Or has it?
After the City Council voted last week to file away a master plan for the one-time downtown soccer site, Council Chairman Dave Buhler halfheartedly suggested sending Sandy a congratulatory letter for beating out the capital in the stadium sweepstakes.
But other council members balked.
"It could be a mixed blessing," Carlton Christensen said of the stadium. And Eric Jergensen added, intriguingly: "It's not over yet."
Really?
Public money for the stadium - Real Salt Lake is seeking $45 million - has yet to clear the Legislature. Maybe, if the funding plan fizzles, team owner Dave Checketts will dust off his dream to put the stadium downtown?
"You never give up hope," Jergensen said. "The best place for the soccer stadium is still in Salt Lake City."
Only your lobbyist knows for sure: Sen. Al Mansell didn't quite know who would be appointing Utah's property-rights ombudsman under SB268 - even though he is sponsoring the bill.
At first, the Sandy Republican thought the ombudsman would be appointed by the governor.
"Wait, that's not true," he told a Senate committee.
Next he said it would be the Commerce Department director. Still not right.
Mansell's final answer: An advisory board created to give direction to the ombudsman would do the hiring and firing.
The lawmaker had an explanation for his confusion.
"I've been in Italy [for the Winter Olympics], what do I know," he said. "[The bill] changed every day I was there."
Mansell turned to lobbyist Mike Ostermiller, who represents Utah Realtors, to explain the hiring-and-firing procedures under SB268.
"Let me have Mike sit up here with me for a minute, he knows more about it than I do," Mansell said.
New Yorker? Nah, chicken nuggets: Salt Lake County Republicans and Democrats quarrel over politics, policy and, now, eating habits.
When Democratic Councilman Jim Bradley brought Salt Lake City "Dine-Around" representatives before the County Council asking for $25,000 for the annual downtown fine-dining festival, Republicans took issue with the location.
"Are you saying the only thing we have out in the hinterlands are McDonalds?" asked GOP Councilman Dave Wilde, who represents Murray and Taylorsville.
Most at the table laughed, except south valley representative and fellow Republican, Marv Hendrickson.
"Actually," he said, "maybe the cumulative effect of the McDonald's revenue and tax would outweigh the swanky downtown places."
Republicans, who outnumber Democrats by one member, prevailed. The request flamed out, falling one vote shy.
Lambert shares the love - and the lucre: Since he decided not to seek re-election last year, now-former Salt Lake City Councilman Dale Lambert didn't have to spend his stored-up campaign contributions on campaigning. Nor did he divvy it among other office seekers, as other politicians are wont to do.
No, Lambert cleared out his war chest by donating to charitable causes: $750 to the American Red Cross for Katrina relief, $150 to a worldwide relief program, $100 to the Utah Food Bank and another $100 to help pay for a monument at Library Square that honors organ donors.
Mayor Rocky Anderson should be happy about that last contribution. By the last count, he needs to raise more than $300,000 by March to pay for the already-built monument. Anderson's office authorized the construction - though there wasn't enough money for it and he didn't get the Council's OK.
Ambulance chasers: Gold Cross didn't defend its track record in Salt Lake City during a meeting last week in which the capital's Fire Department explained why it shifted the emergency-transportation contract to Southwest Ambulance.
It didn't have to. Council Chairman Dave Buhler played the role of Gold Cross guardian just fine.
Clearly irritated with fire officials, Buhler wondered why the department doesn't know how many ambulances Gold Cross now has stationed in the city.
Part of the justification for switching to Southwest is that the new company would dedicate at least seven ambulances to the city.
Buhler also wondered why, when the mayor's office is so gung-ho about shopping local, the city would hire an Arizona-based company over the hometown Gold Cross.
After the meeting, Buhler said he had "no idea" whether the department should have stuck with Gold Cross. He just wanted to ensure fire officials made the right decision. "Literally, lives are on the line."
One of the Gold Cross owners lives in Buhler's district and has been a long-time contributor. Most recently, Buhler accepted $400 in 2003 from Gold Cross. The company also gave Councilman Eric Jergensen $200 last year.
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Have a tip for Off the Agenda? E-mail or call Heather May at hmay@sltrib.com, 257-8723, Derek P. Jensen at djensen@sltrib.com, 257-8785, or Jacob Santini at jsantini@sltrib.com, 257-8756.
