Shane Topham, who has served as Cottonwood Heights city attorney since before the city officially existed, is stepping down after more than two decades in the role. His successor, Todd R. Sheeran, will take over on Monday, August 3.

The city will honor Topham with a retirement dinner on Monday, August 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Community Room at Cottonwood Heights City Hall, 2277 E. Bengal Blvd. Because a quorum of the city council may attend, City Recorder Tiffany Janzen posted a public notice on Sunday, July 19, under Utah's open meetings law.

Topham has held the city attorney post since 2004, according to the city council's July 7 business meeting agenda. That start date predates Cottonwood Heights' incorporation on Jan. 14, 2005, when the community became the 16th city in Utah. His departure marks the end of a tenure that spans the entire life of the "city between the canyons."

The council voted on Tuesday, July 7, to approve Resolution 2026-48, consenting to the city manager's appointment of Sheeran as Topham's replacement. The city has not published biographical details about Sheeran. His appointment becomes effective August 3.

Topham is not the only long-serving official departing this summer. The same July 7 agenda included a resolution awarding retiring Cottonwood Heights Police Department Capt. Scott Ricks his badge after 40 years of public service, including 19 with CHPD. The two departures together represent a significant turnover in the city's senior leadership under Mayor Gay Lynn Bennion and council members Suzanne Hyland, Shawn Newell, Ellen Birrell, and Matthew Holton.

Cottonwood Heights incorporated in 2005 after residents in the unincorporated Salt Lake County area voted to form their own municipality. The city sits between Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon, giving it access to Brighton and Solitude ski resorts. Topham's 2004 start date suggests he was involved in the legal work surrounding the city's formation.