City Council

Minutes of the Millcreek City Council November 3, 2025 5:30 p.m. Special Meeting The City Council of Millcreek, Utah, met in a special public meeting on November 3, 2025, at City Hall, located at 1330 E. Chambers Avenue, Millcreek, UT 84106. The meeting was recorded for the City's website. PRESENT: Council Members City Staff Jeff Silvestrini, Mayor Mike Winder, City Manager Silvia Catten, District I Elyse Sullivan, City Recorder Thom DeSirant, District 2 Kurt Hansen, Facilities Director Cheri Jackson, District 3 (as a candidate only) John Brems, City Attorney Bev Uipi, District 4 Rita Lund, Communications Director Jim Hardy, Building Services Director Aimee McConkie, Events Director Attendees: Robert Brough, Gardner Reid, Curtis Larsen, Kerry & Alex Gonzales, Richard Hansen, Ruth Reid, Nancy Carlson-Gotts, Melissa Zito, Klea Gallegos, Nicole Handy, Ted Cundick, Andrei Tarassov, John Tuutau, Taylor Davis, Leslie Van Frank, Brian Hall, Steven Parkin, Todd Zenger, Connor Gale, Tricia Bishop, Janelle Williamson, David & Holli Gisseman, Suzaru'ie Dunbar, Jamie Walker, Jacob Richardson, Chief Petty-Brown, Chief Mazuran, Ryan Bagshaw WORK MEETING - 5:30 p.m. TIME COMMENCED: 5:31 p.m. Mayor Silvestrini called the meeting to order. He explained the appointment process for the evening. Each candidate would introduce themselves, there would be a question and answer period, and then each candidate could provide a closing statement before the council deliberated and voted on the appointment. 1. Interviews and Consideration of Mayoral Candidates Each of the candidates introduced themselves, then they were interviewed by the council in the following order: Jamie Walker, Gardner Reid, Jacob Richardson, Cheri Jackson and Curtis Larsen. Jamie Walker Millcreek City Council Meeting Minutes 3 November 2025 Page 2 of 6 The council asked about challenges within his district and how he has helped with solutions, what he hoped to accomplish as mayor, leading staff through change, a time where he has faced conflict, ways to make housing more affordable, time management with other responsibilities, what to do if sales taxes are projected to decline 10%, what to do about a complaint against a city employee, whether the city is better or worse off for incorporating, his vision for the city, Millcreek's infrastructure needs, where he thought more green space could be created, and three words describing how he deals with conflict. Jamie Walker acknowledged affordable housing and homelessness as a big challenge, how he helped acquire an emergency preparedness cache, would like to create more green space on a piece of property on 2300 E and 3300 S, he described his friendliness with staff as allowing for an easy transition with leadership, he would like to have easier transit access, he was unsure about the city's infrastructure needs, in dealing with conflict he said to, "listen more, talk less," for time management he spends the time needed to get the job done, he would work with staff about any constituent complaints or projected sales tax decline, he feels Millcreek has benefited from incorporation, listening helps him make informed decisions, he would be able to step away if a conflict of interest came up with his profession, and he would look for more flexibility with finishing basements for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and allowing bigger homes on properties to address housing problems. Gardner Reid The council asked about challenges in his district and solutions he has worked on, a time where he has faced conflict, what he would do differently than Mayor Silvestrini, three ways to make housing more affordable, time management with other responsibilities, what to do if sales taxes are projected to decline 10%, what to do about a complaint against a city employee, whether the city is better or worse off for incorporating, the city's continued affiliation with Unified Police Department (UPD) and Unified Fire Authority (UFA), his vision for the city, Millcreek's infrastructure needs, three words describing how he deals with conflict, weaknesses in the current administration and what he would do differently, how he handled emergency situations and what he would do differently, what city events he has attended and any feedback, an example about his leadership philosophy and change, and the biggest difference between managing a ranch and school to a city. Gardner Reid believes in listening and coming to a consensus when people disagree, he wants the city to be more inclusive and innovative by bringing in more AI use, he wants to look at new technology materials (resin cement) with building and providing more affordable apartments to keep housing prices down, he does not micromanage but teaches and can manage his time, would be more open and communicative with the public about a projected decline in sales tax, he would bring together the complainant and employee to talk if there was a disagreement, he feels Millcreek is better for incorporating as a city and should stay affiliated with UPD and UFA, he would like to see bilingual meetings held and quarterly open houses to meet the mayor/council, lack of sidewalks in school areas are a big infrastructure issue, listening is the way to deal with conflict, he would like the city to be more communicative, in emergencies he immediately gets to the issue instead of letting someone else handle it, he has enjoyed the farmers markets the city puts on, with organizational change he delegates and teaches and wants others to understand their jobs, and managing a city will not be like his experience with a school or ranch. Millcreek City Council Meeting Minutes 3 November 2025 Page 3 of 6 Jacob Richardson The council asked about his vision for the city for the next ten years, Millcreek's most pressing infrastructure challenge and how to face it, three words describing how he deals with conflict, weaknesses in the current administration and what he would do differently, how he handled an emergency situation and what he would do differently, challenges in his district and solutions he has worked on, an example about his leadership philosophy and change, how he would make a difficult decision with competing interests, solutions to help with housing affordability, his time commitments, the city's continued affiliation with Unified Police Department and Unified Fire Authority, and what to do if sales taxes are projected to decline 10%. Jacob Richardson would like more sidewalks and money spent on addressing ston'n drain issues, he would listen when faced with conflict, he would spend money enhancing denser parts of the city with open space, when faced with an emergency he made sure to be visible and communicate, the city could set aside resource funds for affordable housing or use control through zoning, he would have internal discussions with staff when dealing with leadership change, when dealing with competing interests finding common ground is important and seeking opinions from others not present and clearing up any misinformation, continuation with ADU reform to address housing affordability, serving as mayor would be on a part-time basis, remaining with UPD helps with economies of scale, and if the city was going to lose income to look at what programs could be cut back. Cheri Jackson The council asked what she would do if sales taxes are projected to decline 10%, what to do about a complaint against a city employee, her opinion on the city's continued affiliation with Unified Police Department and Unified Fire Authority, a time when she was faced with conflict, what she would do differently than Mayor Silvestrini, three ways to allow for more affordable housing, how she handled an emergency situation and what she would do differently, her vision for time as mayor, how to strengthen relationships with other government officials, and what her leadership philosophy with change is. Cheri Jackson would ask each department to look at trimming budgets, she would listen to both sides of the story if there was a complaint about an employee, she would continue support with UPD and UFA, she made a difficult decision on a school board to follow law and policy to make the best decision for a whole school (Canyon Rim Academy) though it made people unhappy, she would engage with social media more than Mayor Silvestrini, she would like to see deed restrictions on owner occupancy and waiving fees for developers on constructing affordable housing, in emergencies utilizing community partners to get needed resources is important, housing affordability and aging infrastructure is a problem, she would like to bring people together in the city and bridge divides, she would like to update the General Plan, acquire green space and accornrnodate growth, she would like to build relationships that Mayor Silvestrini has established with other leaders, and she values staff and wants to maintain continuity with them even if leadership changes. Curtis Larsen Millcreek City Council Meeting Minutes 3 November 2025 Page 4 of 6 The council asked about his vision for the city, Millcreek's most pressing infrastructure challenge and how to face it, three words describing how he deals with conflict, weaknesses in the current administration and what he would do differently, how he handled an emergency situation and his role/the outcome, challenges facing his district/area and solutions he has engaged in, what city events he has attended and any feedback, about time commitments with work, opinions about the city's relationship with Unified Fire Authority or Unified Police Department, what to do about a complaint against a city employee, what to do if sales taxes are projected to decline 10%, how he would make a difficult decision with competing interests, three ways to allow for more affordable housing, and leadership philosophy with change. Curtis Larsen said he would like more residents to attain secondary education and the city to become a regional leader, transportation and housing/homelessness are pressing issues, he wants to support entrepreneurs, he faces conflict by working toward a resolution for all, he thinks he would bring a fresh perspective to the current administration, during an emergency he provided good messaging to the community (on campus), he has worked with nonprofits and wants to address school closures in Millcreek, he has attended Dia de los Muertos and Venture Out events at the city, he would like to strengthen entrepreneurial connections with the markets, if selected as mayor he would retire from his career to dedicate his full time to being mayor, he supports continued service with UPD and UFA, he would talk to both parties in a dispute, he would like to use more AI, budget cuts would be used for economic downturns, he would meet early and often with stakeholders if pushback was likely, he would leverage transit, redevelopment opportunities, flag lots and ADUs in facing the housing crisis, he felt the pace of transitioning from education to government decision making would not be an issue, and he would not make significant changes during leadership transition. The candidates then provided a closing statement as to why they should be appointed mayor. The mayor and council thanked the candidates for their participation. The City Attorney acknowledged that Cheri Jackson left the room at 7:37p.m. Mayor Silvestrini said council procedures required council members to vote while in the council chambers, but the rule was waived for this meeting through a resolution at the last council meeting. Mayor Silvestrini expressed appreciation for the five candidates who applied, noting the difficulty of the application process and the high quality of each candidate. He emphasized that choosing a successor is an exceptionally difficult decision, as any of the applicants could serve effectively. He reflected on the weight of resigning after nine years of service and outlines key criteria guiding his decision: respect for city staff, preservation of the organizational culture, commitment to problem-solving over bureaucratic approaches, and dedication to continuing important city initiatives, including affordable housing efforts and the city's Promise Program, which supports youth and families through grant-funded services. The mayor stressed the importance of selecting someone who will uphold the city's values, continue ongoing projects, and address evolving challenges such as housing and homelessness in a progressive, solutions-oriented manner. While acknowledging the strength of all candidates, he endorsed Council Member Cheri Jackson. He cited her long-standing service, strong electoral support, deep knowledge of the community, close working relationship with  Millcreek City Council Meeting Minutes 3 November 2025 Page 5 of 6 city staff, and ability to preserve and advance the culture and legacy the mayor has sought to build. Council Member Catten reflected on the strength and depth of the candidate pool, noting that the city is consistently fortunate to attract highly qualified, passionate individuals for vacancies across councils, commissions, and community programs. She commended each applicant individually, recognizing Jamie's consistent community involvement, Gardner's wisdom and long-standing presence, Jacob's thoughtful, data-driven approach, Cheri's extensive experience and deep trust within the community, and Curtis's impressive capability and leadership potential. She emphasizes the importance of continuity during uncertain times and expresses deep respect for the outgoing mayor's leadership. Ultimately, she concluded that one candidate clearly stands out: Cheri Jackson. Citing her foundational experience, trusted reputation, resilience, and pragi'natic, solutions-oriented perspective, she offers her full and confident support for Cheri as the next mayor. Council Member Uipi explains the key competencies she evaluated when considering candidates for mayor. Presentation skills were essential, given the public-facing nature of the role and the need to represent the city before legislators and congressional leaders. Leadership was another priority-both in guiding the city and in maintaining a strong, positive culture among staff who spend significant time working together. Collaboration was also critical, particularly candidates' understanding of the city's partnerships with other governmental and corninunity agencies, as well as their broader collaborative experience. Finally, relationship building was emphasized as vital to securing funding and working effectively with organizations such as UPD, UFA, community councils, and the planning commission. She noted that she scored each candidate across these competencies to ensure a fair and comprehensive evaluation and concluded by reaffirming comi'nitment to a transparent public voting process while highlighting the importance of these criteria. Council Member DeSirant expressed appreciation for the selection process and the opportunity it provided to better understand each candidate. He thanked those who reached out personally to discuss expectations for the next mayor and acla'iowledge the significant responsibility of succeeding the current, highly respected mayor. Despite the challenge of filling such a role, he conveys confidence that whoever the council appoints will be successful. The City Recorder provided the council with paper ballots to vote for the appointee. The ballots unanimously reflected Cheri Jackson as the winner. 2. Discussion and Consideration of Resolution 25-38, Filling the Mid-Term Vacancy of the Mayor Council Member Uipi moved to approve Resolution 25-38, Filling the Mid-Term Vacancy of the Mayor with Cheri Jackson's name included. Council Member Catten seconded. Council Member Uipi appreciated everyone's engagement. Mayor Silvestrini noted a vacancy in District 3 would result and a similar process to fill it would take place. Council Member Catten acknowledged other opportunities to serve in the city. Millcreek City Council Meeting Minutes 3 November 2025 Page 6 of 6 The Recorder called for the vote. Council Member Catten voted yes, Council Member DeSirant voted yes, Council Member Uipi voted yes, and Mayor Silvestrini voted yes. The motion passed unanimously. Cheri Jackson expressed deep gratitude for the trust to assume the mayoral role, acknowledging the significant legacy of Mayor Silvestrini and committing both to honor his example and to forge her own path. She highlighted the special character of Millcreek and expressed pride in serving as the city's second-and first female-mayor. Recognizing the unusual nature of being selected by the council rather than a citywide election, she pledges to actively engage with residents so they can feel confident in the council's decision. She affirined her dedication to representing the community, making sorind decisions, and maintaining Millcreek's reputation as a model city. Jackson also thanked the other applicants for their willingness to serve and encouraged them to remain involved, emphasizing a shared commitment to strengthening the comi'nunity and building a better future for all. ADJOURNED: Council Member Uipi moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Council Member Catten seconded. Mayor Silvestrini called for the vote. Council Member Catten voted yes, Council Member DeSirant voted yes, Council Member Uipi voted yes, and Mayor Silvestrini voted yes. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVED: Date Cheri Jackson, Mayor Attest: Elyse L, City Recorder