Sandy City Council Meeting - April 2, 2025

The Sandy City Council met on April 2, 2025, at 5:00 PM (MDT) to receive presentations on the 2025 economic outlook by Zions Bank Senior Economist Robert Spendlove, the Sandy Fire Department's 2024 annual report, and a legal briefing on municipal elections and employee political activity. The council also heard public comments, interviewed a board of adjustment appointee, and approved the consent calendar.

Consent Calendar

• The council voted unanimously (motion by Councilmember Meekham, second by Councilmember Robinson) to approve the consent calendar, which included routine approvals and actions. No further details were provided in the transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Craig Ulrich questioned the meaning of "candidates may begin campaigning unofficially now" on the city's election website. He noted that campaign signs for Mayor Monica Zoltanski were already up before the official declaration period (early June), referencing a 2023 city resolution on fair campaign practices. He expressed concern that if the mayor signs the voluntary fair campaign practices pledge later, it would violate the intent of the pledge, and argued that a "declined" notation on the ballot should be mandatory, not optional.
• Patricia Jones expressed support for the Trump administration's tariff policies, arguing that reciprocal tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the U.S. She cited examples of foreign concessions and listed over $2.1 trillion in corporate investment commitments announced since January 2025. She stated that the success of Trump's economic policy will lead to Utah's success, and urged patience.

Discussion Items

• Appointment of Josh Chandler to the Board of Adjustment (Alternate Member): Mayor Zoltanski nominated Josh Chandler, citing his legal background and assistance with the sister city program with Bucha, Ukraine. Chandler expressed enthusiasm for serving. Councilmembers Sharkey and Meekham praised his qualifications. No vote was taken; a future vote was scheduled.
• Reappointment of Bruce Briner to the Board of Adjustment (Regular Member): Mayor Zoltanski presented the reappointment. Briner was not present, and no interview was conducted. The council will vote at a later date.
• 2025 Economic Outlook Presentation (Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank): Spendlove covered the uncertainty around upcoming tariffs (announced for April 2, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern), federal fiscal policy (House budget bill with $2 trillion in spending cuts and $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, increasing deficit by ~$3 trillion), and the impact of DOGE-driven federal spending reductions. He noted that hard data (GDP, inflation, employment) is unreliable, soft data (consumer confidence, market volatility) is deteriorating, but the Utah economy remains strong (3rd fastest population growth, 2.1% employment growth vs. 1.2% nationally, unemployment at 3.3%, median household income over $100,000). He advised setting aside high-risk revenue and maintaining rainy day funds. Councilmembers asked about sales tax revenue, housing affordability, and the difference between hard and soft data. Spendlove emphasized that the probability of a recession is rising but not the base case.
• Sandy Fire Department 2024 Annual Report: Chief Ryan McConaughey, Deputy Chief Mike Bullock, and Deputy Chief Chris Aston presented. Highlights: record 9,430 calls (77% medical), 45% transport rate, response times within national standards, 29,000 training hours, new hazmat permitting, over 7,000 students reached in fire prevention education, and 165,000 social media followers. The new fire station (Station 31) is under construction with steel on site, completion expected fall 2025; a top-out ceremony is scheduled for April 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM. The department also added a new vision statement.
• Legal Briefing on Municipal Elections and Employee Political Activity (City Attorney Lynn Pace): Pace summarized state laws and a new bill (HB 551) effective 60 days before elections: prohibits use of city equipment/time/property for campaigns; forbids candidates from using city staff for campaign work; restricts mass mailings and billboards with candidate photos or oversized names within 60 days of an election (primary or general); requires city staff to share candidate information requests with all known candidates; and mandates that ballot names be legal names (with an affidavit process for commonly used names). He also clarified that employees and officials may endorse candidates as individuals but not in an official capacity or in uniform.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
• The appointments of Josh Chandler and Bruce Briner to the Board of Adjustment were not voted on; they will be considered at a future meeting (likely April 15, 2025, per staff reports).
• No other formal votes were taken.
• The next regular council meeting is scheduled for April 15, 2025 (cancelled on April 8, 2025).