General Information

Government Type

Municipality

Entity

Blanding

Public Body

City Council

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

City Council Minutes 4.22.25

Notice Tags

Administrative Procedure

Notice Type(s)

Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

April 22, 2025 07:00 PM

Description/Agenda

CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Mayor Trevor Olsen Mayor Pro Tempore Cheryl Bowers Council Member Chris Ewald Council Member Charlie Taylor Council Member Erik Grover Council Member Kellen Nielson April 22, 2025 - 7pm - City Council Meeting 50 West 100 South Street, Blanding Utah 84511 Meetings live streamed when available at: https://meet.google.com/ymf-jwqo-rjs POLICY MEETING Call to Order Roll Call Prayer offered by Councilmember Bowers The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in attendance. Approval: Consent Agenda and Minutes from April 8, 2025 Regular Session Councilmember Bowers made a motion to approve the consent agenda and minutes from April 8, 2025. Councilmember Nielson seconded the motion. Mayor Olsen repeated the motion and asked for discussion or questions. Hearing none, he called for a vote. Those voting aye: Councilmember Taylor Councilmember Nielson Councilmember Grover Councilmember Bowers Those voting nay: None Constituting all members thereof, Mayor Olsen declared the motion carried. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest - None Public Input None Reports Mayor None City Council Councilmember Nielson reported on the planning and zoning meeting. He stated that there was a good robust discussion on options for changing some of the zones. The planning and zoning commission is open to having a work meeting. Councilmember Bowers stated that she would like to pass a resolution and provide a letter of support from the city to the White Mesa Mill in the processing of rare earth minerals. Finance Report - Operational Budget - James Francom Mr. Francom stated that on the operational budget overall, the revenue is looking good. The contributions are on track. One thing he is working on now is a revised budget, in particular the court budget. He also said that he wants to make some adjustments on the administration budget. He will also revise the planning and zoning as there have been some personnel changes. City Engineer Report - Patrick Parsons Mr. Parsons supplied the water report for the month of March in the packet for the council members. He stated that things are not looking so good. We just haven't gotten a lot of moisture. The current status of the reservoirs are overall low. He had a graph that showed the projection of precipitation. We have started running our wells to supplement our reservoirs. Trevor Palmer is learning the process of how to run the wells as he is stepping into the role of our water operator. Well #2 has an issue with the pump, hopefully that will be resolved quickly and it will be back up and running. Fire Report - Corey Spillman First quarter report: 16 total call outs. 1- Fire alarm activation / False call 1- Fire alarm / Sprinkler activation / Actual incident 2- Brush Fire, Canceled, controlled burn 2- Wildland Brush Fire 1- Mutual Aid Given Montezuma Creek 1- Electrical / powerline down 1- Vehicle Accidents/ Mutual aid Montezuma Creek 2- Carbon monoxide/ gas leaks / Smell of smoke/ Skunk Smell 1- Motor Vehicle Accident ( Cancel ) 4- Medical Assist's ( lift assist / CPR Assist) 10- Trainings totaling 27.5 hours. We Sent 3 People down to St George to Winter Fire School We Had 3 guys attend the Pipeline dinner We are in the process of ordering the Fireworks for this year's 4th of July Celebration. We are starting the process of getting all the Required Annual Fireworks testing done with members of the Fire Department. Chief Spillman explained how that process goes. The chief stated that they are looking into making the fireworks more automated with electronics. Advice and Consent Items San Juan ATV Safari Lynn Shumway and a few others were present to represent the ATV safari. She expressed appreciation for the city's support in the years past. She said that the program has grown because of the support and sponsorships from various entities. She said that the city has sponsored them with $500 in the past. And for the last two years the city has given them $250 for SLORX. (Salt Lake Off Road Xpo) They attended that in February of this year. It is a big expo in Sandy. Last year they gave evaluation forms to the riders and a majority of them heard about the ATV safari through SLORX, so it's a good thing for them to go to. In total, they are asking for $750. Councilmember Taylor asked if they would accept $1000. She stated that they always have expenses that come up and would appreciate any amount. The council appreciates what they are doing and the business that they bring to Blanding. All of the council agreed upon the $1000. The safari will be Sept. 17-20 and they welcome any and all council members and the mayor to join them on the rides. Leasing Police Vehicles The council was provided with information on leasing options for a 2025 Ford F150 XLT and a 2025 Chevy Tahoe Z71. They were given a dollar amount for a three year lease, including payments, projected residual and projected equity. Some information provided by Unified Feet Services: 1) Interest rates and pricing assume a minimum of $100,000 in financed vehicles/equipment. Final payments and interest rates may vary based on the total financed amount. 2) If applicable, equipment pricing quoted is based on upfitter's best estimate. Final pricing is determined after all equipment is ordered and labor for installation is completed. Once financing is finalized, any variance in final equipment price must be paid in full by the client. Please budget accordingly. Mr. Herring went over how the leasing process would work and the potential savings. He said that we can upfit the vehicles however we want with all the police officer necessities, like lights, cages, sirens, radios, cameras, etc. They discussed the pros and cons of a truck vs. an SUV. Equipment gets dirty in trucks. A dog kennel can fit in a truck. It was mentioned that having all of the officers' cars the same looks good and makes them easily identifiable. Councilmember Taylor discussed the different transmissions, wiring harnesses, alternators etc. in the different vehicles. He suggested doing some research on repairs and how long it is taking to get parts for particular vehicles. He also wants to get quotes and prices from other companies. There were some officers present at the meeting and they expressed some of their thoughts about what they would prefer and why. Chief Bradford wants the officers to get what they prefer. Council gave advice and consent to get more information and options on leasing. Discussion Items Gas Line Feasibility Study - Patrick Parsons & J&D Mr. Parsons stated that the rural community grant was approved and now the feasibility study is underway. A map for the potential gas line was provided in the packet. They discussed potential areas that would be better options and being able to connect more customers. There are a few different options that they have talked about with Jones & DeMille as well as the natural gas engineer consultant, Brad Bean. They talked about wanting to avoid a high pressure line going through high density areas. They talked about going the same route as the existing sewer line. Mr. Parsons said that it was discovered that the easement for the sewer line is specific only to sewer and they would have to get an extension to that easement for all utilities, including natural gas. They are trying to find a balance between avoiding densely populated areas but also trying to pick up future customers. They also talked about not wanting to put a gas line in the way of future development of Energy Fuels. Logan Shumway with Energy Fuels stated that the important thing is to distribute gas to them and other customers and get a gas line in the simplest, quickest, easiest way which going down the highway is what makes most sense to him and then from there you can run distribution lines to residential houses. Javen Ivins with Jones and DeMille was present and supplied the council with a sheet of probable costs depending on the different route options. He stated that each route poses its own challenges. Councilmember Taylor asked if there are any other gas lines that run south. Javen stated that there is a small distribution line that supplies the armory. Mr. Parsons stated that the ultimate goal is to get gas to the mill and the city wants to plan as best as they can for secondary stuff, such as distribution to future customers. It makes sense to install as many components before the line is pressured up. Councilmember Bowers asked where the funding was coming from. Mr. Herring stated that we don't have that lined up yet. Scoot Flannery was also present and he explained that the feasibility and the design are funded by a grant that the city worked on. The study needs to be completed by October and then they can apply for another round of funding. There is a portion of the funds set aside for exploratory excavation. Logan Shumway stated that Energy Fuels should be treated like any other customer and they are partners in this project. Mr. Muhlestein stated that Inland Port can absolutely be a source for funding. Little Miss Blanding on June 19, 2025 Mr. Herring stated that they have requested someone from council be there to help and greet people and be a presence. If there aren't any council members that can make it, then maybe Chief Bradfod or Chief Spillman could go. Logan Monson and Lacey Ivins are the contact people for the pageant. RP&P Discussion - Ben Muhlestein Mr. Muhlestein stated that we've talked about the idea of going through the RP&P process to utilize and essentially take control of some of the BLM land that is around the city. (Recreation and Public Purposes) An area that has been talked about specifically is the land around Recapture and Recapture Canyon. Councilmember Taylor stated that he believes it can be made better than what it is. He would like to see some trails developed or camping areas, clean up the beach areas, make more beach areas. He would like to see Recaputure Canyon more accessible, more of an attraction for visitors. Tina Marian with the BLM was present to field any questions. She stated that the purpose has to be specific and fairly detailed. She said that you have to hold a public comment period, they have to do some site visits, they have to do a notice of action, it has to be published in the local newspaper for 3 weeks, so it is quite a process. The land is transferred through a land conveyance patent deed or it can be a lease. The use has to be for public use or recreation use. Her and Mr. Muhlestein provided a map that showed some areas and the current uses for those areas. The project has to be completed in 5 years or the land reverts back to the BLM. The land has to go through environmental and archeological studies, cultural resources have to be considered. They have to consult tribes and the preservation office. Having a plan is part of the application. Mr. Muhlestein stated that they already have a grant to develop a trail plan and that process could potentially help expedite this plan. Elections Interlocal Agreement - Trent Herring Mr. Herring stated that we are currently working with the county on getting an interlocal agreement for this election year and future election years. The initial costs that we got back from the county that we are not satisfied with. We think that it is way over priced and not reasonable. Mr. Francom has done some calculations and has talked some more with them to try to come to an agreement. There was a new law passed that says you have to have an interlocal agreement with those who come to run your elections, which is the county. They briefly discussed in person voting and mail in ballots. Food Truck Park - Trent Herring Mr. Herring stated that he is talking with the county and asking them to waive the costs to tear down the buildings that are on the lot where the food truck park would potentially be. Mr. Herring presented another option for the location, the existing grass park by the pickle ball courts and corn hole games. They talked about the grass and sprinklers. They talked about adding individual meters for the trucks. They discussed the location of utilities at both locations. They talked about the benefit of the existing seating and pavilion. They talked about parking, possible affect on neighbors, noise, etc. They will research the costs and feasibility of developing both lots. FY 2026 Budget Discussion & Schedule The following is a list of suggested meeting dates for discussion and approval for the FY2026 budget. May 13, 2025 - Work Session 5:00 p.m. May 27, 2025 - Work Session 5:00 p.m. - If needed June 10, 2025 - Work Session 6:00 p.m. & FY 2026 Budget - Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget June 24, 2025 Adopt the FY 2026 Budget June 24, 2025 Adopt the Certified Tax Rate Closed Session Councilmember Nielson made a motion to go into closed session to discuss pending litigation. Councilmember Bowers seconded the motion. Mayor Olsen repeated the motion. He asked for discussion or questions. Hearing none, he called for a vote. Those voting aye: Councilmember Taylor Councilmember Grover Councilmember Nielson Councilmember Ewald Councilmember Bowers Those voting nay: None Constituting all members thereof, Mayor Olsen declared the motion carried. Adjournment Councilmember Grover made a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Taylor seconded the motion. Mayor Olsen repeated the motion and asked for discussion or questions. Hearing none, he called for a vote. Those voting aye: Councilmember Taylor Councilmember Grover Councilmember Nielson Councilmember Ewald Councilmember Bowers Those voting nay: None Constituting all members thereof, Mayor Olsen declared the motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:59 pm.

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

In compliance with the ADA, individuals needing special accommodations during this meeting may call the City Offices at (435) 678-2791 at least twenty-four hours in advance. Every effort will be made to provide the appropriate services.

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

One or more Council Members may partcipate electronically.

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

50 W 100 S
Blanding, UT 84511
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Contact Name

Trent Herring

Contact Email

therring@blanding.city

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

May 20, 2025 12:04 PM

Notice Last Edited On

May 20, 2025 12:04 PM

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