OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Syracuse City Council Meeting - August 12, 2025

Public Meetings — Tuesday, August 12, 2025
BodySyracuse, Utah
SessionPublic Meetings
DateTuesday, August 12, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 22:39

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Collaborate together to understand the needs of our great city.

0:03

And we're grateful, Father, that we can take this time to serve our community and to do our best to help it to flourish for all the members in the community.

0:15

And we're we say these things with gratitude in the name of thy son Jesus Christ.

0:21

Amen.

0:44

Okay.

0:46

Have a recognition item.

0:48

I should get Chief Atkin to come down.

0:54

Council, you're welcome to join me.

1:02

We have had like a having an amazing police achievement here in Syracuse for quite some time.

1:11

And I thought, as we talked about your next step in my thoughts, there's something really cool that we can leave you with remember this.

1:20

So you're not a chief anymore if you take this step.

1:25

You become a mister.

1:27

But the coolest thing I can think to put in your classroom would be Mr.

1:31

Atkins way.

1:33

That is really a screen sign.

1:35

I'll represent uh you and your service here.

1:39

And also you mentioned to me that you might have some set of classroom rules or whatever.

1:44

This would go wrong with that.

1:46

So it's as close as I'll get to a street name.

1:49

So a lot of games to you.

1:51

It's not an actual street.

1:56

But this is the way.

2:09

So from now on, you would reach Mr.

2:12

Acker's right.

2:15

Thank you.

2:22

That's the next item.

2:24

I said yes.

2:38

Next item on our agenda is proposed resolution R25-34.

2:45

We have interviewed the candidates that were qualified and have recommended appointing Alex Davis as the new chief of police of Syracuse City, Utah.

2:58

Council, would you join me in that recommendation?

3:04

Yes.

3:05

Okay, can I have somebody make that motion that we propose or propose that resolution?

3:10

Mr.

3:10

May, I propose that we um accept resolution R25-34 appointing Alex Davis as a police of chief of the great city of Syracuse.

3:20

Okay, second please moved and seconded.

3:24

All in favor?

3:25

Aye.

3:26

Aye.

3:26

Any opposed.

3:28

Okay, that poses or passes unanimously.

3:32

Uh now we have public comment period now that we've done those special business.

3:37

If anyone has a comment they would like to make you have up to three minutes.

3:46

Anyone state your name, sir.

3:59

Garrett Atkins, Syracuse resident.

4:01

Um, just wanted to take a minute, tell you uh publicly thank you, not only just for this gift, but for all the support over the years.

4:08

Uh I grew a lot, I learned a lot.

4:11

Uh I I left a job that I loved, and I think a department that's uh in very good shape at this point.

4:19

I also want to commend you on your appointment of Chief Davis.

4:23

He is absolutely the right person for the job.

4:26

He is going to do tremendous things with this department.

4:29

He has the support of the people within the department, and uh, I think he's gonna be the one to move this city forward for the next 10 years.

4:38

So uh again, excellent decision, and thank you all for your support.

4:43

Thank you.

4:45

Anyone else?

4:48

We did have one come in, so I'll close the public comment in person, and we had one come in via email that needs to be read into the record.

5:00

This email is from John Mister, and he references the park and ride lot at 1700 south and 3000 west.

5:06

Uh he says this is a question for the city council.

5:09

When will the situation be resolved?

5:11

Commercial semis park there all the time.

5:13

I have asked you dot, and they say it's a local police department issue.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Parks and Recreation████████████████16%
Transportation Safety██████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Building Permits████████8%
Real Estate Management███████7%
Code Enforcement██████6%
Youth Programs██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Syracuse City Council Meeting - August 12, 2025

The Syracuse City Council met on August 12, 2025, to recognize outgoing Police Chief Garrett Atkins, appoint a new chief, and address several agenda items including a public hearing on fee schedule changes, a park and ride agreement, and a resolution supporting youth entrepreneurship. All actions were passed unanimously.

Recognition and Appointment

  • Recognition of outgoing Police Chief Garrett Atkins: The Mayor presented a sign reading "Mr. Atkins Way" as a token of appreciation for his service.
  • Appointment of new Police Chief: Resolution R25-34 was passed unanimously to appoint Alex Davis as the new Chief of Police of Syracuse City. Council members expressed support.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • In-person comment: Garrett Atkins, Syracuse resident, thanked the council for their support over the years and commended the appointment of Chief Davis, stating he is "absolutely the right person for the job" and will move the city forward.
  • Email read into record: John Mister (via email) complained about commercial vehicles, campers, and trailers using the park and ride lot at 1700 South and 3000 West. He detailed violations including long-term parking, noise, and semi-trucks idling, and asked when the situation would be resolved. He expressed frustration with lack of enforcement by both UDOT and local police.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from July 8 regular meeting, July 22 work session, and July 22 special meeting (passed unanimously).
  • Consent agenda items passed unanimously:
    • Ordinance 25-31: Amending General Plan for 1.882 acres at 3400 West and 1700 South from medium density to commercial.
    • Ordinance 25-32: Amending zoning map for same property from R1 to General Commercial.
    • Ordinance 25-33: Amending Municipal Code Section 11.20 on enforcement of park regulations and public properties.

Discussion Items

  • Public Hearing – Resolution R25-35 (Fee Schedule Update): The council discussed increasing violation fees for work without permits, aimed at licensed contractors. Clarification was made that unlicensed contractors are also subject to the same fee. Council member noted the need to revisit the list of projects requiring permits to avoid being burdensome on citizens. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution R25-37 (Park and Ride Agreement with UDOT): The council adopted an updated agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation for enforcement at park and ride lots. Minor edits were made to delete a redundant sentence, clarify city ownership timing, and resolve a section conflict. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 25-34 (Splash Pad Concessions): Amended the municipal code to protect the splash pad from contaminants, ensuring it remains open. Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution R25-36 (Lemonade Stand Law): Affirmed compliance with Utah's Lemonade Stand Law, supporting youth entrepreneurship. Council clarified that permission from the landowner is required, but no permit is needed. Unanimously approved.

Key Outcomes

  • All resolutions and ordinances passed unanimously (no dissenting votes recorded).
  • The council will schedule a future meeting to discuss which DIY projects require permits.
  • The park and ride agreement was updated with minor edits.
  • The council moved into closed session to discuss a legal matter regarding terms of a legal adjustment.

Mayor and Council Announcements

  • Council member Jordan announced upcoming applications for the haunted house and candy house contest, and expressed excitement for Halloween events.
  • Mayor mentioned that auditions for the junior musical "Lion King Jr." are later that week, and that he is attending meetings to secure grant funding for the city.

Meeting Transcript

Collaborate together to understand the needs of our great city. And we're grateful, Father, that we can take this time to serve our community and to do our best to help it to flourish for all the members in the community. And we're we say these things with gratitude in the name of thy son Jesus Christ. Amen. Okay. Have a recognition item. I should get Chief Atkin to come down. Council, you're welcome to join me. We have had like a having an amazing police achievement here in Syracuse for quite some time. And I thought, as we talked about your next step in my thoughts, there's something really cool that we can leave you with remember this. So you're not a chief anymore if you take this step. You become a mister. But the coolest thing I can think to put in your classroom would be Mr. Atkins way. That is really a screen sign. I'll represent uh you and your service here. And also you mentioned to me that you might have some set of classroom rules or whatever. This would go wrong with that. So it's as close as I'll get to a street name. So a lot of games to you. It's not an actual street. But this is the way. So from now on, you would reach Mr. Acker's right. Thank you. That's the next item. I said yes. Next item on our agenda is proposed resolution R25-34. We have interviewed the candidates that were qualified and have recommended appointing Alex Davis as the new chief of police of Syracuse City, Utah. Council, would you join me in that recommendation? Yes. Okay, can I have somebody make that motion that we propose or propose that resolution? Mr. May, I propose that we um accept resolution R25-34 appointing Alex Davis as a police of chief of the great city of Syracuse. Okay, second please moved and seconded. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed. Okay, that poses or passes unanimously. Uh now we have public comment period now that we've done those special business. If anyone has a comment they would like to make you have up to three minutes. Anyone state your name, sir. Garrett Atkins, Syracuse resident. Um, just wanted to take a minute, tell you uh publicly thank you, not only just for this gift, but for all the support over the years. Uh I grew a lot, I learned a lot. Uh I I left a job that I loved, and I think a department that's uh in very good shape at this point. I also want to commend you on your appointment of Chief Davis. He is absolutely the right person for the job. He is going to do tremendous things with this department.

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