General Information

Government Type

Municipality

Entity

Portage

Public Body

Portage Town Council

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

Town Council Meeting Mins

Notice Type(s)

Notice, Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

June 10, 2026 06:00 PM

Description/Agenda

Portage Town Council Meeting Minutes June 10, 2026, 6:00 PM 25880 North 9000 West Street, Portage, UT 84331, US Portage Town Council Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 6:00 PM 25880 North 9000 West Street, Portage, UT 84331 Members Present: Mayor Max Huggins, Council Members: Trent Van Tassell (Water), Tyson Nelson (Roads), Terra Bell (Planning & Zoning), Mariah Huggins (Parks), and Gina Marble. Guests Present: Tyler Seaman (Beacon Code Consulting), Val Gibbs, Martina John Call To Order Mayor Huggins called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Opening Ceremony: Prayer and Pledge Councilmember Bell offered the opening prayer, and Councilmember Trent Van Tassell led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comments Martin John addressed the council regarding water billing concerns. Martina John noted that many residents had been approaching them asking why they were not receiving their water bills. The speaker clarified to those residents that they were only responsible for reading the meters and directed residents to attend the meeting to raise their concerns directly with the council. The Mayor acknowledged the comment and indicated the matter would be addressed during the meeting. Public Hearing - Operating Budget 2026-2027 & Revised 2025-2026 Budget A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Bell to open the public hearing. Motion passed unanimously. The Mayor opened the public hearing and addressed two items: the proposed land use ordinance and the upcoming fiscal budget. Regarding the land use ordinance, the Mayor explained that the public hearing covered a proposed ordinance amending the Town of Portage land use ordinance to establish a schedule of permitted, conditional, and prohibited uses. The ordinance was described as restricting cellular towers, commercial wind energy systems, solar energy facilities, data centers, battery energy storage systems, and certain utility infrastructure to commercial and industrial zoning districts, along with related development standards. A council member asked for clarification, noting that the ordinance was about regulating where such facilities can and cannot be located, rather than outright banning them. The Mayor confirmed this understanding. It was noted that the Planning and Zoning board had held a special meeting and forwarded the ordinance to the council for a vote. No further questions were raised from the public on this item. Regarding the fiscal budgets, the Mayor presented the proposed Operating Budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, noting it would be a mirror image of the prior year's budget with no changes. The Mayor also presented the Revised 2025-2026 Budget, described as an amended budget adjusted so that it balances out. No questions were raised from the public on either budget item. A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Van Tassell to close the public hearing. Motion passed unanimously. A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Bell to open the Town Council meeting. Motion passed unanimously. Review And Approve Minutes Of May 13, 2026 Town Council Meeting A motion was made by Councilmember Van Tassell and seconded by Councilmember Bell to approve the minutes of the May 13, 2026 Town Council Meeting. Councilmember Tyson abstained, noting they were unable to review the minutes. Motion passed. Review & Approval Of May 13, 2026 - June 10, 2026 Bills/Payroll The Mayor noted that the bills and payroll documents were not available and that this item would be deferred to a future meeting. Review Financial Report, Bank Reconciliations And Water Adjustments Or Write Offs The Mayor indicated this item would also be deferred, noting it was related to the absence of a town treasurer, which would be addressed later in the meeting. Beacon Code Consulting - Tyler Seaman Tyler Seaman of Beacon Code Consulting appeared before the council to present his firm's building inspection and code consulting services. He explained that Beacon Code Consulting serves jurisdictions from Woods Cross to Rich County, providing an all-inclusive service covering building permits from the application stage through to the certificate of occupancy, while excluding the direct collection of payment from applicants. Seaman described the firm's online software portal, 'City Inspect,' through which applicants would submit permit applications via the town's website, with notifications sent both to him and to the town. He noted this approach was preferable to the traditional paper-based system and also facilitated required state reporting for new construction. A significant point Seaman raised was the financial benefit of the town managing its own building permit revenue. He noted that small towns using county building departments were forfeiting their building permit revenue to the county. He cited the example of Lake Town, which, after engaging his firm, was able to retain that revenue for its own general fund. He indicated his firm typically takes approximately 25 percent of the building permit fee to cover all services, with the remainder staying with the town. The council asked who would be responsible for checking setbacks and zoning compliance. Seaman confirmed this falls within his firm's scope, and he strongly recommended that elected officials not take on that role, both for professional and political reasons. In response to a question about what to do if council members observed unpermitted construction, Seaman advised that the appropriate step would be to contact him so he could act as the point of contact and 'be the bad guy,' insulating elected officials from direct conflict with residents. Seaman explained that his firm also offers code enforcement services, typically billed on an hourly basis or structured around a set number of hours per week. He recommended the town establish a complaint form on its website where residents could submit concerns with photos, which would then open a case for his code enforcement officer to investigate. Regarding existing open permits currently managed by Box Elder County, Seaman recommended allowing those permits to be completed through the county while transitioning new permits to his firm going forward. He referenced a similar transition that had recently occurred with Ogden Valley City and Weaver County. The Mayor asked whether Seaman could prepare a formal proposal for the council and suggested obtaining recent building permit examples to allow for a cost comparison. Seaman agreed and suggested meeting the Mayor in Garland during the week to discuss further details. The council indicated the matter would be placed on a future agenda for a vote. Traffic Problems, Firearm Issues, P&Z Member/Alternates Needed The Mayor raised several informational items for the council and public. On traffic, the Mayor noted that a number of residents had been using a dirt road on the side of the bridge that was intended exclusively for fire station access. The Mayor requested that residents refrain from using it to ensure emergency vehicles could respond without obstruction. On firearm issues, the Mayor reported there had been incidents in town involving individuals pulling guns on others and shooting within their property, requiring sheriff's deputies to respond. The Mayor noted the situation had ultimately been handled as a civil matter but emphasized the need for greater common sense regarding firearm use within town limits. A community member responded, noting the importance of having a designated safe shooting area with proper backstop infrastructure. On Planning and Zoning vacancies, the Mayor reported that the board was down to approximately two to four members and was in dire need of new members and alternates. The council discussed whether a one-year residency requirement was still in place, with council members uncertain and agreeing to review the ordinance. The Mayor also announced an immediate opening for a Town Treasurer, explaining this was the primary reason water bills had not been sent out and bank reconciliations had not been completed. The Mayor indicated the position would be posted on bulletin boards and the town website. Open Meeting Act Training And Fraud Assessment The council administrator provided Open Meeting Act training, covering the following key points: no back-channel communications such as texts or emails regarding agenda items are permitted outside of open meetings; council members should not arrive at meetings with their minds already made up; meeting notices must be posted with time, date, and location at least 24 hours in advance; closed sessions are only permitted for four specific reasons - security, personnel, property, or pending litigation; closed session recordings must be kept but are not public record and are not accessible except through legal counsel; minutes must reflect who attended, motions made, and votes taken; and action items may not be taken on matters not listed on the agenda. The administrator also noted that some towns have chosen to eliminate the open public comment period, as during that time the public may address the council but the council may not respond, and the comments cannot be about items already on the agenda. The council was reminded this is an option but the decision is entirely theirs. A community member asked about council members encountering each other in public settings, and the administrator clarified that two council members together does not constitute a quorum and is permissible, but three council members together could be problematic. The key distinction was that no town business should be discussed in such informal gatherings. On the question of how residents can raise concerns, the administrator confirmed that one-on-one calls or emails between a resident and a council member are permissible, though no decisions can be made. The best practice recommended was to place items on the agenda for formal discussion. Residents wishing to add an item to the agenda were told they could contact any council member or staff to have it included. The administrator also briefly noted the annual fraud assessment conducted with the Mayor, consisting of a series of questions, as well as the town's regular audit process. Resolution 2026-002 Operating 2026-2027 Budget The council confirmed the Operating Budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 was unchanged from the prior year's budget and required no additional discussion. A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Van Tassell to approve Resolution 2026-002, Operating 2026-2027 Budget. Motion passed unanimously. Resolution 2026-003 Revised 2025-2026 Budget A motion was made by Councilmember Bell and seconded by Councilmember Huggins to approve Resolution 2026-003, Revised 2025-2026 Budget. Motion passed unanimously. Ordinance 2026-001 Amending The Town Land Use: Schedule Of Permitted Uses A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Van Tassell to approve Ordinance 2026-001 Amending the Town Land Use Schedule of Permitted Uses. Motion passed unanimously. Review Of Departments Water Update Councilmember Trent Van Tassell reported that the department had repaired approximately five to six water meters and noted one additional meter was still leaking on the state line. He reported that several meters had been relocated out from under overgrown bushes and that new setters had been installed. Van Tassell confirmed that work was ongoing to organize the billing lists and that, with a temporary helper now familiar with the billing system, water bills were expected to go out within the next week to two weeks. Road Update Councilmember Tyson Nelson reported there was nothing significant to discuss for the road update. He confirmed the department had received its new tractor and had begun using it to catch up on mowing following an early spring. Nelson noted efforts were focused on mowing in front of residences where homeowners were unable to do so themselves. Planning And Zoning Update Councilmember Terra Bell reported there was nothing significant to update. The Mayor noted a pending plat submission from Wynn John was not submitted on Mylar as required, and that the Mayor would contact him to have it corrected, signed, and returned. The Mayor reiterated that without additional Planning and Zoning members, a meeting could not be held. Park Update, Discuss And Possible Vote Mower, Discuss And Vote Portage Days Councilmember Mariah Huggins provided the parks update and led discussion on two action items. Regarding the mower, Huggins reported that a 'Bad Boy' brand mower had been identified as a potential replacement and that both a low-end commercial model and a high-grade residential model were within budget consideration. She noted that Trevor Siebert had provided detailed guidance on what to look for in terms of motor quality and weld points. Huggins confirmed she would visit dealers to review options before making a final recommendation. She noted the current mower was still running well and would be kept in service while the search continued. No vote was taken on the mower at this time. Regarding Portage Days, Huggins proposed a community evening event in lieu of the larger fall festival, citing challenges in the prior year with volunteer participation and last-minute family involvement. She proposed a simplified event structured around a kids' bike parade, with decorated bikes proceeding down Main Street, led by a fire truck and followed by a deputy's vehicle. Participating children would each receive a goodie bag. She also proposed renting two dunk tank units - a bucket-style unit at $60 plus a shared $100 delivery fee, and a full submersion dunk tank at $100 - for a combined cost of $260 for both. A foam machine was also mentioned at $300 as an alternative or addition. Bounce houses were considered but dismissed due to liability and supervision concerns. Huggins proposed bringing in food trucks rather than organizing a potluck, citing difficulty in getting community participation with food contributions in prior years. She mentioned Twisted Sugar had previously expressed interest in participating, and Jay Brian Smokehouse was suggested for a main course option. A live country music band was also proposed at approximately $500. The proposed date was discussed as Friday, July 10, with the event framed as a community evening. The council expressed general support for a Friday evening format. Huggins proposed a maximum budget of $1,400 for the event. A motion was made by Councilmember Huggins and seconded by Councilmember Bell to approve $1,400 for the Portage Days evening event. Motion passed unanimously. Huggins also raised a separate parks matter regarding the removal of wood chips from the park sandbox area and replacement with fill dirt and sand. She noted fill dirt was available from material left over from a prior gas line trenching project. Trent Van Tassell indicated a skid loader would be available. It was agreed that Huggins would coordinate with staff to schedule a work day to complete the task. Additionally, Huggins noted a 1980 federal grant related to the park was under audit. She explained that the park had changed since the grant was awarded and that auditors had expressed concern. Huggins reported she had provided all requested documentation and believed the town would be in compliance, as the original plans had referenced the possibility of a future fire station on the site. She expressed confidence that the auditors would work with the town to resolve the matter. Sheriff's Office/Fire Department The Mayor indicated there was nothing to discuss for this item. Adjournment Councilmember Huggins made a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Bell seconded the motion and the remaining council members agreed. The meeting was adjourned at 6:42p.m. The undersigned, duly acting and appointed clerk for Portage Town Corporation, hereby certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Town Council meeting minutes held on the 10th day of June 2026. Dated this the 9th day of September 2026. ________________________________ Gina R Marble, Portage Town Clerk

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Katherine Munns at (435) 866-2108 or email portagetown@citlink.net.

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

N/A

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

25880 N 9000 W
portage, UT 84331
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Contact Name

Katherine Munns

Contact Phone

(435)866-2108

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

October 14, 2026 01:54 PM

Notice Last Edited On

October 14, 2026 01:54 PM

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