Town of Mantua Council Public Hearing Meeting Minutes
For July 16th, 2026
Location: Town Hall, 409 North Main, Mantua, Utah
Council Members Present: Mayor Annette Ash, Mayor Pro Tempore Matt Jeppsen, Council Member Henry Dovey
Absent: Council Member Cheryl Burgan, Council Member Scott Ross
Recorder: Sherita Schaefer
Audience Present: Harper Johnson, Janis Johnson, Virgina Newman, Lee Larsen
The meeting was opened by Mayor Annette Ash.
Public Hearing: Utility Rate Adjustments (Resolution No. 2026-07-16a)
Motion to Open Public Hearing: Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen motioned to open the public hearing for the Utility Rate Adjustments (Resolution No. 2026-07-16a). Council Member Dovey made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
Presentation: Finance Manager Ronald Wallace presented the proposed utility rate adjustments for the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, addressing necessary changes for both waste management and culinary water services. The town must update its current rates to cover rising operating costs, meet state funding requirements, and qualify for future infrastructure grants.
Garbage & Recycling Rates: Net income on garbage services has dropped below $7,500 due to rising costs from the contracted hauler. These higher rates were never passed to residents, leaving municipal fees unchanged since 2022. To address this, the proposed rate adjustments will increase both standard and additional garbage can rate from $14 to $16, while recycling services will rise from $7 to $8. This change will bring total annual revenue to approximately $137,460, successfully aligning with the budgeted goal of $132,000 to $137,000 to sufficiently cover staff wages and daily operational costs.
Culinary Water Infrastructure Needs: The town has not increased water rates since at least 2015, keeping the current average base cost per household at roughly $85 per month. State funding agencies warned officials that future loans and grants depend on regular rate increases and healthy financial reserves. Following the recent completion of a water tank, the town must drill a new well to maintain system reliability. Because impact fees cannot cover these capital expenses, higher water revenue is necessary to fund the project and meet the state's target recommendation of raising average monthly costs toward $135.
Proposed Water Rate Structure: To address infrastructure demands and meet state conservation goals, the town proposed a revised base and tiered monthly rate structure while keeping existing usage thresholds the same. The base rate for the first 10,000 gallons will increase from $31 to $35. Above the base, Tier 1 (10,000-50,000 gallons) will rise from $1.25 to $1.50 per 1,000 gallons, and Tier 2 (50,000-90,000 gallons) will change from $1.75 to $2.25 per 1,000 gallons. For higher volume brackets, Tier 3 (90,000-130,000 gallons) will increase from $2.25 to $2.30 per 1,000 gallons, while Tier 4 (130,000+ gallons) will rise from $2.75 to $3.50 per 1,000 gallons. The highest tier increases will mostly affect large institutional users like churches and parks during peak summer months, while the lower tiers are intended to encourage conservation among residential consumers.
Revenue Modeling & Policy Intent: Based on fiscal year 2026 usage data, the proposed rate changes are projected to generate up to $351,289.82 in total water revenue. A conservative scenario modeling lower water use yields approximately $339,000. Actual revenues are expected to land between these two figures, which will improve net income to support capital projects and state compliance. The administration stated these adjustments are necessary to protect local infrastructure reliability and align with state best practices.
Public Comment:
Harper Johnson, Mantua Resident
Harper Johnson supported the water rate increases, noting from his past town work that residents underpay for water and that $1.25 per 1,000 gallons is a very low price. He advocated for billing transparency to encourage conservation, arguing that residents will cut usage if they see tier charges plainly on their bills. Because most residents do not calculate these costs manually, he emphasized that the utility bill must explicitly break down the tiers.
Ronald Wallace (Response to Harper Johnson) while the current program has limitations, the new billing software is better and will make clear, tier-by-tier billing structurally feasible. This update will address the goals of conservation and transparency.
Janice Johnson, Mantua Resident
Janice Johnson raised matching concerns regarding a loss of detail on recent water bills. She pointed out that while bills up through 2023 featured separate lines for base rates and tiered overages, bills from 2024 and 2025 bundled these amounts into a single line, making usage tracking difficult. To fix this before the new software arrives, she suggested temporarily utilizing an existing line on the bill to display the tier breakdown. She also warned of potential resident shock when the new rates take effect and recommended including a clear explanatory note directly in the next bill rather than the town newsletter.
Ronald Wallace (Response to Janice Johnson): The current software has limitations but offered a timeline for a fix, stating they can look into interim options, and the new program will be installed within two months. Wallace committed to reviewing temporary billing choices and promised that the upcoming software migration will permanently restore the detailed tier usage and charge breakdowns.
Motion to Close Public Hearing: Council Member Dovey made a motion to close the public hearing. Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
ACTION ITEMS
Discussion and potential motion to approve increased Culinary Water base and tiered rates, as presented in the public hearing.
Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen motioned to approve the increased Culinary Water base and tiered rates as proposed in the public hearing. Council Member Dovey made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
Discussion and potential motion to approve Resolution No. 2026-07-16A amending Resolution No. 2023-01-09A to adjust Garbage Collection and Recycling utility rates.
Council Member Dovey motioned to approve Resolution No. 2026-07-16A, amending Resolution No. 2023-01-09A, to adjust Garbage Collection and Recycling utility rates as discussed. Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
Discussion and possible action to formally adopt the amended Town of Mantua Summary of Fees with an effective date of July 16, 2026.
Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen motioned to formally adopt the amended Town of Mantua Summary of Fees, effective July 16, 2026. Council Member Dovey made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
ADJOURNMENT
Council Member Dovey motioned to adjourn the meeting. Mayor Pro Tempore Jeppsen made the second.
Yes votes: Mayor Annette Ash, Matt Jeppsen, Henry Dovey
No votes: None
Abstained: None
Absent: Cheryl Burgan, Scott Ross
MOTION PASSED
Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing auxiliary communicative aids and services for this meeting should contact the Management Services Department at 629-8701 (TTY/TDD: 711 or 888-735-5906) or by emailing town recorder at sschaefer@mantuautah.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation
Public meetings may be held electronically in accordance with Utah Code Annotated 52-4-207 to allow Council members to participate via teleconference. The anchor location for the meeting shall be held at the Mantua Town Hall 409 North Main St, Mantua Utah 84324
Other Information
Certificate of Posting
The foregoing agenda was (1) posted on the Utah Public Notice Website created under Utah Code Section 63F1-701. (2) Town of Mantua website, and (3) posted in Town of Mantua City Office on 8/21/2026 by Sherita Schaefer - Town Recorder