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Record of Proceedings

Sandy City Council Meeting Summary - January 6, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
BodySandy, Utah
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, January 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:32:08

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:00

In progress.

0:04

I'm always coming to the doctors.

0:11

Yeah.

0:20

Yes.

0:21

I think that's great.

0:22

And I'll take it on.

0:34

There's there are a lot of things.

0:46

Yeah, let's do it.

0:52

Unless it's all worse.

0:58

Thank you.

1:17

Yeah.

1:27

Madam Chair, whenever you're ready, we are ready.

1:50

All right, welcome everyone.

1:52

Tonight we are meeting with the city council January 6, 2026.

1:57

This is the first meeting of the year.

1:59

We have new council members.

2:13

Thank you.

2:14

We're gonna go ahead and begin tonight with a prayer and a pledge.

2:17

Do I have any volunteers for uh given the prayer?

2:22

Council member Christensen.

2:24

Yeah.

2:28

Our dearest Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the opportunity we have to gather together this evening and to work through the issues of Sandy City.

2:38

Please bless us all that we would be able to listen and understand those things that are brought before us and that we'd be able to work together to create the best solutions for our city.

2:48

We love thee and we are so grateful for all of the many blessings and we say these things in the name of thy son Jesus Christ, amen.

2:54

And if you'll all please rise and we can recite the Pledge of Allegiance together.

3:00

I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

3:18

Thank you.

3:19

Uh we'll go ahead and start with introductions, and we'll start over here with our executive director.

3:26

Thank you, Madam Chair.

3:27

Uh Dustin Pratt, I'm with the City Council office.

3:30

There are two other council staff members in the back of the room, Justin Sorensen and Liz Terrio, and then Council Legal Counsel, Mr.

3:37

Cadell, as far as I know, he'll be here shortly.

3:45

Chris Nickel, District Three.

3:47

Marcy Houseman, District Four.

3:49

Brooke Christensen, District One.

3:51

Brooke D'Souza at large.

3:52

Alison Stroud, District Two.

3:54

Aaron DeKeiser at large.

3:56

Cindy Sharkey at large.

3:58

I'm Mayor Monica Sultansky.

4:00

Welcome new returning council members and congratulations on being here.

4:04

Thank you.

4:06

I'm Shane Pay, City Administrator.

4:09

Lynn Pace, City Attorney.

4:13

Thank you, everyone.

4:14

I just want to quickly address the general citizen comment period.

4:17

Uh the council policy is that we will not take citizen comment any sooner than 6 p.m.

4:22

And so at an appropriate time during the agenda items, we'll come back to that item once we've hit the six o'clock time frame.

4:29

And so we are going to move into our agenda.

4:33

Item number one on the agenda is the election of city council chair and vice chair.

4:38

I'm going to turn this over to our executive director Dustin to present this item.

4:42

Thank you, Madam Chair.

4:44

Your policy says that you will elect a new chair every six months, January and July.

5:00

The policy states that we can go through as many as three ballots this evening.

5:07

First, uh myself and Mr.

5:09

Sorensen will review the uh paper ballots.

5:13

And if there's an election, we'll let you know.

5:15

If not, you can let us know if you'd like us to uh tell you the vote count, and then we'll hold a second ballot after that.

5:22

Uh and then finally, once a chair is elected, we'll move on to the vice chair election, or we'll follow the same process.

5:29

And at the end, once we have a chair and vice chair elected by ballot, I'll be looking for a motion to uh accept the results of the election, appointing those two council members as chair and vice chair.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement██████████████████████████26%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Parks and Recreation████████████████16%
Committee Assignments█████████████13%
Committee Appointments███████7%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Community Engagement███3%
Youth Programs██2%
Public Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Sandy City Council Meeting Summary - January 6, 2026

The Sandy City Council convened on January 6, 2026, for its first meeting of the year, welcoming new council members and conducting organizational elections. The meeting featured a standing report on the Recreation Center construction, an interview and recommendation for the new Parks and Recreation Director, mandatory training, and the assignment of committee liaisons. Public comment addressed concerns regarding budget voting alignment and signature gathering obstacles. The meeting concludes with a transition to a closed session for real property and personnel discussions.

Consent Calendar

  • None. Routine items such as the election of chair/vice chair and director appointment were handled as specific discussion items or separate agenda items rather than routine consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rebecca Collie (Citizen): Expressed strong support for constituents over lobbyists, special interest groups, and the mayor. She voiced opposition to council members voting in "lockstep" with the mayor's budget against public opinion, characterizing it as potential loyalty to a donor rather than representation. She further opposed the city attorney's decision to deny the right to gather petition signatures in the city hall atrium for a tax referendum, arguing that such a denial constitutes choosing a side against citizens. She supported alternatives such as eliminating duplicate programs and reducing administrative overhead instead of raising taxes.

Discussion Items

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

  • The council conducted a ballot election per policy for the 2026 term.
  • Outcome: Council member Sharkey was elected Chair; Council member Stroud was elected Vice Chair. A motion to accept the results passed by voice vote.

Standing Report: Recreation Center Construction

  • City Administrator Shane Pay provided a status update. Construction of footings and foundations is 75-80% and 20-30% complete, respectively.
  • Project Status: Rocky Mountain Power has removed the old transformer from the building footprint, allowing construction to resume. Pouring is scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.
  • Note: A council member added that concrete was poured on Christmas Eve due to weather conditions.

Appointment: Parks and Recreation Director (Ben Hill)

  • Mayor Monica Sultansky recommended Ben Hill, citing his 20 years of experience, master's degree, and CPRE certification, noting his previous success in opening new centers.
  • Ben Hill (Candidate):
    • Expressed support for Sandy's maintenance standards and a desire to mentor staff.
    • Positions on Trail Connectivity: Expressed a strong commitment to urban trail connectivity, referencing his advisory role in Cottonwood Heights and a passion for creating safe walk-sheds connecting community facilities.
    • Management Style: Stated a commitment to serving as a "sponge" to learn from existing staff before making changes, valuing collaboration and open communication.
    • Golf Course Management: Acknowledged gaps in direct supervision of golf courses and cemeteries but expressed willingness to learn and rely on existing professionals.
    • Water Conservation: Expressed support for water-wise landscaping (xeriscaping) but opposed the idea of removing all turf, arguing that grass parks are essential for community gathering and mental health, suggesting a balanced approach using native plants for non-functional areas.
  • Council Member Housman: Expressed support for connectivity and inquiry into grant access; stated a strong commitment to trail connectivity as a priority.
  • Councilmember Nickel: Inquired about management style; stated support for hiring an external candidate with a collaborative approach.
  • Councilmember Stroud: Highlighted the candidate's resume as highly qualified; asked about first steps and expressed support for the candidate's vision of being known for energy and passion like a previous director.
  • Councilmember Sharkey: Inquired about the reporting structure separation between the city and the special district; asked what aspects of the job description were new or unfamiliar.
  • Councilmember DeKeiser: Requested information on continuing education requirements for certifications; asked about relationships with state entities for grants; stated a commitment to expanding tree shed and support for the candidate's vision.
  • Councilmember Sharkey (Follow-up): Questioned the challenge of transitioning from a separate service area to a city department.

Committee Liaisons Appointment (Item 4)

  • The council held an open dialogue to fill liaisons for external and internal committees for 2026.
  • External Committees Decisions:
    • Association of Municipal Councils: Councilmember Houseman confirmed support to continue; Councilmember DeKeiser will serve as alternate.
    • South Valley Chamber: Councilmember Christensen and Councilmember Housman (alternate) appointed.
    • COG (Council of Governments): Councilmember D'Souza (primary) and Councilmember Stroud (alternate) appointed; Councilmember Nickel expressed interest but was not selected for the primary slot due to schedule constraints.
    • Jordan River Commission: Councilmember DeKeiser appointed (primary) after Councilmember Stroud (who has scheduling conflicts with children's activities) expressed inability to commit despite interest in the committee's work.
    • Convention Facilities Advisory Board: Councilmember Sharkey appointed (primary) and noted the long-term commitment required.
    • Waste and Recycling District: Councilmember Housman appointed.
    • SLC Public Utilities Advisory Board (PUAB): Councilmember DeKeiser appointed (primary) and Councilmember Christensen appointed (alternate) after Councilmember D'Souza declined due to school schedule.
    • Healthy Sandy: Councilmember Stroud appointed.
  • Internal Committees Decisions:
    • LPC (Legislative Policy Committee): Heated discussion occurred. Councilmember Housman expressed strong support for retaining Councilmember Sharkey due to her detailed reporting and district representation. Councilmember DeKeiser expressed opposition to Sharkey remaining and advocated for himself, citing his attendance and relationship building, though Housman argued his representation felt lacking to her district. Ultimately, Councilmember Sharkey was elected primary, and Councilmember Nickel was elected to the second position by roll call vote.
    • Alta Canyon Advisory Committee: Councilmember Sharkey offered to step down to allow re-invigoration of the committee given construction needs. Councilmember Housman appointed to re-energize the group.
    • Youth Council: Councilmember Stroud appointed (primary); Councilmember D'Souza appointed (alternate).
    • Sandy Service Ambassadors: Councilmember Nickel appointed (primary) after admitting scheduling conflicts; Councilmember Christensen appointed (alternate).
    • Survey Approval Team: Councilmember DeKeiser appointed (alternates/roles clarified per city code).

Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA) Training

  • The council viewed a video covering state requirements for open meetings, closed session protocols, notice requirements, and minute/recordkeeping standards to fulfill annual training mandates.

Mayor's Report & Legislative Session Prep

  • Mayor Sultansky:
    • Announced a survey of 859 residents (382 responses) regarding legislative priorities.
    • Reported that 82% of respondents support city government making zoning/tax decisions.
    • Reported that 55% support matching housing costs to income ranges.
    • Reported top priorities: Local land use authority (66%), opposing fees for past capital water projects (64%), and transportation in Little Cottonwood Canyon (56%).
    • Announced a prioritized budget workshop scheduled for January 27th with an external consultant to review past priorities.

Standing Reports

  • Executive Director (Dustin Pratt): Noted the need for a new council photo and updates on the Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District GM introduction.
  • Councilmember Housman: Proposed a "One Word" initiative to guide the council in 2026.
  • Councilmember Christensen: Echoed appreciation for the swearing-in event.
  • Councilmember DeKeiser: Requested a recap of the previous housing workshop, specifically regarding ADUs, expressing a desire for Sandy to lead housing initiatives rather than waiting on state legislation.

Key Outcomes

  • Elected Chair and Vice Chair: Council member Sharkey (Chair) and Council member Stroud (Vice Chair) by voice vote.
  • Director Appointment: Council advised and consented to the appointment of Ben Hill as Sandy City Parks and Recreation Director in a future meeting following the interview.
  • Committee Assignments: Resolution 26-01C adopted by roll call vote (7-0), assigning liaisons to various committees. Specific contentious assignments (LPC) were resolved via roll call vote.
  • Closed Session: Motion to hold a closed session to discuss the purchase/exchange of real property and the character/competence of an individual passed (7-0). Attendees will include Dan Nelson, Casey Dunlavey, Martin Jensen, Brian Kelly, and City Attorney Lynn Pace.
  • Budget Workshop: Scheduled for January 27, 2026, to conduct a recap of priorities and plan for 2026.

Meeting Transcript

In progress. I'm always coming to the doctors. Yeah. Yes. I think that's great. And I'll take it on. There's there are a lot of things. Yeah, let's do it. Unless it's all worse. Thank you. Yeah. Madam Chair, whenever you're ready, we are ready. All right, welcome everyone. Tonight we are meeting with the city council January 6, 2026. This is the first meeting of the year. We have new council members. Thank you. We're gonna go ahead and begin tonight with a prayer and a pledge. Do I have any volunteers for uh given the prayer? Council member Christensen. Yeah. Our dearest Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the opportunity we have to gather together this evening and to work through the issues of Sandy City. Please bless us all that we would be able to listen and understand those things that are brought before us and that we'd be able to work together to create the best solutions for our city. We love thee and we are so grateful for all of the many blessings and we say these things in the name of thy son Jesus Christ, amen. And if you'll all please rise and we can recite the Pledge of Allegiance together. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. Uh we'll go ahead and start with introductions, and we'll start over here with our executive director. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh Dustin Pratt, I'm with the City Council office. There are two other council staff members in the back of the room, Justin Sorensen and Liz Terrio, and then Council Legal Counsel, Mr. Cadell, as far as I know, he'll be here shortly. Chris Nickel, District Three. Marcy Houseman, District Four. Brooke Christensen, District One. Brooke D'Souza at large. Alison Stroud, District Two. Aaron DeKeiser at large. Cindy Sharkey at large. I'm Mayor Monica Sultansky. Welcome new returning council members and congratulations on being here. Thank you. I'm Shane Pay, City Administrator. Lynn Pace, City Attorney. Thank you, everyone. I just want to quickly address the general citizen comment period. Uh the council policy is that we will not take citizen comment any sooner than 6 p.m. And so at an appropriate time during the agenda items, we'll come back to that item once we've hit the six o'clock time frame. And so we are going to move into our agenda. Item number one on the agenda is the election of city council chair and vice chair.

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