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Syracuse approves UDOT maintenance agreements; council raises staffing and cost concerns
Summary
The council approved two cooperative agreements with UDOT to maintain trail lighting and landscaping along the West Davis Corridor but members expressed concern about ongoing staffing shortfalls and the city's financial responsibility for the maintenance work.
Syracuse City Council voted to authorize two cooperative agreements with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) for maintenance related to the West Davis Corridor: one for trail maintenance and lighting and another master landscape maintenance agreement.
Councilmembers and staff acknowledged the city has limited staffing in Parks & Recreation and that the agreements impose recurring work the city will need to perform. Staff estimates for the trail-and-lighting agreement were roughly $10,000 to $20,000 per year and about 6 to 10 hours per week of labor. The landscape maintenance agreement was estimated at $40,000 to $50,000 per year and 7 to 13 hours per week.
"We don't have the people for this," one councilmember said during discussion, noting parks staff are already stretched. Parks staff and the administration said the work would primarily fall to Parks & Recreation and that the department has been operating short-handed. Several councilmembers said they expected to request additional park-maintenance hires in upcoming budget cycles; staff suggested two to three additional park-maintenance workers to handle new duties when the regional park opens.
City Attorney (counsel) urged approval of the agreements despite concerns, saying the city had limited options because UDOT would not assume maintenance if the city declined. "I don't see any choice but to approve this," counsel said. Council added a direction that staff should investigate the state's position and whether the Utah Attorney General or UDOT has any legal obligation to fund or staff the work.
On the trail-and-lighting agreement (Resolution R25-32), council recorded a single "nay" during the vote but the motion passed. For the master landscape maintenance agreement (Resolution R25-33), the council approved the resolution unanimously and added language directing staff to pursue clarity from the state and to study options for funding and staffing the additional maintenance burden.
Councilmembers noted the agreements stem from wetland mitigation and other obligations tied to the West Davis Corridor project and that declining to accept the work could leave the corridor unmaintained. Several speakers urged the administration to develop a plan for how to pay for the added workload rather than deferring decisions until the next year.
Staff follow-up items include: providing a clearer cost breakdown, confirming whether existing staff can absorb the work, identifying funding options, and seeking the Utah Attorney General's position on state responsibilities related to the corridor maintenance.
Votes and next steps: Resolution R25-32 (cooperative agreement for trail and lighting) approved with a recorded nay; Resolution R25-33 (master landscape maintenance) approved unanimously with a council direction to investigate state legal positions and funding options.
