Public Hearing: Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Proposed Budget

Who wants to talk city budget?! 

Did I already lose you on just that first sentence? 😬😴

If so, I understand! I would've scrolled past too. But if you are interested in a simplified budget explanation, I hope you will continue reading. These are your tax dollars after all! Where do they go?!?

On Tuesday June 8th there will be a public hearing to pass fiscal year budget 2021-2022. The admin of finance committee has been working so hard at this budget for months now. I appreciate their time and dedication to this task, it is no small feat. This is your opportunity to relay back to your representatives your concerns, comments and questions on the budget and how your tax dollars are being implemented. This will be 6pm at city hall.

Here's a look at the budget at a glance: 

•SWC has approximately $2.6 million available spending dollars to allocate at the discretion of the city (meaning funds that have not already been earmarked or assigned to other areas). 

•Our debt has decreased to just under $200k due to principal payment on bonds. •The city's current property tax rate is proposed to bring in just under $755k for 2021-2022. Because the county is discontinuing paramedic services, the taxes SW citizens pay for those services to Davis County will be redirected to SWC after a truth in taxation hearing. This will raise the revenue to just over $830k, but that excess is expected to be applied to the costs of providing our own paramedic services. 

•SWC currently has just under $640k in savings as a rainy day funds and to float monies while waiting for property tax funds to come in, which is 24.4% general fund total revenue. 

•Capital Projects are one time costs for projects. The proposed budgets includes several different items for this fiscal year. Some of these are demolition of the Civic Building (directly in front of the fire station), streetlight replacement program (moving us to own our own streetlights rather than Rocky Mountain Power), a baseball diamond for Cherry Farms park and upgrades to Canyon Meadows Park and design for a new public works building among others. You can see review these updates and the budgeted amounts on page 10 and 11 of the city's proposed budget (linked below). 

•SWC will also be doing updates to many roads in this proposed budget, including mill & overlay for 475 E, View Drive and Heather Cove. Chip and seal will take place on 4 other streets and various other places within the city. You can see a map of all street upgrades on page 95. 

•The budget will let you see exactly where other funds are going to - police and fire, employees, vehicle replacement programs, infrastructure costs and more.

That wasn't so bad right? I hope you will each take a moment to dig in and see exactly where the revenue and funds SWC has is going. And I equally hope that you will come and let us know how you think we are doing on Tuesday evening! Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. ☺️

To see the packet for Tuesday's meeting go here:  

To see the proposed budget only, go here:

Water Audits and Other Resources from Weber Basin

 Did you know Weber Basin Water will come preform a water audit on your lawn for you? This is a great resource I have been meaning to do. Anyone else have weird patches of lawn that seem to die no matter what? 🙋🏼‍♀️. Here is a description of what they can offer. The website even shows you how to do your own audit as well as a number of other resources.

Thanks to everyone on South Weber who is working on conversing water! The code committee will be looking into allowing xeriscaping as an option very soon. Keep it up and stay cool peeps! I don’t ever remember a June so hot so soon before!

"The average homeowner in Utah applies almost double the amount of water onto their landscape than is necessary. Most of that is not an issue of belligerently wasting water, but simply a lack of knowing how much water our landscapes need to thrive, how efficient our sprinkler systems are, and how quickly they apply water on to the lawn. Water audits are designed to help homeowners learn these particulars so they can be as efficient as possible with landscape irrigation. 

The audits consist of well-trained interns from Weber Basin coming to your home and doing a personal assessment on the property. They check the irrigation system and make suggestions if they see anything that could make it more efficient. A simple field soil test is performed to determine general soil type and texture. A catch-cup test is performed to see how quickly the sprinklers are applying water to the lawn and to determine how uniform the water is being applied. Studies show that applying half an inch of water is ideal to adequately water the soil for turf roots without too much water running off the surface of the soil or out of the root zone.”

Check out their website to see more information!

Recap! May city council meetings

 How is it the end of May already?  Time sure is flying.  I think May is when South Weber is the absolute prettiest.  Love this cute, little city of ours!

Below is the recap for the meetings of May 11th and May 25th as well as a special hearing that took place on May 16th.  For May 11th, you can find the packet here, May 18th's agenda is here and May 25th's meeting is here, here and here.  You can also watch these meetings on the city's YouTube channel here.  It is worth noting that the May 18th meeting was not streamed to YouTube, but the recording of the meeting is available to listen to here. 

Alright, let's dive in!

 

•RV PARK AGREEMENT AMENDMENT: The owner of the future RV Park requested changes to his landscaping plan to save on water.  These changes include using a more drought resistance grass, fewer shrubs and plants and other minor changes to the type of gravel rock and bark.  You can see his proposal in the packet linked below.  The council all agreed to the changes of grass and other minor changes, but the vote was split 3-2 in favor of a 15% reduction of plants and shrubs.  The motion passed to have the agreement modified.  

 

•2021-2022 TENATIVE BUDGET: The tentative budget was passed unanimously by the council.  The public will 3 weeks to review the budget before the next public hearing to pass the budget.  This is expected to happen the June 8^th meeting.  I would recommend everyone looking over.  Pages 5-11 are particularly informative, but if you are short on time or attention J pages 13-16 have a simplified breakdown of what changes will be taking place, where funds have been distributed and for what purposes.

 

•ELECTIONS: There are three seats up for re-election, 2 council member positions and the mayor position.  The time to file for candidacy begins June 1-4 and the 7^th at city hall. 

 

•LOFTS AT DEER RUN: The final approval for the Lofts development came before the council on May 25^th.  The council reviewed the recommendation from the planning commission both the preliminary approval that took place in December of 2020 and the final approval which took place last month.  Two commissioners were present and gave comment about the final approval because it was a 2-2 split vote and therefore no recommendation was given to help give the council perspective.   After asking questions and reviewing the plans, the council passed the motion unanimously.  

 

•COBBLESTONE SHORT TERM RENTAL HEARING: The council had the unique responsibility to act as the appeal authority in response to staff denying a business license for Cobblestone Resort, a short-term rental within the city limits.  This was set up much like a court where the council listened to both the arguments both for and against overturning this decision from their legal attorneys.  The council unanimously agreed to uphold the city’s decision to deny the business license.  Cobblestone Resort is also appealing the judicial court case regarding their need of a business license – that process will be ongoing.  

 

•CITY CODE CHANGES: The council reviewed code changes to the CH zone as well as updated definitions.  The code committee, comprising of the mayor, city manager, 2 planning commissioners and 2 city council members, made these changes which updated the specific uses that will be able to come to the commercial highway zones and beefing up the definitions to better align with the city’s desires for development following the feedback of the general plan survey results.  The was recommended to the council from the planning commission.  The council passed this motion unanimously.

 

•CANYON MEADOWS PARK WEST: Due to the rising costs of material, the plan for Canyon Meadows Park has had to be altered to fit within the budget, but still lacked the needed funds to complete a portion of the project.  It was requested of the council to allow a transfer of $182,194 which will be earmarked to pay back into impact fees to allow the project to start moving forward.  While 4 pickleball courts were budgeted, the Pickleball Community has successfully raised enough money to put in 4 more pickle ball courts for a total of 8.  After a lengthy discussion, the council passed this motion unanimously.

 

•REPORTS: Mayor Jo relayed the new digital screen for the city’s sign has been a huge update for staff as far as looks and functionality.   She also reported she met with our new Region 1 director for UDOT and discussed the I84/89 corridor, the box culvert, and the potential of future bike lanes on SWD.   She also said the LPC met and discussed the ARPA funds from the federal government.    

•Councilman Halverson stated the RAB met and OU16 will have a new ROD, new technology and better ways to test all types of contamination.

•Councilwoman Alberts reported the PR committee is working on ensuring all data has been successfully migrated from the old website to the new website, but it is slow progress.    

•Councilman Soderquist relayed the Admin and Finance committee continue to work through the budget and finalizing all the details.  He also reported our sales tax revenue for this quarter hit a new all-time high, which is good.  

•Councilwoman Petty reported they will meet with the contractor for Canyon Meadows and to get started on the work for Canyon Meadows West. 

•Councilman Winsor reported all 52 streetlights city owned streetlights now have power (after giving the rep for Rocky Mountain Power at the ULCT conference a run for his money J).  He requested information on an annual water report from staff and reported the Municipal Utility committee is working on bringing forth all high-speed internet options for citizens and council to review. He also reported the mosquito abatement is hiring for drivers if anyone is interested (at least 17 years old preferred).  Code committee is finishing up new code for internal ADU’s and moving on to cleaning up our conditional use code. 

•City Manager David Larsen reported the dog park grand opening will sadly need to be postponed due to issues with the grass not taking to root well.  He also reported information on use of the ARP funds from the feds will be presented to the council at the June 8^th meeting.  

And that’s a wrap!  You deserve a candy bar and a drink for reading this all!  

Recap! City Council April 2021

What’s up my peeps?! This month has flown by and I just realized I missed our first meeting on the month’s recap. So hold on to your hats, we are going to cover both meetings in one post! It’s gonna get all crazy in here (as crazy as municipal government gets that is). You can find all the information by checking out the April 8th packet and the April 27th packet.

•City Parks: The Parks and Rec committee met and to present changes made to all the parks. These rules greatly needed to be updated and the committee exchanged just a few lines of code for 2 pages. There were some changes that needed to take place which were approved in the following council meeting. •Dog Park: The Parks and Rec committee also created new rules for the dog park, which will open at the end of this month (don’t miss our grand opening on May 28th – time TBA!). These rules were approved by the council and will be posted at the dog park. •RV Park: The RV park came back requesting some amendments to their development agreement. This is a continuation of a meeting last week where the council was in favor of part of the agreement (adding a concrete barrier wall alongside I84) but wanted more information on the landscaping changes. The proposed changes to landscaping were quite a drastic change from the original plan and the owner was pressed on why so many changes were taking place. The property owner did not have all the information he needed to review at that time and so the council agreed to allow him to come back when he has the information, before we vote on allowing those changes. •Cross hatch properties and Poll Property Proposal: The council was able to discuss once again the properties on the general plan that have cross hatch marks. The council deliberated at length the best way to move forward on these properties. Additionally, a development agreement was brought forward for the Poll Property regarding the proposal that was presented last month. The committee was not able to review this development agreement before it came forth in the packet and considering the new information of council member’s thoughts - that meeting was imperative before continuing. The discussion was postponed until the committee could meet and discuss the development agreement. In the days following this meeting, the committee recommended to only allow the highest density (R7) for the portion that is residential and added bonuses of density. When the developers learned of this new provision, they backed out of the process. Procedures and Policies: The admin and finance committee spent a lot of time reviewing and making any changes necessary to our policies and procedures. You can view all these changes in the packet. The changes were approved unanimously. •Budget: The budget for our next fiscal year begins this summer which means the admin and finance committee have been working very hard on our next budget. This budget was just for review of the council. On May 11th, the council will approve the tentative budget as presented. Following a 2-week period for the public to review the budget, there will be a public hearing on May 25th and final adoption of the budget will be happening in August. There is a lot happening here with the budget, and I encourage everyone to review councilman Winsor’s post on it (I will link it below). We will be working on getting this information out to the public through many different means, so keep an eye out for it! REPORTS: •Mayor Jo reported the council spent a few days down in St. George for the ULCT convention. UDOT has approved $60 million dollars to expand Highway 89 to 3 lanes and redo the bridge over the Weber River. The construction for the areas in Uintah is expected to take place in 5-8 years. The Davis County Sewer will be doing a rate increase of 24% over the next 5 years. •Councilman Halverson reported the RAB meeting will be happening virtually in regard to the contamination in our area from Hill Air Force Base. •Councilwoman Alberts reported the PR Committee will be meeting next week to work on our new website as well as start working on getting information to the public regarding the budget and a truth in taxation that will take place for the paramedic services. •Councilman Winsor reported that he met with a representative from Rocky Mountain Power and was able to make headway on getting our new streetlights hooked up. He has also been working on high-speed internet options and will be working with the PR committee to disseminate the information. Woot Woot! If you have read all of this, pat yourself on the back. Not everyone can be so cool as to ready about city government on a Friday night. :D

April 8th meeting


April 27th meeting


April 8th packet: http://southwebercity.com/file/2016/11/0-CC-2021-04-08-Packet-.pdf April 27th packet: http://southwebercity.com/file/2016/11/0-CC-2021-04-27-Packet.pdf April 8th meeting: https://youtu.be/FbbX--nE3pM April 27th meeting: https://youtu.be/o0bd3vlk4Q8

Recap! City Council 3.23.21

 Trying something new this recap, live video!  Feel free to watch the full meeting down below.  Check out the minutes and the packet for more information. 

 City Council Recap! 3.23.21

•Canyon Meadow Park Contract

•Grocery Study Results

•Cross Hatch Properties on General Plan

•Council Reports

Regarding the hatch-marks on the general plan...

Hello South Weberites! A hot item right now is underway regarding the hash-marked properties on the general plan. Some quick backstory - the hash marked properties have been on the plan since 2014 and stated it was areas where commercial could be mixed with a high density of residential. After the 2020 plan surveys returned, it was clear the citizens did not favor this. The hashmarks were revisited by a committee of council members and planning commissioners.

The idea of master planning these properties (requiring the entire parcel to be developed as one cohesive project) was still favored by many because the properties are so large and many preferred a cohesive complete project over splitting parcels. While some favored removing any concept of residential, others worried it could remove the potential of a great development. The compromise was to allow a developer to present a commercial + residential project if they wanted, but there was no legal requirement for council to approve it. In order for a developer to proceed, it would need to first get approval of a development agreement passed successfully through council.

As I have heard from many of you, I realize this process needs more clarity. While original feedback regarding residential was against higher densities, I have heard from some residential would be acceptable on these properties within reason if it brings a valuable commercial project to the city. I would like to get more info from you, my constituents, regarding these hashmarked properties - particularly the Poll property (10 acres) west of Highmark and the Stephens property (17 acres) at the corner of 475 E and Old Fort Road near I84.

I would like to hear from you on the following options:

A. No residential regardless of the density. Commercial only that is master planned.

B. Residential could be allowed as long as the portion that is residential does not exceed 7 units per acre. (If 6 acres is residential, than 42 units).

C. Residential could be allowed and based off of the entire parcel size at R7 zoning. (If the property is 10 acres, 70 units regardless how much of the property is actual residential.)

D. Higher densities up to a certain point (for example, no more than 10 units per acre) could be considered and calculated off the entire parcel area.

D. Remove the requirement of master planning and development agreement and only allow commercial and follow regular zoning processes.

I am happy to have you leave your responses below, but not all council members will see it. Feel free to send us an email at publiccomment@southwebercity.com to relay your thoughts.

Recap! City Council 3.9.21

Here is the recap for city council meeting for March 9th of 2021!  You can watch the entire meeting by clicking below. If you need more information, be sure to check out the packet and the minutes.

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•YCC Logo: The YCC has created a logo for the Youth City Council. To date, the YCC has never had their own independent logo and felt they needed to be able to stand out and decipher themselves apart. They created their own logo and brought it forth to the council for approval, which passed unanimously.

•Poll Property Proposal: I have gotten a lot of questions, texts and phone calls on this property so I want to take a little more time with this. I will also attach a picture of the proposal below. This proposal came before the planning commission late last year and the council last month and is coming back again after further feedback. They are proposing approximately 15,000 sq ft of commercial space fronting South Weber Drive with 100 townhomes in the back/south part of the property – removing the apartments that were previously presented and lowering the units from 172 to 100. They are presenting three phases with both residential and commercial. This property requires a development agreement because it is cross hatched on the general plan, which indicates the property must be master planned -meaning the whole property must be developed in one uniformed piece rather than in pieces to ensure uniformity. Because there is no code or ordinances, the council is to create a development agreement that will address many items usually within a zone such as density allowed, percentage of commercial and others. Staff will work with the council to create a development agreement which will then move to the planning commission to review for a recommendation. The council in this instance has the ability to legislate what this area will look like with regards to many items that are typically within the zone. The council deliberated at length regarding the amount of commercial and specifically residential that should be allowed. The council had difficulty as roughly 2 acres of the parcel are not developable due to the slope and deliberated if acreage on undevelopable land should be included in the density calculation. After much deliberation, 3 council members agreed to allowing 100% of the parcel being included to calculate for an R7 zone (75 units). Two council members felt that only the portion that is residential should be included in the calculation of R7 and the percentage of residential needed to be addressed. Councilwoman Alberts requested that the development agreement be worked on without developers present and with staff only for all future meetings. The development agreement will be tied to the concept plan. The next steps in this process is for the committee members (Councilwoman Petty and Councilman Halverson) to work with staff to create a development agreement that includes among other things; the amount of allowed residential, the amount of property allowed to calculate residential, the amount of commercial and other standards. Once that step is completed, it will come to the council for review and vote. If the development agreement passes, the process will then begin again in Planning Commission for a recommendation, using the development agreement and concept plan as a reference point. Staff is currently working on when the most appropriate time for public hearings would be. At this time, it is anticipated one will happen when/if the development agreement comes for a vote before the council and then again at the planning commission preliminary plan. I will keep you all posted of course. 

 •Paramedic Interlocal Agreement: This agreement has been in the workings for a couple of years now and was finally able to be signed by all communities in Davis County. This will transfer the paramedic license from the county to South Weber City. This agreement will mean a truth in taxation will happen at the city level August of 2021, but it *will not* mean an increase of taxes for our citizens. It will allow the funds that currently go to the county for paramedic services to come to the city instead. Ken Letham with Davis County praised the work of all the communities involved and everyone is looking forward to an easy transition. The city will also be actively working to receive grants to help us with this process. 

 •RV Park Development Agreement Amendment: The owner of the RV park came before the council requesting to amend the original development agreement on 2 fronts. One was regarding the cable wire fencing we required of the park along I-84. UDOT informed the owner that the cable wire would not be required. The owner is requesting to instead install an 8’ solid concrete wall in its place. The owner also requested changes to the landscaping plan of the park to make it more water efficient and to save money on water as they are hooked up to culinary only. The council disagreed with the changes as it would lower the quality of the park when so much grass is replaced with gravel. The council was in agreement of the solid wall. 

•Digital Sign Update: The public safety committee was tasked to review the safety and measure of the city’s digital sign on the east side of town. The city has the ability to use CARES funds to replace the screen in the sign but the committee determined there was not enough time to use CARES funds to move the sign. The committee recommended that the city utilize the CARES funds to replace the screen which can be removed if the sign is to be moved. The public safety committee will continue to review the options available regarding moving the sign and the details and bring back to the council their findings. The committee also recommended dropping the speed limit in the area of Highmark to the Interstate to 35 mph as speeding and the amount of traffic has become concerning. The council agreed the best option was to have UDOT perform a speed study on the road and report their findings for the council to take direction from. 

New Business: 

Staff will be actively working to ensure all applicable items that passed the legislature will be addressed and accommodated and any changes or processes that need to be changed will be done. 

Reports:

•Mayor Jo:  Councilwomen Petty and Alberts were able to attend a meeting with the Wasatch Regional Front Council in regard to removing the connection to Layton from the WFRC map. The process will be to submit an amendment to the WFRC. The letter signed by the council was also sent to the representatives of the WFRC regarding this removal. 

Councilwoman Petty: Reported that the Parks and Rec requested funds from the budget to be allocated for maintenance of trails. They also met with WFRC regarding the trailhead on Cottonwood Drive. WFRC was optimistic about widening the shoulder of the road and creating a parking lot for the traffic of the trail. 

Councilmen Soderquist: Met with the gravel pits and reported they donated $80,000 this year in funds to the rec programs as part of their agreement with the city. All committees budget proposals are being reviewed as well as moving sales tax revenues to certain budgets that currently do not get any. 

Councilman Winsor: The code committee is forwarding definitions on to the Planning Commission which will begin to review them in smaller bites. The committee is in the process of making plans for the future regarding getting information to the public.

Recap! City Council 2.23.2021

Scroll down for the recap for the 2/23/21 City Council meeting!.  You can watch the meeting by clicking the YouTube video below.  If you have further questions -  be sure to check out the packet and the minutes.

City Council Recap! 2.23.2021

(Part 1....it's a long one!)

•The city recognized planning commissioners Tim Grub and Rob Osborne who resigned from the planning commission. We thank them and their families for their dedication to the city.

•Lester Drive & 7375 South development and connection: Layne Kap came before the council to present a proposal to the city regarding city owned property near Lester Drive. This property was purchased by the city years ago to ensure a connection would happen allowing for 2 exits/entrances to South Weber Elementary school. Layne would like to be able to develop the lots and complete the connection of the road to 7375 South. Further discussion took place later during a closed session to discuss the purchase, lease or exchange of property.

•Planning Commission Code Changes: The council has been discussing changes to the planning commission and have been split on the best option moving forward, specifically speaking with the number of commissioners. After some deliberation, a motion was put forth to change the code to change the length of term to 3 years, 2 consecutive terms, and 5 members of the planning commission. There was also some changes to the policies and the procedures as well as the bylaws. The vote passed 3-2, with the 2 dissenting votes being in favor of 7 members rather than 5.

•3 new planning commission members: Following this motion, the vacancies of the planning commissions were filled. Jeremy Davis, Julie Losee & Taylor Walton were recommended. Taylor Walton will finish out the remaining 2 years of Rob Osborne’s position ending in January of 2023, Julie Losee will finish out the remainder of Tim Grubb’s position ending in January 2024, and Jeremey Davis will complete the vacancy of 3 years ending in January of 2024. All three applicants were approved and will assume their roles in the Planning Commission immediately.

•Kelly Miles: Representative Kelly Miles joined the council to discuss happenings during the open session. Councilwoman Alberts relayed some comments from the public encouraging control to stay local. She also urged Kelly Miles to vote no to HB98 (Building inspection amendments) and addressed several concerns she had with it. Councilman Winsor expressed gratitude to Kelly for voting no on HB82 (ADU’s). Representative Miles was able to meet with Councilwoman Alberts, Councilman Winsor, Mayor Jo and City Manager David Larsen last week regarding some changes and concerns with HB82 (ADU’s) and Kelly took those concerns in with his vote. Councilman Winsor also expressed his concerns and objections to HB98. Councilman Winsor asked Representative Miles why the state gets frustrated when the Federal Government imposes restrictions to the State because they want local control, but yet they turn and do the same thing to local cities and towns, specifically calling out affordability and the inability to legislate affordability. The council spoke briefly about SB81 and SB144 (outdoor advertising/billboard amendments) and SB221 (short-term rental amendments). We are grateful for his time speaking with us. (An update since this meeting happened is that HB98 did pass the House, but Representative Miles voted no).

Part 2 coming soon with lots of other good stuff. Let me know if you have any questions. :-)

Fighting H.B. 98

The last several days have been a nonstop labor of love for me. As many of you may know, our city council had an emergency meeting to pass a resolution stating our opposition to the committee members who will review HB98.

Myself and city council members Kim Dixon and Nina Morse from West Haven have been working tirelessly calling and emailing representatives in Weber and Davis County to get the word out about HB98. Within 24 hours, we had 17 cities join the press release and 46 signatures (and still counting) for neighboring cities who also oppose this bill. I want to thank my own city council members who signed the press release and for Wayne Winsor willing to give a statement.

I was interviewed by ABC4 and Channel 2 News last night. The Standard Examiner is also picking up the piece. Representative Ray, who says the bill will be substituted, still feels it is a good bill. I found with this press release and in talking with other leaders this bill is non-negotiable. It's a bad bill.

Representative Ray remains confident the bill will pass through the session with support of the legislative leaders - specifically Speaker Brad Wilson, Senate President Stuart Adams & Majority Whip Mike Shultz - all founding members of the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association who contribute money to campaigns of numerous elected officials throughout Northern Utah.

Below is an excerpt from Representative Ray in the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association newsletter regarding HB 98: "We will allow the builder to hire a third-party inspector to complete inspections instead of waiting for the city to schedule one. We are also restricting what type of building ordinances that can be implemented by a city or county.....Gone will be the days of requriing rock and brick, pitch of roof, what color the door is and other things....I am tired of government redlining neighborhoods to keep lower income families out."

I stand by my initial statement: "Once again, our state legislature is demanding requirements of municipalities under the guise of moderate-income housing, knowing full well it cannot and will not guarantee affordability. This bill will greatly diminish local control and lower the standards of structures built. As CEO of the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association, it is clear who Rep. Ray is truly representing, and it is not his constituents.”

Other news stories regarding our work on HB98.

https://www.standard.net/news/government/northern-utah-leaders-still-have-concerns-after-lawmakers-ok-housing-measure/article_962620ca-3986-5502-9337-58e5b47859bf.html

https://ksltv.com/456293/bill-aims-to-combat-utah-housing-boom-affordability/

Recap! City Council 2.9.2021

Scroll down to see my recap for this week's meeting.  You can also watched the video below.  If you have other questions, be sure to check out the packet and the minutes for this meeting.

•I decided that 2 meetings a month is too much information and I can’t make them shorter – which is not my forte anyways. So, we are back to following each meeting!

•This meeting started with an announcement from Mayor Jo relating that two planning commissioners, Tim Grubb and Rob Osborne, have resigned from the planning commission. This resignation removed the need previous agenda item that was in the packet.

•Action Items: The award of a contract for blue staking the streetlight project was awarded to Stake Center and passed unanimously. The council was unanimously in favor of a mutual aid agreement with Weber Fire District. Additionally, an amended contract with Davis County Animal Care Services was also passed unanimously. The amendments to this agreement included extended the contract out (originally set to expire 12/31/2020) while they prepare a new contract as they research options for a new facility. They costs dropped slightly as they will no longer be offering wildlife services (services such as raccoon & skunk response, removal or disposal).

•Discussion Items: The council has decided to review the planning commission’s code and processes. This deliberation lasted for about an hour. Terms of service, length of term, number of commissioners were specifically discussed, but also included a discussion on to better help the council and the commission run smoother together. Ideas and suggestions included; increased training for PC members, by-laws/policy updates, roles and responsibilities better defined and communication regarding updating needed code changes to the council. These items will ideally be handled at the PC level creating their own policies and procedures with the approval of the council. Items that would be code changes would be length of terms, how many terms PC members can serve consecutively and how many members. The council discussed at length the option of 5 or 7 members and was split on an agreement. The majority ruled in favor of 5 members. Staff will bring forward a new code policy at our next city council meeting (Feb. 23rd). The council will continue to consider these options and will continue to deliberate. All on the council were in favor of finding a resolution by the 23rd so that the new seats on the PC can be filled immediately after and the PC can get up and running again.

New Business:

•Council members Petty and Halverson met as a committee to address a developer’s question about the Poll property next to Highmark Charter School regarding the cross-hatch marks on the general plan. They recommended this come back to the council as a discussion item to create a better process in place for those select few properties that have those cross-hatch markings.

Reports:

•Mayor Jo: Wasatch Intergrated Waste is nearly completed with the final layer of the land fill that is closest to South Weber. When it is done, they will move to a new spot within the land fill that is the furthest spot away from South Weber. The box culvert under highway 89 has had some issues come up regarding a gas line and the location of the gravel pits. The county and UDOT to figure out a new plan of action and the construction of the culvert has been postponed until 2022.

•Councilman Winsor: Code committee is trucking through (I feel like this report is a broken record!😁). The committee is going through all the uses of each of the zones and determining which is most applicable/desired for each zone.

•Councilwoman Petty: Parks are Rec committee met to establish a timeline for the Canyon Meadows Project for the RFP’s which were opened last Friday. They will meet the first week of March to finalize those choices.

•Councilman Soderquist: The Admin and Finance Committee did a great job getting a lot of items ready to present at the retreat that happened 2 weeks ago. All committees are preparing to meet and get ready for the upcoming budget reviews.

•Councilwoman Alberts: The YCC has been working on a lot of different items: they will be coming to the council to have approval on a new logo specifically for the YCC. March will start our new section of the city’s newsletter to include a “Citizen Spotlight”. They are also working on a service project for the residents at Petersen Farms and including the students from South Weber Elementary.

•Councilman Halverson: The public safety committee will meet later this week.

•City Manager David Larson: The Spring Clean-Up date has been scheduled for April 24th – additional details coming soon. The website migration is finished and the next step is making sure the information is correct and the new pages are up and functional. We are approaching the finish line to a new website!

•On a sidenote, I have asked the mayor to share her legislative updates on the city’s page and I will share them here, so look for those coming soon! There are LOTS of important things happening there, and I will continue to let you all know what is coming up and how to get involved. 😊

Please let me know if you have any questions!•

Recap! City Council January 2021

 anuary 2021 City Council Recap!

•The city had a review from Keddington & Christensen as part of an independent audit. They came back with minimal feedback for things the city can change. You can see this information in the Jan 12th packet.

•The city officially welcomed our new city planner Shari Phippen on board! I have been able to work with Shari on the code committee and she has been a great resource to us already. She brings in new fresh ideas and thoughts on processes. We are excited to have her join us.

•There was a public hearing for the sale of land to Ron and Karen Anderson in Canyon Meadows. This was a unique sliver of property that was part of Canyon Meadows Park. The Anderson family offered to purchase this small piece of property. The city felt that this was a good arrangement as it helped line up the property better both within in the park and adjacent neighbors. You can see more about this action item, including the parcel and agreement, in the Jan 12 packet.

•The city also agreed to a contract for property for a new public works building. This property is on the west side of the city, directly north of the soccer complex. The decision to buy property for a future public works building was made approximately 3 years ago. In that time, staff has looked into many properties throughout the city. The council felt this property met all the required items that were determined for a future public works building. This decision was only for the contract of sale – the sale is not yet finalized. There was a lot of questions about this property during public comment and hopefully we as a council were able to address them all. I am happy to answer any further questions. You can see the council answer a lot of questions during the meeting, which I will link below.

•Davis County Sherriff’s Department presented to the council at the January 26ths meeting for their quarterly report. Sergeant Pope took the time to review a number of interesting calls we have had in South Weber as well as stats for South Weber services. We are so appreciative of DSCO serving and protecting our community! You can see his review at the beginning of the January 26th meeting, linked below.

•An opening on the Planning Commission was made available after Taylor Walton’s 5 year term ended. Mayor Jo appoints a new member to the Planning Commission with the advice and consent of the council. The council was divided on this issue, and the motion to re-appoint Taylor Walton failed on a 3-2 vote. The mayor will need to recommend a new name to the council to fill that role. You can watch the discussion and action on this item during the January 26th meeting.

•The city has some additional CARES act money we can use. After reviewing some other potential expenditures that would qualify under the CARES act, the city opted to use the funds towards 3 potential items. One item is for a new screen to the electronic sign at Maverick. We would be able to use CARES act funds to replace it to an LED screen. The council addressed the complaints about the position of the sign and the safety concerns that have been brought up. The public safety committee was directed to discuss what could be done. In order for CARES act to be approved, the item must be implemented by June 30, 2021. Given the possibility the sign’s location may not have a solution that soon, the motion opted for the following regarding the CARES funds: 6 new radios for the fire department (current ones are over 10 years old, some as old as 20 and were previously used), and a replacement for a new sign at Maverick. If the sign can not be completed in time, the remaining funds will go towards the fire department salaries and benefits for 2021.

New Business:

Councilman Wayne Winsor brought up the need for the city to relate updates to legislative bills. Futhermore the ULCT allows for 3 votes to be a part of the Legislative Policy Committee (LPC). A new agenda item regarding Legislative Review will continue throughout the legislative session and Dave Larson, Jo Sjoblom and Wayne Winsor were chosen for this committee.

Painted lines at the intersection of the frontage road and South Weber Drive for turning left or right are fading and difficult to see - Mayor Jo directed Public Works to go see what needs to be done to fix.

There will be coming an upcoming TUF review of all the funds received and what they went towards. There was some talk of possibly adjusting the TUF regarding tax exempted entities.

Reports:

•Mayor Jo: The YCC put on a mock city council and it was fun too watch and support. The council will have a retreat the last weekend of January.

•Councilman Winsor: City Code committee worked through the holiday break and have completed the definitions for title 10. This will be going to the PC for their recommendations. The code committee will now start going through the uses of each zone.

•Councilwoman Petty: Brandon Jones has been working hard on getting bids for all the projects for Canyon Meadows. The Parks and Rec Committee will be meeting to go over those bids in early February.

•Councilman Soderquist: The admin and finance committee have been working on getting prepared for the audit and the upcoming budget for FY 2021-2022. Many of these items will be discussed in detail at the retreat.

•Councilwoman Alberts: Migration of content is now underway for the city's website. There have been some hiccups but things are continuing forward. The Council Corner section of the newsletter will be transitioning to a new resident spotlight put on by our Youth City Council.

•Councilman Halverson: Planning Commission met and the Loft's will will have their final site plan and approval coming up soon. The final plans for the salon on South Weber Drive were approved in PC.

•City Manager David Larsen: The grocery study for the Stephen's property will be completed by the end of the month. There is a developer looking into the Poll property next to Highmark. Mayor Jo created a committee comprising of Angie Petty and Blair Halverson to sit and discuss with the developers the process as this particular parcel requires a master plan and development agreement.

And that is all! If you made it this far, you may bring me a coke and a chocolate bar, some hot cocoa and an ice cream sundae. I will most likely share.

Packet for January 12th meeting: http://southwebercity.com/.../0-CC-2021-01-12-Packet-1.pdf

Packet for January 26th meeting: http://southwebercity.com/.../11/0-CC-2021-01-26-Packet.pdf

Legislative Action: SB0061

 LEGISLATIVE ACTION

We have another hot bill going to committee tomorrow! Once again, the best place to stop or change bills is in committee. Please take a moment to review this bill and get involved.

What it is: HB0061 Outdoor Advertising Amendments

What it does: Prohibits cities and counties from enacting or enforcing certain restrictions on electronic billboards and other advertising signs. Also implements restrictions on when cities or counties can impose curfews on said signs.

What happens next: This bill will go to the Senate Business and Labor Committee tomorrow (Feb. 2) at 3:40 pm.

Why it is being proposed: As electronic billboards and signs become more popular and used, many cities and counties are placing restrictions on when they can be lighted and where they can be placed. The sponsor of this bill feels these restrictions are too strict and seeks to amend a 

previous bill to allow more ability for sign owners and users.

How this bill will affect South Weber: As we are near two high traffic highways (89 and 84) we can expect to see more and more signs go up as growth continues.

Why I am worried about this bill: I have already heard from many residents who live near electronic billboard signs and commercial signs that impacts their home. The constant flashing or changing of screens can be a greater nuisance than just those that have lights on them (which were already problematic). This bill will remove the ability for cities like ours, to impose certain restrictions to help mitigate the effects these signs will have on those residents who live near areas where electronic signs or bill boards will be erected.  

What you can do: Email the committee members. If you live near these signs already - relate your experience and your concerns. Help them understand that as long as homes are near highways and commercial buildings, they will be impacted by them and that is why these restrictions need to be based not at a state level, but a local level. 

How to watch: Click this link roughly 10 minutes before the committee meeting starts. You will see another link that says watch this meeting. https://le.utah.gov/committee/committee.jsp?com=SSTBUS...

How to offer public comment: Click this link and fill out the form. Scroll down and select the correct bill.  
https://le.utah.gov/interim/publicComment.jsp?mtgid=17388

Additionally, you may email committee members before this meeting starts and give them your concerns. They have been great at addressing concerns from constituents in every committee meeting I have joined. Include in your email your name and address. Below are their emails: 

curt@cbramble.com
kcullimore@le.utah.gov
gdavis@le.utah.gov
dipson@le.utah.gov
kmayne@le.utah.gov
dmccay@le.utah.gov
ssandall@le.utah.gov
jwstevenson@le.utah.gov
tweiler@le.utah.gov

Link to bill: https://le.utah.gov/~2021/bills/static/SB0061.html