At today’s meeting, the Council:

• received an update from the Administration about the operations at the Sugar House Temporary Shelter (STS), which opened January 23 and will remain open until April 15 as an overnight resource for people experiencing homelessness. The Administration reported the usage at the resource centers, temporary overflow shelter, and other services remains high. Discussion included how service providers, the State, County, and City are all involved as each has different roles in homeless services. The Council expressed questions and concerns about storage options for people going to the STS, outreach efforts to people who are still camping outside to ensure contact has been made, and hope to find out more about some reasons why people may choose to stay outside. Discussion also included constituent questions about police interactions with unsheltered people and concern about items being taken and/or thrown away, and transportation to and from the STS. Future updates will be scheduled as available. For more information, watch the full briefing here. Also, Council Members Johnston and Fowler give an update after today’s discussion. Learn more about the STS here. 
   
• received a briefing about a zoning ordinance to address medical cannabis operations in the City, including growing operations, production operations, and the pharmacies in order to align with State law. Municipalities must adopt regulations to incorporate the new State laws into local zoning ordinances by January 2021. Under the proposal, growing and production facilities would be allowed where similar types of uses have been occurring in Manufacturing and Agricultural zones. 
   
• discussed the transfer of $900,000 from the Salt Lake County Tourism, Recreation, Cultural, and Convention (TRCC) fund for the complete replacement of the playing surface at Smith’s Ballpark, which is owned by the City. If approved, the City would provide a $285,000 match to complete the project which is scheduled to be ready in time for the 2021 season. The Council is expected to take action on this item in the coming weeks.
   
• received an updated draft of the City’s 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan that would guide the use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds. The plan will set goals and strategies to spend approximately $30-35 million in federal grants over the next five years. One of the strategies would be aligning target areas under the plan into Redevelopment Agency (RDA) project areas. The goal would be to leverage RDA funding and federal grant funding in the same areas. The Council anticipates receiving the draft plan, discussing, and adopting it over the next several months.