Sandy City Council Also Initiates Independent Water Quality Investigation

SANDY, Utah – Sandy City Council members are also stepping in to monitor their ongoing water quality debacle.

They voted unanimously Tuesday night to initiate another independent investigation into the ongoing incident.

Mayor Kurt Bradburn announced Monday at a packed town hall meeting that the city was also launching an independent investigation.

While city council members reminded residents that they have no operational authority over city departments, they say they want to help with oversight.

In a statement, the mayor says he supports their decision.

“I am very supportive of our city council assembling an independent investigation. I’m just as eager as the council to get to the bottom of what happened and learn how we can improve. I think it’s very important that this investigation be done independently from the council and administration so we can have a clear and unbiased understanding of how the event unfolded. It’s critical to our residents that they get a complete and transparent process.”

One week ago, Jodi Monaco was the only person at that night’s Sandy City Council meeting questioning Public Utilities Director Tom Ward about his account of the water incident.

She spoke up after Ward’s presentation of the water quality issue.

Monaco said, “He had checked all the boxes, and he was done and this was resolved. When I spoke, I said, I’ve actually spoken to neighbors and that is not true.”

You can watch the entire meeting here.

Ward speaks around the 23 minute mark. Monaco speaks between 40 and 50 minutes.

In video of the meeting, Monaco is seen frustrated saying, “That’s not an issues management plan. I mean really, this is a very concerning issue.”

A council member responds, “Good stuff. Let’s try to not make it happen again.”

At this Thursday’s council meeting, she’s no longer alone with her concerns.

Tonight is NOT the 1st @sandycityutah council meeting where resident Jodi Monaco questioned public utilities dir. Tom Ward about water quality issues in her neighborhood.

But tonight, she had many more folks on her side…Quite the difference one week later, watch @KSL5TV 10pm pic.twitter.com/fBIthllR2m

— Caitlin Burchill (@newsyCaitlin) February 20, 2019

After about a dozen residents spoke up, the council voted unanimously to appoint an investigative committee, with no ties to the city, to look at emergency management practices and communication, among other issues.

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Related Stories: 

• Lab Director: Many Interested In Independent Water Quality Testing
• Sandy City Council Likely To Launch Investigation Into Water Contamination
• Sandy Residents Express Frustration At Water Quality Town Hall
• Volunteers Go Door To Door Collecting Water Samples In Sandy

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Some locals still wonder who should be held accountable.

Should Ward keep his gig? We asked him.

“We are doing our investigation, and there will be an independent one, and I think that will give you the information that you’d like to know. I accept the results of that.”

This while others urge the community to pull together and find solutions.

One resident spoke in tears at Tuesday’s meeting.

“People care about this community, and I care about the community, but what I don’t want to hear tonight is pointing fingers and incrimination.”
The council will use contingency funds to pay for this investigation.

Members say they will be creating some sort of committee for local input, but they’ve tabled what that will look like until another time.