City Council Minutes 9-16-25

TREMONTON CITY CORPORATION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

Members Present:
Wes Estep – Zoom
Beau Lewis
Bret Rohde
Brandon Vonk – Zoom
Blair Westergard
Lyle Holmgren, Mayor
Linsey Nessen, Interim City Manager
Cynthia Nelson, City Recorder

CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP

Mayor Holmgren called the September 16, 2025 City Council Workshop to order at 5:00 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 Estep (via Zoom), Lewis, Rohde, Vonk (via Zoom arrived at 5:23 p.m.), and Westergard, Interim City Manager Nessen, and City Recorder Nelson. The following Department Heads were also present: Community Development Director Jeff Seedall, Public Works Director Carl Mackley, Assistant Public Works Director, Police Chief Dustin Cordova, and Treasurer Michelle Rhodes. Also in attendance was City Engineer Chris Breinholt.

1. Review Discussion on urgent culinary water infrastructure repair and replacement

Director Mackley said some of our culinary water lines are breaking. We have had a lot of repairs this summer. This is just to update the Council on our issues. The Public Works Department oversees 3 million gallons per day in our wastewater treatment plant, 49 miles of roads, 89 miles of culinary pipelines, 59 miles of secondary pipelines, 39 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines, 31 miles of storm drain lines, multiple pumps and pump stations, valves, six water tanks, the Riverview Cemetery, and more. Tonight, we will discuss two particular culinary water issues. Portions of the inner part of the City have undersized cast iron pipes that are approximately 90 years old. We have identified 4.4 miles of pipe that fall under this category. In the past, aging infrastructure has been included as part of the Capital Facilities Plan. We have not necessarily addressed our entire infrastructure as a proactive component of repair and replacement. We want to be more proactive. In the last three years, there have been 32-plus mainline breaks, not just leaks, mainline breaks in that infrastructure. Replacing those portions south of Main Street have been on our radar. We have tentatively scheduled that for 2028. The north part was scheduled for two years later. Estimated cost was $1.5 million to replace the north portion and $900,000 for the south portion. Those numbers are no longer valid. The south went from $900,000 to $1.4 million (58% increase). The north went from $1.5 million to $3.8 million. Besides mainline breaks, we have had leaks in old services. Those would all be updated to the meter. That $5.2 million, excludes Main Street. We know that Main Street has had its share of breaks, but Main Street is its own animal in that we have other improvements we want to make along there. We could do phases, and this does include road repair patching. Engineer Breinholt said these estimates include some damage to curb, sidewalk, and landscaping. Director Mackley said it also includes a 20% contingency. It does not include refinishing any of those sections of road, just patching. Getting 90 years out of a pipe is wonderful. PVC should last longer. Engineer Breinholt said all these are 4-inch diameter lines. They are undersized. The minimum size we put in now is 8-inch.

Director Mackley then addressed their sanitary survey. We got 815 points assessed. That is not something we are proud of and tells us things needs to be done. Getting that many points is very subjective, depending on the surveyor. The surveyor that came, was pretty young. I do not mind them being strict because it helps us know the expectations. We want to be above that even. A lot of it was gasket related. Those are easy to fix and not that concerning. Others included woody vegetation like brush and bushes. They want to have a 50-foot radius cleared around the spring collection area. In most cases, you just maintain what you own and we do. We keep it clear and fenced. However, there are property owners that surround us. We do not own or control that property. It was very helpful and beneficial to have that meeting. We will probably ask for some exceptions, but in other cases, we are going to totally comply and exceed expectations. We have four months to address the current deficiencies.

2. Update on Transportation Utility Fee (TUF)

Assistant Director Beecher said in April of this year the Council approved a resolution establishing a special revenue fund for roads—taking roads out of the General Fund. The City Manager directed Public Works to research a Transportation Utility Fee (TUF). TUF considers City roads as a utility and provides funding for maintenance and reconstruction through utility billing. TUF associates a trip value to each utility account in the City (residential, multi-family, commercial, and industrial). Each account pays their portion. The more trips associated with that, the bigger impact they have on roads. We have just over 49 miles of City-owned roads in Tremonton. It is recommended to chip seal every seven years and repave every 28 years. Chip seal costs $3.25 per square yard while repaving varies from $19 to $27 per square yard. If we followed those guidelines, the average annual maintenance costs would be $1.3 million with those current numbers and miles of roads. Director Mackley said we need a good database to keep up. That is something we are working on. I would like to be a bit more proactive on our maintenance, repairs, and replacement. If those have a 100-year life, we are replacing 2.2 miles every year. When is the last time we have done that? Right now, we are talking about doing 4.4 miles. After that we want to maintain and inspect our infrastructure better. Councilmember Rohde said I appreciate that approach. We need to look at a proactive way to inspect, find our problems, and fix them before they happen. Councilmember Lewis said do we have a capital improvement plan updated and ready to go? Engineer Breinholt said we are currently updating the Culinary Water Capital Facilities Plan. Then I would like to move on to the collection system. The Transportation Master Plan is up to date. Councilmember Lewis said do we have good crossover there where our projections meet what those plans are saying? Engineer Breinholt said the last one we did was in 2013 so the growth projections are behind, but not terribly. The growth has been faster than we anticipated. Historically, there will be periods of quick growth that eventually balances out. There was an update for the impact fee in 2017. Director Mackley said our asset management makes that more like a living document that can be updated easier and kept more current. Instead of building a new plan from scratch. It just helps us to stay on top of things before they get bad. Our water infrastructure is really old, but our water quality is good and safe. We test all the time, but the older that infrastructure gets, the harder it is to maintain that status. Water infrastructure is obviously very expensive and gets more expensive as time marches on.

After more discussion, Director Mackley said we would like to schedule a follow-up conversation in a month or so to talk more about this. We would like to discuss how we financially get this done. I have talked with City staff about looking for additional funding. We will have Finance Director Curtis Roberts in attendance for that conversation. Councilmember Lewis said we need to all be working toward the Capital Improvement Plan so we can make better decisions. Director Mackley said this is why we needed an Assistant Public Works Director. He is very capable and smart, and will help us create and update our asset management system.

3. Presentation on the Inland Port – Associate Vice President Stephanie Peck & Vice President of Business Development Scott Wolford

Mr. Wolford said the Tremonton section for now limits itself to the northern portion of Lakeshore Learning Complex. It is about 30 acres. We have triggered that portion. The property tax differential is an incentive we use to lure in companies. The Harwood Zone, has been amended by Box Elder County into the Inland Port Project Area with the anticipation that it will be annexed into Tremonton City limits. We are excited to begin recruitment and will take the City’s lead on what you want us to do and how you want us to chase those opportunities. Ms. Pack said I am excited to discuss what is been happening with the Golden Spike Project area. We just completed our second year as a project area, working with Tremonton, Garland, Box Elder County, and Brigham City. All the zones within our project area will remain independent in terms of how we allocate tax differential dollars. All of Tremonton’s money will stay here. We are excited about the opportunities we have with the Harwood Zone. We have worked closely with the City to determine the best course of action of how the City wants to see that area develop. We believe that our financing tools will be a huge benefit as you look to bring in new projects. We are prepared to help the City be choosy about what ends up there and be able to provide the financial means to bring infrastructure that is needed to help that expansion. We have about 20 active recruitment projects that have identified Box Elder County as a potential opportunity. We anticipate that number will continue to grow as we identify partners who are going to be a good fit for Tremonton. We are excited about our partnerships with Savage, Union Pacific, and Bailey Farms. They have a lot of opportunities for us to expand the rail usage here. We know that expansion is going to take time and investment, but we are hopeful. When a project comes, we would want to vet them in partnership with the City to ensure they fit the plan and budget outlined. The great thing about our partnership and the tools we have is it allows us to be choosy. As long as the company fits the zoning in the area, there is not a lot we can do. If they become a landowner and their use is a permitted use, we will let them do their business and make something happen, but we do not have to provide them with those financial tools. We are your administrative agent and represent the City. Mayor Holmgren said we appreciate your outreach in working with these companies and look forward to continuing to work with you. It is going to be a major thing to get the infrastructure over there. We appreciate that.

4. Discussion on enacting a temporary land use regulation on the acceptance, processing, and approval of certain land use applications

Councilmember Rohde said this is an ordinance we put before the Council for discussion. A while ago we talked about the Outlook Subdivision rezone, and it was suggested we look back at our General Plan and update that. Our current plan is outdated (2002) and that is an issue. The City’s growth has already significantly exceeded the foundation assumption of that plan. The other concern is critical infrastructure. City infrastructure is aging and under stress. There is a rising public concern that rapid development is straining infrastructure and water. We need to update the whole City plan, so we are all working toward the same common goal. Residents are concerned that the long-term financial burden for repairs, upkeep, and operation of new infrastructure is passed on to them through increased taxes or fees. This ordinance would pause rezones for six months. We would not allow any changes to zoning of a piece of property from one district to another. It changes the ordinance text that would create a new zoning district or significantly alter the density or types of uses allowed in those areas. This ordinance does not affect development applications that are fully vetted and being worked on. This ordinance is asking us to start with a six-month pause in our rezonings and go to the drawing board to develop a General Plan. Until we have an updated plan, we do not lift this ordinance. Part of the problem is we do not have different areas identified as part of our General Plan. When we do start building do we have the roads, water ,and everything we need to get to that area? Hopefully this General Plan would make sure all that is in place. Councilmember Lewis said when you are referencing the General Plan, are you also alluding to the Capital Improvement Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Water and Sewer Plans? Are we addressing those or the General Plan itself? The General Plan is more vague and vision setting, where the Capital Improvement Plan talks about some of the concerns you just raised. I am less concerned about the General Plan. I think we need to update numbers, but it is a higher-level vision of where we see things going. The documents I am most concerned about are the supplemental ones that feed the General Plan. In my mind, citizen concerns are addressed in those. If we update just the General Plan and not those documents, we are still going to have concerns. Councilmember Rohde said therein lies the problem—our vision matching that of what the public feels. Are we all coming together and working toward a common good? I am not feeling or hearing that from the public. They feel our visions may be different than theirs. We need to look at our City as a whole. Where do we want growth to take place? What kind of growth do we want? Where do we want to put specific type of growth? Councilmember Lewis said we address those concerns in the Land Use Plan. Where in the Land Use Plan are we off? Does that match what the public is hoping for? The General Plan would then be updated with some of that vision. If we are going to address the General Plan, I want to make sure in that motion, we are updating the documents that will execute change. Councilmember Rohde said the General Plan needs to drive the vision. We can all use that guiding principle to decide what we want to do as a City. Mayor Holmgren said because of the market, we are looking at a different situation altogether with affordability. I think whatever the Council decides, we need to address today’s market versus 2002’s market. Updating this will require public input. The cost is significant anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000.

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

Mayor Holmgren said under Reports and Comments, we are going to have that be Council reports. Our directors will send out a monthly update to the Council through email to help shorten our meetings. There is one change to the agenda. I would like us to remove item c. under New Council business. We have a few awards and presentations.

When discussing an amendment to the Personnel Policies and Procedure, Section 2, Manager Nessen said there are a couple changes. Our payroll administrator needs to be on there as somebody who can sign purchase orders. We also are allowing stamped signatures. The Council then discussed an amendment on collection fees. Director Mackley said this creates a formal way to have contractors and temporary water users pay for the water they are taking. Instead of just filling it from a hydrant, we feel they should pay for that use. It should be metered and more strictly controlled. This will allow us to do that. We will have two designated fill stations—one for secondary and one for culinary. Pricing is tied to the usage of 100,000 gallons per month. Director Mackley also discussed a vactor truck he would like the Council to approve for purchase, which is already budgeted. We are significantly under budget. After some research we decided which model we like best, and it ended up being the least expensive option. It is a Freightliner chassis, which can be serviced locally.

The Council then discussed enacting a temporary land use regulation. Councilmember Rohde said has our focus from 2002 to today changed. I would suspect so. I think the public wants to be a part and this gives them that chance to help drive our vision. We are getting a lot of public input. For the last five years, we have been asked to pause and get ourselves together instead of just putting subdivisions wherever people are asking. Where is the structure? Do we have everything in place to prepare for those things? Is our infrastructure ready? With all these plans comes the need to upsize lines and prepare for our growth. Are we ready to do that or will the General Plan help us decide the best course. We need to make sure these pieces are in place before we move on to other areas. It would be nice if we had a document with guiding principles. This plan needs to grow with the City. Councilmember Lewis said is it necessary to spend that money to update the General Plan or is it something we can do using surveys? The General Plan is more visionary. The Land Use Plan is what actually makes the changes for zoning around that higher vision. We might be putting the cart before the horse. Councilmember Rohde said growth has hit us so fast that we are putting in subdivisions and trying to catch up with our infrastructure. It is putting a lot of stress on our system and getting harder to maintain. We do not have revenues coming in to keep ourselves up to date with what we already have. I get concerned about that. Our General Plan also needs to consider safety. What happens when we start adding a thousand more people to the City? Are we hiring the appropriate amount of police officers to keep us safe? There is a lot to consider when we grow. I do not know that our current plan is taking those things into consideration. Councilmember Lewis said I agree, but the General Plan is more visionary. The Capital Improvement Plan is really where that rubber meets the road. We should update the General Plan, but what is that process? Councilmember Vonk said what are the guiding principles for the Land Use Plan, the Capital Improvement Plan, or Transportation Plan? Where do those particular plans intersect? There ought to be guiding principles in the General Plan that help direct and give solutions to all these areas. Councilmember Rohde said if we go through and identify those in the General Plan, a document that all the other ones feed off of, then we are bringing everyone together and working as one unit. Each one of our plans have been developed with good intent, but do we have a guiding principle that is driving all of them toward the same vision? I would like to see us take the time to bring everything together into a vision and move forward. If we can pause and give our staff a vision to work on, this would be good. Then when they have discussions on zoning, hopefully the Land Use Plan can define this is what a zone should look like and stay. Then when a developer wants to develop land and increase the density, we have already had those discussions. We need to make sure these pieces are included in that General Plan. This is where we would make sure our other plans all focus on this vision.

6. CLOSED MEETING: No Closed Meeting 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 6:44 p.m. by consensus of the Council.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Mayor Holmgren called the September 16, 2025 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 Estep (via Zoom), Lewis, Rohde, Vonk (via Zoom left at 8:58 p.m.), and Westergard, Interim City Manager Nessen, and City Recorder Nelson. The following Department Heads were also present: Community Development Director Jeff Seedall, Public Works Director Carl Mackley, Assistant Public Works Director Andrew Beecher, Police Chief Dustin Cordova, and Treasurer Michelle Rhodes. Also in attendance was City Engineer Chris Breinholt.

1. Opening Ceremony: Prayer— Councilmember Rohde and Pledge – Mayor Holmgren

2. Introduction of Council

3. Declaration of Conflict of Interest: None.

4. Approval of Agenda:

Motion by Councilmember Westergard to approve the agenda of September 16, 2025 with item 10. c. being removed. Motion seconded by Councilmembers Rohde and Estep. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

5. Approval of minutes – August 26, 2025

Motion by Councilmember Lewis to approve the minutes of August 26, 2025. Motion seconded by Councilmember Rohde. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

6. Years of Service Awards

a. Jaden Hassard, Police Sergeant – 5 years

Chief Cordova provide a bio and the Council thanked him for his service.

7. Proclamation

a. Proclamation honoring the sacrifice and bravery of Sergeant Lee Sorensen, Officer Eric Estrada, Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Allred, and K9 Azula, and recognizing the ongoing fight against domestic violence – Mayor Holmgren

After a video presentation the Council recognized Annette Sorensen, Deputy Mike Allred, and K9 Azula for their sacrifices. Brittany Estrada was also recognized but was not in attendance. Mayor Holmgren then read a proclamation to honor the sacrifice and bravery of Sergeant Lee Sorensen, Officer Eric Estrada, Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Allred, and K-9 Azula, and recognize the ongoing fight against domestic violence.

Motion by Councilmember Lewis to approve this proclamation. Motion seconded by Councilmembers Rohde and Westergard. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

8. Presentations

a. Presentation on water usage in the City – Mayor Holmgren

Mayor Holmgren provided some history and assurances that Tremonton’s water supply is good. In 2018, we had a week or two where our water supply exceeded capacity. The reason we did not run out of water during that time was because of our storage capacity. We were told by our engineer that we need to change things and make some serious decision about our water supply. Tremonton has an advantage with canals running through our city. As a Council we decided to develop a secondary water system. We were able to secure $4.5 million in grant funding, plus we did a citywide bond for this infrastructure. This has protected the City’s culinary use and provided space for us to look at additional commercial businesses and households. We have worked on being good neighbors with the canal company and local farmers. Since residents do not work on a turn like the farmers, we developed an equalization basin. That basically makes sure farmers are not hindered by the use of secondary water in the City. We are also developing an aquifer storage and recovery system. This is a way for us to capture spring water. We have a good supply of spring water that flows year-round. The ASR system will capture water in the wintertime to use in the summertime when demand is high. He then reviewed those numbers on a chart. Today you can see that our secondary water usage is continuing to go up. I think this was a great decision by the Council back then to move forward. As a result, we have ensured capacity. Secondary water allowed Tremonton to save almost 200 million gallons of culinary water in 2024.

b. Presentation of Community Oasis Wellness Garden by the Northern Box Elder County Suicide Prevention Coalition – Doreen Stever

Ms. Stever said September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This helps us address the serious public health crisis by raising awareness, fighting stigma, educating the public on warning signs and providing hope to those in need. It provides a dedicated time for organizations, communities, and individuals to unite and focus on suicide prevention efforts. Mental health issues often carry a heavy stigma, which can make people feel ashamed, isolated, and less likely to seek help. Awareness campaigns promote open and honest communications about mental health and suicide, helping to create a safer, more supportive environment. Talking about the realities of suicide normalize conversations by making it easier for people to share their struggles without fear of judgment. One of the main objectives of our coalition is to let people know it is okay to ask for help. We live in a wonderful community but have limited mental health resources. The process to get help is long and frustrating. Our coalition came up with the Community Oasis Wellness Garden. Green spaces are vital for mental health because they provide psychological restoration by reducing stress hormones and increasing happiness-inducing neurotransmitters. Access to nature also boosts functions, promotes physical activity, provides opportunities for social interaction and community connection. It helps regulate sleep cycles through exposure of natural light. Regular exposure to green spaces is linked to lower rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders, and contributes to overall happiness and well-being. That is why it is important for us to ask for your support in our garden. Though it is located in Garland, it is for the entire community.

9. Public comments:

Leah Heise suggested having a survey or question on the City’s website that would allow public input and ideas. That would not take much time and people could become more aware of things through postings. Your vision is awesome. I think you already have a taste of it in your theme with the murals. The love of the arts or a come to Tremonton to celebrate the arts would be fun. You do have an art walk already, which is awesome. You could also have sidewalk contests for children in the summer or sculptures in the park. The idea of a grander vision for the community with urban planning development. Go to the colleges and have a contest. The best student presentations from different colleges would win and get an award. That is a way to lower prices and give kids experience.

Jonathan Gardner said I live in Beckham’s Edge subdivision, which is adjacent to the Harwood zone. I am here to speak in opposition to this site for the Inland Port or heavy industrial development next to our subdivision. Those of us who are most affected by this port in the adjoining subdivision are not excited about the prospect of having it in our backyard. I assume you would not be excited about if it were in your backyard. I want to stress both the risks, as well as a potential constructive solution. First, the risks to our community. Locating an Inland Port beside an established neighborhood caused health harms from diesel truck emissions, noise, dust and light pollution that directly affect our children and families. It would cause traffic and safety issues on already stressed roads with heavy trucks mixed with local traffic. It will cause property values to decline as industrial operations reduced the quality of life and our safe rural residential community. Lastly, it will cause a loss of character. We moved here for clean air, quiet streets and open space. A constructive solution would be to use overlay zoning as a tool for protection. Overlay districts are a proven tool used throughout Utah and surrounding states to buffer residential areas from industrial activity. An industrial overlay zone would require a minimum buffer distance of 500 to 1,000 feet between heavy industrial uses and residential property. You could restrict hours of operation, including truck idling and noise levels, mandate landscaping, sound walls and lighting controls to reduce impact on residents, and channel the highest impact activities to reduce elsewhere toward existing railway corridors and away from subdivisions. I urge the Council to reject any Inland Port zoning directly adjacent to residential areas. Direct staff to draft an overlay district that buffers homes, schools and farms from heavy industrial development, and hold public meetings so Tremonton residents can help shape these protections. Council, you have the authority to decide whether Tremonton becomes a City where families can thrive or where industry overwhelms neighborhoods. Overlaying zoning gives you a way to support economic development while protecting the health, safety and property values of citizens. Please let us grow wisely and keep the Inland Port away from our homes. Once you industrialize Tremonton, you lose the character of our community.

Kristie Bowcutt said I attended the Planning Commission meeting this week and left very disheartened. Some disrespectful comments were made. A resident handed out a packet she spent a lot of time doing. Not one person on the Planning Commission gave it half of a second acknowledge. One person on the Planning Commission shoved it off to the side and said, I have already made my decision. I do not need to look at that. Another Planning Commission Member made the comment, it is all your fault, referring to the residents on Radio Hill. That was disrespectful. They are there to make educated decisions based on facts and not their personal feelings or agenda, which they did. I reached out to Ombudsman Group asking them questions about land use and future land use. They asked about our General Land Use Plan and I said, it is from 2002. He told me that needs to be changed. That is what drives land use. Without it, you do not have a plan. This needs to be taken seriously. You need to pause and take into consideration what needs to be done in Tremonton. I also received a very disturbing phone call from residents about annexation. The land grabbing is troubling. They had no idea this was coming. It was a shock to them. I am very troubled by this and would encourage you to put your differences aside and fix the General Land Use map. It is not going to hurt to pause. We do not even have enough money to fund the police department.

Vioma Anderson said I live in Tremonton and have several concerns. I am going to start with Halloween. You guys are so awesome to support a Halloween trick-or-treat on Main Street for our kids. What if we close Main Street so the kids can safely walk up and down the streets. Second, over by North Park Park, on the south side of the basketball area, there is a bunch of garbage—rebar, slides, cement, and all sorts of things from the park that was ripped out and put there. I have talked to three different Councilmembers, who all said they were going to get right on it and do something about it. This is a dangerous mess that children play on. I do not want the City to be sued because someone’s child got killed on your rebar trash. Clean up your mess. Mayor Holmgren told Officer Greg Horspool to take care of that problem.

Layne Wilding said I am not part of Tremonton City. I live in Box Elder County on Radio Hill on Harley Drive. I am here because I received a letter relative to our being annexed into the City. I was caught by surprise and have done research to help me understand that better. Here are some of the documents I have found relative to the annexation plan. It needs to be signed by the property owners who are going to be annexed. The City Council must notify us in writing relative to that annexation. I have not been notified in writing unless you consider that letter a part of that. It will cost me to hook up for City services. I also have water rights that I will be forced to give up and who knows what will happen to my well. I have a list of concerns. First, that your City plan was last updated in 2002. In that document it says every 10 years that plan will undergo a comprehensive update. It has now been over 20 years. When are you going to update it? In that same paragraph it discusses that planning and zoning hearings should happen as zoning and annexation take place. The map is for the long-term use and it looks like it is going to be for single-family homes. However, we keep hearing of places on Radio Hill where things change and we do not get notified about density. Our home was built over 25 years ago. One of your main water lines runs through my property. The owner at the time asked to tie into that and they were denied. We had to drill a well. My septic system is working fine. I don’t know how much my taxes will be increased. I currently have a Garland post office address. I am still not sure we will have enough water to supply all that has been planned for Radio Hill.

Mishae Hare said I am a Box Elder County resident who lives on Harley Drive. I am here to read letters presented from two of my neighbors. The first is from Tyler Thompson and Natalie Thompson, who own Golden Spike Electric. She read, Tremonton City Council, we live where we live for a reason. Many years of blood, sweat and tears have gone into our home and property. We moved out of City limits to give our children the opportunity to help care for the land and animals that graze it. We are not interested in your proposed annexation or your utilities. We feel it is a violation of our rights to try to take away our dreams and sanctuary we call home. We own our property and we along with our good neighbors reject your proposal. We will stay in the County. This next letter is from Laurie and Darwin Thompson who are also residents on Harley Drive. Their letter says, City Council, we received a letter from Jeff Seedall about possible annexation into Tremonton, which was a surprise. We have no interest in being annexed. We are very happy being part of the County and hope the Council can respect that. We have a well and septic system that work great. We are able to take care of and maintain ourselves as we have for the last 30 years. These big city developers are trying to turn our area into a huge city too fast without much planning and citizen involvement. When that happens it only benefits the developers. Please vote to hold off on the rezoning and annexation until further studies have been completed including funding, security and medical impacts with citizen involvement. I just want to echo what my neighbors have said. I also live on Harley Drive. We do not want to be in Tremonton City.

Tiffany Purcell said tonight I ask you to put a moratorium on rezoning and annexation. I appreciate both the time and effort you are putting in on behalf of the City. I also have some concerns. I have come to a number of meetings and the resounding public opinion is to slow down growth. Last time I spoke in a meeting, the Council voted against rezoning my area to RM-8. I thank you for listening to the voices of the community. Since that meeting, rezoning has come up a number of times and for a number of areas. The planning meetings I have attended seemed to be perfunctory at best before agreeing to rezone again and again. In fact, I have only seen them not approve a rezoning once and they just delayed it. They did not deny it. In the last Planning meeting, ChrisDean Epling compiled a comprehensive survey from a number of people in our area. It was not even read, much less considered in their decision making. I know there are a lot of issues with planning and building that I cannot understand, but that being said, our concerns were overlooked. Police and safety were not even discussed. If our General Plan is not worth being followed, can we take a break from rezoning until we can create something that is updated and has the best interest of where we want to be. At the Planning meeting, it was discussed the need for attainable housing. How many of you live in a townhouse, condo or multi-family dwelling and hope that to be your permanent residence? I have lived in them and I am so grateful for that option, but it should be a stepping stone. One thing I love about Tremonton is community. I welcome more neighbors, but ideally, I want the kind who are going to be invested in the City’s future because it is their future, too. I do not want to fill the town with people who are treating our City like a rental and not somewhere they want to stay. I am not the only one who feels this way. Please take a step back and take the time to find out what the voice of the people who live here is. Let us come up with a plan that represents what we want our City to look like. Include adequate basic needs with police, EMTs, schools, sewer and water facilities. We need a committee to help evaluate this. I love my neighbors and do not blame them for any of the issues we are having on the hill even though it was suggested by the Planning Commission that it is their fault. Instead, I blame developing at a rate we cannot keep up with and without enough thought. I blame developers who did not hold up their end of the deal and approving developments without doing our due diligence. Please help us take a step back so we can serve the best interests of our community. Please place a moratorium on rezoning at this time. Let us build right not just fast.

Laura Ware said employment opportunities brought my husband and I back to Northern Utah. I have lived here for over 17 years and truly love Tremonton. I value and appreciate the sense of safety I feel. The green and open spaces that are here and most importantly the community I have found. I know growth in Tremonton is inevitable. I feel we have probably already outgrown our current City plan and with that growth we have had piecemeal rezoning and annexations. Our current infrastructure is designed for a rural population. Without appropriate planning I worry that our roads, water systems, schools and emergency services will not be able to keep up with that rapid growth. As I have listened to and attended Council meetings, I have come to learn how rapid growth affects not only farmland, but also the quality of life of residents. I can only imagine the pressure the City feels to grow and expand and provide affordable housing. I am not opposed to growth. I just want it to happen carefully in ways that fit our community values and without losing what makes Tremonton so special. I am asking the Council to pause, take a breath and stop piecemealing. Support the creation of an updated Land Use Plan and City Master Plan. A thoughtful updated plan with a broader vision for the future would help prepare for sustainable growth while protecting our rural roots.

Colton Hare said, my parents are developers in Central Utah so I understand the need for growth and the City’s need to expand and be run as a business to be successful. It is important that the business is healthy and thriving and has funds to support employees. I think the most important thing we have to remember is that it is the employees who actually run the business. Without them the business would fail and without the citizens of Tremonton, Box Elder County and surrounding area, the City will not be an enjoyable and successful place to live. Everyone’s opinions need to be appreciated and asked for in these decisions on annexation. I do not want to be annexed into the City. I like the freedom of the County and what it provides. That is one of the reasons we live where we live. I do not feel that my opinion or anyone’s on our street was considered in this annexation. In my opinion the letter started out like your opinion matters and then it was well it is going to happen anyways so let us talk you through how that is going to work and how that is going to affect you. I understand the reasoning and purpose behind the need for expansion, but I have been sitting here for three hours and heard you talk about the General Use Plan from 2002. I was nine years old when that was created and the world has changed a lot. We need to update that and continue to grow. This Country was built on the back of the people and they need to be involved in that process. I hope that we can continue to do that as we move forward and consider our opinions.

ChrisDean Epling handed the Council a letter from resident Lisa Christensen. She said I also emailed my comments. The charts on the survey are in color in that email. These are the results of the survey. She then shared a quote, “I have found the small things, everyday deeds of the ordinary folk keep the darkness at bay.” This has been a hard time for my family personally over the last few weeks with the tragedies we have had in Tremonton and our Country. I believe in the presentation for our fallen officers they said Tremonton is where neighbors look out for each other and that is what we are doing. We are here, looking out for our neighbors. We are worried about growth and multi-family housing. These are the surveys I collected. These are the voices of your constituents that I put together in a packet so you can see what the neighbors of Tremonton are saying. Rapid growth without following a plan has us worried. I loved being able to talk to my neighbors. I really appreciate your time and thoughtfulness.

Jami Poppleton said there are a few things we keep kicking down the road to discuss week after week. I see kids walking to the bowling alley with no sidewalks. I see kids walking to McDonald’s with no sidewalks. Kids are on bicycles crossing the intersection at the Crossroads with no crossing guard or crosswalk and no lights to wave them on while traffic is going all different directions. When we are talking about safety I would personally like to know where we are at with developments that have already been approved. Is the infrastructure for those to connect the lines from A to B already done and paid for? Is that going to fall on taxpayers? Is it possible for all of those safety measures to be done ahead of time while we are working on some of these? Is it possible to have on the agenda a presentation showing the public how many subdivisions or developments have been approved and where they are going so residents can have an overall picture of what our City will look like? Right now, we do not see addresses we just see names. If we could get that on the agenda, I would appreciate that. Are we the taxpayers going to keep footing the bill for development safety measurements while we try to connect the dots? Over the past few meetings, I have heard Truth in Taxation and a transportation fee be brought up. The residents are going to get taxed to death to continue to pay for everything to connect these dots.

Michelle Martineau said you guys have a very hard job. I appreciate the time you put into it. You are here because you care and so do we. I believe you listen and I hope you will listen to us with an open mind. I think the proposal of the General Use Plan hold is an excellent idea. I have attended a lot of meetings recently and what comes up over and over is sustainable and affordable housing. People say I want my kids to live here and I do too. I have a daughter who is trying to get here. We spent a lot of money to get a water share and time making our house a subdivision so one of our kids could build there, but she cannot afford to build. She is now looking for housing. Multi-unit housing is not the only way to have sustainable housing. A new townhome is about $314,000 while a cottage home with their own piece of property with a little yard and fence cost $349,000 and up to $ $389,000. There are other ways to accomplish attainable housing without putting 10 homes attached to each other. I asked my daughter would you rather pay a lower amount and be attached to six homes or would you rather have a tiny yard and she picks the one with a yard. Let us think outside the box.

Bruce Jeppesen said you have a tough job. My parents moved here in 1960 up on the hill. You could shoot guns out your back door and just be a kid so I liked that so much that I built a house next door to my parents. We have it good there. We are close to Tremonton but have our own septic and our own water that tastes a lot better that Tremonton’s. I got the letter about the annexation and talked to Jeff Seedall about my concerns. I want to say thank you guys for listening. I am just concerned about things. I am an old country boy and I do not see any real benefit to being in the City.

Kelly Harris said I am a lifelong resident of the valley and was born in Tremonton. I am a homeowner and business owner. I love this community. I would like to see Tremonton be a vibrant, fiscally responsible community with enough money at the end of the month to pay the bills. I appreciate you guys and want to say thanks for the time you are spending because it is a thankless job. You are community minded. I hear talk about moratoriums. I wonder how is that going to affect the city. Where is the revenue going to come from? Think about the amount of revenue that comes to the City through development. What is that going to be replaced with if we have a moratorium? After that moratorium is over there will be an inrush of development and how is that going to be handled? I do not see anything wrong with having well-planned development. The City has hired professional, capable people. Listen to them as they have the best interest of the City at heart. You have got to be the one who makes the decisions. I appreciate people’s feelings about wanting Tremonton to stay a small community, but look around the valley and you see growth is coming in all around us. We are not going to stop it by trying to board up Tremonton. We want to be responsible and conscientious of our neighbors, but the reality is what worked 10 years ago does not work anymore. I am pro-growth and I want to see Tremonton grow and prosper.

Molly Tisdell said I have been here for a few years and have only been to three meetings. It appears there is not a set plan in place that will work and part of our issue is we do not trust the committee to show that plan. We have not seen any kind of proof that this is going to work and help infrastructure. All the questions that were supposed to get asked at the last meeting did not get asked, nobody from the committee asked any of those questions. How are you going to police? Who is going to put the fires out? Who is going to teach the youth? Where are they going to go to school? You plan to put all these extra people in who are probably going to have five kids so who is going to teach them? I saw a comment about our high school and how our kids are out of control. I am asking that you slow things down. I like the small-town feel. I like to see the stars at night and you certainly will not have that if you build 600 houses on the hill. As far as the water goes there are already people who cannot even take a shower and wash their clothes at the same time. I do not know where the equilibrium is. We would like to see something we can trust not just something that is an idea. ChrisDean Epling put a lot of work into those packets so please take the time to look it over. Show us the respect we show you and pass that on to your Planning Commission.

Marisha Menlove said I am pro planned growth. Without planned growth the cost of running the City is going to fall back on the people who are already here. Developments can help pay for infrastructure, housing and amenities, like parks and trails, things that residents really want and our children need. Careful planning is about building smarter so families can stay here to thrive and keep our small-town character alive. If we freeze development how will our budget balance without the revenue from development and how will that affect our citizens that are currently struggling to pay property taxes.

10. New Council Business:

a. Discussion and consideration of approving Resolution No. 25-47 amending Section II: Purchasing Policy & Contracts of the City’s Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual

Motion by Councilmember Westergard to approve the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Estep. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

b. Discussion and consideration of approving Resolution No. 25-48 creating a new water supply use type and reaffirming, amending and enacting new fees and fines in a schedule entitled the Tremonton City Consolidated Fees and Fines Schedule including collection fees

Director Mackley said we have had an unmetered hydrant for contractors to get water. We are creating a new water use type to sell. We will have two water fill stations (culinary and secondary). Water will be available for this use year-round. This is a common practice and will bring in some revenue. This will allow us to monitor who is using it and they will be limited to 100,000 gallons a month.

Motion by Councilmember Rohde to adopt the resolution. Motion seconded by Councilmember Westergard. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

c. Discussion and consideration of approving Resolution No. 25-49 amending and updating the Mutual Water Supply Agreement with Bear River Water Conservancy District (BRWCD)

This item was removed from the agenda for this week.

d. Discussion and consideration of adopting Resolution No. 25-50 authorizing the purchase of a vactor truck

Director Mackley said the resolution describes all the reasons why we need this vehicle. We have 218 miles of underground pipes within the city and almost 50 miles of road. Having an additional vactor truck will help the City as we have grown a lot and as we continue to add infrastructure. The Council approved $705,000 in our budget this year for this purpose. After doing a lot of homework, we researched the best trucks and have seen them in action. The super products option has the design and features we really want. The cost of this one is significantly less. About $135,000 could be used elsewhere for Public Works.

Motion by Councilmember Estep to approve this purchase. Motion seconded by Councilmember Lewis. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

e. Discussion and consideration of approving Ordinance No. 25-17 granting an electrical utility franchise and general utility easement to Rocky Mountain Power—Regional Business Manager Russ Fox

Mr. Fox said I am the representative for Box Elder County. This is our standard franchise agreement with communities. The last one we approved was in 2021. That is going to expire next year so we are trying to get ahead. This agreement basically allows us to put our utilities within the right-of-way and establishes the rules for us to apply for City permits. We are asking for another five years for this utility easement. We appreciate the support. This is very similar to the previous agreement, with minor changes.

Motion by Councilmember Westergard to approve the ordinance. Motion seconded by Councilmember Rohde. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

f. Discussion and consideration of approving Ordinance 25-18 enacting a temporary land use regulation on the acceptance, processing, and approval of certain land use applications

Councilmember Rohde said the General Plan is really a comprehensive plan. We need this plan in our City to bring all of our plans together under one umbrella. This a document that guides our policies and investments in decision making. Doing that with our 2002 plan will not work. This is not a moratorium. All this is doing is asking that we do not do any additional zoning changes until we come up with a new comprehensive General Plan. Any applications that have been applied for or set forth at this point would not fall under this. They were done prior to this discussion. We have a community that wants to come together, share their ideas and develop a vision for our City to define smart growth. Mayor Holmgren said we are putting a pause on zoning changes, but we want to make sure we are not stopping commercial growth. Councilmember Lewis said it says that this temporary land use regulation shall not affect applications for subdivisions, conditional use permits, building permits or other development approvals that are fully compliant with the City’s zoning map and ordinances as they exist at the time of the ordinance’s adoption amendments to the General Plan or zoning ordinance initiated by the Planning Commission or City Council for the express purpose of implementing an updated General Plan. Councilmember Rohde said they can develop if it matches the zoning for that area. This is not an attack on one group or another. This is to help us come together and design a plan that we can all work with. When asked how this could affect planning, Director Seedall said the architectural and form-based code I have been working on for Main Street would have to stop because I was creating a new zone to encompass those. That is 100 plus pages of zoning documents I have been working on with Landmark Design for seven months. That is in the RDA zone, which also extends and covers Main Street from I-84 over to the Bear River. We also have the industrial code changes we have been working on and changing permitted uses. This was to help the City make more educated decisions with the industrial growth that is starting to turn toward Tremonton. The Inland Port is also putting serious focus on that. We have met with other developers who own industrially zoned lands that are interested. It is not clear to me what to continue doing or what pauses until we update these plans. This also changes updates I was going to make to the residential code in terms of lots, setbacks and sizing requirements. Councilmember Lewis said how difficult would it be to update this with carve-outs for the concerns of Director Seedall. Those are really important changes so I would hate to see those be lumped into this especially the Main Street Steering Committee, who has worked really hard to make progress toward a lot of those changes. I do not want to see their efforts be slowed down. We are also going to start seeing RDA monies that could be spent on downtown. We have some businesses who are interested in coming here.

After much discussion, Mayor Holmgren said this is the first we have really had an opportunity to address this in any sort of real depth. We still have lots of questions on the impact that this ordinance would have on things that are being addressed. Maybe we need to take a little more time to think this through. Could we fine tune this just a little bit more before we go forward with it.

Motion by Councilmember Rohde to table this item so issues can be addressed and have more discussion at a later time. Motion seconded by Councilmember Lewis. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

11. Consent Agenda

a. Appointing a Tremonton Justice Court Judge

Mayor Holmgren said we have been without a justice court judge for several months now. We went through quite a process and interviewed several individuals. After review, my recommendation is that we go with Dustin Ericson to be our new justice court judge.

Motion by Councilmember Rohde to appoint Mr. Ericson as the new judge. Motion seconded by Councilmember Westergard. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

12. Calendar Items and Previous Assignment

a. Review of calendar

Our City party is Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at North Park Park. On September 23, the Council will hold a workshop to present information on the Overlook Development rezone at 6 p.m. A town hall will follow. The Main Street Showcase will be September 29 at 4:30 p.m. The Main Street Steering Committee has worked hard on putting this together, along with City staff. It will be a great opportunity for people to see a life-size mock-up. This will be at the fairgrounds in the home arts building. The Utah League of Cities and Towns will hold their fall conference in Salt Lake. We also have the Farmers Market and GET OUT events at Shuman park.

b. Unfinished Business/Action Items: None.

13. Reports & Comments:

a. Council Reports and Comments

Councilmember Lewis said I love this city and the people. As I watched the procession, I was impressed with all the people who turned out. There are citizens who are engaged in healthy ways and providing solutions. I hope they recognize the gratitude we have for all the hours they are putting in to help us as a Council to be informed. It is seen and valued. On the flip side some citizens are going about it in an unhealthy way. I would counsel them to come up with solutions and be careful with how they frame information because it can divide people quickly.

Councilmember Westergard said I echo that. We have to be careful after what has happened the last couple of weeks and the rhetoric about how people get mad about something. Yes, we need things like sidewalks, but we also need money. When I used to sit down there it was easy to say what we ought to do. We cannot name call and be negative. Social media is terrible. If you can say it without saying your name there is no validity in it. When you are just complaining the whole time, you are part of the problem. We need solutions.

Councilmember Rohde said I agree I think citizens are doing a great job of helping us out. The last couple months have been horrible and it is heart-wrenching, but there is joy in seeing our community and nation come together. I am optimistic we will continue to see that in our community.

Councilmember Estep said I am proud of our City. We are managing our growth and with time and money we will get parks and trails and sidewalks. We just have to be patient. We as a Council are doing the best we can. We do listen with open minds. I want to thank everybody for their commitment and involvement.

Mayor Holmgren said I want to echo everything that has been said and thank those who have commented and provided input. As we work together, we can learn lessons. There might be compromise on both sides, but somehow, we are going to work it out. I am thrilled with the interest and concerns of our citizens. I am grateful to Councilmember Rohde for all the work he has gone through to get this ordinance to this point. There is still work we need to do and are going to make it right. I also want to recognize those involved in public safety and publicly thank them for what they do for us on a day-to-day basis.

14. CLOSED MEETING: No Closed Meeting held at this time.

15. Adjournment.

Motion by Councilmember Rohde to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded by consensus of the Council. Vote: Councilmember Estep – yes, Councilmember Lewis – yes, Councilmember Rohde – yes, Councilmember Vonk – yes, Councilmember Westergard – yes. Motion approved.

The meeting adjourned at 9:07 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 7th day of October, 2025.

Cynthia Nelson, City Recorder

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