This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Holladay • Celebratory cheesecake and sparkling cider was passed out to attendees of Holladay's City Council meeting on Thursday night after council members unanimously voted to approve the annexation of Olympus Hills.

The action means that Holladay will absorb the mostly residential area with a small amount of commercial property.

This annexation should be official Jan. 1, as long as some required paperwork is completed by the state and Salt Lake County.

There was no public comment Thursday regarding the annexation.

Councilman Lynn Pace was excited for the approval and commended the supporters' hard work in petitioning and educating residents in Olympus Hills. 

"It has been a long journey, particularly for those in the neighborhood who have been out on the streets visiting with their neighbors, discussing the issues, and I think in a rather remarkable way voicing their opinion as to what they think is best for the future of their community," Pace said.

Mayor Robert M. Dahle said he looks forward to welcoming the new residents into Holladay on Jan. 1, assuring that the council will work to make the transition as smooth as possible.

"Our staff will begin immediately working on delivering the petition to the lieutenant governor and we'll begin working immediately on the administrative details associated with transitioning the area in.

There will certainly be hiccups but we will do our very best to try to communicate the process with the citizens in the annexed area," Dahle said.

Among the members of the council, Steven H. Gunn had been the biggest critic of the proposed annexation. His reservations began with a report from Zions Bank that stated it would cost the city around $90,000 to annex the new area into Holladay.

City Manager Randy Fitts, at a public hearing a few weeks earlier, explained that the report's high dollar amount came from police protection and that there were additional sources of revenue that had not been counted in the report.

"After much consideration, I have concluded that it is in the best interest of my constituents and the citizens of Holladay that this new neighborhood be annexed into our city," Gunn said.