Council keeps 300-foot Jordan River buffer in Northpoint zone talks and hears mosquito district tax proposal, airport code rewrite and TRAX study
October 15, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
The Council received briefings on winter shelter plans, the Northpoint Light Industrial zone, yard obstruction rules, housing program funds, a Mosquito Abatement District property tax increase estimated to raise $1.37 million, an airport code rewrite, the UTA TechLink TRAX study and collective bargaining law. Council Member Darin Mano was absent. Only a 6-0 closed session vote was taken.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Presentation
Updates from the Administration
Discussed
Staff gave community engagement highlights on park design feedback and grants, and a homelessness update: resource centers were at capacity, an encampment mitigation team was working on Gladiola Street and a rapid intervention team along the Jordan River and nearby parks.
Item 2 · Presentation
Winter shelter plans update
Discussed
Andrew Johnston described the 2024-25 county winter plan of 982 overflow and Code Blue beds, how to access them, shuttles between resource centers, and state Code Blue law changes, including a higher alert threshold of 18 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill and a provision overriding local rules in Code Blue conditions. Council Members asked about added state funding, when Otherside Village would open, and what recourse neighborhoods have if shelter operators miss safety standards.
Item 3 · Zoning
Northpoint Light Industrial zoning text amendment follow-up
Discussed
Nick Tarbet presented policy questions. The Northpoint Small Area Plan calls for a 300-foot Jordan River buffer; options included narrowing the transitional band, removing the buffer in favor of development agreements, or allowing compatible uses such as agriculture or recreation. Property owners, many not yet annexed, asked for larger lots (15 acres), 400-foot facades, 50-foot height, 120,000 square feet and trees only on exterior building lines. Council Members preferred to keep the 300-foot buffer until permitted uses are better defined, allow no variance from tree requirements, and examine non-permanent buffer uses such as pergolas and playgrounds.
Item 4 · City code
Obstructions in required yards and height exceptions text amendment
Discussed
Planner Ben Buckley presented a rewrite of tables governing permitted yard obstructions and height exceptions, unchanged in major ways since 1995, to match building code, remove outdated provisions and allow rooftop amenities and unenclosed shade structures above height limits in some zones. The Planning Commission recommended approval in June 2024. Council Member Petro asked for analysis of rooftop wall height for safety, shade structure materials and incentives for green roofs.
Item 5 · Other
Draft policies for housing program funds
Discussed
Staff proposed basing annual budgeting on funding source (Funding Our Future or HUD) through a competitive process, replacing fixed categories with eligible uses (tenant housing assistance, equity and homeownership assistance) and priorities including preventing displacement and creating homeownership for at least 1,000 low-income households. The changes would not take effect until fiscal year 2026.
Item 6 · Taxes and fees
Mosquito Abatement District property tax report
Discussed
The Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District plans to raise its certified tax rate to .000176, estimated to bring in an additional $1,370,667 and raise the annual tax on an average-value home from $50.44 to $60.39. District leaders cited inflation, shorter increase cycles, expanded aerial operations and a Phase II construction project, and noted a $1 million CDC grant for 2023-2028. Council Members discussed stepped increases, the public process and aerial operations. The district board will hold a hearing December 19, 2024.
- Fee$1.37 million to Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District
Item 8 · City code
Airport Title 16 amendments follow-up
Discussed
Staff discussed an ordinance repealing and replacing the airport code to remove duplicate and outdated rules and move commercial standards into administrative documents. Council Members did not object to higher parking fines with an additional public hearing, an annual report by the Executive Director on rule changes, clearer language that Council is the Airport's budget authority, and Title 2 changes for legislative oversight. On whether the Airport should be subject to impact fees, a senior city attorney advised seeking a formal legal opinion, expected within a week. Council Member Petro asked for a separate briefing on ADA compliance at the airport.
Item 9 · Roads and utilities
UTA TechLink TRAX extension study
Discussed
UTA presented a study, funded by a federal RAISE grant, of new TRAX connections downtown and to Research Park, including a new Orange line from the airport to Research Park and a realigned Red line to the Ballpark area. Alternative 3, a direct connection on 400 West, performed best on cost, efficiency and travel time and was recommended as the locally preferred alternative to advance to environmental review.
- GrantAmount not given to U.S. Department of Transportation
Item 10 · Other
Collective bargaining processes and legal concepts
Discussed
City attorneys explained that state law does not require governments to bargain, that Salt Lake City voluntarily bargains with three units, and described the joint resolution, ground rules and memorandums of understanding, which the Council must approve and the unit must ratify.
Item 11 · Appointment
Racial Equity in Policing Commission appointment: Gloria Mensah
Discussed
Council interviewed Gloria Mensah for a term ending December 28, 2026; her name was placed on the consent agenda.
Item 14 · Other
Closed session
Approved · 6-0
Council voted 6-0, with Council Member Darin Mano absent, to enter a closed session for privileged attorney-client matters and 6-0 to exit. It ran 6:09 to 6:56 p.m.
What residents said
Jordan River bufferProperty tax increase for mosquito control