PANGUITCH CITY COUNCIL
Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2026, 5:30 PM
25 South 200 East, Panguitch, UT 84759, US
1. OPENING CEREMONY
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member James Kinsey. The invocation was offered by Mayor Kim Soper.
2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
Motion to adopt the amended agenda was made by Council Member Tracy Wright and seconded by Council Member James Kinsey. The motion carried unanimously.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion to approve the minutes as corrected was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
4. FIREMEN GRANTS - NICK FRANDSEN
Fire Chief Nick Frandsen presented two separate proposals to the Council: (1) a cloud-based inventory and compliance management software, and (2) a professional grant-writing service. He also introduced a third related matter-a fire cost recovery ordinance-which was tabled for a future meeting.
Compliance Software
Chief Frandsen advised the City Council that the department is currently not compliant with NFPA and OSHA standards for the inspection, documentation, and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE), apparatus, and tools. He explained that regulations require documented inspections. He noted that the department's boots, gloves, and wildland gear are expired, and that six structural gear sets will expire within six months.
Chief Frandsen proposed purchasing a cloud-based software platform designed specifically for rural fire departments. The system consolidates PPE tracking, apparatus maintenance logs, cost reporting, and inspection scheduling accessible via computer, phone, or tablet. He emphasized that the software would provide documentation critical for OSHA audits, ISO ratings, and insurance liability purposes, and would generate automatic reminders for upcoming inspections. The cost was stated as a $560 setup fee plus $2,175 annually, for a first-year total of $2,735, with $2,175 in subsequent years.
Motion to approve expenditure of $2,735 from the current fiscal year budget for the fire department compliance software was made by Council Member Cindy Stewart and seconded by Council Member James Kinsey. The motion carried unanimously.
Grant Writing Service
Chief Nick Frandsen introduced a grant-writing firm that specializes in fire service grants. He explained that the department currently applies for approximately five grants per year, primarily the highly competitive federal AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grant), which requires as many as 40 hours of preparation. The proposed firm identified 156 grants available to the Panguitch City Fire Department, of which 122 are private grants and require no matching funds. The cost for the service is $4,500 per year.
Chief Frandsen also raised the possibility of establishing the fire department as a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity to facilitate access to private grants.
The City Council agreed to table the grant-writing service decision and review it during the upcoming budget process.
Fire Cost Recovery Ordinance
Chief Frandsen briefly introduced a draft ordinance that would allow the department to bill insurance companies for fire and emergency response services rendered outside the city's incorporated limits to avoid burdening city taxpayers. He cited that approximately 75% of responses are highway incidents, and of those, 80% involve non-residents or tourists. A third-party billing company, Fire Recovery Services, was identified, which charges a flat 15% of amounts collected and handles all billing and insurance follow-up at no upfront cost.
City Manager Houston recommended this item be placed on a future agenda as a standalone item and reviewed by City Attorney Barry before any action is taken. The Council concurred, and the ordinance was tabled.
5. BUSINESS LICENSE - THE BUCK SKIN PONY DBA BOOT AND BOOZE LIQUOR AT 24 E 100 N
Motion to approve the business license for The Buckskin Pony LLC DBA Boot and Booze Liquor was made by Council Member Cindy Stewart and seconded by Council Member Tracy Wright. The motion carried unanimously.
6. BUSINESS LICENSE - AACHI LLC DBA COLOR COUNTRY HOTEL AT 526 N MAIN
It was noted that AACHI LLC has transitioned from partial to full ownership of the Color Country Hotel and is updating its business license accordingly.
Motion to approve the business license for AACHI LLC DBA Color Country Hotel was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Tracy Wright. The motion carried unanimously.
7. BUSINESS LICENSE - BW'S ADVENTURES
The applicant appeared before the Council and described BW's Adventures as an art-based business offering paint workshops for adults, hosted at a local venue.
Motion to approve the business license for BW's Adventures was made by Council Member Tracy Wright and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
8. BUSINESS LICENSE - THE 89 TABLE AT 41 NORTH MAIN
Motion to approve the business license for The 89 Table was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Tracy Wright. The motion carried unanimously.
9. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Council determined that an executive session was not needed and proceeded directly to department reports.
10. DEPARTMENT REPORTS/CALENDAR
City Rights of Way: Council Member James Kinsey reported that the property cleanup in response to a complaint letter is progressing well. He noted that a letter regarding a second complaint property is pending with the City Attorney, Barry Huntington. He further indicated that a conversation is ongoing with the County Sheriff Eric Houston regarding code enforcement.
Tax Incentive Survey: A meeting with Stuart Clason is being arranged to map the tax incentive area. Several development projects are on hold pending completion of this process.
Utah League of Cities and Towns Conference: City Manager Mat Houston and Mayor Kim Soper attended the annual ULCT conference. A primary theme was the statewide water shortage.
Water Conservation: City Manager Houston urged the Council to begin communicating water conservation messaging to the public immediately. He noted that both culinary wells are currently operational and supply is stable for now. Secondary (irrigation) water allocations are expected to be significantly reduced. A new gate on the dam is expected to be installed in May, before water can be released. He suggested implementing the City's standard 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM culinary watering restriction. He also proposed a social media campaign featuring weekly water-wise tips.
Springs: Mayor Soper reported visiting the city's spring sites and measuring flow rates. He stated that current flow levels are approximately 40% below the lowest readings previously recorded. One spring is down to one gallon per minute, which is unprecedented. He indicated the springs are not expected to run dry, but the situation warrants close monitoring.
Additional discussion touched on the possibility of pursuing state funding for water-wise landscaping conversion, encouraging desert landscaping for new commercial development.
City Right-of-Ways: The Council discussed plans to publish a 30-day notice in the local newspaper, notifying residents of the intention to clean up city right-of-ways.
City Yard: City Manager Houston noted that the school board verbally committed to accepting the proposal to purchase the entire city yard, though it has not been formally voted on. The item will be voted on at the school board's next meeting.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Council Member Tracy Wright made a motion to adjourn at 6:28 PM.
Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: The City of Panguitch will make efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled members of the public in accessing City programs. Please contact Mat Houston Panguitch City office at least 24 hours in advance if you have special needs.
Anyone who wishes to offer a prayer or thought in the opening ceremony at City Council is welcome to do so by calling City Manager Mat Houston at 435-676-8585 to schedule an appointment.
**Items may not be covered in order listed. Panguitch City is an equal opportunity employer.**