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City Cast Salt Lake

Ali Vallarta

The Utah Legislature is in its interim session, which means they’re already working on ideas for next year. And this month, 

, the lobbying group behind free period products in public schools, hosted a policy pitch competition to source ideas for making our state better and more affordable.

Of 115 submissions, I was delighted to see that all three winners shared ideas we’ve talked about on episodes of our 

🥇“The Utah Rehabilitation, Compliance, and Fair Collections Act”

Utah State University grad student Melaine Webster presented an idea to reform Utah’s criminal debt collection system. People leaving our justice system often see fines and fees piling up faster than they can keep up with, 

 as the debt becomes a barrier to housing and employment.

4 ideas to fund instead of more jail beds

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is when funds are drawn away from a taxing entity (such as the library or school district) to fund development projects. For example, the SLC School District lost 

 to TIF. SLC School Board member Ashley Anderson’s proposal would give the district more representation in these decisions.

The millions SLC schools lost to developers

🥉“The Utah Family Financial Protection Act”

I’ll never forget where I was when I learned that women (especially single mothers) are more likely to 

. Sophia Strong’s proposal would cap payday loan interest rates at 36% in Utah. Right now, they 

Why two local banks ended up on a watchlist

What’s your dream policy pitch to the Utah Legislature? Maybe we can look into it.

Utahns pitched their policy ideas to make the state more affordable. 

Utahns pitch policy ideas to make the state more affordable

A Competition to Make Utah Better

Local Civics

What's being decided in Salt Lake City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Salt Lake City Council. 

Salt Lake Election and City Hall News

 (the federal government’s anti-hunger program) during the government shutdown. And state leaders 

 have had food resources withheld since Nov. 1.

Local restaurants and neighbors are stepping up to offer free meals — no questions asked. Share this list with anyone and everyone.

. at Guadalupe Church or Liberty Park. Text (518) 241-6110 if you need them delivered.

Here are four community fridges stocking canned goods and refrigerated staples like eggs, milk, and produce:

Let these restaurants know you are affected by the government shutdown and they will offer you a meal, no questions asked.

 — Park City, SLC, and Tooele locations.

 — They have a new permanent location at 285 W. 800 S. in SLC.

 — Check Instagram for the food truck location. Order the “Neighbor Meal.”

 — Call 801-359-0708 and ask for SNAP VENETO TO-GO for caprese pasta to pick up at 3 p.m.

 offers a free lunch program. Up to 10 freshly prepared meals per program day for eligible applicants, delivered straight to your door.

 has been giving away free food on her porch at 348 W. 600 N. in Salt Lake City for more than 30 years.

Free Meals

Who did we miss?

A list of local restaurants offering free meals during the SNAP delays and resources for free groceries. 

Salt Lake Restaurants Offering Free Meals 2025

Restaurants Offering Free Meals

Salt Lake City volunteering opportunities, donation drives, and more.

Help Your Salt Lake Neighbors

Help Your Neighbors

On Tuesday evening, SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed a 

 to the City Council. It includes more $$ for policing, the city’s Westside, and pedestrian safety. While it actually costs ~$2 billion to run our city, the General Fund is the portion of the budget funded by residents (think: property tax, sales tax, fines).

Citing a volatile stock market, tariffs, and decreasing consumer sentiment, the mayor called this year’s budget “nearly entirely flat” aka just the basics. So why is it up 6.7% from last year? “This increase is driven almost entirely by inflation and the rising cost of maintaining the services and infrastructure we already have,” says the mayor.

Rates are going up for water (about $10/month for low water users) and waste & recycling (about $3/month for residential bins). Expect property taxes to go up next budget season.

: New police, fire, and street maintenance vehicles

: Phase one of The Green Loop, the block right outside City Hall

: Vision Zero safety improvements to three major streets: Redwood Road, 900 West, and 800 South

: More electric vehicle charging stations

: Overnight security at several city parks

Renovating the Fisher Mansion and finding new tenants

: Starter funds for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games

 Utah Transit Authority’s On Demand service

The SLC Council has until June 30 to vote on a final budget. Until then, they’re taking feedback from residents.

📞 Leave a voice message at (801) 535-7654.

 on Tuesday, May 20 or Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m.

Salt Lake City's $512 Million Budget Proposal

Salt Lake City just unveiled the design for a new, $2 million playground at Liberty Park. It will be an all-abilities park! But what does that actually mean? I asked SLC’s ADA coordinator, Ashley Lichtle.

“Removing any physical barriers makes a park ADA-compliant. But removing physical barriers doesn’t provide opportunities for active participation or social inclusion. This is where inclusive design comes into play (pun intended)!”

According to the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design,* everyone should feel included, smart, independent, safe, active, and comfortable in a play area. Let’s take thrill as an example: Your thrill might be a zip line, mine might be climbing a dirt mound. An all-abilities playground allows for people of all ages and abilities to get their kicks.

Fun fact: These were co-developed by Utah State University.

$2 million of the $85 million parks bond passed by SLC voters is being applied to a new playground in Liberty Park. The park is 

, like a Chill Zone, Challenge Zone, and Thrill Zone. All-abilities elements include sensory gardens, a zipline with full-body support, wheelchair-accessible spin carousels, caregiver accommodations, and Braille and American Sign Language incorporation.

The new Liberty Park playground won’t break ground before 2025. In the meantime, find cheap thrills at some 

: Bickley Park in South Salt Lake, Draper City Park, Sierra Newbold Playground in West Jordan, and Magna Regional Park. 

Salt Lake’s ADA office wants to know what your neighborhood park needs to be inclusive? Email 

Salt Lake Plans for Inclusive Park Thrills

Salt Lake Parks

Whether it's off-leash dog parks, pickleball courts, pools or playgrounds, we are ranking the best parks in the valley, from Herriman to Salt Lake City, and everywhere in between.

Every Park SLC: Visiting All 511 Parks in Salt Lake County

Every Park SLC

Last Tuesday, SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed a 

 to the City Council, up 6% from last year. While it actually costs ~$2 billion to run our city, the General Fund is the portion of the budget funded by residents (think: property tax, sales tax, fines). 

Big themes include making Salt Lake City more family-friendly, increasing pedestrian safety, and what I’m calling Sports Lake City — preparing downtown for the NHL, 2034 Olympics, and maybe one day a championship-winning Jazz team.

: Policing, including 10-12 new cops along the Jordan River and North Temple.

 Public transit + on-demand ride services on the westside.

: Affordable housing, not including $18 million already approved by the RDA.

The SLC Council has until June 30 to vote on a final budget. Until then, they’re taking feedback from residents:

 on Tuesday, May 21 or Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m.

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed a $475 million budget to the City Council, up 6% from last year. This is what it means for Salt Lake.

Explaining the Salt Lake City Mayor's $475 Million Budget Proposal

What Salt Lakers have been wondering. We break down why things in Salt Lake City are the way they are and how they work.

Salt Lake, Explained

 here at City Cast Salt Lake (and patiently crossing our fingers for 

 that ends Monday, April 29). Whether city or county, libraries are a treasure trove of resources. And we’re not just talking books here.

You can get free seeds to use for gardening. They operate on an honor system, so only take what you need and donate seeds when you can.

 or in-person. There are seven locations of the city library that offer seeds: Main, Marmalade, Day-Riverside, Sprague, Glendale, Chapman, and Anderson-Foothill. Additionally, they’re 

 on the last Saturday of the month through September.

: The seed library generally runs from March-April at select locations, but they have sporadic events 

. Both the city and county libraries have creative offerings. Take advantage of their sewing machines or virtual reality equipment. Some other things you can find are 3D printers, sound booths for audio production, laser cutting, bike repair (tools and manuals), robotics, and Cricut machines 

 at SLC library are designed especially for caregivers of those with memory issues, like Alzheimer's or dementia. The kits include things like books, activities, fidget toys, and CDs to spark conversation and stimulate memories.

 at various library locations around the valley. Anyone under the age of 17 can use it for free or discounted admission to places like Clark Planetarium, UMOCA, the Natural History Museum, and more! If you get four stamps, you’ll get invited to the ZAP Summer Passport Celebration on Aug. 23 at Wheeler Farm.

? The SLC Main Library is an official passport application acceptance facility. It’s a first-come, first-served situation, so keep that in mind. If you need a photo, they can take one for $10; otherwise, bring your own.

 has items like telescopes, tablets, and GoPros that you can borrow with your library card.

Did we miss anything?

Whether city or county, libraries are a treasure trove of resources. And we’re not just talking books here.

Make the Most of Your Salt Lake Library Card

How To Make the Most of Your Salt Lake Library Card

Tips and tricks for living your best Salt Lake City life, by locals, for locals.

Salt Lake Life Hacks

If you’re looking for a way to help your neighbor this weekend, the Utah Food Bank is in need of volunteers this Saturday for their 

Every year, the Utah Food Bank hosts the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to make donating as easy as walking out to your mailbox. All participants have to do is fill a bag or box with non-perishable items and leave it by their mailbox before 9 a.m. on Saturday to be picked up by their local letter carrier.

Volunteers will be needed at various post office locations around the Salt Lake Valley to help the carriers sort through donations.

Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older and capable of moderate lifting.

Saturday, May 13 from 1-5 p.m. Sign up by 

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

The wildfire smoke that has been making its way from Canada to Utah over the past week is a reminder that 

, so what does that mean for how Salt Lakers will experience fire season — and the folks tasked with fighting the blaze? City Cast Salt Lake podcast host Ali Vallarta spoke to former wildland firefighter Jonathon Golden to find out.

What’s the difference between wildland firefighting and city firefighting?

“For wildland firefighting our focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on vegetation fires. As wildland firefighters, we're typically not trained or prepared to engage with structure fires or do ambulatory calls.

I would say towards the end of my career, and recently as well, there's a lot of mission creep, as fires start to consume more of the wildland urban interface. Oftentimes wildland firefighters are finding themselves in neighborhoods, backyards, so on and so forth, doing suppression activities. So the distinction is pretty clear and defined, but the environment is quickly eroding some of those responsibilities.”

Does a super snowy, super wet winter mean that we're in good shape headed into the summer?

“By all accounts it should, although we've been going through a pretty significant drought up until this past winter. What some of the climatologists are saying — that wildland firefighters rely on — is that the drought category has improved by a couple of levels in the past 12 months, largely because of the winter that we had here in Utah.

I think one thing to keep an eye on is, the soil moisture being where it is, it's gonna promote a lot of growth of grass. And then at some point, it'll start to warm up, and that grass will start to dry out and cure, and it's a tremendous carrier of fire. Some of the most erratic and incredible fire behavior I've seen has been on grass fires. It's something that we have to be mindful of and considerate of, especially as we recreate outdoors now that the weather is getting more conducive for that.”

Do you think that we'll be able to have campfires this summer?

“I think that you are probably safe to have campfires now. When it starts to get hotter and drier out, I would definitely expect and even potentially anticipate that there might be restrictions that are put in place. The best source for that information is the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management websites, or a local district office for federal lands.

A lot of it is just common sense. Make sure your fire is drowned out and cold to the touch. Don't walk away from a fire. And if it's been hot and dry for a spell, you might want to check in before you go on that next camping trip to make sure that you're OK to have a fire.”

Want to hear about how you can protect yourself and your home from wildfires? Listen to 

3 Questions with Former Wildland Firefighter Jonathon Golden

What Salt Lake City celebrities, public figures and key citizens have to say about living here.

3 Questions With Salt Lake Public Figures

3 Questions With

We all do our best to eat our veggies and support our local economy as much as we can. Well, one way we can do both is through CSA boxes.

CSA stands for community supported agriculture and it’s just that, people directly supporting local farmers. Each season you can purchase a share and pick up a box of fresh produce each week. Many also offer add-ons like eggs or baked goods.

 (the right of people to control their own food systems) before and CSA is another way we can accomplish that. It moves us away from industrial agriculture, builds community, and supports biodiversity.

☑️ Sign up ASAP as each place only has a limited number of shares.

☑️ CSA boxes are a commitment. It’s quite a lot of veggies in one box (even a half share) so ask neighbors or friends to go in one. Also, make sure you can commit to picking it up each week. Most don’t deliver!

☑️It can be expensive and you usually have to pay upfront. Again, consider splitting with someone else to help with the costs.

 is a program by Salt Lake City’s International Rescue Committee. It offers 16 weeks (June 28-Oct. 11) of full share, half share, and quarter share (which is perfect for 1-2 person households). They accept SNAP/EBT payments and have a pre-packed or free choice model to choose from.

Pre-Packed: Works like a traditional CSA where boxes are pre-packed. You can 

 to find out what produce to expect that week.

Free Choice: Choose your own veggies with this option. Each week you’ll head to the Redwood Farm in West Valley to hand select what you take home.

 revitalizes urban spaces to build a thriving food culture in our community. Their season is 20 weeks of shares (that feeds roughly two to three people) from June 6-Oct. 19. They accept SNAP/EBT payments and also offer a sliding scale if needed.

A Guide to Salt Lake CSA Boxes

, a very accident-prone weekend. Whether you donate blood regularly or are thinking about donating for the first time, you may have some questions. Regular donor and host Ali Vallarta spoke to ARUP medical director Dr. Waseem Anani 

 of a policy that banned sexually active gay and bisexual men from giving blood.

🩸 What Happens When You Donate a Unit?

“That one unit will be converted into two different products. The red part of it, or the red cell, will be spun out and put in a bag. Your plasma will be spun out away from your platelets and we’ll keep the plasma for a patient. Then, the platelets essentially get lost in the filter. So you get two products for every one of your blood donations.”

🩸 The New Policy Allowing Gay & Bisexual Men to Donate

“It's been years in the making. It started with a permanent deferral back in the 1980s when HIV was first identified, predominantly clustering in gay men. So for the safety of the blood, they decided that all gay and bisexual men that have sex with other men would be deferred for life if they've had sex with any other man since 1977. I think over time it became a stereotype of gay men in terms of donating, which is why it took so long for them to even make movement in that direction.”

“So, most people don't know this: I am afraid of looking at my own blood and I will pass out. I can look at anyone else, but when I see my own blood, I get really nervous. One of the nice things about our staff is a lot of them have been here a long time and they're really good at sticking people. They're really good at making you feel at ease — when you’re put at ease it makes it easy to have someone stick you with a needle and not pass out. It only takes between eight to 10 minutes and you're done.”

 for more about the FDA’s policy change and what happens when enough donors don’t walk through the door.

How is giving blood different now?

Blood is always in demand, but especially around Memorial Day, a very accident-prone weekend. Whether you donate blood regularly or are thinking about donating for the first time, you may have some questions. 

An Interview with ARUP Medical Director Dr. Waseem Anani

3 Questions with ARUP Medical Director Dr. Waseem Anani

Make Salt Lake City better, one neighbor at a time. Find volunteering opportunities, ways to get involved and give back, and more.

public services

A Competition to Make Utah Better

Restaurants Offering Free Meals

Salt Lake City's $512 Million Budget Proposal

Latest articles

A Competition to Make Utah Better

Restaurants Offering Free Meals

Salt Lake City's $512 Million Budget Proposal

Salt Lake Plans for Inclusive Park Thrills

Explaining the Salt Lake City Mayor's $475 Million Budget Proposal

How To Make the Most of Your Salt Lake Library Card

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Latest articles

Salt Lake Plans for Inclusive Park Thrills

Explaining the Salt Lake City Mayor's $475 Million Budget Proposal

How To Make the Most of Your Salt Lake Library Card

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

3 Questions with Former Wildland Firefighter Jonathon Golden

A Guide to Salt Lake CSA Boxes

3 Questions with ARUP Medical Director Dr. Waseem Anani