Council reviews FY 2022-23 budgets for public services, fire, fleet, sustainability and golf
May 24, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
The council spent the afternoon on department budget briefings: Public Services, Public Lands, Fire, Fleet, Sustainability and Refuse, Non-Departmental, Golf, Insurance and Risk Management and Justice Court. Members raised questions about the Park Ranger program, electric vehicle timelines, garbage fee increases and the property tax proposal, and listed unresolved issues for later votes. No votes were taken.
From the draft minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| FY 2022-23 budget: Department of Public Services | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Department of Public Lands | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Fire Department | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Fleet Fund | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Sustainability Department and Refuse Fund | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Non-Departmental Fund | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Golf Fund | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Insurance and Risk Management | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: Justice Court | Discussed |
| FY 2022-23 budget: unresolved issues | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Presentation
Administration update: COVID-19, engagement, homelessness
Discussed
Chief of Staff Rachel Otto reviewed COVID-19 vaccination, hospitalization and wastewater data, and Weston Clark covered engagement on the 1100 East and 2100 South reconstructions, Main Street restriping and utility projects. Andrew Johnston gave shelter occupancy and the state-mandated schedule for choosing a 2022-23 winter overflow shelter: funding and operator talks in May, a ranked list to the Council of Mayors in June, a site vote in July, a September 1 deadline for a feasible plan and opening in October.
Item 2 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Department of Public Services
Discussed
Staff presented the Public Services budget covering strategic goals, growth and initiatives. Council members discussed park striping, impact fees, the Fisher Mansion Carriage House, fuel allocations given current prices, making requests accurate to reduce later budget amendments, the new Park Rangers and Rapid Intervention Team, street repair priorities, HAWK lights, and whether the city should charge the public to use EV charging stations.
Item 3 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Department of Public Lands
Discussed
Public Lands staff presented the department's goals, additional staffing, wage increases for seasonal positions, urban forestry and new properties. Council members discussed street tree health, the cost of a Fisher Mansion Carriage House employee, a volunteer coordinator and board coordinator, whether to hire full-time rather than raise seasonal pay, weed control with environmentally safe sprays, and apprehension about adding Park Rangers without metrics for the program's success.
Item 4 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Fire Department
Discussed
Fire Chief Karl Lieb and staff presented an emergency demolition fund, staffing, personal protective equipment and expansion of the medical response team. Council members discussed recouping demolition costs through liens or boarded and vacant building fees, paying for a requested vehicle with impact fees, the effectiveness of alternative response models including the Civilian Health Access Team, reimbursement for University of Utah calls, training equipment and fuel costs and electric vehicles.
Item 6 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Fleet Fund
Discussed
Fleet staff presented the fund that provides vehicles, fuel and maintenance for city departments, including five-year EV projections, ten-year replacement projections and fleet age. Council members asked about the electric vehicle replacement timeline, using impact fees for fleet vehicles, staffing and facility needs, and tier three fuel.
Item 7 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Sustainability Department and Refuse Fund
Discussed
Staff presented the Sustainability budget and Refuse Fund, with a total FY23 investment request of $1.7 million largely from the General Fund, zero waste by 2040, air quality, healthy food access, the Community Renewable Energy plan, electric landscaping equipment exchange and electrified transportation. Council members discussed aligning waste fees with waste produced, air quality goals, whether one-time projects should be ongoing, Inland Port mitigation funding, the timeline for garbage fee increases and rising waste removal costs. They said further review of the department's programs, including the food access plan, was needed and asked for small group meetings on the zero-waste plan and a district breakdown of the lawn mower exchange.
- Budget$1.70 million
Item 8 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Non-Departmental Fund
Discussed
Staff presented the Non-Departmental Fund, which covers transfers, grants and special revenue not tied to a department. Council members asked about music licensing, police staffing and barricades for WNBA games, the apprenticeship program, BioHive costs, the Sister City program, the Hive pass for school children, the county animal control contract, 911 funding, police body cameras and software, federal grant match accounts and whether a general obligation bond could go to voters this year. Arts Division Director Felicia Baca said the Arts Council was asking for more funding to make up for lost grant funding. Council Member Fowler suggested separating Arts Council Foundation items from Arts Council funding.
Item 9 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Golf Fund
Discussed
Staff reviewed golf fund revenue and rounds trends, General Fund transfers, the capital project backlog, water use and drought planning, and each course. Council members discussed funding for the Rose Park golf course, using clubhouses as revenue sources, off-season uses, irrigation water use and reissuing a request for proposals on course uses.
Item 11 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Insurance and Risk Management
Discussed
Staff presented the employee insurance plan budget, including the health insurance renewal, COVID-19 expenses and dental and disability coverage. Council members asked what public official bonds cover.
Item 12 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: Justice Court
Discussed
Justice Court staff and Judge Clemens Landau presented the court's budget. Council members discussed a decreased caseload apart from DUI and domestic violence, building size, in-person and remote hearings, expungement options and the end of the Veterans Court after a judge's resignation. Members praised the court's work on improvements and implicit bias.
Item 13 · Budget
FY 2022-23 budget: unresolved issues
Discussed
Council staff reviewed open budget questions. Members discussed legislative intent for small pilot programs with clear metrics, reducing the proposed property tax increase, a clear list of CARES and ARPA projects, Allen Park maintenance, funding for seven neighborhoods and Donner parks, daylighting creeks, the Warm Springs Historic Plunge, $10 million for Pioneer Park, a general obligation bond, the need to clearly explain why taxes were being raised, street maintenance, and restoring traffic mitigation for street racing.
What residents said
Property tax increaseGarbage fee increasesPark Ranger program metricsWinter overflow shelter schedule