Residents urge renewable energy support and completion of Bonneville Shoreline Trail

During the public comment period at the June 2 Cottonwood Heights council meeting, residents urged both stronger support for renewable energy and inclusion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in upcoming budget work.

Bob Jacobs, who said he has lived in the area for 50 years, pushed the council to add services funded by higher taxes — including a local circulator between Hillside Plaza, City Hall and the recreation center — and argued he would rather "pay a little more money and get a lot more services." He also told the council that while his initial reaction to a reported 50% tax figure was shock, after checking numbers the weekly cost appeared modest in exchange for enhanced services.

Randy Long asked the council to include the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the budget, saying neighboring cities have completed or nearly completed their sections while Cottonwood Heights has only one finished section. "The Cottonwood Heights is lagging behind on it," he said, urging completion of the remaining links.

A separate commenter defended the council’s renewable-energy record, noting the city installed rooftop solar on this building and cited a city expenditure of about $155,000 with outside "blue sky" payers covering roughly 80% of the balance. Speakers warned that withdrawing public support for renewables could be perceived outside the city as opposition.

All of these remarks were made as part of the tentative budget public hearing and citizen comment period; no formal council policy was changed during the meeting.