OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Sandy City Council Meeting – June 2, 2026: Park Redevelopment, Communications Department Created, Budget Items

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, June 2, 2026
BodySandy, Utah
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, June 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:36:55

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

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

0:08

Well, once we have a quorum.

0:15

So they added a scary person.

0:20

I know.

1:34

Would you go random then?

1:37

Oh, is it really some information?

1:44

No, she's not going to be able to do that.

1:46

She just y'all didn't know.

1:48

Okay.

1:53

All right, welcome everyone.

1:54

This is the Sandy City Council meeting of Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026.

2:00

We have on our agenda tonight one information item.

2:06

One, two, three, four.

2:10

Council four council voting items, several public hearing items, and a consent calendar to approve.

2:19

We will be taking public comment on the council voting items and the public hearing items.

2:24

So we will welcome your comments on those agenda items.

2:29

If anyone would like to speak, there are blue cards in the back of the room.

2:33

We sure would appreciate it if you'd fill those out in advance and give those to Dustin over here.

3:04

Please bless us so we'd be able to make good choices and decisions for Sandy's residents and its employees.

3:11

Please help us to listen and understand those discussions that we are having so that we can have clear minds when we are discussing them.

3:20

We are so grateful for all of our blessings, and we love thee with all of our hearts.

3:27

And we'll do the pledge now, so if everyone will write.

5:00

I'll maybe I might move a little bit slower.

5:01

I'll be looking to you guys to make sure you're ready to move on.

5:04

I think in some cases, don't hesitate to stop me if you just need a little more time to put a finishing touch on something before we move on.

5:11

Okay.

5:13

The first item on our agenda is a possible redevelopment plan and information for Scott Cadell Park in Sandy.

5:22

So Mike and also Casey, the both of you, or who's going to present this to us tonight?

5:33

We'll be doing most of the presentate uh presentation tonight.

5:38

Casey will kind of fill in as needed here too.

5:42

Thank you, Council.

5:43

It's a pleasure to be with you tonight.

5:45

So staff, uh, we were asked in the planning department to come up with a uh proposed conceptual plan for the redevelopment of this park.

5:56

And prior to presenting that portion of it, I wanted to walk you through kind of the background and what led to our our design and layout.

6:04

And that starts with our general plan update that we did.

6:08

Um part of that general plan update um was the station area plan for each of our track stations.

6:15

The Scott Cadell Park is immediately located to this uh south and west of the historic Sandy track station and platform.

6:25

And so, as part of that, we were required uh by the state to adopt a stationary plan for each of those stations.

6:33

So we'll I'll walk through some of the guiding principles that were established with that and the intent behind those.

6:40

So the overall development build out goals uh were to increase the availability and affordability of housing, uh promote sustainable environmental conditions, and enhance access to opportunities and increase transportation choices.

6:55

So those are the overriding goals that we're trying to accomplish.

6:59

And then this image gives some examples of that type of infill development that could be uh created within that district that's in character with the surroundings.

7:10

So uh with that, you can see the radii around uh the half mile radius around the track stop, the little train logo there in the middle icon.

7:21

Um it shows where the platform is located in the district relative to where we're looking at.

7:27

There were several big move areas or areas of change or opportunities that were identified in that.

7:32

One of those is highlighted that we're gonna discuss tonight, which is the Scott Cadell Park.

7:37

Um with that park, um, it's located a little pocket park within the neighborhood.

7:42

It's kind of sitting down below at the same grade as the homes that are to the west.

7:46

The tracks platform sits up a bit higher in in grade and elevation.

7:52

There's also a canal that runs nearby there.

7:55

Um so those pictures kind of give um some context to what we're dealing with and what we're looking at.

8:00

Because of that configuration and the visibility or lack thereof in that park, there's been some problems that have uh been created with the proximity to the tracks, it's attracted some um some nuisances due to lack of visibility and eyes being on that property.

8:18

So this was identified as an opportunity to assemble that and reconfigure that property with some other uh land that the city has acquired over time, whether that was from UDOT with uh remnant parcels that were from the 90s South expansion several years ago, uh, as well as some other properties that the RDA has purchased with the intent to build new affordable housing in the district.

8:44

So with that uh park development plan, uh this uh shows kind of how the master plan showed reconfiguring that parcel um and reshaping the the open space into a more linear fashion that puts it up higher near the tracks, gets better visibility, and then surround that area with development.

9:06

And these are some of the objectives that we wanted to achieve with this plan and unlock the development potential and economic value as well as creating an affordable housing that would be um and increase the density directly adjacent to the station and maximize the um investment that's already been made in this public transportation system.

9:28

So this gives kind of a rundown of what the ownership of this property is and its current condition.

9:34

So the areas in green are city park land or open space uh properties.

9:39

The areas in that are grayed out with the red lettering, those are all ride-of-way areas.

9:45

So that's public right-of-way that could be vacated as part of this um process because they're not necessarily needed or utilized roads that um in several instances those roads don't connect back out to 90 south or don't go east and west anymore because of the tracks line.

10:01

But historically, that's where the platted original plat town plat of historic sanity place those roads, and we've got the labels of the street names on there as well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████34%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████████████22%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Land Use and Zoning█████████9%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Public Safety████4%
Procedure█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Sandy City Council Meeting – June 2, 2026

The Sandy City Council met on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 5:15 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting covered a presentation on the Scott Cowdell Park redevelopment concept, approval of a Utah Retirement System rate pickup for public safety employees, consideration of two second-reading ordinances (purchasing power analysis and communications division/department), a budget amendment for the Senior Center, and public hearings on elected and executive officer compensation and the FY2026-27 budget. The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the draft minutes from April 28, 2026, and May 12, 2026, by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Scott Cowdell Park: Public commenter Mark Mason Taylor, a nearby resident, spoke in favor of the concept plan, noting the community garden and cottage-style homes fit the area. He also suggested urban farming plots instead of traditional community gardens.
  • General Citizen Comment: Darrin Butler, Sandy Library Manager, announced upcoming library events and a closure June 8–10 for repairs.
  • Purchasing Power Analysis Ordinance: Lori Wilson, retired BYU communications professor, supported using a municipal cost index rather than CPI and urged that the analysis be presented as information, not required by ordinance. Pat Jones also argued the analysis should not be codified and could be provided annually by request.
  • Executive Officer Compensation Hearing: Pat Jones thanked the council for their part-time work but noted they put in more hours. Steve Van Marion questioned why a City Event Planner was listed as an executive officer. Craig Ulrich echoed thanks.
  • Budget Amendment for Senior Center: Virtual speaker Graham Tinnius had technical issues and could not comment; the council noted he could submit written comments.

Discussion Items

  • Scott Cowdell Park Redevelopment (Information Item 26-300): Mike Wilcox, Community Development, presented a concept plan for redeveloping the 4.15-acre park in Historic Sandy. The proposal includes 61 housing units (21 cottage homes, 16 twin homes, 24 townhomes) on 3 acres, with the park reconfigured to 1.15 acres along the Porter Rockwell Trail. Features include community gardens, exercise equipment, a playground, and a trellis gateway. Council members expressed support for the concept but raised concerns: Council Member Christensen opposed community gardens (citing maintenance and vandalism issues) and requested more parking (suggesting two spots per unit) and fences for yards. Council Member D'Sousa also opposed garden boxes. Council Member Stroud asked for additional parking stalls and also opposed gardens. Council Member Houseman praised the creative repurposing and asked about the Cowdell family’s involvement. Council Member Dekeyzer liked the garden boxes and minimal parking but questioned the small square footage (600 sq ft) and parking ratio. Tracy Cowdell (council attorney) and Brooke Christensen noted the Cowdell family supports redevelopment with conditions (preserving a rock, a tree, and possibly naming a pavilion at Main Street Park). Staff clarified the plan is conceptual and will be used for a future RFP.
  • Utah Retirement System Tier 2 Public Safety Rate Pickup (Item 26-303): Katrina Frederick presented Resolution 26-60C to increase the city’s pickup of employee retirement contributions from 4.73% to 5.98% for tier 2 police and fire employees. The city already pays 5% for fire and 5.58% for police. Council adopted the resolution 7-0.
  • Second Reading: General Fund Purchasing Power Analysis (Item 26-302): Council Member Stroud proposed an ordinance requiring an annual purchasing power analysis using CPI or a municipal cost index. Council discussion focused on the appropriate metric and whether to codify the requirement. Several members (Houseman, D'Sousa, Dekeyzer) requested a sample report before voting. Council tabled the item to allow staff to produce a sample, with plans to bring it back for another second reading.
  • Second Reading: Communications Division/Department (Item 26-286): Council Member Houseman presented a revised ordinance originally creating a Division of Communications with council advice and consent for the director. After extensive discussion about the appropriate structure, the council voted to amend the ordinance to create a Department of Communications (within Chapter 4-4) instead, which automatically requires advice and consent for the department head. The administration (CAO Shane Pace and Mayor Zoltanski) supported the department option. The motion passed 5-2 (Nicholl, Houseman, Sharkey, Christensen, D'Sousa in favor; Stroud and Dekeyzer opposed). The ordinance will be finalized with minor wording changes.
  • FY2027 Council Member Budget Amendment Proposals (Item 26-311): Council Member D'Sousa presented a budget amendment to allocate $5,000 annually from the Community Engagement line to a Senior Center equipment contingency, funded by reducing community engagement spending. The Senior Center served 1,413 participants in 2025, 42 weekly classes, and nearly 9,500 volunteer hours. The council added the proposal to the Budget Amendment Shortlist 7-0.

Public Hearings

  • Elected Officials Compensation (Item 26-306): Required public hearing on FY2026-27 compensation for elected officials (mayor, council, judges). Katrina Frederick presented assumptions: 2,080 annual work hours, 2.5% COLA, and benefit cost changes. No public comments; hearing closed.
  • Executive Municipal Officers Compensation (Item 26-305): Continued public hearing on compensation for department heads, deputies, and division heads. Frederick presented salary data by department. Public comments thanked the council; Steve Van Marion questioned a position listing. Hearing closed.
  • FY2026-27 Budget Adoption (Item 26-304): Continued public hearing on Resolutions 26-61C and 26-62C adopting the city and Alta Canyon Recreation District budgets and setting fees. No public comment; hearing continued to a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • URS Rate Pickup: Adopted Resolution 26-60C (7-0).
  • Purchasing Power Analysis Ordinance: Tabled pending a sample report.
  • Communications Department: Adopted Ordinance 26-48 (amended) creating a Department of Communications (5-2).
  • Senior Center Equipment: Added to Budget Amendment Shortlist (7-0).
  • Public Hearings: Held for elected and executive compensation; budget adoption continued.
  • Consent Calendar: Approved minutes for April 28 and May 12, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Madam Chair, we're ready whenever you're ready. Well, once we have a quorum. So they added a scary person. I know. Would you go random then? Oh, is it really some information? No, she's not going to be able to do that. She just y'all didn't know. Okay. All right, welcome everyone. This is the Sandy City Council meeting of Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026. We have on our agenda tonight one information item. One, two, three, four. Council four council voting items, several public hearing items, and a consent calendar to approve. We will be taking public comment on the council voting items and the public hearing items. So we will welcome your comments on those agenda items. If anyone would like to speak, there are blue cards in the back of the room. We sure would appreciate it if you'd fill those out in advance and give those to Dustin over here. Please bless us so we'd be able to make good choices and decisions for Sandy's residents and its employees. Please help us to listen and understand those discussions that we are having so that we can have clear minds when we are discussing them. We are so grateful for all of our blessings, and we love thee with all of our hearts. And we'll do the pledge now, so if everyone will write. I'll maybe I might move a little bit slower. I'll be looking to you guys to make sure you're ready to move on. I think in some cases, don't hesitate to stop me if you just need a little more time to put a finishing touch on something before we move on. Okay. The first item on our agenda is a possible redevelopment plan and information for Scott Cadell Park in Sandy. So Mike and also Casey, the both of you, or who's going to present this to us tonight? We'll be doing most of the presentate uh presentation tonight. Casey will kind of fill in as needed here too. Thank you, Council. It's a pleasure to be with you tonight. So staff, uh, we were asked in the planning department to come up with a uh proposed conceptual plan for the redevelopment of this park. And prior to presenting that portion of it, I wanted to walk you through kind of the background and what led to our our design and layout. And that starts with our general plan update that we did. Um part of that general plan update um was the station area plan for each of our track stations. The Scott Cadell Park is immediately located to this uh south and west of the historic Sandy track station and platform. And so, as part of that, we were required uh by the state to adopt a stationary plan for each of those stations. So we'll I'll walk through some of the guiding principles that were established with that and the intent behind those. So the overall development build out goals uh were to increase the availability and affordability of housing, uh promote sustainable environmental conditions, and enhance access to opportunities and increase transportation choices. So those are the overriding goals that we're trying to accomplish. And then this image gives some examples of that type of infill development that could be uh created within that district that's in character with the surroundings. So uh with that, you can see the radii around uh the half mile radius around the track stop, the little train logo there in the middle icon. Um it shows where the platform is located in the district relative to where we're looking at. There were several big move areas or areas of change or opportunities that were identified in that. One of those is highlighted that we're gonna discuss tonight, which is the Scott Cadell Park. Um with that park, um, it's located a little pocket park within the neighborhood. It's kind of sitting down below at the same grade as the homes that are to the west. The tracks platform sits up a bit higher in in grade and elevation. There's also a canal that runs nearby there.

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