Council reviews federal housing grant plan, Sunnyside Park lease terms and public comment limits; interviews chief administrative officer nominee
March 5, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
With Council Member Darin Mano absent, the council heard homelessness funding updates, the FY2024-25 federal housing grant recommendations, a follow-up on the University of Utah baseball lease, Budget Amendment No. 4 follow-up and a discussion of possible limits on public comment. It interviewed Jill Love for chief administrative officer and four other board nominees.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Presentation
Administration updates: engagement and homelessness funding
Discussed
Staff reported shelter capacity at 100%, Code Blue called on two nights, and 2024 state legislative funding of $64.5 million (including a $15 million private match) toward $127.5 million in public safety and emergency shelter needs, with $10 million in ongoing state funding. The micro-shelter temporary ordinance runs to May 30, 2024. Council Member Sarah Young asked for updates every other month; Council Member Alejandro Puy asked to extend the micro-shelter ordinance until the state funds another shelter.
Item 2 · City code
Landscaping and Buffers chapter text amendment (follow-up)
Discussed
Staff said past and current ordinances do not allow artificial turf, and described a grace period and complaint-based enforcement taking effect after publication, with notices giving violators time to comply. Council members asked for a remedy such as contacting those in violation to tell them of the new ordinance.
Item 3 · Budget
FY2024-25 one-year action plan: CDBG and other federal grant funding allocations
Discussed
Housing staff presented funding recommendations for Community Development Block Grant, HOME, Emergency Solutions Grant and HOPWA programs, noting HUD award amounts were not yet available and figures were estimates. Staff noted more than 4,000 applications to the Fix the Bricks program, every HOPWA applicant was recommended for funding, and one application for unspent CARES Act funds was not recommended. Mayor Erin Mendenhall presented her recommendations, including Assist Inks emergency home repair, an Odyssey House bus pass system, Soap to Hope, a Catholic Community Services Kitchen Academy and a domestic violence Bridge the Gap program. Council Member Victoria Petro disclosed unpaid non-council work on a strategic planning process with YMCA Utah.
Item 4 · Parks
University of Utah baseball stadium public benefits analysis (follow-up)
Discussed
Staff updated the council on terms for the proposed 99-year ground lease at Sunnyside Park: public access to the university facility, rental costs set to cover operations, restrooms in the leased area open to the public when no university events are scheduled, a proposed July 1, 2024 construction start, plans for the sequoia trees, rebuilding and relocating the softball and multipurpose fields, and a proposed term sheet describing the public benefit.
Item 6 · Budget
Budget Amendment No. 4 (follow-up) and new Public Lands Planning and Design Division
Discussed
Staff described item D-1 creating a Planning and Design Division in the Public Lands Department with a division director appointed rather than merit position (budget neutral, merging the engineering team into Public Lands), a funding request for emergency dispatch software to improve response times, and one-time General Fund balance funding for outside legal counsel for the City Attorney's Office. Council Member Puy requested sales tax reports for the holiday period.
Item 7 · Appointment
Advice and consent: Chief Administrative Officer, Jill Love
Discussed
Mayor Erin Mendenhall introduced Jill Love, and the council interviewed her for the position of chief administrative officer.
Item 8-11 · Appointment
Board appointment interviews
Discussed
The council interviewed Clayton Preece and Aaron McKnight (Appeals Hearing Officers, terms ending March 5, 2029), Craig Smith (Airport Board, to March 5, 2028) and Brittany Dew (Business Advisory Board, to Dec. 25, 2028). Council Member Petro said each name would be on the consent agenda.
Item 12 · Other
Public comment policy
Discussed
The council discussed amending its public comment policy to preserve its ability to conduct business. Staff said the council may not silence viewpoints and that time limits must be based on total time allocated, not viewpoint. Ideas included limiting total general comment time, asking groups on a single topic to choose a spokesperson (possibly with more time), first-come sign-up with fixed open and close times, and addressing the council as a whole rather than singling out members. Council members suggested limiting public comment to one hour.
Other
Motion to enter closed session
Approved · 5-0-1
The council voted 6-0 to enter a closed session on the character, professional competence or health of an individual and attorney-client matters; Council Member Mano was absent. The exit vote was 5-0 with Council Member Young abstaining; no reason is stated in the minutes. The session ran 5:02 to 5:45 p.m.
What residents said
Public comment limitsArtificial turf enforcementShelter funding