Holladay Digest

April 3rd, 2025

City Council Work Meeting

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Topics

Granite School District Elementary Boundary and Closure Study (Area 5)
declining enrollment trends, school capacity, facility conditions, study process, and public input opportunities
2025 Utah Legislative Update
review of multiple housing, zoning, wildland interface, transportation, and infrastructure bills and their impact on Holladay
City of Holladay Resident Survey Results
key findings on quality of life, City services, public transit, sustainability priorities, and resident satisfaction

Decisions

None.
Mayor Dahle confirmed at the opening of the meeting that no formal action items or votes were scheduled. This was a discussion/work session only.

Votes

None taken.

Actions

Include Granite School District study QR code in the Holladay Journal
Mayor Rob Dahle (directed)
Pursue discussions at the Conference of Mayors level regarding the development of a fair and open process for the County of the First Class Infrastructure Bank Fund (H.B. 502)
David Spatafore / Mayor Dahle (recommended)
Schedule meetings with new County Council representatives regarding H.B. 502 and related infrastructure/funding matters
Mayor Rob Dahle
Residents and interested parties encouraged to submit feedback on the Granite School District boundary study via the District's website
Community / Steve Hogan (directed outreach)

Notes

Granite School District Presentation — Steve Hogan

Steve Hogan, Director of Planning and Boundaries for Granite School District, presented the Elementary Boundary and Closure Study (Area 5).
Current enrollment: 55,546 students; projected enrollment by 2029: 47,518 students (a decrease of approximately 1,000 students per year), confirmed by an outside demographic firm.
Declining enrollment is a statewide pattern, not unique to Granite School District.
Schools are closed to right-size facilities and improve educational experience, not primarily to save money. No buildings on the current list are deemed unsafe.
The study process spans nearly a full calendar year; the Population Analysis Committee (PAC) (averaging 25–30 participants per meeting) reviews data and makes recommendations to the Board. Final Board decision is expected in December; any changes would be implemented the following fall — no changes will occur in the upcoming school year.
Council Member Quinn raised questions about Dual Language Immersion programs; Council Member Gray asked about inclusion of program students in enrollment counts (confirmed they are included).

2025 Legislative Update — David and Ashley Spatafore

Key bills reviewed and their relevance to Holladay:

H.B. 37 – Utah Housing Amendments
Addresses housing development and policy; allows density overlay/bonus with ability for cities to place restrictions on additional density.
H.B. 256 – Municipal Zoning Amendments
Clarifies that municipalities may use website listings as evidence of short-term rental activity; supports tax collection enforcement.
S.B. 181 – Housing Affordability Amendments
Amends provisions on affordable housing funding and parking space regulations; will require a slight adjustment for Holladay.
H.B. 48 – Wildland Urban Interface Modifications
Requires counties to assess a fee related to Wildland Urban Interface properties; expected to impact Holladay and Millcreek more than other cities. Role of Unified Fire Authority (UFA) in fee distribution remains an open question (raised by Council Member Fotheringham). Council Member Brewer asked about potential impact on insurance coverage; Ms. Spatafore noted that documented risk mitigation efforts could be shared with insurers.
H.B. 198 – Highway Expansion Impacts on Signage Amendments
Shifts billboard relocation costs more clearly to local government in certain circumstances; assessed as having minimal impact on Holladay.
H.B. 502 – Transportation and Infrastructure Funding Amendments
Last-minute changes on the final night of the legislative session created a new County of the First Class Infrastructure Bank Fund. Salt Lake County may enact a "fifth of a fifth" (extra 0.2% sales tax) as soon as July, with proceeds split among cities, the County, the new Infrastructure Bank Fund, and a 5600 West express bus route. Up to $70 million in General Obligation Transportation Bonds was authorized for affordable housing grant programs in Salt Lake County — potentially beneficial to Holladay depending on rules developed. David Spatafore expressed concern about the Legislature controlling local funding and called for a Conference of Mayors discussion to establish a fair process. City Manager Gina Chamness also raised the question of legislative control over the fund.

City Survey Results — Kyrene Gibb, Y2 Analytics

Methodology
800 Holladay residents surveyed; random sample; online interviews conducted February 20 – March 17, 2025; outreach via postcard invitations, text message reminders, and email. Margin of error: ±3.4 percentage points.
Key Findings
- Average quality of life rating: 82/100 (up 5 points from 2022); all Council Districts rated 80 or higher.
- 90%: of respondents are at least somewhat likely to recommend Holladay to friends/family (up from 88% in 2022).
- 82%: approve of the City Council and Mayor (slightly higher than 2022); District 3 had especially strong approval.
- 65%: believe they receive excellent or good value for tax dollars (up 8 percentage points from 2022).
- Safety rating increased from 82% to 91% since 2022.
- 54%: agree the City is growing and developing in a positive way — the lowest-rated sentiment in the set, though still higher than 2022. Council Member Fotheringham noted the word "growth" can be alarming to residents in an infill community.
- Top priorities residents want the City to focus on in the next 3–5 years: growth, traffic, and housing.
- Highest-rated City services: community events, garbage collection, and fire/emergency services.
- Budget investment preference: respondents allocated the most to surface maintenance of streets and roads.
- 82%: of respondents do not use public transit; of non-users, 41% remain unlikely to use public transit even if proposed changes are implemented.
- 82%: agree sustainability is an important goal; top sustainability priorities: preserving/growing trees and water conservation.
- Residents value Holladay for its small-town charm, natural beauty, sense of community, trees, and quality of neighborhoods.
- Additional business types residents would like to see include locally owned restaurants and cafes.

Note: The meeting minutes provided appear to be incomplete, ending mid-sentence during the City Survey discussion section.

Summary based on meeting minutes as provided. The document ends abruptly and may contain additional items not captured here.

Summarized April 22, 2026

HOLLADAY DIGEST