Sandy City public works details new hires, fleet shop progress and spring bulk-waste plan

Sandy City Council members heard a multi-part update from the city's Public Works Department on Jan. 28 that introduced two new engineering hires, described progress on a new fleet maintenance building, and outlined this spring's bulk-waste cleanup schedule.

The presentation, given by Ryan Kump, Sandy City public works director, explained why the new hires and building matter for daily service and long-term maintenance. Kump said the department has filled previously vacant positions and introduced Travis Ackerman as assistant city engineer and Ivan Hooper as city transportation engineer. Ackerman was described as having more than 20 years of experience with Utah Department of Transportation Region 3; Hooper was introduced as a transportation engineer who worked with private firm Avenue Consultants and with Sandy on signal coordination and the city's transportation master plan.

Kump said the hires will support capital projects, development coordination and traffic operations. "He comes to us from UDOT Region 3 where he managed significant construction projects for them," Kump said of Ackerman. Speaking about broader transportation trends, Ivan Hooper said, "the industry is moving much more towards active transportation, multimodal transportation, without as much emphasis solely on roads."

The presentation moved next to a progress report on the new fleet shop, a project Public Works said will more than double the usable indoor space compared with the current 7,200-square-foot shop. The new facility will provide 14 full-size work bays, including two very-high-ceiling bays to service ladder trucks and other large apparatus indoors, dedicated oil-change bays and improved parts storage.

Kump and fleet staff said indoor capacity will reduce equipment downtime, protect expensive vehicles and cut outsourcing costs. The department counts more than 700 rideable/drivable units (from ambulances and 10-wheel dump trucks to riding mowers and ATVs) maintained by an eight-person fleet team that includes EVT- and ASC-certified mechanics and specialists for fire and police apparatus. The department reported roughly 59,100 work-order lines completed in fiscal 2025 to date and about $1 million in parts and over $1 million in labor; Kump said those in-house repairs have saved the city roughly $600,000 compared with outsourcing.

Contractor Forge Construction's superintendent Josh Anderson showed a narrated video of panel erection and gave technical details of the installation. "The crane that we used there is a 500,000 pound crane," Anderson said, describing panel picks and temporary bracing used until the roof was installed.

Public Works said the building was "dried in" and that garage door installation and interior finishes are next; substantial completion is targeted for early July. The project team confirmed site work shifted into spring because of winter weather but said remaining asphalt, concrete and final site work will follow.

Kump said the larger Public Works compound will be built in phases and urged council members to consider a future north-wing build to provide indoor storage and additional shop space for streets crews. "Even if we couldn't bring our entire fleet indoors, being able to bring half the fleet indoors with dedicated shop space for the crews to do some of their work would be extremely beneficial," he said.

The final portion of the presentation covered the spring bulk-waste cleanup program. Streets staff said the program will run 13 weeks across 20 service areas, beginning the week of March 10 and concluding around June 13. Mailers have been printed for distribution; the department said the spring mailer now includes a household-hazardous-waste drop-off location and phone number so residents may properly dispose of paints and solvents.

Streets staff described their enforcement approach: educational door hangers for minor violations and code-enforcement referrals for major violations (materials that could enter storm drains such as paint, gasoline, dirt and sod). City administrators said an administrative-law-judge (ALJ) citation process will be in place for this season to handle repeat or serious cases. The presentation noted that the new TransJordan transfer station is expected to be operational this summer, which city staff said will create operational efficiencies by allowing some bulk-waste logistics to relocate and reduce truck travel time.

Council members asked for follow-up reporting on enforcement results and the ALJ process after the cleanup season, and staff agreed. Council members also raised questions about annexations and whether newly annexed properties are automatically enrolled in bulk-waste service; Public Works said address updates are handled by the city's GIS coordinator after final annexation and that properties on private lanes or HOAs are not included in city bulk-waste pickup.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the consent calendar (mover: Council member Allison Stroud; second: Council member Jake Robinson) ' Passed by voice vote. (No item-level tallies provided in the record.) - Motion to adjourn (mover: Chair Aaron DeKeyser; second: Council member Jake Robinson) ' Passed by voice vote.

What's next

Public Works expects substantial completion of the fleet building in July and will post final dates for mailers and area schedules for the spring bulk-waste program. Council members requested a follow-up report after the cleanup season summarizing violation counts, ALJ referrals and any operational changes tied to the opening of the TransJordan transfer station.