January 2025

Lyle Holmgren

I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your mayor in our community. We live in an amazing place with kind, diligent, and generous individuals who genuinely care about Tremonton.

It’s hard to believe that 2024 has passed. We’ve achieved a lot in the last year, but more work is still ahead. To me, 2025 symbolizes an opportunity to complete ongoing projects and tackle significant issues that have required attention for several years.

Main Street Revitalization. After more than thirty years of discussion, planning, and deliberation, it is time to make tough choices and revitalize our downtown area. For some, change is challenging, and I worry that we may fall into the trap of trading the need to invest significant effort and resources in building something lasting for the belief that we want to just maintain what we have. Our community constantly evolves, and if we attempt to preserve things simply as they are, we lose ground every day. For instance, do farmers still use the same techniques their grandfathers employed? With the same equipment, the same amount of land, grain bins, and seeds… you get the idea. Every business and community must evolve to adapt to new realities. So, too, it is with Tremonton’s Main Street.

Throughout 2024, there was significant debate regarding how the city should tackle the issue of revitalizing the downtown. To inform the public and gather citizen feedback, the city hosted two town hall meetings in April and May 2024 to discuss its Midland Square and Main Street strategy. From these meetings, a concern for the greater downtown district emerged.

Four key areas of concern for downtown revitalization were identified: business vacancies and underutilization, vibrancy and amenities in the downtown area, deteriorating buildings and façades, and parking and visibility. Attendees were encouraged to cast three votes on what they viewed as the most critical needs for downtown. The results were as follows: Vacancies/Underutilization – 47 votes, Vibrancy/Amenities – 111 votes, Buildings/Façades – 43 votes, and Parking/Visibility – 43 votes. Vibrancy and amenities received the most votes, indicating that those present believed they warranted the highest focus.

After the two town hall meetings, we established a Main Street Steering Committee in May 2024. This committee met regularly and was tasked with developing plans to renovate and enhance the vibrancy of Main Street while refining the original concept plans for Midland Square. The committee also proposed removing the trees along Main Street, many of which had already been removed for one reason or another. Those trees left are causing property damage to adjacent buildings or showing signs of disease. Nearly all Main Street merchants and property owners want the trees removed. Ultimately, the committee presented its findings on revitalizing Main Street and Midland Square to the City Council.

In September 2024, the city engaged OnPoint Insights to create a survey to help the City Council and Main Street Steering Committee better understand citizen support for downtown revitalization, including sidewalks, streetlights, and dining opportunities.

Seventy-two percent of respondents expressed strong or moderate support regarding Main Street renovations, while only 7 percent indicated unsupportive feelings. The proposal to promote indoor and outdoor dining options garnered even greater enthusiasm, with 83 percent of participants either very supportive or supportive and just 6 percent unsupportive. Similarly, installing new lighting with banners along Main Street received considerable backing, as 86 percent of respondents showed either strong or moderate support, with only 6 percent expressing opposition. The entire survey can be found at: Main-Street-Survey

Drawing on feedback from town hall meetings, recommendations from the Main Street Steering Committee, and results from the Main Street survey, the Tremonton City Council found that its residents supported revitalizing the entire historic Main Street district and Midland Square.

Growth presents new opportunities. New businesses attract more stores and services to the community, drawing in new shoppers. An increase in businesses boosts the property and sales tax base, leading to lower property taxes.

Culinary Water. Since I became mayor in 2022, addressing water issues has remained one of my top priorities. That year, over 90 percent of our community expressed concerns about water availability, and their worries were entirely justified. Now, in 2025, with the installation of secondary water systems and conservation efforts, I’m pleased to announce that we have made significant progress with our culinary and secondary water systems. As a result, the issues surrounding insufficient culinary water supplies in Tremonton have been mitigated.

Secondary Water. Expansion of the City’s secondary water system has been key to Tremonton’s ongoing water use and preservation efforts. In 2017, the city started planning for an ambitious secondary water project. The Bear River Canal system has three canals that pass through and around Tremonton, providing the city with a stable secondary water source. Developing the secondary water system would leverage our high-quality culinary water for commercial and indoor residential use.

In 2018, Tremonton City began purchasing water shares from willing sellers. It required residential and commercial developers to provide the city with water shares equal to the land that homeowners or commercial businesses would irrigate in their developments.

The city has worked closely with the Bear River Canal Company to make sure that farmers who rely on the canal system for irrigation would not be negatively impacted by homeowners using secondary water. In cooperation with the Bear River Canal Company, the city planned to develop two equalization basins, or large reservoirs, along the central and east canals. These basins are strategically located along the canal system so they can fill when secondary water demand is low, and then release the stored water into the canal system when demand is high, equalizing the flow in the canal system and providing a steady flow to farmers downstream. We aim to be responsible stewards of this natural resource, maintain good relationships with agriculture, and conserve water whenever possible. The first equalization basin was completed in 2024, and construction of the east canal equalization basin is set to begin in 2025. The East Canal basin is supported by grant funding.

Service Areas 3, 4, and 5 are now complete, connecting approximately 2,000 homes, including schools, parks, and churches, to our secondary water system. Service Area 4 was fully funded by a $2 million grant from the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Board of Water Resources

As Tremonton grows, the city will require all new residential and commercial developments to install secondary water infrastructure at their expense and provide the city with the associated water shares needed to irrigate lawns and gardens.

Our secondary water project is performing exceptionally well. Last year, Tremonton residents saved more than 197 million gallons of culinary water by switching to secondary water. These savings can also be attributed to conservation practices. Many households conserve water by putting landscape rock in their park strips or incorporating other conservation techniques.

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ARS). What if we could store the city’s excess spring water during the winter months in an existing aquifer, and then, when water demand is high during the summer, pump the water from that aquifer to the city’s water system, increasing the city’s supply of culinary water? That makes sense, right?

One of our major year-round sources of culinary water comes from the springs north of Deweyville. Through a process known as aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), the city can store excess water from its springs in a city-owned aquifer. When water demand is high, the city can extract that water from the aquifer, providing an additional source of high-quality culinary water. The system is planned to be installed in 2025 and will be funded through grants from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO).

Police
This year, our officers went above and beyond their call of duty by donating hundreds of hours of their sick leave to organize and execute a Sub for Santa program. Their dedication and sacrifice enabled us to provide Christmas for several families in need, ensuring that the holiday season was a bit brighter for those who might otherwise have gone without.

Our community members enthusiastically joined this effort, donating funds that were used creatively and compassionately. Officers distributed grocery gift cards during traffic stops, assisting families needing a little extra help. These small yet impactful gestures brought joy and relief to many, strengthening the bond between our department and the citizens we serve.

Our Police Chief, Dustin Cordova, stated, “I am incredibly proud of our officers’ commitment to serving this community, not only through their professional duties but also through their personal sacrifices and acts of kindness. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of Tremonton-Garland for your support in helping us fulfill our mission to protect and serve.”

Fire and EMS

After a long wait, our brand-new Rosenbauer fire engine has finally arrived! We’re currently working hard to outfit it with the tools and equipment necessary to serve our community. We can’t wait to get it out on the road and start using it effectively! A huge thank you goes out to our city officials and residents for making this possible. Your support ensures we can continue to provide the best emergency response services to our community. Stay tuned for an announcement about our official push-in ceremony, where we’ll celebrate this exciting addition together. Below are pictures of the new and old Engine 31.

New City Manager
Bill Cobabe, the Tremonton City Manager, was hired in June 2024 and has extensive experience in local government. He has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in urban planning. He has worked for several communities in Texas, Oregon, and Utah, most of which were small towns and counties.

His passion lies in helping small communities maintain their distinctiveness while working to manage growth and economic development. His open, friendly approach to public relations makes him well-suited to listen and respond to community concerns. He wants everyone to know they can find him in his office, on the phone, or by email, eager to meet with residents and business owners to discuss how to serve the community best.

When Bill is not working, he spends time with family, listens to music and podcasts, reads, or rides his bike. He loves to go on road trips and see the world, especially visiting national parks. He feels very lucky to live in Utah, where we are surrounded by such majestic natural beauty. He also loves college sports (GO UTES!) and the Jazz.

In conclusion, we can accomplish all this while preserving what makes our city special. Tremonton is a lively, expanding community that prioritizes family and the quality of life for all ages. Tremonton is far more than simply a desirable location. The city is a financially secure, full-service community that provides everything from excellent public safety and infrastructure to parks, recreational facilities, libraries, and senior services.

In the upcoming year, let’s celebrate our history, appreciate our present, and thoughtfully guide Tremonton’s future.