City Cast Salt Lake

Latest Episodes:

Why Is SLC’s Police Budget So Big? Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

The Salt Lake City Council is deep in budget season, and every year we wonder: Why is the police department’s piece of the pie so big? Former SLC police chief and Center for Policing Equity consultant Chris Burbank joins host Ali Vallarta to pull back the curtain on the police budget and suggest where we should prioritize its resources.

Resources and references:

Explaining the Salt Lake City Mayor's $475 Million Budget Proposal [Hey Salt Lake]
Attend a public hearing on the budget, Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m.

Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.

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‘Distasteful’ Public Funding, SLC’s Armpit, and Pride Celebrations May 31, 2024

Show notes

How is SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall thinking about the Smith Entertainment Group’s new downtown district around the Delta Center? Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen got the mayor on the record and joins host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means to break down what she had to say as well as what’s to like and dislike about the project so far. Plus, ways to celebrate Pride, Real Salt Lake is making a comeback, and a new playground in Central City.

If the sponsored interview with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development grabbed your attention, learn more about the Startup State Initiative.

Resources and references:

Here’s why Salt Lake City’s mayor was worried about losing the Utah Jazz [Salt Lake Tribune]
Andy Larsen: What’s to like and not like about the Smith Entertainment Group’s plan to ‘reimagine’ downtown [Salt Lake Tribune]
NHL sports district will be a boon to Salt Lake, backers say. But is $221 per home too high a price? [Salt Lake Tribune]

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Your Guide to June in Salt Lake May 30, 2024

Show notes

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Salt Lake community.

Grab your produce tote and slap on the sunscreen because June marks the official start of summer in Salt Lake. Host Ali Vallarta and Kendall Rodriguez, TikTok’s Queen of SLC, bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this month, including the best vendors at the downtown market, navigating Salt Lake’s pools, and cheap date night ideas. Plus, don’t miss our episode on shopping like a farmers market pro.

For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Salt Lake, check out Hey Salt Lake’s take on what to do this month. You can also contribute your number one to-do item for our Salt Lake summer bucket list!

City Cast Salt Lake is made possible by our awesome sponsor, the 2024 Utah Arts Festival. We’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Salt Lake.

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Check out our options.

Reach us at saltlake@citycast.fm.

Abravanel Hell, Another Mysterious Fire, and Midtowners Unite May 29, 2024

Show notes

A Salt Lake City building burned down this weekend, right before it was scheduled for demolition — and it’s not even the first time that’s happened. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means put on their tinfoil hats and muse on the importance of fire preparedness. Plus, setting the record straight on Abravanel Hall, the Midtown Business District wants your input, and Utah’s statuesque representation in D.C.

If the sponsored interview with the Human Rights Campaign piqued your interest, learn more about their work in Utah, and attend their annual dinner on Saturday, June 15.

Resources and references:

Historic Wells Ward burns down on eve of planned demolition [Building Salt Lake]
Smith group says it will respect Salt Lake's Abravanel Hall decision; residents split on plan [KSL.com]
Abravanel Hall renovations presentation
Party with the Midtown Business District on Wednesday, May 29.
Send Martha Hughes Cannon off in style on Wednesday, June 5.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.

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Is Your Legislator Also Your Landlord? May 28, 2024

Show notes

Throw a stone on Capitol Hill, and you’ll probably hit a Utah lawmaker with ties to real estate development. But a new analysis by the Salt Lake Tribune breaks down just how many of our state’s most influential decision makers have their hands in both honeypots. Reporter Emily Anderson Stern tells host Ali Vallarta how it impacts our affordable housing crisis.

Resources and references:

See what connections your lawmaker has to Utah’s housing industry [Salt Lake Tribune]
Lawmakers eye housing audit that says Utah needs 28K new homes a year to keep up with growth [Utah News Dispatch]

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey — it’s only seven minutes long, and you’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast Salt Lake swag.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

The Mayor’s Big Raise, SLC Heli-Uber, and Pool Open Dates! May 24, 2024

Show notes

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking for a $44,000 raise. Has she earned it? Executive producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to discuss how this pay bump measures up to other mayors and how residents can weigh in. Plus, the hottest new mode of transportation, Memorial Day pool openings, and a (probably) last-ever sidewalk sale.

Resources and references:

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall wants to give herself a hefty raise. Here’s what Tribune readers are saying. [Salt Lake Tribune]
How Salt Lake City mayor's proposed salary compares to other cities [Axios]
Participate in Salt Lake’s budget process
Utah launches first air taxi that can transport packages, people via the sky [Fox 13]
Shops on Broadway sidewalk sale
Five Salt Lake County pools open this weekend.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.

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SLC’s VA Health System Isn’t Working for Local Veterans May 23, 2024

Show notes

A local family is in a heated campaign with Veterans Affairs to keep their mom 40 miles closer to Salt Lake. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Sofia Jeremias joins host Ali Vallarta to share the story of Patricia “Pat” Gallegos Delgado and brainstorm what policies could do more for our city’s veterans than a Memorial Day tweet.

Consider becoming a founding member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm

Are We Camping Southern Utah to Death? May 22, 2024

Show notes

You’ve found it: your special outdoor spot. But if you let people in on the secret, do you run the risk of drawing too much traffic to paradise? And if you don’t share those spaces, what kind of legacy are you enabling? Western Desk founder Madeline McGill joins host Ali Vallarta to examine gatekeeping of our natural lands and who writes the rules for navigating them.

This episode originally aired April 17, 2023.

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Full-ish Reservoirs, 3 SLC Tax Increases, and a Brighton Hero May 21, 2024

Show notes

Utah’s water forecast is looking pretty damn good as we head into summer. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means take a look at the Great Salt Lake, our reservoirs, and when you should really be watering your lawn. Plus, the Salt Lake City Council considers a handful of tax increases, and Ali and Emily share local shoutouts.

Resources and references:

Utah water forecast appears good headed into summer [Great Salt Lake Collaborative]
Participate in the Great Salt Lake elevation challenge
Weekly lawn watering guide from Utah Division of Water Resources
Utah Water Savers landscape incentive program
Salt Lake City proposed tax increases
Subscribe to the town of Brighton newsletter

We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey — it’s only seven minutes long, and you’ll be doing us a big favor! Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast Salt Lake swag.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Is the Honeybee a Utah Villain? May 20, 2024

Show notes

National headlines proclaim we saved the bees. That’s great news for us in the Beehive State, but we might have saved the wrong one. Bee researcher Jesse Margolies joins host Ali Vallarta to mythbust which bees need saving and share ways Salt Lakers can support local pollinators.

Resources and references: