City Council Minutes 7-19-22

TREMONTON CITY CORPORATION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JULY 19, 2022

Members Present:
Connie Archibald
Wes Estep
Bret Rohde
Rick Seamons
Lyle Vance
Lyle Holmgren, Mayor
Shawn Warnke, City Manager
Marc Christensen, Assistant City Manager
Linsey Nessen, City Recorder

CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP

Mayor Holmgren called the July 19, 2022 City Council Workshop to order at 5:03 p.m. The meeting was held in the City Council Meeting Room at 102 South Tremont Street, Tremonton, Utah. Those in attendance were Mayor Holmgren, Councilmembers Archibald, Estep, Rohde, Seamons, and Vance, City Manager Warnke, Assistant City Manager Christensen, and City Recorder Nessen. The following Department Heads were also present: Public Works Director Paul Fulgham, Interim Police Chief Brian Crockett (arrived at 5:07 p.m.), and Parks and Recreation Director Zach LeFevre (arrived at 5:06 p.m.).

The following items were discussed out of order.

1. Presentation and discussion of septic tanks- Mark Rees and Jordan Mathis, Bear River Health Department and Ryan Snow, Providence City Manager

Mr. Jordan Mathis went through some things they have grappled with in other areas. He then gave an overview for septic systems. On-site wastewater systems work well. Those who approve these systems do so with a license and make the best judgement to protect health, safety, and the environment. On the city level, you have to make sure your treatment facility is meeting your regulations and protecting the public. We do the same thing, but on an individual level. However, we do not go back to make sure owners pump their system and do not plant trees or construct over it or on the replacement area. The individual who accepted the permit agrees to be responsible for operation and maintenance.

Mr. Mathis then reviewed how those systems work and what is required. The Bear River Health Department assesses health and environmental risks. We consult with policy and State statutes as we look at proposed plans. We work in partnerships with the County and municipalities. We could work more with both the contractors and homeowners on education. We need to look at sustainable ways to promote development within our community that will work long-term. What are the enforcement actions and how do we make sure they are being enforced? Are our current policies and practices working? Are we seeing issues and where do we need to make changes? Even though we permit these systems and they work, by default as a public health professional, we try to get people connected to sewer. The reason for that is to take out a number of variables for failure to occur and potential issues surrounding health and safety. Tremonton has heavy clays that influence soil, which is a concern. Ground water and high water tables can create issues, too. There are other unknowns. We do an exploration hole with a maximum depth of about 10 feet. If there is something beyond that we do not know. Additional variables include land use, the density of systems, and surrounding irrigation practices, as well as the introduction of new water sources.

Mr. Mathis said when we provide permits, we do not do so unless there is a place to act as a backup area if that system fails. That way people can construct a new system. That comes with issues when the house is sold off. That Plan B can disappear if someone expands over that. Plan C is the City. Additional flows can impact it based off the use. Then there is the operation and maintenance. When an individual receives the permit, they should be paying themselves for the operation and maintenance the same way you charge your residents for the operation and maintenance of the sewer system. Homeowners need to take responsibility, since there is no regulatory process for that, in case of failure. One of the reasons we are big proponents of getting individuals to connect to municipal or district type systems is because it takes all the variables out of it. We have greater levels of assurance. I want to be clear. On-site wastewater systems work, but the introduction of multiple variables, which we have discussed, is when we have a default preference toward getting people connected to larger sewer systems. You will have less issues. There needs to be greater coordination. We need to do a better job as government agencies overseeing the health and safety of our community to have greater levels of assurance. It is better to do a good job now than down the road.

When asked about developing in areas that do not have sewer, but could one day, Mr. Mathis said you need to consider what you can do in advance. People who eventually make the switch from septic to sewer are opposed to the connection fee and annexation. If you are looking long-term, you need to say sewer is going to be here and you will have to convert. They could pay the connection fee now as part of development, which takes out the backlash when it is two owners later and someone is surprised by that bill to connect. You need to work on getting money in advance to put aside to work toward extending that infrastructure. Councilmember Vance said we have subdivisions all around us that are being built in the County with septic tanks. We could not afford to pump the sewer—it was too costly. So, the developer went with the County and did septic tanks. The City is going to be required to fix their problem. How do we solve the problem so this does not happen? Mr. Mathis said it is costly now, but keep in mind you may be option C at some point. That is when you are the only option. These people are close enough to the City that they feed your economy. You could be faced with the decision of do I let those homes be condemned or do I help and have compassion. Upfront costs might be better than down the road costs.

Mr. Mathis said we agencies need to determine how we can better work together so there is oversight and have a master plan. There is a lot of pressure toward development with the housing shortage and trying to make one agency do it the right way is tough. We need to stand together and do things in the most sustainable way. Councilmember Vance said we need to have a meeting with the City, the County, and the Bear River Health Department. The County cannot just fork out the building permits like they are. Manager Warnke said when developers want that permit that is the time to require those improvements. It is much harder when we have more than one homeowner involved and it is harder after the fact. We could have an ordinance that the Health Department could consider in conjunction with the County. Mr. Mathis said other county and health departments have done similar things. We need to come together and be united on current policy to work together to provide good development. We need solutions that work together. State statue and rule is meant to give general guidance on how we govern across the State, but sometimes those are not adequate for unique situations. I am confident we can work with the County to find some solutions. It will take time, but getting it right is important. Manager Warnke said it would be well to go through that planning process and include our engineer to determine the infrastructure we need and the cost associated with that. That way we can make good decisions based on good analysis. Mr. Mathis said make sure you include what will be in the City long-term. Manager Warnke asked if we ever got into a position when the Health Department felt it was prudent to do an ordinance, could you identify the boundary in which it applies. Mr. Mathis said it would apply to the entire district. We are governed by County ordinance under certain situations.

The Council thanked the members of the Health Department for their time.

2. Presentation and discussion on a Main Street and Social Media Coordinator- Sara Mohrman & Shawn Warnke, City Manager

Manager Warnke said Main Street has been a focus for the City Council for several years and during that time has undertaken several plans. A national program, associated with revitalizing main streets, has a four-step approach. Ms. Mohrman will review that along with our planning efforts and how they correlate. I will talk about the recommendations for hiring a Main Street Manager and Social Media Manager.

Ms. Mohrman read a quote that said downtown is important because it is the heart and soul of any community. If you do not have a healthy downtown then you simply do not have a healthy town. She said I felt that summed up this whole presentation. First, I want to breakdown what the Main Street program is so we know how we want to formulate that into our Main Street. The four main pillars include economic vitality, design, focus on promotions, and strong organization. We want to forge partnerships. She then gave an overview of the plans the City has done, first with a plan in 1988, another in 2002 with the General Plan being created, and the 2013 plan with the SDAT addressing Main Street issues and economic connectivity. We will use those to connect with the Main Street program. These plans have focused on replacing or sprucing up declining businesses. The General Plan wanted to attract and encourage shopping while improving and beautifying the appearance of Main Street. This includes providing public restrooms and drinking fountains, while maintaining a walking friendly downtown. The SDAT had the same idea with revitalizing the commercial district, as well as updating signage and store fronts. The 1988 study determined Tremonton lacked a downtown attraction. It was suggested the City evaluate their annual calendar of events and come up with new ideas. The General Plan had an idea of creating a vibrant mix of business and cultural opportunities in the downtown area to attract activity, which then attracts shoppers. The SDAT talked about Midland Square being a good space for shoppers or activities, which is good for merchants. The 1988 report said it is critical to have a core group of business leaders who are enthusiastic and dedicated. It can be a small group of people who will focus on organization, existing businesses, and a joint advertising effort to develop a plan with the City. They would set the priority and be responsible for managing that revitalization. The SDAT had the same recommendations for getting residents, businesses, and government working together.

Manager Warnke said it was interesting reading these plans because they had a lot of the same issues that were identified. The SDAT did a Main Street plan that discussed improvement to the streetscape. We have been putting money aside for that purpose. There are many different things in the four-step approach that are important. You can focus so much on design and fix the appearance issues, but you do not fix the community or economic things to create a central business district. That is what we are trying to accomplish. It is important to think more holistically about Main Street as its own organism and how to create that in a way that it accomplishes the end objective, which is a district that is economically vital and vibrant. We have done quite a few things over the years that have put us in a position to move forward with this next step, which is hiring a part-time Main Street Manager. This would be a great way for the City to try this position without being committed long-term. We would enter into a contract with someone who has the expertise and desire to move Main Street forward. At the end of the year, we would evaluate to see if it is doing what we are hoping to accomplish. The 1988 plan suggested something similar. In order to implement a successful program, someone must be in charge every day. The SDAT suggested getting organized by hiring a Downtown District Manager and to work on branding, which we are. It also suggested partnering with public agencies and revitalizing downtown through signage and renovations.

Manager Warnke said I think there is a correlation between a Main Street Manager and a Social Media Manager. They are congruent and there would be some synergy by having the same person do each role. The City recently did a survey though the branding process to find out how citizens like to receive information. An online presence was important for conveying information. If the Council wants to consider a Main Street Manager and Social Media Manager, we would create a job description and a plan for the position. We would amend the budget and appropriate some of those reserves. We anticipate it would be roughly 20 hours a week for social media and 10 hours a week for Main Street.

Ms. Mohrman gave an overview for the Social Media Manager. They would highlight our local businesses and events by promoting what is happening around town. They would promote in advance so there is a good turnout. They would share the stories of our local businesses and highlight the members of our community who are doing good. They would also help introduce the community to our City leaders and workers. They would help create small profiles. This would help improve that relationship between you and the residents. They would also provide them with pertinent information and have a simple graphic that breaks things down on social media. This could include City Council agendas and encourage the public to attend. They would also provide a summary of the meetings, news, or fun things that occur. They will promote the Main Street community and gathering people from outside the area to spend money and participate in our events. For the four categories we discussed earlier, economically they would create a shop local incentive. This would encourage people to shop locally. They would submit receipts and then there would be drawings for prizes. Under design they would work on improving façade and sign grants. They would help get wayfinding finalized and install benches along Main Street. They could also help with potential grants. They would help businesses move broken or irrelevant signage and brighten Main Street. They would also help to decorate Main Street for the Christmas season and work with Parks and Recreation on the Christmas light competition.

We envision that the Main Street Manager would walk downtown and put eyes on it to see what needs to be fixed and what is and is not happening. As far as promotion goes, we would have a designated person who would coordinate the events and advertise them. The Social Media and Main Street managers could be the same person. They would help create more events in the downtown area to bring a crowd and could hold fundraisers. They would also work on partnerships with organizations in town. We would add a space to the City website to highlight City businesses. There could also be a category for restaurants and things to do. This helps people know what there is to do. Residents could also submit photos and stories from around Tremonton and the Bear River Valley. The Social Media Manager would collect that content. Finally, for organization and implementation, the Main Street Manager would work as a liaison between the City and businesses to help with creating and running the events specific to the downtown district. They would work in partnership with the existing City departments and local businesses to help them advertise their own businesses, as well as others.

Councilmember Rohde said I think we need to get a good job description and create a work plan before we move forward so we can see what they need to get done. We also need to consider how we will measure success. We need to make sure we have some measures to know if this is being successful. There should be a correlation with the Chamber of Commerce. In the job description it should be clear that they should be visiting with the business owners and building relationships. They would answer questions and bring the community together. The Council thanked them for the presentation. Manager Warnke confirmed that they would finish the job description and tune up the plan so they could come up with benchmarks.

3. Review of the agenda items identified on 7:00 p.m. City Council Agenda

4. CLOSED SESSIONS: No closed session held at this time.

a. Strategy session to discuss the purchase of real property when public discussion of the transaction would disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property under consideration or prevent the public body from completing the transaction on the best possible terms; and/or
b. Strategy session to discuss the character, professional competence or physical or mental health of an individual; and/or
c. Strategy sessions to discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation; and/or
d. Discussions regarding security personnel, devices or systems

The meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m. by consensus of the Council.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Mayor Holmgren called the July 19, 2022 City Council Meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. The meeting was held in the Tremonton City Council Meeting Room at 102 South Tremont Street, Tremonton, Utah. Those in attendance were Mayor Holmgren, Councilmembers Archibald, Estep, Rohde, Seamons, and Vance, City Manager Warnke, Assistant City Manager Christensen, and City Recorder Nessen. The following Department Heads were also present: Fire Chief Robert LaCroix, Public Works Director Paul Fulgham, Interim Police Chief Brian Crockett, and Parks and Recreation Director Zach LeFevre.

1. Opening Ceremony:

Mayor Holmgren informed the audience that he had received no written or oral request to participate in the Opening Ceremony. He asked anyone who may be offended by listening to a prayer to step out into the lobby for this portion of the meeting. The prayer was offered by Mayor Holmgren and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilmember Archibald.

2. Introduction of guests: Mayor Holmgren welcomed those in attendance.

3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest: None.

4. Approval of Agenda:

Motion by Councilmember Vance to approve the agenda of July 19, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilmember Seamons. Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

5. Approval of minutes – July 5, 2022

Motion by Councilmember Archibald to approve the minutes of July 5, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilmember Estep. Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

6. Public comments:

Resident Jeff Hoedt said thank you for not increasing property taxes. Inflation has had an impact on our household and many others so we were hopeful you would not increase taxes on top of that. Thank you. I also wanted to compliment you on the presentations that just took place. They were excellent and I appreciated the discussion. On the marketing item, you labeled it as a Social Media Coordinator, but I see different ways to communicate with the public. You said that was according to a survey, but what I do not know is if it is a valid or reliable survey. What was the sample and how was it selected? What age groups does it include? If it was a valid survey and goes with proper standard deviations and all the proper statistical terms then great, if not, I would ask you to consider a broader range of constituents and different modes of communication. I was really glad to hear about wanting measures of effectiveness, determining what you are trying to accomplish, and having goals. Those are good conversations, so kudos. Assistant City Manager Christensen said for the survey we provided emails so they sent that to those we had on file, as well as a push on Facebook. We had about 350 for a sample size, which they felt was a good number of residents.

7. Presentations:

a. Main Street and Social Media Coordinator- Sara Mohrman & Shawn Warnke, City Manager (If it has not occurred in 5:00 p.m. City Council Workshop)
b. Secondary Water Usage and Report- Lyle Holmgren, Mayor and Paul Fulgham, Public Works Director

Mayor Holmgren asked Director Fulgham to provide an overview on secondary water. Information is provided to the Council regularly and is on the City’s website under service and utilities. Director Fulgham showed the water capacity for both culinary and secondary and where they are today compared to previous years. Mayor Holmgren said this was a very good move by the City Council to instigate this secondary water system. Director Fulgham said we have 652 customers currently on secondary water. We still have another 500 who could connect. What will drive them to do that is the increased cost to their bill. Culinary usage has gone up, but new growth is a factor. Secondary water will go up every year, too. Our peak demand time is a couple weeks in July and August. This shows you those numbers 10 years ago versus now. Peak usage is going down based on when we started adding secondary. We build everything in our culinary system for two to three months out of the year. Usage will start to drop in August. We are a bit behind schedule on secondary. Third east will be paved in the next week and has passed all the tests. Rupp’s Trucking is getting services in at Holmgren Estates. Then they will finish up around the library. Service area 5 will be complete as far as pumping goes, but we are waiting on Rocky Mountain Power to get the power and transformers to us. Both service areas 2 and 5 will be going this year. Matheson is Service Area 2 and they already had that going. Once all of it is hooked in around the school and they have passed the tests and been patched up we will be able to turn that on. We should be pumping in August. We have 5.5 million gallons of storage, which helps us in peak times. Our capacity is five million gallons a day or 35 million gallons a week. In years past our tanks were not full, but we are sitting well (over 50% full). We also contract to buy 150-acre feet of water from the Conservancy District. We have used 16-acre feet of water at the end of June. If we go over, we pay per thousand gallons. If we do not use the water, we do not get money back, it is our insurance. Our goal is always to use that up, but not go over.

Councilmember Vance asked if we have heard anything from the engineer. Director Fulgham said we have talked and are hoping by the end of July. We will present something to you in August. Mayor Holmgren said I had a conversation with a farmer the other day and he was upset that Tremonton is taking the water away from the farmers. I did a calculation to help explain it to him. Based on these numbers, the average cubic feet per second is 1.6. That is what we are using on average during the week. He had only heard we were using 5.6 million gallons, which sounds like a lot, but in terms he understood it made better sense and did not sound like so much water. Director Fulgham said the City owns 536 shares. We have a lot more shares at our pump stations because the canal manager wanted us to have the peak amount assigned to them. We have a lot more shares assigned to our pump stations than we are actually using. That is why it is important to keep track of all these records to show them our actual use. We are hopeful they will agree this is not as big of an impact as they feared it would be. Councilmember Rohde said we have more than 500 shares and only use six. We have a very small impact on all the shares and are actually providing more water to the farmers because we are not using all that is available to us. Director Fulgham said yes, if we are not utilizing them that is more water in the system. The ones we are not using got put into the lease pool so the Canal Company can lease those out and give more water to those with a shortage. Mayor Holmgren said the reason why they require so many shares for the peak period is because we do not have the equalization basin built yet. Once it is built, they will not be so worried.

8. New Council Business:

a. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-39 appointing Dustin Cordova to serve as Tremonton City Police Chief

Items 8. a. and 8. b. were discussed together. Manager Warnke said we went through the process and determined Dustin Cordova would be the new Police Chief and Brian Crockett would be the Assistant Chief. Both are well prepared to work together. They will be a strong management and leadership team. Mr. Cordova will start the end of July. Interim Chief Crockett is knowledgeable about Tremonton. The Council thanked Interim Chief Crockett for all he has done up to this point.

Motion by Councilmember Archibald to adopt the resolution and make this appointment. Motion seconded by Councilmember Rohde. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

b. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-40 appointing Brian Crockett as Assistant Police Chief

Motion by Councilmember Archibald adopt the resolution and make this appointment. Motion seconded by Councilmember Rohde. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

c. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-41 amending a management policy for the acceptance and processing of green waste at the Tremonton City Compost Facility

Director Fulgham said this facility was to be used by Tremonton and Garland City residents because their utility bills for wastewater pays for its operations. The facility has one purpose, which is to produce compost. We chip up the wood that is put in there and use it in the composting process. Since Garland is out on their own and their utility bill does not pay for that facility anymore it should be closed to just Tremonton City residents since they are the ones funding it. That is not subsidized by tax dollars of any kind and that is why we want to change the ordinance. We have talked to Garland Mayor Bourne and she understands. This will help us not fill up so fast and have to pay more for it. People can still take things to the landfill. The County has a means to dispose of those. We take that for our residents for free. We will take the green waste or grass clippings still. We use that along with the bio solids from the treatment plant and then we need the wood chips to create space and air to keep it from smelling.

Motion by Councilmember Vance to adopt the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Estep. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

d. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-42 approving an amendment to the Lawncare Service Agreement between Tremonton City and Double J Lawn Care adding a fuel surcharge to the Mowing Contract when fuel prices are over $3.00 per gallon.

Assistant City Manager Christensen said the mowing contractors approached me in June about the contract they signed the end of 2020 when gas prices were about $2.20. Those prices are now over $5. They sent a form requesting a fuel surcharge. They were not expecting it to go that high. We came to a conclusion, if the Council chooses to amend it. Right now, they are paying about $700 a month based on fuel. If gas prices are $3 to $4 they pay 250 a month. When they are $4 to $5 they pay $750. We are proposing they submit a separate invoice for the fuel surcharge and prove that based off a website that shows the average fuel price for the month. Councilmember Vance said these guys do a good job. It is always well kept and there has been an increase in service by having them do it.

Motion by Councilmember Vance to adopt the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Seamons. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

e. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-43 approving a landscape plan for the Bear River Valley Senior Center

Manager Warnke said the City has made a conservative effort to get rid of non-functional turf. It is proposed that areas around the Senior Center with turf be removed and replaced with xeriscape or water wise stuff. We did that at Jeanie Stevens Park and it has made a big impact. We have to use a landscape architect to get their expertise, but this is a project our Public Works employees have done well. We have budgeted $30,000 for this, but I am not sure it will be that much.

Motion by Councilmember Rohde to adopt the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Seamons. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

f. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 22-44 appointing Julie Beagley to serve on the Tremonton City Library Board and reaffirming and appointing existing Library Board members

Motion by Councilmember Archibald to adopt the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Vance. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

9. Calendar Items and Previous Assignment

a. Review of calendar

Director LeFevre gave an overview of the upcoming Hay Days event. He said a couple of years ago we changed it from Tremonton City Days to Hay Days. That is due to the community heritage. Tremonton was founded by a colony of German farmers in 1903 and has since been known as an agricultural area. As we continue to grow and get more developed we want to remember our heritage. This event is a celebration or wheat, grass, straw, alfalfa, and all other types of hays that have made Tremonton what it is today. We celebrate with fun activities for all ages, with vendors, food trucks, fireworks, and so much more. The Mayor and Council will serve food for the pancakes in the park breakfast on Saturday at 8 a.m. All activities will be at Jeanie Stevens Park. Another key thing is the community dinner on Friday at 6 p.m. The Council will help serve and mingle there, too. It is a Western broil, which is of German Heritage. The kids’ carnival and booths open at 4 p.m., on Friday. There is a movie in the park that night. We have the baby contest, diaper derby, and family contests. Fireworks will be at 10 p.m., on Saturday. There will also be a concert. We also have a Cornhole tournament. The first eight teams in each division get to play. People like to keep playing so this year I got LED lights to put around the boards and let them play in the dark. Tremonton’s Got Talent is new this year. The Car Show is also back. The Council thanked him for all his work.

b. Unfinished Business/Action Items: None.

Councilmember Vance said we met with BRAG to have our Senior Center questions answered. BRAG will send a letter to other communities who are utilizing the Senior Center asking them to pay for their share. Councilmember Archibald asked what their decision was if communities decide not to patriciate? Or do not respond, then what happens? Mayor Holmgren said we could still receive the funds, but they would be recalculated for only those communities we serve. Assistant City Manager Christensen said it would be a drastic change because it is based off your square milage, as well as population. Councilmember Vance said there was not really any resolve. If the other communities are not willing to participate it basically just forces us to take care of our own. The loss would be much less than $84,000 a year if we had to pay for our own citizens. It will have to be brought up and discussed with everyone. I hope they can get the communities to participate so we can continue to do what we are doing. Manager Warnke said this is uncharted territory for BRAG. We told them all the options and they are grappling with what to do. They have suggested helping us mitigate it by becoming more involved and advocates on behalf of Tremonton for other cities to help get participation.

10. Reports & Comments:

a. City Manager Reports and Comments: None.
b. Development Review Committee Report and Comments

Manager Warnke said we are seeing a little slower processing of development applications and there is more single-family detached housing. We still have a few multi-family projects continuing to move in the process. The most notable is Bear River Meadows, which is on the verge of being approved. That is a development south of town. We are also discussing with the Planning Commission a rezone associated with some multi-family between 600 North and 1000 North. That is a rezone and a transfer of density based on the City acquiring property for a storm drain basin and park.

c. City Department Head Reports and Comments: None.
d. Council Reports and Comments

Councilmember Rohde asked about fires associated with fireworks. Chief LaCroix said four small grass fires were started by fireworks over the 4th of July. People can start lighting them on July 22 again. We had a problem in a restricted area on Radio Hill. Those restrictions were supposed to be posted at the firework place and not be sold to them. Treasurer Oyler has sent a letter to those who live in a restricted area. Councilmember Rohde asked if the water coming out of the treatment plant was clean enough to raise fish in. Director Fulgham said yes, but we have to do a test on it. To build a pond you would have to pump water in and have it come out so it does not become stale. Councilmember Rohde said that might be an amenity kids would love to have for fishing. Director Fulgham said we could build a pond and use affluent water. We could use the equalization basins too, but we might lose a fish.

Councilmember Rohde said I went to the open house of the Matheson Apartments and was extremely pleased. They held up to all they said they would do. That is a nice apartment complex.

Councilmember Archibald said I would add to the Matheson apartments. I also attended and one of the things I was impressed with was the screening process that goes on for someone to be able to live there. I am hoping that process will help us with our safety so our police department is not there as often. They are very nice apartments. It was a beautiful place.

Councilmember Estep asked if there is any way we can have developers start out with xeriscape. The Matheson apartments are beautiful. They have a two-foot xeriscape in the parking lot and then four-feet of lawn that is getting watered. I think we should highly recommend developers to xeriscape. Manager Warnke said we do have a landscape ordinance and have talked to Landmark Design. They are the consultant we have used for several different land use plans and efforts. They are well versed in water wise landscaping. They are going to revisit our ordinance. In November they will help us propose a draft.

Mayor Holmgren said I have got a lot of feedback from folks who are asking if we can clean up the town a bit. We need some incentives to encourage people to start cleaning things up. Manager Warnke said since there is a draw on public safety, we can charge a disproportionate fee for licensing rentals. If they follow this program and screen their tenants and do things that reasonably good landlords do, they would receive a discount on licensing. That is something we are looking at and would be a Council decision. I will have more information soon.

11. CLOSED SESSIONS: No closed session held at this time.

12. Adjournment.

Motion by Councilmember Archibald to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded by Councilmember Rohde. Vote: Councilmember Archibald – aye, Councilmember Estep – aye, Councilmember Rohde – aye, Councilmember Seamons – aye, Councilmember Vance – aye. Motion approved.

The meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m.

The undersigned duly acting and appointed Recorder for Tremonton City Corporation hereby certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes for the City Council Meeting held on the above referenced date. Minutes were prepared by Jessica Tanner.

Dated this 16th day of August, 2022.

Linsey Nessen, City Recorder

Follow-up items for the Council and City Staff

Manager Warnke will work with Ms. Mohrman to create a job description for the proposed positions of Social Media Manager and Main Street Manager.

City Staff will continue looking into options for septic systems and how to service those outside of the current City boundaries to avoid problems in the future. City Staff and the Council will continue working with BRAG to see what their options are to better fund the Senior Center.

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