Council picks Chris Wharton as vice chair, hears Ivory House rezone and Livable Streets briefings
October 5, 2021, 2:00 p.m. · Electronic meeting (remote)
Council Member Chris Wharton was chosen vice chair by unanimous support after James Rogers resigned. Members were briefed on a student housing rezone near the University of Utah, a proposed citywide Livable Streets traffic-calming program, the Workday software project and tech-related zoning changes. Straw poll support for Budget Amendment No. 3 was 5-1, with Council Member Ana Valdemoros opposed, and the Council voted 6-0 to enter closed session.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Appointment
Nomination of vice chair for 2021
Discussed
Council Member Amy Fowler said a new vice chair was needed because of Council Member James Rogers' resignation. Council Member Chris Wharton nominated himself; Council Members Daniel Dugan and Dennis Faris spoke in support. Because support was unanimous, no straw poll was held.
Item 2 · Presentation
Updates from the Administration
Discussed
The Mayor reported 1,264 new statewide COVID-19 cases, up 134 from the prior week, a 7-day average of 1,395 and 63.73% of city residents fully vaccinated. Andrew Johnston, homelessness policy director, covered shelter capacity, a Sept. 23 resource fair at Madison Park, scheduled cleanups and a petition to review the City Code provision that bars new permanent shelters.
Item 3 · Presentation
Updates on racial equity and policing
Discussed
Staff said the City was recruiting an ADA coordinator and that the Commission on Racial Equity in Policing had elected a new chair and vice chair.
Item 4 · Zoning
University Ivory House zoning map amendment, 1780 East South Campus Drive
Discussed
Staff presented a request to rezone part of a property that holds an LDS Church institute building from I (Institutional) to R-MU (Residential/Mixed Use) to allow about 536 student housing units in multiple buildings. The Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation. Council members and staff discussed why the City has jurisdiction over the parcel and setback requirements, and the applicants described the housing need, a scholarship program and the site plan. A public hearing was planned for Nov. 9 and Council action for Nov. 16.
- Current zone to proposed: I to R-MU
- Units: about 536 student housing units
- Planning Commission: positive recommendation
- Applicants: the applicant and the applicant
Item 5 · Roads and utilities
Livable Streets Program recommendations
Discussed
Transportation staff presented a program to bring traffic calming to streets citywide using a data-driven prioritization process; more than 400 miles of candidate streets were identified. The materials say an annual budget of $700,000 to $1,000,000 and three new full-time positions would be sufficient. Council members asked about Funding Our Future dollars, timeline and using street resurfacing for traffic calming, and said they favored a formal budget request next year to fund a dedicated team annually.
- Budget$1.00 million
Item 7 · Contract
Enterprise Resource Planning (Workday) project update
Discussed
The City has chosen Workday to replace most of its financial and human capital systems, including OneSolution, iCIMS, Kronos and CAMP, for finance, HR and payroll. Staff described a phased implementation. Council Member Ana Valdemoros asked what changes the Council would see; staff said Council members would gain access to costs of specific budget items. Council Members Darin Mano and Daniel Dugan expressed support.
- ContractAmount not given to Workday
Item 8 · City code
Technology-related land use text amendments
Discussed
A Mayor-initiated proposal would add Biomedical, Technology Facility and Data Center as defined uses, bar biomedical uses that produce hazardous waste within half a mile of a residential use, merge several lab uses into 'Laboratory, related' and expand where research and development facilities are allowed. Council Member Chris Wharton asked for better explanations of why the categories are needed and raised concern about the risk of broad definitions. The Planning Director said the code does not currently define these uses. A hearing was planned for Nov. 9.
Item 9 · Budget
Budget Amendment No. 3 for Fiscal Year 2021-22
Discussed
The Chief Financial Officer briefed the amendment, which includes allocations for Switchpoint. Council Member Ana Valdemoros asked who qualifies for Switchpoint services, what type of facility it is and whether a mitigation plan was required. In a straw poll on support for the amendment, Council Members Amy Fowler, Dennis Faris, Daniel Dugan, Chris Wharton and Darin Mano were in favor and Council Member Valdemoros was opposed.
- Straw poll: 5 in favor, 1 opposed (Ana Valdemoros)
Item 10-12 · Appointment
Board appointment interviews: Historic Landmark Commission and Planning Commission
Discussed
The Council interviewed Michael Abrahamson (Historic Landmark Commission), and Andra Ghent and Aimee Burrows (Planning Commission), each for terms ending Oct. 5, 2025. All three were placed on the consent agenda for formal consideration.
Item 13 · Appointment
Utah Inland Port Authority Board appointment
Discussed
Council Member Darin Mano nominated Council Member Dennis Faris to the board. Faris said the board is important to the constituents most affected.
Item 16 · Other
Closed session motion
Approved · 6-0
The Council voted 6-0 to enter closed session to receive advice of counsel on pending or reasonably imminent litigation, then voted 6-0 to exit and adjourn.
What residents said
Traffic calmingStudent housingHomeless shelter siting