General Information

Government Type

Municipality

Entity

Elwood

Public Body

Elwood Town

Notice Information

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Notice Title

Town Council Meeting Mins

Notice Type(s)

Notice, Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

August 5, 2026 06:00 PM

Description/Agenda

Elwood Town Council Meeting and Work Meeting August 5, 2026 The Elwood Town Council met at the Elwood Town Hall, 5235 West 8800 North, Elwood, Utah, at 6:00, Aug 5, 2026. The following members were present consisting of a quorum. Scott Goodliffe Mayor Curtis Crouch Councilmember Mark Lay Councilmember Phil Shimek Councilmember Brian Davis Councilmember Staff present at this meeting Gina Marble Town Clerk Steve Woerner Public Works Others present at this meeting Mary Lamont Planning Commission Chair Britton Hayden WELCOME ADMINISTRATION Pledge of allegiances Councilmember Lay gave the opening prayer. Mayor Goodliffe welcomed everyone to the meeting. Councilmember Crouch moved to close the town council work meeting and to move into the executive session. Councilmember Shimek seconded. Motion Passed unanimously. Open the Executive Session - Strategy Session to Discuss Pending Or Reasonably Imminent Litigation Councilmember Shimek moved to close the executive session and move into the town council work session. Councilmember Lay seconded. Motion Passed unanimously. Move into the Work Session - To Discuss the Town Rezone: Councilmember Shimek left after the executive session. Mayor Goodliffe opened the work session at 7:00 PM, noting the sole agenda item was the town-wide rezoning initiative. He emphasized the purpose of the meeting was to ensure all council members are fully informed ahead of the eventual decision-making stage, and that no public comment would be taken. He acknowledged the significant effort of the planning commission and staff, and noted the commission had not yet issued a formal recommendation as it was still working through public comments. Mayor Goodliffe directed council members to review the summary of proposed zoning changes and associated ordinances available on the town website, including interactive maps showing current and proposed zoning side by side. Planning Commission Chair Hayden joined the meeting and provided an overview of the commission's process. He explained that the commission used a five-criteria rubric to evaluate objections to proposed zoning changes: (1) vested rights, (2) alignment with the general plan, (3) existing town agreements, (4) financial loss, and (5) public benefit and infrastructure capacity. These criteria were applied collectively, with final recommendations reflecting the commission's best collective judgment. Mayor Goodliffe raised a concern about rezoning commercially designated properties along SR 13 back to agricultural, questioning the rationale given the general plan's vision of commercial development along the highway corridor. Planning Commission Chair Hayden clarified that the preference was to zone each parcel to reflect its current use, and that single-zone parcels were preferred over split-zoned parcels, though legal counsel had confirmed split zoning is permissible. He noted the commission's goal was to maintain objectivity and avoid any perception of favoritism. Discussion touched on the relationship between zoning designations and Greenbelt tax status. Mayor Goodliffe clarified that zoning and Greenbelt enrollment are entirely separate matters administered at different levels, with the county assessing back taxes up to five years upon a property's exit from Greenbelt. The council discussed the concerns raised by commercial property owners regarding potential loss of investment value. Planning Commission Chair Hayden noted the commission did not attempt to quantify specific dollar losses but considered financial impact qualitatively alongside other rubric criteria. He also confirmed that property owners may apply for a rezone at any time, though the process involves a minimum 20-day public noticing period, a public hearing, and associated fees. Planning Commission Chair Hayden presented the digital working folder accessible to council members, which contains the audio recording of the public hearing, written objection forms (numbered in the 100s), public hearing comments (numbered in the 200s), supporting documentation submitted by objectors, and the zoning administrator's recommendations alongside the commission's final recommendations in the working spreadsheet. Council members were advised to use the Google Sheets app rather than a browser for best performance, and to be mindful that filters affect all simultaneous viewers. Planning Commission Chair Hayden advised that 27 properties for which the commission had proposed changes since the July 7th planning commission meeting would be re-noticed to ensure proper public notice. New hearing notices were to be mailed by Friday, with a second public hearing scheduled for August 18, and a commission recommendation meeting set for September 1. Planning Commission Chair Hayden noted a significant source of public concern had been a misreading of the C-2/C-3 distinction as it applies to professional trades such as plumbing and HVAC. The commission clarified that these trades are permitted under C-2 and are not required to be in C-3. The commission agreed to send written clarification to affected property owners and to update the schedule of uses to explicitly include trades under C-2 in the coming months. A similar misunderstanding regarding minimum lot sizes for residential construction was also noted as having caused unnecessary alarm. A broader policy discussion explored whether blanket rezoning all agricultural farmland to R-140 could serve as a simpler alternative. Planning Commission Chair Hayden explained that this approach would fail to provide the structured protections that distinct zoning categories are designed to afford - particularly protections for agricultural operations from encroaching residential complaints. He cited existing conflicts between farmers and neighboring residential property owners as evidence of the need for proper ag zoning. Adjournment Councilmember Lay made a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Crouch seconded the motion and the remaining council members agreed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:17p.m. The undersigned, duly acting and appointed clerk for Elwood Town Corporation, hereby certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Town Council meeting minutes held on the 5th day of Aug 2026. Dated this the 11th day of June 2026. ________________________________ Gina R Marble, Elwood Town Clerk

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

Contact Gina Marble @ 435-257-5518

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

N/A

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

5235 W 8800 N
Elwood , UT 84337
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Contact Name

Gina Marble

Contact Email

elwood@elwoodtown.com

Contact Phone

(435)257-5518

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

August 13, 2026 02:19 PM

Notice Last Edited On

August 13, 2026 02:19 PM

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