ms. Benally if she thought about it. Ms. Benally said they plan to
present to the Board in May.
Mr. Wiley asked if the Board can receive an update on Sunnyside Ballpark. Ms. Riker said the
Council accepted the public benefits analysis.The site is a recreational and public use site that
was initially owned by the Bureau of Land Management(BLM), so it has a covenant.They are
working with BLM to understand if this use aligns with the Immigration and Public Purposes Act,
which covers that space. She said most of the University of Utah is covered by that. The Board
and staff continued to discuss Sunnyside Ballpark.
Mr.Wiley shared that many people in the community want to know what's going on and have an
opportunity to give feedback. Ms. Riker said that that opportunity was during the public benefits
analysis. Now, the Council has voted and said yes to agreeing with specific items outlined in the
public benefits analysis.What has to happen next is BLM approval through the covenant
between the City and BLM. Once that happens,the City and the University of Utah will negotiate
the agreement based on what the Council says has to agree. Ms. Cannon referenced a website
with much of this information on the University side.The Board and staff continue to discuss
Sunnyside Ballpark.
D. Next meeting: May 2, 2024
E. Request for future agenda items
Ms. Finch asked if they were going to get an Urban Forestry update. Ms. Larsen said it's on the
agenda for next month. Ms. Cannon asked if there was an opportunity to receive annual updates
from the division directors. Ms. Riker said they used to do that and be happy to do it again. Ms.
Nakamura asked if it would be rotating through different months. Ms. Cannon said yes. Ms.
Larsen said they'd want to avoid September through December because of CIP.
PARKS,NATURAL LANDS,URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD of SALT LAKE CITY
Ms. Nakamura asked if they would meet in July, as their meeting will be on July 4th. Ms. Larsen
said Mr. Scrivner was leaning toward canceling. Ms. Larsen suggested putting an action item on
next month's agenda to cancel the July meeting.
Ms. Pehrson said other agenda items requested were:
- Bylaws discussion
- Indigenous Presentation
- Stakeholder Presentations
- Action item: Urban Trails Subcommittee creation
Ms. Larsen will create a draft agenda and send it to the Communications Subcommittee to
review, prioritize, and finalize. Ms. Nakamura motioned to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Hewson
seconded the motion.The Board unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting.
8. Adjourn 7:15 PM