At today’s meeting, the Council:

• received an update from the Administration about efforts to reach communities that have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly by providing information in additional languages to ensure people know how to access available services and resources. The Administration also briefed the Council about earthquake damage to the City & County Building and shared that engineering surveys are underway to evaluate the repairs needed.
  
  
• received an overview from the Mayor’s budget staff on main components of the proposed budget for the coming year. Revenue is expected to decrease because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on various City revenue sources, including the most pronounced impact on sales tax revenues. Council Members also began discussing some of the major policy decisions that will be weighed as part of the budget, given the impact of COVID-19 on revenues. Some considerations include the use of one-time money to fund ongoing expenses, eliminating salary increases in lieu of cutting staff positions, the impact of holding staff positions open, and using some savings from projects that have not been completed yet. More conversations about these policy priorities will take place over the coming weeks as Council Members hold briefings on each City department and fund.
  
  
• discussed various proposed City budgets for Fiscal Year 2020-21, including budgets for the Justice Court, Office of the Salt Lake City Attorney, and the Governmental Immunity fund, which is the City’s self-insurance fund for liability claims. The Council will continue to discuss and review the Mayor’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21 throughout the coming weeks before the expected formal vote mid-to late June. The first of two public hearings to accept feedback about the budget will be held next Tuesday, May 19 at approximately 7 p.m. Budget highlights as discussions continue, how constituents can participate in virtual public hearings, and how to provide comments and questions to the Council can be found here.
  

All agenda-related comments received through any source are shared with the Council and added to the Council public meeting record.

Visit the Council’s agenda page for meeting documents and video or view an archive of prior meeting recaps.