Panguitch City Council
Meeting Minutes
June 23, 2026, 5:30 PM
25 South 200 East, Panguitch, UT 84759, US
Those in attendance were Mayor Pro Tem Tracy Wright, City Manger Mat Houston, City Attorney Barry Huntingtion, City Recorder Tyrissa Howell, City Treasurer Carla Farnsworth, Council Members Mike Sarles, Cindy Stewart, and James Kinsey.
OPENING CEREMONY
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Wright. City Council Member Mike Sarles led the Pledge of Allegiance and offered the invocation.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
No changes to the agenda were proposed.
Motion to adopt the agenda was made by Council Member Cindy Stewart and seconded by Council Member Mike Sarles. The motion carried unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes from the May 26th meeting were presented for approval. No changes were requested.
Motion to approve the minutes was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING - 2025-2026 BUDGET OPENING
Mayor Pro Tem Tracy Wright declared the public hearing open, allowing three minutes per speaker, and noted that the council would listen without responding during the hearing.
One member of the public, Harshad Desai a local business owner since 1992, raised concerns about the city's stagnant population growth and suggested the city either form a business owners' advisory committee meeting twice yearly or hire an economic development officer. He further expressed concern about what he characterized as a 'cronyism over meritocracy' culture in city governance and cited specific salary increases for city staff over the years, suggesting the increases were not tied to measurable performance. His allotted time concluded before he finished his remarks, and he submitted his comments for the record.
No other members of the public wished to speak, and Mayor Pro Tem Tracy Wright declared the public hearing closed at 5:36 PM.
RESOLUTION 2026-2 THE GENERAL FUND
City Treasurer Carla Farnsworth provided a summary of the balanced general fund budget, highlighting allocations from surplus revenues: $3,500 to the Fire Department, $60,000 to the Animal Shelter, $50,000 to B&C Road funds, $80,000 to Parks & Recreation, $30,000 to Capital Projects for Roads, $30,000 to Main Street Revitalization, and $32,000 for the fire truck loan payment. She also noted a double payment was made on the sewer/Triple C loan, with only one payment left. Council Member James Kinsey requested the original debt figure for public record.The original debt amount was 1,625,000.
Motion to approve Resolution 2026-2, the General Fund budget, with any necessary adjustments recommended by the auditor, was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2026-3 THE WATER FUND
Motion to approve Resolution 2026-3, the Water Fund budget, with any necessary adjustments recommended by the auditor, was made by Council Member Cindy Stewart and seconded by Council Member Mike Sarles. The motion carried unanimously.
RESOLUTION 2026-4 THE SEWER FUND
Motion to approve Resolution 2026-4, the Sewer Fund budget, with any necessary adjustments recommended by the auditor, was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Mike Sarles. The motion carried unanimously.
FRAUD RISK ASSESSMENT
Treasurer Farnsworth explained that the Fraud Risk Assessment is a required annual document submitted to state auditors. She noted that the city's assessment scored in the low-risk category, indicating strong internal controls over cash handling and office procedures.
Motion to approve the Fraud Risk Assessment was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Mike Sarles. The motion carried unanimously.
DONATION - 6TH GRADE D.C. TRIP
Three sixth-grade student representatives presented a request for council support for their class trip to Washington, D.C. in November 2026. The students outlined an itinerary covering major national monuments, museums, and historical sites. They reported that there are currently 36 sixth graders, with a per-student cost of approximately $1,000, for a total trip cost of roughly $36,000. As of the meeting, the class had raised approximately $6,000 through ongoing fundraising efforts including yard sales, bake sales, service projects, and business donations.
Council discussion centered on formalizing the donation as a per-student amount rather than a flat figure. City Manager Houston suggested that a community service component-such as a roadside cleanup near the county landfill and helping with the balloon rally vendor booth.
Motion to approve a donation of $125 per sixth-grade student, drawn from the 2026-2027 budget, was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
SOFTBALL FIELD - KELLY HOLMAN
Kelly Holman, outgoing softball coach, highlighted several concerns about the Panguitch Elementary School softball field. As he prepares to retire, he emphasized the need for a clear point of contact and defined responsibilities between the city and the school district.
Key issues raised included:
Water access: The irrigation system isn't available until late April, which is after the season's February start. For the past two seasons, Coach Holman borrowed water from a nearby residence and proposed installing a frost-free tap for early-season access, independent of the school's irrigation system.
Infield irrigation coverage: The sprinkler nearest home plate does not adequately reach the plate area. Holman suggested a simple line extension from the pitcher's plate to home plate.
Bathroom facilities: Current accommodations rely on porta-potties and a gym fob key. A permanent bathroom solution has not been implemented, and a prior grant application to fund one was denied in part because reviewers questioned why the school district was not seeking the grant.
Dragging the field: Holman has personally dragged the field early each morning using his own four-wheeler. He expressed doubt that a future coach would do the same and flagged this as a sustainability issue.
City Manager Houston acknowledged the frustrations and noted the city had already exceeded its originally planned budget for the field-spending approximately $150,000 against an MOU cap of $80,000. He indicated his view that the school district should be the primary point of contact and responsible party for infrastructure items, while the city bears responsibility for dugouts, fencing, and backstop per the MOU. He stated he would be comfortable approving a frost-free spigot installation.
Council Member Mike Sarles and Council Member James Kinsey both expressed concern that city resources were being used on school district property without equal investment from the school district. Council Member Kinsey recommended that City Manager Houston meet with the school board to review and potentially update the MOU, with a clearer delineation of responsibilities and a shared scheduling calendar. The council agreed. Coach Holman was thanked for his years of commitment to the program.
DONATION - DUP BUILDING/RHYTHM BAND FLOAT
Angeli Sheffer and Kathleen Cooper presented on of the Panguitch Rhythm Band, which is celebrating its 90th year. The Rhythm Band float is in need of materials for float.
Motion to approve a donation of $250 from the 2026-2027 contributions budget for the Rhythm Band float was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
BUSINESS LICENSE- MACKABEN HOSPITALITY GROUP/SEVIER COFFEE CO.
Motion to approve the business license for Mackaben Hospitality Group/Sevier Coffee Co. was made by Council Member Mike Sarles and seconded by Council Member James Kinsey. The motion carried unanimously.
BUSINESS LICENSE - FOCUS INTERPRETING
City Recorder Tyrissa Howell confirmed that Focus Interpreting would be operating out of an office building on Center Street, providing language interpretation services.
Motion to approve the business license for Focus Interpreting was made by Council Member James Kinsey and seconded by Council Member Cindy Stewart. The motion carried unanimously.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS/CALENDAR
Secondary Water: Following an emergency water meeting, the city was re-allocated 19 days of secondary water, of which 4 have been used, leaving approximately 15 days. Water will run out around July 20th.
Landfill/Concrete: The landfill operator is currently not accepting concrete. City Manager Mat Houston indicated he would follow up with the operator and suggested exploring whether a local contractor with crushing equipment could stockpile clean concrete for later processing.
Quilt Walk: Three of the event's primary organizers announced they were stepping down. Claudia Crump, who ran the event approximately 14 years ago, has stepped in to lead. City Manager Houston confirmed he expressed the city's continued support for the Quilt Walk.
Triple C: Council Member Cindy Stewart noted she and the Triple C Manager, Lance Miller, have established a weekly reporting process on events at the Triple C.
Rights of Way: Council Member James Kinsey also reminded the council that a July 29th deadline for rights-of-way enforcement is approaching and suggested that the council identify the first ten priority locations. Houston indicated he would prepare standardized enforcement paperwork for council review.
America 250: Council Member Mike Sarles shared updates on the local 250th Anniversary of the United States, noting a full schedule of July 4th activities, including a guest speaker at the Social Hall following the parade, free movie screenings, a community lunch, and the fireworks show.
Summer food program - Council Member Tracy Wright reported that the weekly Wednesday summer food program for children goes for 10 weeks, serving approximately 50 kids per session. She noted she is working to extend the program by two additional weeks through the Utah State Food Bank to bridge a gap before school resumes.
Fireworks: Council Member James Kinsey noted concerns and confirmed that, as of the meeting, Governor Cox's office had not issued a fireworks restriction mandate. City Manager Houston noted conversations with the fire chief that in-town fireworks present less wildfire risk than those discharged on the outskirts of the city.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn was made by Council Member Mike Sarles at 6:53 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 Lori Talbot 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 Lori Talbot at 435-676-8585 to schedule an appointment.
**Items may not be covered in order listed. Panguitch City is an equal opportunity employer.**