Sandy council budget hearing: police stress staffing and fleet needs; communications plan draws council pushback

Lede The Sandy City Council devoted the bulk of its May 13 meeting to department budget presentations, where police, fire, parks and administration leaders made competing cases for funding as the city faces tight revenue and staff cuts. Police and fire chiefs highlighted recruitment, retention and equipment needs; parks and recreation outlined program and capital costs tied to the Alta Canyon facility project; and administration officials proposed a mailed “Every Door Direct” newsletter that sharply divided the council.

Nut graf Chief of Police Mike Severson told the council his top budget priority is employee compensation and urged approval of a proposed 3% cost-of-living adjustment, saying competitive pay is essential to retain lateral officers and reduce lengthy training timelines for new hires. He also requested a one‑time fleet replacement of $740,000 to replace eight marked and three unmarked vehicles, three sergeant reclassifications, and an additional school crossing guard. Fire Chief David McConaughey and Parks Director Dan Medina outlined one‑time reimbursements, grant awards and ongoing capital needs, including a brush engine and continued lease payments for a tiller truck. Administration and communications staff asked the council to authorize a citywide mailed newsletter; that proposal — an estimated $136,771 increase in communications spending — prompted multiple council members to question priorities in a year when departments were asked to cut base budgets.

Most important details - Police: Chief Severson said employee compensation is the department’s “number one priority.” He warned that neighboring departments’ pay increases can trigger retention losses and described hiring timelines: about 394 days for recruits and roughly 185 days for lateral hires before they meaningfully contribute on patrol. He requested three sergeant reclassifications to staff a new “cover” shift the department piloted and argued the span of control for existing supervisors is too wide. He also requested $740,000 for fleet replacement to buy 11 vehicles (eight marked, three unmarked) and an additional crossing guard position near Crescent Elementary. The department reported a requested base-cut of about 1% and noted one position — an animal shelter manager — identified by the budget committee for elimination due to redundancy with shelter staff; reclassifying an animal services officer to a field site supervisor (salary detail shown in materials) would cover related duties.

- Fire: Chief McConaughey said the department expects roughly $200,000 in wildland-deployment reimbursements and cited other grants and pending awards (a $7,000-per-capita grant for paramedic training; $5,000 license-plate grant; pending $15,000 Firehouse Subs and a pending $37,000 Gary Sinise Foundation grant for SCBA decon equipment). He asked for increases in overtime/gap funding, PPE (including a second set of turnout gear for new hires), a new type-6 brush engine and noted the truck/tiller lease payment will conclude this year. He identified training and maintenance contracts and escalating consumable costs (ammunition and medical supplies) as ongoing pressures.

- Parks & Recreation and Alta Canyon: Director Dan Medina described budget changes tied to the anticipated August closure of the Alta Canyon Sports Center and a $2.0 million revenue estimate related to that project included in planning. He outlined parks capital items (streetscape/wall replacement, playground replacements, parking lot LED conversions) and said the city’s golf course remains self-sufficient but needs equipment replacements. Council members asked for a detailed breakdown of Alta Canyon operating and seasonal staffing during the closure; staff offered to provide follow-up material.

- Administration / Communications: Deputy CAO Martin Jensen and Communications lead Barb Smith defended the city’s RFP process for a printed newsletter and the proposed Every Door Direct program. Smith presented survey results showing a stated preference among some residents for printed mailers — she cited a 57% preference rate for mailed newsletters in the survey the department commissioned — and said direct mail reaches households (including multi‑housing) that other channels miss. Several council members pushed back: they said the survey was not run through the council’s Survey Approval Team and questioned the timing of an added $136,771 communications cost in a year when positions and services were reduced across departments. Council members suggested alternatives such as targeted mailings, opt‑in mailings, utility-bill inserts, or reducing mail frequency to lower costs. Administration said it would continue to work with council on options.

Quotes - Chief Mike Severson (Police): “Employee compensation is our number 1 priority.” - Communications lead Barb Smith: “We have a rate of 57% who prefer a printed newsletter.”

Why it matters Council members balanced competing priorities: public-safety leaders urged investments to keep staffing and response capability stable, while several council members urged fiscal restraint and questioned a significant increase in communications spending when staff positions elsewhere were reduced. Decisions on compensation, fleet replacement cycles and the Alta Canyon financing path will affect the city’s fiscal profile and service delivery in coming years.

Other council actions and follow-up - Budget staff will provide more detailed revenue and forecasting information at the council’s request, including historic property- and sales-tax calculations and the projected impacts of certified county tax rates. - Police agreed to supply detailed studies supporting the proposed cover-shift and sergeant reclassifications; parks and recreation agreed to provide line-item detail for Alta Canyon and playground schedules. Administration agreed to share the full survey instruments and RFP responses for the newsletter so council members can review methodology and alternatives.

Ending Council members paused the presentations for public comment and continued the full budget review in subsequent meetings; staff said they would return with follow-up materials and additional detail ahead of upcoming budget adoption votes.