Salt Lake City Council confirms Mark Kittrell as city attorney; approves budget amendment to begin development of the Fleet Block. 

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The Salt Lake City Council approved the appointment of a new city attorney during their meeting Tuesday. They also approved a third amendment to the 2025 budget.

New City Attorney
The Council unanimously voted to approve the appointment of Mark Kittrell as the new Salt Lake City Attorney. The vote was met with applause from attendees and the Council.

Kittrell steps into the position after Katie Lewis left the role at the end of last year. Prior to his appointment, Kittrell served as deputy city attorney for five years. He advised public utilities and the police prior to that.

"I feel like the diverse client mix has really exposed the workings of this city and all its facets, and I feel that that has given me a great skill set from which to jump into this role,” Kittrell said at the Council’s work session earlier that day.

Kittrell has served as acting city attorney since Lewis’ departure, a role several Council members thanked him for at the work session.

“It’s a difficult task to be an attorney for an organization, but to be an attorney for a political organization where you're representing two branches of government is an extremely difficult and delicate task,” Council chairperson Chris Wharton said. “I’m just so appreciative that you were able to step into that.”

Budget Amendment
The Council passed the remaining line items in a third amendment to the 2025 fiscal year budget. The 21 items included in the amendment amount to more than $21.7 million in expenditures.

Among the new spending items, $150,000 will go toward treatment of diseased sycamore trees in Salt Lake City. This item was proposed by Councilmember Dan Dugan after a handful of constituents spoke at previous meetings asking the city to address the sick trees. The Administration has indicated treatment will likely cost more than $150,000, but this is expected to be addressed in the 2026 budget, to be adopted later this year.

Roughly $4 million will go toward developing infrastructure within the Fleet Block as part of the City’s work to redevelop the property, located on 300 West between 900 South and 800 South. The City is selling approximately 1 acre of the block, and the money from this sale will reimburse the infrastructure expenditures. The sale of the acre is contingent on the new property owner developing new housing, including units affordable for those making 80% of the area’s median income. It also requires the construction of commercial space for nonprofit organizations and local businesses.

Another $64,000—from a donation to the city—will support the creation of a Justice Bus. The Bus would be modeled after Ohio’s Justice Bus, which brings legal help to low-income and underserved communities in the state.

At the Council’s meeting earlier this month, members approved one line item allowing the City’s Information Management Services Department to hire a new full-time employee.

Grant Applications
The Council also held a public hearing on two grant applications, though no one spoke to the items. One of these applications was for a loan from the Utah Department of Public Utilities to address contamination in the 4th Avenue Well.

The well was found to contain PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” last year. However, the well is not in use and thus has not affected drinking water. The loan is worth $800,000.

The other grant was requested by the Fire Department to the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. If approved, this grant would fund new medical supplies. Both grants will be on a future consent agenda for final approval by the Council.