SHCC October 2023 Meeting Minutes

SUGAR HOUSE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Board of Trustees Meeting

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

7:00 P.M.

In Person at The Neighborhood Hive and Streaming on YouTube

MINUTES

1)  Welcome

  • Landon welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2)  Det. Fallows/Taymour Semnani/Grant Miller

  • Crime statistics can be found on SLC’s website. For August, there were 272 Part I/Part 2 crimes. Make sure not to leave valuables in vehicles. There were some minor assaults and 19 vandalisms. There were 11 motor vehicle thefts and that will likely go up going into the cold season when people leave their keys in the car while it is warming up. Make sure not to leave keys in vehicles.
  • Taymour Semnani is running for Distict 6. He was born and raised in District 6. He is a father and husband. He’s a member of SL Police Foundation board and is currently a civil litigator. He primarily got into the race because of pedestrian safety. He is also concerned about homelessness, making sure zoning is done well, and addiction and mental health. He has detailed his policies on his website.
  • Grant Miller is running for house district 24. He is a public defender. He’s focused on criminal justice reform and reproductive justice. He’ll be hanging out during and after the meeting to speak with attendees.

3)  Allen Park Update

  • Brian Wilkinson updated us about Allen Park. There are some things they are putting out for public comment. The design process has been going on for most of the year. Public engagement and input is being complied. Lots of data about the park is being reviewed. The overall goal is to preserve open space, preserve historical resources, preserve the riparian corridor, and connect trails. There will be various zones of activity in the park. Rehabilitation is a focus. Parks buildings could be used for community activities and for educational purposes. Final decisions about use of the park will be made with public input. The budget for the park is $4.5 million. Exactly how the money will be budgeted has not yet been decided. Parking is a big issue. There will be some ADA spaces at the main entrance.

4)  Treasurer’s Report/Christmas Party/Resident of Sugar House/Bill Knowles

  • We have been working on some financial compliance tasks.
  • We’ll be having a Chamber and SHCC gathering on December 31.
  • A resident discussed a CIP application for safety and security for an alley on 500 E/600 E, I-80 and the S-Line. It would include sustainability and safety improvements as well as traffic calming.
  • Bill discussed various projects under construction as well as upcoming project. Izzy is nearly complete. Sugar Alley is going up again. Construction at 2100 S and Highland is progressing. The Highland Drive project is almost done for this year and will soon be behind us. The old Pizza Hut is being rebuilt. It will still be a drive in restaurant although it is unknown who might take over the space. It will probably be spring before that project is complete.

5)  Molly Jones and Sarah Young Candidate Forum

  • Molly introduced herself. She grew up in Moab and went to the U and Cambridge. Her husband grew up in Sugar House. She cares about development, connectivity (going from point “a” to point “b”), green space, small business, and education. She wants to be engaged and available.
  • Sarah introduced herself. She is the newly appointed District 7 rep. She views District 7 as a place of community and family. She grew up with sisters and shared a room which taught her to negotiate. She wants to find solutions. She works for the State Board of Education. She wants to keep the community safe and welcoming.
  • Molly is an owner of Quarters arcade bar. We all have to work together to make sure the needs of the community, small business, and developers are met.
  • Sarah discussed various policies that will help small business.
  • Molly discussed ways to work with developers and residents to work towards higher density while preserving the character of the city.
  • Sarah discussed affordable housing. It along with Thriving in Place is a priority of the City Council. We need to work developers to ensure we advance those goals.
  • Molly talked about scheduling of street construction and other issues and how this needs to be better understood for the sake of business.
  • Sarah discussed the fact that some information does reach residents. The communication plan needs to be expanded.
  • Molly discussed crime and crime in parks. We need to address homelessness. We need to bring wages up. We need more mental health and additional resources. Police aren’t trained to deal with homelessness issues.
  • Sarah discussed crime. Violent crime is down but people still feel unsafe. We might be able to direct funds from the Parks bond to lighting and security at Fairmont Park instead of infrastructure.
  • Molly discussed passing a bond to ensure we have the resources we need for building high schools.
  • Sarah discussed how we can make sure school bond monies are best spend during school reconstruction. We need to make sure schools have the resources they need.
  • Sarah gave her closing remarks. Education is a focus. She likes to learn; she has spent time meeting with city departments. She looks forward to building on these relationships. She wants to help shape the future.
  • Molly grew up with a conservative family, worked in a progressive city, and found her way to the middle. She thinks everyone should compromise.

5)  Sally Baraclough/Kenzi Oglethorpe/Jeremy Chatterton

  • Parley’s Trail is open across 900 W and the Jordan River. POST will meet this Monday at the Fairmont Pavillion.
  • Elm Street construction will begin soon, adding speed bumps.
  • Please contact Highland if you have any concerns about trash in the park. Highland has a unified track team and unified soccer.

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 7 p.m.