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Residents urge better disability access at Elder Canyon and object to proposed cut to animal shelter staff
Summary
During public comment a resident asked the council to create a disability membership at Elder Canyon Sports Center to avoid paying out‑of‑pocket attendant fees; an animal rescue representative urged the council to retain an animal care position proposed for elimination, warning of longer stays and welfare impacts for shelter animals.
Two members of the public used the general comment period to raise separate service concerns with the council.
Marie Kimball, a long‑time Sandy resident who uses the Elder Canyon Sports Center for therapeutic swimming, said the center does not offer a disability membership and that she currently pays additional attendant fees each visit. Kimball said comparable public pools in neighboring cities offer disability memberships that waive extra attendant charges and asked the council to adopt an equivalent option so residents with disabilities could use the nearby facility without tripling their cost.
Heather Frayn of Wasatch Animal Rescue spoke about the Sandy animal shelter and urged the council not to eliminate a staff position that provides animal enrichment and advocacy. Frayn said the position is crucial to animal welfare, citing the stress and health risks for animals that wait long periods in shelter care. She said rescues and volunteers were concerned about the proposed cut and asked staff and council to preserve the role or identify alternative funding.
Council members listened and staff noted the comments will be part of the budget and program debates. The public hearing on the budget continued after the comment period.
