On the agenda: Bluffdale meeting — data center (Jan 28)

BLUFFDALE CITY

CITY COUNCIL
MEETING AGENDA amended
City Council Chambers
Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Natalie Hall
Councilmember Steve Austin
Councilmember Wendy Aston
Councilmember Greg Wilding
Councilmember Mackey Smith
Councilmember Alan Lord

Notice is hereby given that the Bluffdale City Council will hold a meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Bluffdale City
Hall, 2222 West 14400 South, Bluffdale, Utah. The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM or as soon thereafter as possible. This
meeting will also be broadcast live to the public at: www.bluffdale.gov. The public may comment at the meeting or by
emailing comments to [email protected] by 4:00 PM the day of the meeting. Emailed comments will
be submitted to the City Council but will not be read at the meeting. Notice is further given that access to this meeting by
the City Council may be by electronic means.
In the event the meeting is disrupted in any way that the City in its sole discretion deems inappropriate, the City reserves the
right to immediately remove the individual(s) from the meeting and, if needed, end virtual access to the meeting. Reasons
for removing an individual or ending virtual access to the meeting include but are not limited to the posting of offensive
pictures, remarks, or making offensive statements, disrespectful statements or actions, and any other action deemed
inappropriate.

BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING 6:00 P.M.
1.

Call to Order: (Roll Call, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance*).

2.

Minute and Agenda Approval:
2.1

January 09, 2026, City Council Work Session Minutes.

2.2

January 14, 2026, City Council Meeting Minutes.

2.3

Approval of this meeting’s agenda.

3.

Mayor and Council Reports:

4.

Presentation Items:

5.

4.1

Recognition of Exemplary Students from Mountain Point Elementary. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

4.2

Presentation of the Police Department Annual Statistical Report. (Presenter, Chief Andrew Burton)

Public Comment: (This is a time and place for any person who wishes to comment on items not scheduled on the
agenda for public hearing. Any person or group wishing to comment on any item not otherwise scheduled for public
hearing on the agenda may address the City Council at this point by stepping to the microphone and giving his or her
name for the record or by emailing [email protected]. Comments should be limited to not more
than three (3) minutes unless additional time is authorized by the Chair. Groups wishing to comment will be asked to
appoint a spokesperson. Items brought forward to the attention of the City Council will be turned over to staff to
provide a response outside of the City Council meeting.)

6.

Consent Agenda: (These items are considered by the City Council to be routine and will be enacted by a single
motion. If discussion is desired on any particular consent item, that item may be removed from the consent agenda
and considered separately. No public comment will be permitted.)

6.1

7.

Resolution 2026-08-A Resolution Adopting Amendments to the Bluffdale City Policies and
Procedures Manual Related to Hiring Interns.
Action or Discussion Items; Items Continued from Previous Meeting: (These items are considered by the
City Council individually. No public comment will be permitted.)

City Council Meeting – January 28, 2026

Page 1 of 2

8.

7.1

Resolution 2026-06- Consideration and vote on a resolution appointing individuals to the City of
Bluffdale Audit Committee. Pursuant to Bluffdale Code 2.70.010(B), members shall be appointed by
the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

7.2

Resolution 2026-07- Consideration and vote on a resolution appointing individuals to the City of
Bluffdale Budget Review Committee. Pursuant to Bluffdale Code 2.80.010(B), members shall be
appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

Public Hearing Items: (Public comments must abide by the requirements listed above).
None.

9.

Staff Reports, Additional Council Discussion, and Calendaring Items:

10.

Closed Meetings - if any: (This meeting will be closed to the public for one of the stated purposes found in Utah Code
§ 52-4-205(1), which is usually for one of the following purposes: discussion of the character, professional competence,
or physical or mental health of an individual; discuss collective bargaining; discuss pending or reasonably imminent
litigation; discuss the purchase, exchange, sale, or lease of real property, including water rights or water shares).

11.

Adjournment.
CERTIFICATE OF POSTING

I hereby certify that the foregoing notice and agenda is posted at the Bluffdale City Hall, on the City’s website
(www.bluffdale.gov) and posted on the Utah State Public Notice website (www.pmn.utah.gov).
Published and posted on January 26, 2026.

Tami Timothy
City Recorder
In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, individuals needing assistance or other services or accommodation
for this meeting should contact Bluffdale City Hall at least 24 hours in advance of this meeting at 801-254-2200. TTY 7-1-1.
*Contact the City Recorder if you desire to give the Invocation or lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

City Council Meeting – January 28, 2026

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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Present:
City Council:

Mayor Natalie Hall
Steve Austin
Wendy Aston
Alan Lord
Mackey Smith
Greg Wilding

Staff:

Bruce Kartchner, City Manager
Fred Donaldson, City Attorney
Tami Timothy, City Recorder
Grant Crowell, Community and Economic Development Director
Michael Fazio, City Engineer
Matt Evans, Fire Chief
Stephanie Thayer, Administrative Services Director
Shane Paddock, Public Works Director
Ellen Oakman, Associate City Planner
Jennifer Robinson, Public Works Parks and Recreation Manager
Jessica Brandt, Recreation Coordinator

BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING
1.

Roll Call.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 9:05 A.M. and asked those present to introduce themselves.
2.

Work Session:
2.1

Tentative Strategic Plan.

City Manager, Bruce Kartchner, reported that in 2026, the City will have its first Strategic

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Implementation Plan. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent creating and updating the General Plan

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to ensure that everyone understands the City’s long-range goals. That process includes public

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outreach through open houses and polls to better understand what is important to Bluffdale residents,

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why it is important, and what they would like the City to become. When he first moved to Bluffdale,

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there were 4,500 residents, and what most of them wanted was to escape the rat race of larger cities.

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The City now has a diverse population of 20,000 residents with differing opinions as to what the City

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should look like and what its priorities should be. The General Plan aggregates that information and

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tries to reach a consensus.
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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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The yearly budget season can be painful or easy depending on a variety of factors. Its primary purpose

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is to create a budget for the current year and determine how City resources will be expended. The

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Strategic Implementation Plan is a bridge between the General Plan and Budget. If properly prepared,

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it will make the budget process easier because it outlines where the City is going and what is needed

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to get there.

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Mr. Kartchner reported that the draft Strategic Implementation Plan would be adopted by the City

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Council once finalized. He was excited to present the plan as it provides guidance Staff had requested

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to help them do their jobs more efficiently and get the City where it wants to be.

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The strategic vision that drives the plan balances growth, preservation of existing neighborhoods,

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expanding commercial development, etc., based on the General Plan. The land use vision focuses on

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strategic locations, such as what areas of the City should be commercial and why, and where density

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is focused and why. These aspects are important to meet State mandates while maintaining the City’s

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character.

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Economic development in Bluffdale includes a lot of home occupations, including some borderline

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industrial businesses that are problematic. Job development is also part of economic development,

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and a mandate of Redevelopment Agencies (“RDA”) and Economic Development Agencies (“EDA”)

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is job creation. In the past six years, the concept of “retail commercial” has changed to Bluffdale’s

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benefit; private homes have become one of the biggest economic drivers in the City due to Amazon

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and other retail deliveries.

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Reducing commute times and transportation costs benefits both society and individuals, but that

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requires proper design and construction of infrastructure. Mr. Kartchner finds it frustrating that

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required infrastructure often must come before the revenues that will support it. The understaffed

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Engineering Department must try to determine how to fund projects when the revenue has not started

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coming in. Property taxes are delayed by 18 to 24 months, and it can take a while for new commercial

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projects to develop and fill with tenants. The costs are front-loaded. How to handle that is addressed

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in the Strategic Implementation Plan.
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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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The General Plan defines the City’s long-term vision. Residents have explicitly stated that they love

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trails, parks, and recreation, and they want to strengthen the police and fire departments. Bluffdale’s

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demographics are changing. Over 50% of residents live on the east side of the river, and their age,

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lifestyle, and priorities differ from the original one-acre neighborhoods to the west. Older residents

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express the desire for their children and grandchildren to live nearby. The City Council needs to

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consider how to accomplish those goals.

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The final concept outlined in the plan is resiliency. It is important to build things that will last a long

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time and be sustainable. If the City builds 50 acres of parks but does not plan for the personnel to

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maintain them or funding for maintenance and upgrades, that asset will become a burden. Resiliency

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is important because it allows the City to move ahead with strength and stability despite challenges.

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That includes things like economic and fiscal resiliency, taking care of historic places, and ensuring

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that everyone is on board.

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Mr. Kartchner finds it interesting that every election cycle, candidates say that there needs to be better

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communication and outreach. He agrees that if people are better engaged and more involved, it is

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easier to determine the City’s priorities. However, the residents who speak to him or the Council are

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not necessarily representative of the City as a whole. He proposed that the Council consider allocating

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funds for statistically valid polling to determine what residents really want.

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The Strategic Implementation Plan converts the General Plan’s vision into action. It provides a clear

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framework that acts as the basis for the Budget and various Capital Improvement Plans and provides

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a way for future decisions to be evaluated consistently. It is also a shared understanding between the

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City Council and Staff. It is not a project list, capital plan, or funding commitment, and it does not

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replace the Council’s analyses or decisions. It is also not a static document as it will be updated at

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least annually.

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Mr. Kartchner stated that after the Strategic Implementation Plan was reviewed and discussed at that

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meeting, he would forward an updated draft to the Council for consideration. He has also developed

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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a Financial Strategic Plan that supports the main plan. The individual goals and implementation

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strategies were then discussed.

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Land Use and Growth
Vision: Focus growth in appropriate locations while protecting established neighborhoods.
Goals:

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1.

Focus growth in designated urban and neighborhood centers.

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2.

Preserve character of existing residential neighborhoods.

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3.

Coordinate land use with infrastructure capacity.

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Actions:

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1.

Updating zoning codes to support mixed use and other compact development.

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Creating additional zoning tools to utilize as the Council sees fit.

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3.

Use incentives to activate designated growth centers.

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Conduct infrastructure impact analyses for major land use changes to determine if an

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area’s infrastructure can support development or if development warrants building

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more infrastructure to support it.

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Mr. Kartchner discussed the importance of interdepartmental coordination to ensure that all

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departments are on the same page.

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Council Member Wilding remarked that Goal 2 is a matter of opinion. If you compare the City as it

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is now to when he began working in Bluffdale 35 years ago, you will say that nothing was preserved.

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They need to consider what it means to preserve the City’s character, both to the Council and to

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citizens. Mr. Kartchner stated that a 20-acre farm is open space, not a neighborhood.

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Community and Economic Development Director, Grant Crowell, noted that words like “suburb” or

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“rural” can be triggering, but Bluffdale is between two major metropolitan areas and is a suburb by

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definition. It can sometimes be hard to know what you are solving for unless it means no change.

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Mr. Kartchner remarked that not changing is also an active choice.

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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Housing is a hot topic, and Mr. Kartchner believes the focus will become more intense. The State

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often blames cities for the housing crisis.

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administration is to blame. It is a supply-and-demand curve. The State says that there is not enough

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housing, but then they give millions of dollars in tax incentives to encourage companies to grow and

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bring more people to the state. He does not believe it is cities driving the supply side of the curve,

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but they still have to deal with it. It is up to the City to ensure that its actions promote its goals while

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meeting State mandates.

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Economic Development

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Vision: Strengthen Bluffdale’s economy to support City services and quality of life.

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Goals:

However, he believes that the previous federal

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Expand local employment opportunities.

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Attract and retain businesses that serve residents.

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Reduce sales leakage.

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Support economic growth with adequate infrastructure.

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Actions:

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1.

Develop implementation plans for strategic commercial and employment centers.

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Leverage regional and state economic development partners for recruitment.

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Launch and promote the Bluffdale Business First brand.

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Align zoning.

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Mr. Kartchner stated that residential growth is economic development. The City is better off

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economically with a higher population, as it generates more revenue and benefits residents through

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increased services. For example, after three attempts, there is finally a Smith’s Grocery in Bluffdale.

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They would not have come to the City if it did not have enough residents to support it, which is why

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businesses like Costco and Trader Joe’s have not opened in Bluffdale.

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Mr. Crowell stated that key development areas include The Point and Gravel Pit. In response to a

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question from Council Member Smith, he confirmed that The Point may pull sales tax revenue from

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Bluffdale. That project will have an impact, and Staff needs to develop strategies around that
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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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eventuality. Mr. Kartchner remarked that it will take five to 10 years for the property to develop, and

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plans for The Point will change in that time. There have already been substantial changes. Council

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Member Aston agreed that the current plans are completely different from what was originally

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presented to the City Council.

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Parks, Trails, and Open Space

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Vision: Provide accessible, high-quality parks, recreation, and open space.

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Goals:

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1.

Expand and connect the parks and trails system.

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2.

Provide active and passive community gathering spaces.

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3.

Protect and enhance parks and open space.

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4.

Encourage community.

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Actions:

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1.

The Parks, Trails, Recreation and Open Space Plan was adopted in 2025.

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Mr. Kartchner reported that recreation had been a big conversation point over the past few years. He

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believes those offerings will continue to grow and develop in the City, and resiliency and

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sustainability need to be considered in that growth.

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Transportation and Mobility

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Vision: Create a safe, connected, and efficient transportation system for all users.

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Bluffdale now has one bus route, and the density in Independence warrants mass transit. Mr.

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Kartchner believes that once Porter Rockwell Boulevard connects to 600 West, which will be a driver

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to implement bus service from Independence to the train station.

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Regarding mobility, trail access is important to City residents. Mr. Kartchner reported that Mr.

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Crowell has advocated for segregated active transportation lanes to ensure cyclist and pedestrian

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safety. As density increases in the area of The Point, transportation and mobility will become more

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of a focus point for Bluffdale.
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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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Council Member Aston asked about the pedestrian bridge into Parry Farms. City Engineer, Michael

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Fazio reported that the plans had been approved. They were waiting for the agreement from Union

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Pacific, which can take up to six months.

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Mr. Kartchner stated that the City’s transportation and mobility goals, actions, approaches, budget,

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etc. will be included in the Strategic Implementation Plan. Council Member Smith remarked that the

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framework proposed by Mr. Kartchner is similar to one used by many cities. It includes tangible

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outcomes and specific action items that will drive metrics and the vision.

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Mr. Kartchner indicated that there is never 100% consensus, so the City Council constantly makes

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decisions that will negatively impact someone or goes against their wishes. More statistically valid

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polling and outreach is needed to ensure that the Council’s decisions are based on what the majority

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wants, not just the three loudest residents, because their desires are not necessarily what is best for

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the City. He anticipates that hard decisions will be made during the budget process as year-to-date

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revenues are down.

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In response to a question raised by Council Member Smith, Mr. Kartchner clarified that the draft was

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based solely on the General Plan, not other survey data. Mr. Crowell stated that it had been interesting

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to see the evolution in ideas about public participation over the course of his career. Public meetings

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are not as full as they once were, and residents now choose to participate in other ways. Mr. Kartchner

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stated that one reason the cost of updating the General Plan has increased is that the City now needs

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to hire experts who can perform that outreach. Once the Strategic Implementation Plan is adopted,

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he will weigh departmental requests against it to determine how, for example, a software purchase

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will support and meet the plan goal.

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Fire Chief, Matt Evans, provided statistics on staffing and service calls. The Fire Department

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currently has 66 staff members on A, B, and C shifts, including eight full-time and 58 part-time

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employees. The department also has an on-call investigator, and the Fire Marshall reviews plans with

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Mr. Crowell on Fridays.

2.2

Fire.

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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There were 1,489 total calls in 2025, including 1,038 in Bluffdale calls and 451 mutual aid calls to

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Draper and United Fire Authority (“UFA”) jurisdictions. That reflects a 23% increase over 2024.

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Mr. Kartchner reported that when Station 92 first opened, there was an average of 2.1 calls per day.

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There are now an average of four calls per day. Council Member Aston remarked that each of those

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four calls takes an hour or longer.

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Chief Evans stated that calls to Draper had increased by 36%, and calls to UFA had increased by 72%.

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In response to a question raised by Council Member Aston, he reported that UFA has an ambulance

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at Station 103 during the day, but the station is closed at night, and Bluffdale responds to calls during

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that time. Council Member Aston asked if the Riverton City Council was aware of the issue. Chief

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Evans did not have that information but indicated that the City would respond per the mutual

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agreement. UFA also responds to calls in Bluffdale. Draper responded to calls in Bluffdale 131 times

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in 2024, and UFA responded to 163. They typically respond to provide assistance to the Bluffdale

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Fire Department, although occasionally it is due to a staff member calling out sick. Bluffdale responds

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to more calls in those jurisdictions.

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In response to a question from Council Member Wilding, Chief Evans reported that they respond to

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calls in Draper, Riverton, Herriman, and occasionally South Jordan. The cities give and receive

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mutual aid. Council Member Wilding stated that he has spoken with the new Riverton Mayor, Tish

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Buroker, and they do track those calls.

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Chief Evans reported that ambulance billing runs three months in arrears due to how Medicare and

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Medicaid work. A total of 203 calls were billed for approximately $194,000. The collection rate is

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48.66%, or 77.54% of eligible dollars. A regular paramedic call bills at up to $1,800, and Medicare

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calls only collect $250. Bluffdale missed 41 transports in 2025 due to lack of staffing. The average

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transport cost is $1,250, so the City lost approximately $51,000 in revenue.

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Fire losses are estimated, but Chief Evans indicated that the estimates are likely very low. There was

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one total loss house fire in 2025 and a few smaller fires, for a total estimated loss of $650,000. There

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were no civilian injuries.
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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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The Fire Department is working to improve the average dispatch time which is 2.21 minutes. The

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National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”) recommendation is 1.25 minutes. The average arrival

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time is approximately six minutes, two minutes higher than the NFPA recommendation.

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NFPA 1710 recommends a minimum of 15 firefighters be dispatched at the first alarm for a low-

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hazard, single-family house fire; 20 for a strip shopping center or apartment fire; and 43 for high-rise

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buildings of seven stories or more. Additional firefighters should be sent in situations that are beyond

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the capability of the initial alarm. In low-hazard response areas, the required number of firefighters

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per engine is four. In areas with higher incidences or geographic restrictions, a minimum of five

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firefighters is required. In dense urban areas, the minimum is six.

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Mr. Kartchner stated that the NFPA requirements show the importance of mutual aid agreements.

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Chief Evans stated that each station is currently staffed with four employees, two on the engine and

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two on the ambulance. The units respond in tandem so that there are always four people on calls.

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All cities within the mutual aid agreement have committed to sending no less than three personnel per

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engine.

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The Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communication Center (“VECC”) recommends that 17 personnel

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respond to a house fire, including three engines, one ladder truck, one ambulance, and two battalion

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chiefs. Bluffdale and UFA have one battalion chief each. For apartment fires, the VECC recommends

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21 total personnel, including one additional ladder truck. For commercial fires, their recommendation

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is four engines, two trucks, one ambulance, and one heavy rescue vehicle that can perform

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extrications.

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ambulances, one heavy rescue vehicle, and one air and light truck, as well as four battalion chiefs.

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In 2024, Bluffdale fire stations were closed 62 times. As a result of bringing in full-time staff, there

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were only four closures in 2025.

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Chief Evans reported that fire trucks are very expensive, and that cost has increased exponentially

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since 2022. A standard engine can cost between $500,000 and $1 million, depending on its equipment

High-rise fires require 50 personnel, including six engines, four trucks, three

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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and capabilities. The City currently has a mixture of new and old equipment, and replacements need

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to be considered in the budget. Mr. Kartchner added that vehicles can only be purchased with Impact

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Fees if they are needed due to growth, so replacements will come from the General Fund. Chief

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Evans indicated that it takes between four and five years to receive a truck and three years to receive

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an ambulance once ordered, and these vehicles should be replaced when they are 10 years old.

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Defibrillators and cardiac monitors cost $40,000 new, and the City has four. Ongoing maintenance

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costs are also a consideration; two turbos were replaced in 2025 at a cost of $10,000 to $15,000 each.

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Regarding staffing, Chief Evans reported that all shifts are full almost every day. Part-time employees

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are incentivized to work additional shifts with pay incentives of $0.50 to $1 per hour.

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Chief Evans reviewed photographs of the department’s vehicles. He, the battalion chiefs, and the Fire

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Marshall drive trucks that were retired from the Police Department. Station 91 has a 2010 engine that

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was purchased for $400,000 during COVID with only 6,000 miles on it. Its ambulance is a 2018

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model. The grass truck is from 2014. Station 92 has a 2019 Pierce engine, as well as a 2020 Dodge

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ambulance that was purchased during COVID. The grass truck is a 2024 model that would have cost

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$225,000 from a dealer but was built by Bluffdale for $130,000.

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In response to a question raised by Council Member Smith, Chief Evans reported that vehicles are

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put into reserve status after a certain number of miles and should be surplussed at an additional number

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of miles. Mr. Kartchner stated that City vehicles rarely have issues related to mileage and usually

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require replacement due to technological obsolescence. Fire vehicles have been on a 15- to 20-year

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rotation. Chief Evans remarked that the old grass truck did not have airbags, which is a safety issue.

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Mr. Kartchner reported that during COVID, the City was able to purchase updated equipment at a

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good price, but it came in a compressed timeframe. Some of that equipment may need to be retired

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early in order to create a rotation schedule that does not require very large expenditures one year and

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nothing for the next several years. Chief Evans stated that COVID money allowed the City to

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purchase all new turnouts, and they now purchase six new pairs yearly at a cost of $3,500 each. All

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equipment is currently up to date.

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DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
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The reserve ambulance is a 2011 model. The 1999 Pierce Saber Telesquirt engine is leased from

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West Valley for $1 per month and assists the City with its Insurance Services Office (“ISO”) rating.

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Although the truck is old, it passed the ladder and pump safety tests in 2025. Maintaining a low ISO

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rating allows residents to obtain affordable property insurance. Bluffdale’s rating is a 3/8, with the

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“8” indicating response time to the Gravel Pit and Camp Williams. All other areas of the City are

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rated “3”. Chief Evans anticipates that the rating will improve in 2026.

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Bluffdale has a brand-new engine that was delivered five years after purchase. It works well for urban

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interface. The engine is being rotated in and out so any bugs can be worked out in the three-year

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warranty period.

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Council Member Wilding asked how The Point will affect response times and availability. Chief

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Evans reported that Bluffdale may be the first to respond to The Point because Station 92 is two

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minutes away whereas the closest Draper station is six minutes away. Mr. Kartchner reported that

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Staff was in discussions with The Point regarding how to pay for that service.

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Chief Evans stated that a standalone emergency facility is possibly being built in Bluffdale, and they

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could possibly contract with the City to transport patients. A third fire station is also planned for

19

when the Gravel Pit develops. Camp Williams could potentially pay for that station if the City

20

provides the equipment. Staff has spoken with the architects for Bringhurst Farm about the possibility

21

and will be applying for grant funding.

22
23

In response to a question raised by Council Member Aston, Chief Evans stated that they are working

24

to improve response times. Council Member Aston asked if the response time for other agencies was

25

factored into that number. Chief Evans clarified that the response time is based on the first arrival.

26

If dispatch is busy, there can be a 30- to 40-second delay in marking their arrival. They are working

27

on a silent dispatch system where a button can be pushed in the engine to indicate that it has arrived.

28

In response to a follow-up question, he reported that response times were approximately the same as

29

before VECC upgraded its system, but a lot of cities are upset that their reported dispatch and arrival

30

times differ from the actuals.

31
11

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Council Member Smith asked if there were any differences in response times between full-time and

2

part-time staff members. Chief Evans reported that the response times were the same. A benefit of

3

full-time employees is that there is always coverage at 7:00 a.m., whereas previously the stations were

4

closed for 30 minutes to one hour until part-time staff arrived. Mr. Kartchner stated that this was one

5

reason they were considering moving some part-time staff to full-time positions over the next few

6

years.

7
8
9
10

Mr. Fazio reported that the Engineering Department works very hard to keep everything in-house.

11

Most cities contract out much of their engineering work. They work together with other departments

12

to prepare projects according to the General Plan and associated transportation, water, and stormwater

13

master plans, and are in constant contact with City Attorney, Fred Donaldson, to understand laws

14

regarding those projects. End-of-life replacements are an important part of their work, and the City

15

is currently replacing a lot of aging infrastructure.

16
17

The Engineering Department works with and receives feedback from the Public Works and Planning

18

Departments to prepare master plans to better understand how to manage growth. There is a lot of

19

interest in developing the Bringhurst area, so they have been working on a road extending south into

20

Jordan Narrows. They have also been working with Geneva Rock and other landowners to understand

21

when the area will develop. At that time, the City will have to provide more water to east side

22

residents. They are also working on expanding the park west of 2700 West.

23
24

Mr. Kartchner stated that Staff anticipates areas between 2700 West and 3600 West and south of

25

Bringhurst are the most likely near-term development areas. The current focus is on determining the

26

City’s needs related to that development. A lot of infrastructure is already in place and will simply

27

need to be expanded. A new water tank is being installed for Zone 2. In response to a question raised

28

by Council Member Austin, Mr. Fazio confirmed that the new sewer line took these areas into account

29

and will help handle the area between 2700 West and 3600 West.

2.3

Engineering.

30

12

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Mr. Kartchner remarked that the Engineering Department has been very adept at piggybacking

2

restoration and replacement projects onto other entities’ projects. For example, all the water lines

3

were able to be replaced, and 14400 South was rebuilt in a collaborative project that reduced City

4

costs. Mr. Fazio confirmed that Staff is trying to maximize available dollars.

5
6

Council Member Aston stated that she sits on the Jordan Basin Improvement District Board, and they

7

talked extensively about that project. The line that was installed was oversized even for the estimated

8

growth in that area of Bluffdale. It also serves a portion of Herriman.

9
10

Mr. Fazio stated that to be prepared for growth, it is important to have the right staff and provide for

11

them because its employees are the City’s best assets. He extended his appreciation to the City

12

Council for their support in this area.

13
14

Current water projects include a new Zone 2 West water tank. In response to a question from Council

15

Member Lord, Mr. Fazio indicated that they have not identified a location for the Zone 2 East tank.

16

Mr. Kartchner reported that Geneva Rock has 18 acres on the market. The timing is terrible, but it is

17

in the right location and at the right elevation. The land purchase may need to be added to the

18

upcoming bond. Only a small area of the City is at the right elevation for the tank. Mr. Fazio stated

19

that it is part of planning for the future and ensuring that residents are provided for. If they wait 10

20

years, the cost will be three times higher, and the land may not be available.

21
22

Mr. Fazio reported that the 14600 South pipeline project will be completed in conjunction with road

23

improvements. The pump station at 15000 South is currently being renovated. This station lifts water

24

to the highest-level delivery tank. In response to a question from Council Member Smith, it was

25

confirmed that this pump also services the data center. However, the lift points will change when the

26

new tank is operational.

27
28

Council Member Wilding asked about redundancy. Mr. Kartchner stated that there is a completely

29

separate Narrows pump station for the Zone 3 tank.

30

13

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

The future of secondary water is also an important consideration, as there is a push to reduce outdoor

2

water consumption. Secondary water is untreated and comes directly from Utah Lake or other

3

sources. A map of current service areas was displayed, and Mr. Fazio indicated that not all residents

4

are taking advantage of metered secondary water.

5
6

Transportation goals include mobility, connectivity, safety, and low cost. The Engineering and

7

Planning Departments work very closely to support the City’s needs and goals in this area. Planned

8

major roads include 14800 South west of 2700 South and Bringhurst Boulevard. Mr. Kartchner stated

9

that the best topographical location of that roadway may not be the best from an economic standpoint,

10

so planning will be more challenging. Mr. Fazio agreed that the area has very steep slopes and may

11

require that they vary from standard City development standards.

12
13

Mr. Fazio is working with the Utah Department of Transportation ("UDOT") to widen 14600 South

14

to 3600 West. Mr. Kartchner stated that they are trying to encourage UDOT to piggyback on the City

15

project, but they have not yet agreed to do so, and the upgrade is not on their short-term project list.

16

Mr. Crowell stated that Staff had worked with UDOT on an improved right-of-way design that

17

includes active transportation facilities.

18
19

Council Member Wilding stated that developers are looking at the Bringhurst Boulevard extension

20

area and asked if other entities, like the Jordan Valley Improvement District, are considering projects

21

in the area. Council Member Austin reported that they just approved a pump station, and they have

22

also bored under Porter Rockwell Boulevard to provide future service to the Gravel Pit.

23
24

Mr. Fazio stated that it can be frustrating to work with UDOT. Good roads cost less, and it is

25

important to regularly invest money to maintain the road system. Replacement is significantly more

26

expensive than maintaining the infrastructure. Mr. Kartchner noted that the Engineering and Public

27

Works Department developed a rotating plan to ensure that City roads are maintained. It is a

28

consistent recurring cost, although construction cost increases have exceeded the Consumer Price

29

Index (“CPI”). Mr. Fazio stated that Public Works Director, Shane Paddock, is diligent in maintaining

30

road signs and striping, which are replaced continuously.

31
14

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Mr. Fazio reported that there is currently a lot of encroachment permit activity in the City from Google

2

and Allwest Fiber.

3
4

The storm drain system in the area near Ponderosa Pond was repaired to reduce flood risk in the area.

5

Stormwater quality is also regularly analyzed. Mr. Donaldson reported that someone was found to

6

be illegally dumping into the stormwater system. Mr. Paddock added that the company was fined for

7

dumping its recycled water into City storm drains and had to perform a cleanup.

8
9

Mr. Kartchner stated that the City Council will often receive calls from residents or builders who

10

complain that the City is moving too slowly or that its standards cannot be met. However, hundreds

11

of thousands of dollars have been spent over the years to correct issues caused by the shortsightedness

12

and lack of quality construction of original developers. Bluffdale’s standards may be frustrating to

13

developers, but they will save the City money in the future.

14
15

Mr. Fazio reported that he has a great team, and with the Council’s support they will continue to

16

ensure that the City is well-built and well-run.

17
18
19
20

Mr. Donaldson reported that the legal department consists of himself; part-time Prosector, Samantha

21

Smith; and Paralegal, Courtney Peterson. He then reviewed the government structure and Council

22

and Staff roles.

23
24
25
26

2.4

Legal.

The Mayor:
•

27

Presides over City Council meetings and only votes in the case of a tie and on specific legal
matters. Represents the City in its external relationships.

28

•

Can add items to meeting agendas at her sole discretion.

29

•

Supervises and directs public events.

30

•

Exercises the duties specified in Utah Code.

31

•

Cannot veto legislation.

32
15

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1
2
3

The City Council:
•

Has legislative and executive powers.

4

•

Duties include attending regular and special City Council meetings.

5

•

Two members can add or delete an agenda item. A majority vote is required to remove an

6

item from an agenda at the meeting.

7
8

Mr. Kartchner stated that he believed three Council members were required to remove an agenda

9

item. Mr. Donaldson reported that City Code is ambiguous on this point, but his interpretation is that

10

only two members are required to remove an item prior to a meeting. Council Member Lord stated

11

that in 2025, two Council members added an item and then three members removed it prior to the

12

meeting. Mr. Donaldson confirmed that the action was allowed by Code. Parts of City Code need

13

clarification, and one role of the City Council is to identify those areas and direct Staff to clarify them.

14
15

Meeting procedures follow Robert’s Rules of Order. Mr. Donaldson reported that the book is

16

available in his office, and he can provide cheat sheets and other resources. The procedures pertain

17

to motions, seconds, voting, etc.

18
19

The Council and Staff are subject to the Municipal Officers and Employees Ethics Act, as well as the

20

Code of Conduct adopted by the City Council. They are expected to:

21
22

•

Avoid impropriety.

23

•

Be polite and respectful.

24

•

Maintain impartiality.

25

•

Maintain confidentiality in confidential or privileged matters.

26

•

The City Council acts as one entity.

27
28

In response to a question raised by Council Member Smith, Mr. Donaldson clarified that impartiality

29

is in regard to things like public comment and participation.

30
31

City Council members shall recognize their special role in dealings with City employees to in no way

32

create the perception of inappropriate direction to Staff. Bluffdale’s Council and Staff have good
16

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

interaction. However, there have been instances in other cities where council members tried to exert

2

control over or pressure an employee, which put the employee in an awkward position.

3

Mr. Donaldson encouraged Council members to be careful in their individual interactions with City

4

employees and not use their positions to direct committees, boards, or Staff in policy matters. Most

5

members of Staff inform the City Manager when they are contacted by a Council member.

6
7
8
9

The City Manager:
•

Oversees day-to-day duties and affairs of the City.

10

•

Applies City policies, procedures, and ordinances.

11

•

Plans financial operations.

12

•

Advise the City Council on policy and makes policy recommendations.

13

•

Carries out Council directives and decisions.

14

•

Administers contracts.

15

•

Manages employees.

16

•

Attends and participates in City Council meetings but does not vote.

17

•

Other responsibilities as specified in City Code.

18
19
20
21

Statutory Departments include:
•

Community and Economic Development

22

•

Engineering

23

•

Public Works

24

•

Fire

25

•

Administrative Services

26

•

Legal

27

•

Justic Court

28

•

No Police Department is established in Code.

29

17

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1
2
3
4

The City Attorney:
•
•

5
6
7

Represents the City and advises in legal matters.
Their client is the City. Although he tries to maintain confidentiality, there is no attorneyclient privilege between the City Attorney and individual Council members.

•

Cannot advise on matters like conflicts of interest but can provide procedural information on
conflicts.

8
9

In response to a question raised by Council Member Lord, Mr. Donaldson confirmed that it is up to

10

the individual Council member and their personal counsel to determine if something is a conflict of

11

interest. Council Member Aston asked if that was why some cities have two attorneys, one for the

12

city and one for the council. Mr. Donalson stated that he does not know why some cities choose to

13

have two attorneys, but they may have a different form of government from Bluffdale. Council

14

members in all cities have to obtain their own legal counsel to consult on matters like conflicts of

15

interest.

16
17

Bluffdale is a member of the Utah League of Cities and Towns (“ULCT”), and the Mayor and City

18

Manager are voting members on the ULCT Board. The Legislative Policy Committee (“LPC”) meets

19

on Mondays at noon during the legislative session, and those meetings can be viewed on the ULCT

20

website. Lobbyists Greg Curtis and Dave Kallas also assist the City with legislative issues. Mayor

21

Hall and Mr. Kartchner are the City contacts for State legislation.

22
23

Legislative priorities were reviewed. Local government fees have been discussed during recent

24

legislative sessions, and Mr. Donaldson anticipates that they will be a topic in the 2026 session as

25

well. Bluffdale has a Public Safety Fee, and some cities have transportation fees; there has been talk

26

about prohibiting or limiting those fees. The City also needs additional funding for the 14600 South

27

project.

28

ordinances. He does not know if a bill will be passed in 2026, but it will remain a topic of discussion.

29

Mr. Donaldson remarked that the State is very concerned about housing costs. There is talk of

30

mandating small-lot development in residential zones and prohibiting, for example, one-acre zoning.

Mr. Kartchner stated that the legislature has also discussed preemption of local zoning

31
18

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Mr. Donaldson reported that the City prosecutes misdemeanor criminal cases in Justice Court and

2

District Court. Felonies are prosecuted by the District Attorney. Ms. Smith is currently representing

3

Bluffdale on an appeal regarding a domestic dispute where the husband prevented his wife from

4

driving away. He retreated and then ignored the police when they tried to interview him. At trial, his

5

silence was used to show that he knew he had done something wrong. He is appealing that conviction.

6

The briefing was completed, and the next step will be oral arguments. Council Member Lord asked

7

why the City was involved. Mr. Donaldson clarified that the City prosecuted him in the domestic

8

dispute.

9
10

In civil cases, Bluffdale is represented by the Utah Local Government Trust. Approximately 90% of

11

Utah cities participate in the trust. There are currently four civil cases.

12
13

•

Howells v. Bluffdale City is in response to Howells being found guilty of operating a trucking

14

business in the City. They appealed on the grounds that they believe the ordinance prohibiting

15

heavy trucks is unconstitutional. Mr. Donaldson does not believe they have a strong argument

16

and expects the case to be resolved in the City’s favor. Bluffdale is being represented by Matt

17

Church in this matter.

18

•

Madson v. Bluffdale City is in regard to a bicycle accident on the Jordan River Trail. Work

19

was being done on the trail, and a cyclist had an accident and was hurt. The City had no

20

involvement in the accident and will likely be dismissed as a defendant, although the trust is

21

considering settling the case for a small amount.

22

•

23
24
25

Liberty Addiction Centers LLC v. Bluffdale City has been dropped. They requested 26 beds
but were only entitled to 12, so the request was denied.

•

In Pavlakis v. Bluffdale City, Connie Pavlakis is suing the City for retaliation under the Civil
Rights Act. The City is being represented by Roger Hoole in this matter.

26
27

The Administrative Citation Enforcement (“ACE”) Court is new to Bluffdale. Previously, code

28

violations had to be pursued and proven beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal court. These issues

29

are now handled in the ACE Court, which has a lower standard of proof. The program’s goal is

19

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

compliance with City Code, not to punish residents. ACE Court cases include issues like outdoor

2

storage, zoning violations, home occupations, and nuisances related to junk and weeds.

3
4

Bluffdale’s character has changed over time and is now more suburban. With that comes a variety of

5

Code Enforcement challenges. For example, a home occupation on a large lot may become very

6

successful and be expanded to the point where it is now a commercial business that needs to move to

7

a commercial area, but the property owner wants to keep it at their home. Other property owners

8

argue that they have been doing the same thing for years, or a neighbor is doing the same thing.

9
10

2.5

Public Works.

11
12

Public Works Director, Shane Paddock, reported that the City’s service area encompasses

13

approximately 11 square miles of parks, open space, culinary and secondary water infrastructure, and

14

streets infrastructure. Staff includes administration, water, secondary water, streets, street lighting,

15

parks and recreation, fleet maintenance, and information technology teams.

16
17
18
19

2025 projects included:
•

The Neptune 360 and the consumer water portal project took approximately five years to

20

complete. The City now receives instant meter information, and residents can log on to the

21

portal to check their water usage. Public Works is also notified of unusually high usage so

22

staff can reach out to the resident and Water Department regarding the issue.

23

•

24
25

The OpenGov asset management program Cartegraph has been implemented with great
results.

•

Trenton Ellis completed certification training to become a backflow cross-connection

26

administrator and has found five cross connections so far. Mr. Ellis inspects new businesses

27

to ensure compliance and completes residential surveys throughout the City.

28

•

29
30
31

Service lines were upgraded in the area of 14865 South. Most of the City’s water line breaks
were occurring in this area because some of the lines had been repaired several times.

•

The lead and copper service line inventory was completed, and it was determined that there
are no lead lines in the City.
20

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

•

The emergency response plan was completed.

2

•

The arena upgrade and public works building were completed.

3

•

Bids for the administration building were due to open the following week.

4
5
6
7

Mr. Paddock introduced Recreation Coordinator, Jessica Brandt, who has been with the City for eight

8

months. He has been very impressed with her professionalism and how she is helping take Bluffdale’s

9

recreation program to a new level.

10
11

Ms. Brandt presented new marketing materials, including a lunchbox cooler, football-shaped squeeze

12

balls, and color-changing cups. The Recreation Department’s mission is to create safe, inclusive

13

spaces where individuals and families can learn, play, grow, and participate in teamwork,

14

sportsmanship, and fun at every level. The City is part of the Utah Recreation and Parks Association

15

(“URPA”) Good Sportsman Initiative and follows all its policies.

16
17

The Parks, Trails, Recreation and Open Space Plan adopted in 2025 showed high interest in

18

recreation, and one of the plan goals was to increase communication with citizens. In Fall 2025, Ms.

19

Brandt created an at-a-glance calendar of core 2026 programs that is constantly being updated.

20
21

The Recreation Department purchased a robot painter. Previously it would take four employees and

22

four full days to paint the fields; it now takes one employee four hours, not including mapping time.

23

Fields are painted three to four times each season.

24
25

Ms. Brandt reviewed information on volunteer coach training. The City relies on volunteer coaches.

26

Volunteer benefits included refunded registration at the end of the season, a coach’s shirt, and a thank-

27

you gift. Soccer requires between 45 and 65 coaches, and t-ball and flag football each need 12 to 16.

28
29

In response to a question raised by Council Member Austin, Ms. Brandt confirmed that concussion,

30

first aid, and youth protection training are included in the program. Youth protection training is

31

required by State code, and background checks are performed on all volunteers. Weather-related

2.5.1

Parks/ Recreation.

21

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

cancellations are a Staff responsibility based on the City’s weather policy. Some games were

2

cancelled last season due to lightning and heat.

3
4

Ms. Brandt has a staff of part-time, seasonal employees. She hopes to have two site supervisors in

5

2026, as well as six to eight referees. Programs are tracked through software, and all registrations are

6

conducted online.

7
8
9
10

Adult sports include:
•

11
12

Badlands 5K: In 2026, the registration period will be longer and marketing efforts will be
increased. Ms. Brandt hopes to order new shirts and offer tiered pricing.

•

Pickleball tournament: There were only 13 registrations for the most recent tournament as

13

opposed to 60 the previous year. Ms. Brandt is unsure of the reason for the decrease. Most

14

participants in 2025 were not residents of Bluffdale. They are considering offering a lower

15

fee for residents, as well as bringing in business sponsors. Potential reasons for the decline

16

were discussed.

17

•

Pickleball league: The leagues run in spring and fall. Ms. Brandt reported that registration is

18

lower for all sports in Fall. There are two divisions, intermediate and advanced. In response

19

to a question from Mr. Kartchner, Ms. Brandt stated that beginner workshops have not been

20

offered in the past but may be offered in the future.

21
22
23
24

Youth Sports:
•

Soccer: Spring and fall registrations have been comparable from year to year, and Ms. Brandt

25

believes participation will grow with increased communication and marketing. Photographs

26

of the fields at Day Ranch Park were reviewed. Ms. Brandt has secured a contract to utilize

27

the Mountain Point Elementary School fields, and the first- and second-grade divisions will

28

expand to those fields in Spring. Spring games are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and

29

Fall games are on Saturdays only. In response to a question raised by Council Member Austin,

30

Ms. Brandt reported that soccer is only offered up to seventh grade. The field sizes are within

22

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

the range outlined in State regulations for nine-player teams. They do not have the space and

2

have not identified a need for larger fields.

3

•

Youth T-ball: A fall T-ball program was added in 2025, and there were 89 registrations. The

4

City does not have enough baseball diamonds to utilize for the program. It was held at

5

Bluffdale City Park in 2025 but will be moving back to Day Ranch Park in 2026.

6

•

7
8

programs.
•

9
10

Flag football: This program will begin in 2026 and is being modeled after partner cities’
Skate clinic: This will be held the last Friday of Spring Break in partnership with Carry On.
Tentative clinic times are 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

•

A volleyball clinic and other summer activities are also planned. Mr. Kartchner recommended

11

that Ms. Brandt speak with SandBar about providing coaches and potential sponsorship.

12
13

In response to a question raised by Council Member Wilding, Mr. Kartchner reported that

14

Development Coordinator, Kjersti Jarman, is the point person for City donation and sponsorship

15

requests and ensures that multiple requests are not made of the same businesses.

16
17

Mr. Paddock reported that the City currently maintains 16 parks totaling 92 acres, with 129 acres of

18

open space. There have been discussions about why the Parks Department budget has increased over

19

the last eight years. Prior to 2016, the City was only maintaining 67 acres. A total of 18.5 acres were

20

added by 2019, and an additional 30.5 acres were added between 2020 and 2025. That represents an

21

increase of 35.76%. There were five Parks Department employees in 2016, and three additional

22

employees were added when Day Ranch Park opened.

23
24

A map was displayed indicating the locations of the parks, trails, and open space areas maintained by

25

the Parks Department, as well as graphs created with the new Cartegraph software. Maintenance was

26

performed on 1,641 trees of the City’s over 2,000 trees in 2025, as well as 1,558 landscaping areas.

27

The software determined that 47,707-man hours are required each year for staff to touch every asset

28

once. Mr. Paddock reviewed various required tasks including emptying park trash cans, hanging

29

Christmas lights, flag maintenance, events, parades and floats, and regular park maintenance.

30
23

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Photographs of the arena project were reviewed. Mr. Paddock reported that most of the wood from

2

the old arena bleachers was surplussed and the metal was salvaged. Work for the new sewer line was

3

donated by a local contractor, and City staff completed the underground water line infrastructure

4

improvements.

5
6

In response to a question raised by Council Member Lord, Mr. Paddock reported that the

7

administration building project went out to bid three weeks previously. The building will be

8

constructed on the east side of the existing Parks Department building and will have approximately

9

4,800 square feet of office space. The Public Works building was not designed to house the Parks

10

Department. Parks equipment is kept in a fenced-in yard and small equipment is stored in the Parks

11

building. He reported that someone broke into the storage yard and stole the bumper off of a truck a

12

few weeks ago.

13
14
15
16

The remainder of the meeting was held after a lunch break.
2.5.2

Water.

17
18

Mr. Paddock reported that the Water Department is responsible for fire hydrants, water meters,

19

culinary water lines and valves, sample stations, etc. Pump stations and other water facilities contain

20

millions of dollars in equipment that must be checked, maintained, and updated. There are currently

21

seven full-time Water Department employees. Three positions have been open for six months, but no

22

suitable applications have been received. Two of the positions were recently reposted.

23
24

The seven employees equal 12,740 available man-hours each year. To touch each Water Department

25

asset once per year, a total of 40,361 man-hours would be required. In 2025, 17% of City assets were

26

touched, including 148 hydrants and 653 culinary water meters. Stagnant water in culinary water

27

lines must be flushed. Sampling stations were recently installed throughout the City. Much of the

28

Public Works Department’s focus is on maintenance, because properly maintained infrastructure will

29

save the City money in the long term.

30

24

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

In response to a question raised by Chief Evans, Mr. Paddock reported that Staff is working to set up

2

the Fire Department on Cartegraph so hydrants can be properly tracked.

3
4

Mr. Paddock reviewed a map of City water lines, meters, and hydrants and reported that his goal is to

5

fill the three open positions and budget for two lead water operators to mentor the other employees.

6

He also hopes to purchase a light-duty truck and surplus the old Ford truck which does not have

7

airbags, backup cameras, or other modern safety equipment. The Water Department has requested

8

additional staff in each of the past eight years, and he understood when it was not possible. However,

9

as more development comes into the City, they have to be able to maintain the infrastructure.

10

Cartegraph shows where the weaknesses are, and they are pooling resources to try to touch all assets.

11

Water Operations Manager, Tyson Matagi provides him with regular progress reports.

12
13

Mr. Paddock reviewed future budget requests, including a service truck for the secondary water

14

system that is requested for 2028, and reported on the various reservoirs, pump stations, wells, and

15

tanks that the Public Works Department maintains.

16
17

Council Member Wilding asked about the acreage required for the new tank off of Porter Rockwell

18

Boulevard. Mr. Fazio reported that between three and five acres will be needed for the three-million-

19

gallon tank.

20
21

Mr. Kartchner reminded the Council that the Water Fund is an enterprise fund and is handled

22

differently from a budgeting standpoint.

23
24
25
26

The City’s street assets include roads, storm drain basins, storm water pipes, junction boxes, and

27

sidewalks. Bluffdale was sued several years ago after a resident of Heritage Crest who fell on a poorly

28

maintained sidewalk. A strong sidewalk maintenance program is now in place. Precision Concrete

29

was hired to survey the City and identify problem areas. Defects of up to three-quarters of an inch

30

are repaired, and the slab is replaced for larger defects. All reflective street signs are being updated.

2.5.3

Streets.

31

25

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

In 2025, 785 sections of pavement were maintained with street sweeping, crack sealing, and other

2

maintenance. Cartegraph determined that the Streets Department has 13,260 available man-hours

3

each year, which allows them to touch approximately 25% of assets. Mr. Paddock explained how

4

time and materials are logged into the program to capture man hours, materials used, and inventory.

5

He is very pleased with the data Cartegraph is producing as it helps identify areas of improvement

6

and ensures that staff is efficient with their time.

7
8

The program also tracks streetlights, and they are developing a checklist to use during inspections.

9

There has been an issue with street light wire theft. Copper wire was stolen from junction boxes on

10

Porter Rockwell Bouelvard twice. The last bid to repair the damage was $65,000, but the two full-

11

time and one part-time Streets Department employees were able to perform the repair for $15,000.

12

The junction boxes were filled with concrete as a deterrent. The thieves tried again and damaged the

13

fuses but were unable to remove the wire.

14
15

Council Member Austin asked if there are cameras in the area. Mr. Paddock reported that there are

16

cameras at the intersections, but they do not catch the junction boxes.

17
18

Mr. Paddock reported that two additional street maintenance positions were requested for the

19

upcoming budget. Mr. Kartchner worked to purchase necessary equipment through the Class C Roads

20

Fund last year. They were able to purchase a new front-end loader that was just delivered. A

21

replacement sweeper that had been requested for five years was ordered in July, and delivery is

22

expected in May.

23
24

The department’s bucket truck is a 2011 model, and State inspectors have indicated that it is nearing

25

end-of-life and they will not continue inspecting it. A two-man bucket truck is requested for the next

26

budget year. Mr. Kartchner stated that the current one-man truck presents a safety issue. Mr. Paddock

27

added that it also does not have stabilizers. The Sterling vacuum truck was purchased used five years

28

ago and should be replaced in 2028 or 2029. However, Mr. Kartchner noted that it can now be stored

29

inside and should last longer with proper maintenance.

30

26

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Council Member Aston asked if the Public Works Department was experiencing the same vehicle

2

delays as the Fire Department. Mr. Paddock stated that he does not know how long it will take to

3

receive a vacuum truck, but they are experiencing delays. They thought the street sweeper would be

4

delayed another year, but the company was able to deliver a demo unit more quickly.

5
6

The Fleet Department has two full-time and one part-time employee. In 2025, they completed 586

7

tasks and 120 oil changes.

8
9

The Information Technology Department has two full-time employee that support all City

10

departments in addition to the Geographic Information Systems (“GIS”), integrations, Cartegraph

11

implementation, etc.

12
13

Two facilities maintenance positions were requested for the upcoming budget year. The positions

14

would perform preventative maintenance and repair on all Public Works, Water, and Parks facilities.

15

The new Public Works building was very expensive, and it is important to maintain it. Mr. Paddock

16

reported that the City is contracted with an HVAC contractor to take care of the building for next

17

year, and he hopes to bring the additional staff on board in that time. Mr. Paddock thanked Mayor

18

Hall and the City Council for their support on that project. It is a 50-year building, so it will serve the

19

City for a long time.

20
21
22
23

Mr. Crowell reported that the Planning Department is responsible for current and long-range planning,

24

permitting, and draft legislation. They work with the Planning Commission, Development Review

25

Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, and Appeals Officer.

26
27

Building Official, Scott Stewart came to work for Bluffdale in 2025 and decreased the City’s reliance

28

on third-party contractors. The State requires all municipalities to have back-up inspectors in the

29

event the City cannot inspect a property in a timely manner. If Mr. Stewart is too busy or on vacation,

30

the contractor performs inspections. Ms. Jarman is responsible for business licensing, as well as

31

business outreach. She is also the staff liaison to the Youth City Council. The City has one Code

32

Enforcement Officer, but other Staff members assist with those duties. The Planning Department also

2.6

Planning

27

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

administers the animal services contract with Salt Lake County, and Mr. Crowell is a member of the

2

Salt Lake County Animal Services Committee.

3
4

Economic development, relationship building, and assisting developers are a large part of the

5

department’s responsibilities. When a document requires Staff approval, that means Planning

6

Department staff are acting as the land use authority, typically Mr. Crowell in his position as Zoning

7

Administrator. Those items do not go before the Planning Commission or City Council. This applies

8

to things like building permits and small site plans.

9
10

Mr. Crowell reviewed a list of departmental tasks for 2025, including agency assistants and the new

11

ACE Court.

12
13
14
15

Common land use questions received by Planning Department staff are on topics like subdividing

16

property, accessory dwelling units (“ADU”), commercial and industrial zoning, density, and code

17

enforcement issues.

18
19

Council Member Smith asked Mr. Crowell to review home occupations. Mr. Crowell discussed a

20

property owner whose business had outgrown their home occupation, with multiple employee

21

vehicles and large machinery at their home in the R-1-43 Zone. In response to a question raised by

22

Council Member Aston, Mr. Crowell stated that a building inspection is required for some home

23

occupations, but often the property was inspected as a minor home occupation and changed

24

substantially after approval. Mr. Donaldson added that home daycares require inspection, but most

25

home businesses do not.

26
27

Mr. Crowell stated that many homes in Bluffdale have large lots and accessory structures that are

28

conducive to enlarging businesses, and they are not inspected for that purpose. It can be hard to prove

29

that a business is too large or disruptive to remain a home occupation. The historic ordinance allowed

30

contractor businesses as home occupations, but did not specify criteria to evaluate the impact. A

31

catalyst for the current ordinance was a swim school that striped the street and added a crosswalk in

32

an effort to control traffic.

2.6.1

Land Use Discussion.

28

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1
2

Council Member Wilding remarked that he fields a lot of calls on home occupations, both from

3

residents who are angry about being restricted from doing something they want to do and those who

4

have an issue with a neighbor’s home occupation. He believed it would be helpful to better understand

5

the ordinance, but he had no interest in changing it.

6
7

Mr. Kartchner indicated that trips per day were used as a metric for the new ordinance. Different

8

home occupations have different levels of intensity. For example, someone who does accounting in

9

their basement may have a client stop by from time to time, and that is the intensity of their use.

10

Conversely, a piano teacher may have many students visiting their property. At the time the ordinance

11

was updated, it was the Council’s goal to ensure that home occupations were not generating so many

12

trips that it changed the character of the neighborhood. The ordinance recognizes that some heavier

13

uses, like the piano teacher, may be appropriate, and those uses can apply for a higher level of use.

14

Some professions do not fit in a residence, and he believes that many construction trades fit into that

15

category. They started with the resident and one truck, but three years later, they have 10 employees,

16

a fleet of trucks, and a warehouse in the backyard.

17
18

Mr. Donaldson stated that a general planning principle is intensity of use, with agricultural and heavy

19

industrial as the extremes. Zones define use. Home occupations are always in residential zones, but

20

the uses are typically better suited for commercial or industrial zones. Sometimes people want a home

21

occupation that would not even be allowed in a commercial zone.

22
23

Council Member Aston remarked that at the time the ordinance was updated, people were buying

24

homes on one-acre lots and letting their foreman or another employee live in the home, so the property

25

owner was not living with the chaos they created. Mr. Crowell agreed that there had been cases

26

related to accuracy of ownership and indicated that the City had to go to extraordinary efforts to prove

27

that the business owner did not live at the home. Other problem cases included concrete processing

28

and trucking companies in the middle of neighborhoods.

29
30

Mr. Kartchner stated that Bluffdale was originally rural and low-density, and people moved here to

31

be able to do those types of things. When he first moved to the City, hunting was allowed. The
29

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Council was constantly discussing areas where it was still appropriate to allow duck and goose hunting

2

until it reached the point where hunting was no longer safe anywhere. He believes the current City

3

Council may need to do the same in respect to some home occupations that are no longer appropriate

4

or even regulations that are no longer necessary, but they will receive phone calls no matter which

5

direction they go in.

6
7

Council Member Wilding stated that City Code already allows parking of one semi-trailer at the

8

owner’s residence. Mr. Crowell indicated that if a resident applies for a business license for a home

9

occupation, the home occupation ordinance is enforced. However, some do not apply for a license

10

and instead take the position that the City must prove that they are operating a business. One take-

11

home truck is allowed in all residential areas of the City. Home occupations are only allowed to have

12

one truck with a gross weight of 14,000 pounds or less, or 26,000 with an exception.

13
14

Home occupations can result in general nuisance claims, which requires the City to prove the

15

nuisance. Some residents have salvage operations but claim they are not running a business.

16

Mr. Donaldson added that they often claim to be hobbyists. Mr. Crowell reported that there had been

17

some successes in this area since the ACE program started. Initially no one believed Bluffdale would

18

do anything to enforce the regulations because few cases were brought before the criminal courts.

19

Those were high-demand cases that had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The City is now

20

enforcing cases through the ACE program and will likely need to do abatement on some properties.

21

For example, they may need to contract with a mowing company for weed cases and pass the cost on

22

to the property owner. Larger hoarding issues will require significant manpower, court orders, and

23

a lien on the property for the associated costs.

24
25

Mr. Crowell reported that there has been an increase in the use of storage containers, which require a

26

building permit to be made into a structure.

27
28

Mr. Kartchner stated that by the time a resident calls their Council member, they have usually already

29

received a Notice of Violation and been given the opportunity to take care of it. He asked that the

30

Council have faith that Staff has gone through the code enforcement process and it really is a violation.

30

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Mr. Donaldson added that the person is upset about the law, and they are looking for a way to not

2

comply with it. Courtesy notices are sent before a Notice of Violation is issued.

3
4

Mr. Crowell reported that City Code sets the fine at $100 per day per violation, and people who let

5

the issue get to the point of receiving a notice typically have multiple violations that can add up to

6

tens of thousands of dollars. When they finally reengage and bring the property into compliance, the

7

City usually settles for between $250 and $1,000, depending on the amount of Staff time that was

8

required to resolve the matter.

9

Mr. Kartchner stated that a $50,000 fine usually receives a response.

10
11

Mr. Crowell asked the Council to consider what uses should be allowed on one-acre residential lots.

12

Business uses and accumulated storage in the community are one of the hardest issues he has faced

13

in his career. Surrounding communities have already made that decision, but Bluffdale has left it

14

more open. Mr. Donaldson reported that a judge recently stated that Bluffdale’s ordinance could be

15

further clarified regarding nuisances. For example, there is nothing in City Code related to shipping

16

containers. People think they can have as many shipping containers as they want on their property,

17

and that may be a plausible defense. Riverton has a clear ordinance on shipping containers.

18
19

Council Member Aston stated that the City Council should make that decision. In her time on the

20

Council, not specifying something in Code has always caused problems. If there is no limit on

21

shipping containers, residents could start stacking them on top of each other, turn them into

22

apartments, and claim that they are storage.

23
24

Council Member Wilding gave an example that he has a business in a commercial area, but he may

25

drive a business vehicle home or conduct business at his house. He asked if that would be a problem.

26

Mr. Donaldson stated that there would be an issue if a property owner used their residential property

27

for staging, dispatching, or overflow, but driving a work vehicle home does not violate City Code.

28

Storing a backhoe on a trailer in their backyard would be allowed for short-term, personal use.

29
30

Mr. Kartchner stated that he has an open trailer, a closed trailer, and a Recreational Vehicle (“RV”)

31

stored on his property. They are all for personal use, but someone could also store those vehicles for

The goal is not to make money but to resolve the problem.

31

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

business use. A large RV may also have more of an impact on the neighborhood than a 26,000-pound

2

truck. Mr. Crowell stated that an RV exemption was carved out for homeowners, but some residents

3

try to use that as a defense for business vehicles.

4
5

Mr. Donaldson stated that the City’s system is set up to determine if it is more likely than not that a

6

person is running a business out of their home. Staff researches whether the address is listed on a

7

contractor license or website, and if so, that is proof that the business is being operated out of the

8

residence. The process usually begins when a neighbor complains, as happened with the rock-

9

crushing business. Mr. Crowell stated that home occupations are intended to be accessory uses, and

10

in some cases, the issue is with vacant lots in residential areas.

11
12

Mr. Kartchner remarked that it is helpful to clarify the Code because, without that clarification, the

13

City may have to rely on neighbors who do not want to testify. The brighter the line, the greater the

14

possibility that the matter can be prosecuted on the ordinance alone, and the more helpful the

15

ordinance is.

16
17

Mr. Donaldson stated that the City works with people who are suspected of running a business out of

18

their home. If the resident denies the business but changes are noted at the residence that correct the

19

issue, the matter is dropped. Otherwise, they can put forth evidence at the hearing to prove their

20

position.

21
22

Council Member Aston stated that when the home occupation ordinance was updated, the City

23

Council reviewed ordinances from surrounding cities, and it was determined that Bluffdale was the

24

most lenient. Mr. Crowell agreed that Bluffdale’s regulations are lenient in comparison to other

25

suburban cities and noted that they discussed Vernal’s ordinance, which prohibits semi-trucks in all

26

residential areas.

27
28

In response to a question raised by Council Member Wilding, Mr. Crowell reported that the ordinance

29

was updated between 2020 and 2022. Council Member Wilding asked if any aspects of the new

30

ordinance needed to be modified based on Staff’s experience since its adoption. Mr. Crowell stated

31

that there are many existing nonconformities that were never licensed, and now those homeowners
32

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

believe the City is unfairly targeting them. However, if they had obtained a license when they started

2

their business, the use would be allowed.

3
4

Mr. Crowell reported that there is an Exception Committee that can allow things like additional

5

employees or trips. Mr. Donaldson pointed out that the problem of home occupations is often

6

identified in conjunction with other violations. For example, a lot of open storage violations are

7

related to home occupations. Open storage is not allowed anywhere in the City. In response to a

8

question raised by Council Member Lord, it was confirmed that “open storage” is defined by Code.

9
10

Council Member Aston stated that she also receives a lot of calls regarding home occupations. She

11

tries to identify which part of the ordinance they take issue with, and often, the issue is that they want

12

an extreme variation, such as allowing 20 cars to park on a vacant lot. She has not identified any

13

areas where a small change would be helpful.

14
15

In response to a question from Mr. Donaldson, Mr. Crowell reported that the City’s third ACE hearing

16

was held the previous day. Mr. Donaldson stated that they were still in the learning stage, and it is

17

possible that the ordinance can be better defined in a year or two when more data is available.

18
19

Mr. Kartchner stated that he receives calls from people who are interested in purchasing a residential

20

lot because it is cheaper than a similar commercial lot, and feels that they have the right to operate

21

their business there. He does not begrudge their desire to find a financial advantage, but that is not

22

appropriate for a residential area.

23
24

In response to a question from Council Member Smith, it was clarified that Staff was not

25

recommending any changes to the home occupation ordinance but welcomed the Council’s input on

26

the matter. Council Member Wilding stated that the discussion had been very helpful, as he had

27

wanted to hear Staff feedback on the challenges they faced regarding the ordinance.

28
29

Mr. Crowell stated that the City recently had to engage with Rocky Mountain Power regarding

30

activities they were allowing in their corridors near Independence Village. Mr. Kartchner indicated

33

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

that Rocky Mountain Power is now a good partner. Mr. Crowell added that the Planning Commission

2

was concerned about outdoor storage as early as 2000.

3
4

Council Member Lord stated that he has spoken with residents who received violation notices for

5

weeds, but complain that a neighbor’s yard is worse. Mr. Crowell stated that weeds are the easiest

6

cases because the violation is easy to see. Council Member Lord asked if the City was too strict.

7

Mr. Crowell stated that some people complain that weeds along the canal are much taller, but weeds

8

are out of character for residential areas. Chief Evans pointed out that it is important to trim weeds

9

because it reduces a fire hazard. Mr. Crowell reported that weed height is a consideration, and there

10

is also a noxious weed list. A plant can be over 12 inches if it is not on the noxious weed list.

11
12

The issue with weeds being out of character for a residential neighborhood was discussed. Council

13

Member Austin asked if the same argument could be made for property with brick pavers covering

14

the entire front yard. Mr. Donaldson indicated that the home may actually be in violation.

15
16

Council Member Aston asked if any complaints had been received about short-term rentals, and how

17

often people purchase residential homes for non-residential purposes. Mr. Crowell reported that the

18

City does not have short-term rental regulations or permitting requirements. Mr. Donaldson indicated

19

that they are not a problem in Bluffdale. Regulations in other areas of the state were discussed, as

20

well as whether Bluffdale should adopt an ordinance before issues arise.

21
22

Mr. Crowell reported that zoning to allow 0.50 and 0.33 acre lots were discussed at the last retreat

23

and a draft was presented to the Planning Commission, but the project was paused in April 2025. The

24

Very Low-Density Residential land use is between zero and one units per acre, which corresponds

25

with the R-1-43 Zone. Other areas of the City are designed Low Density Residential, which allows

26

up to three units per acre. The Planning Commission questioned if the intent of allowing smaller lots

27

was to apply that zoning in Very Low-Density Residential areas or to identify appropriate areas

28

through the General Plan. State law does not require cities to follow their General Plan, but doing so

29

is advised. The City can create small-lot zones by right, or they can be negotiated individually with

30

a special district or development agreement. Text amendments are another potential tool.

31
34

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

If a new R-2 or R-3 Zone is created, the subdivision approval process will be simplified, but the City

2

will lose its negotiating power for parks, trails, architectural standards, etc. Those elements can be

3

specified in a development agreement, but they take a lot more time. For example, there is a seven-

4

acre property east of Redwood Road that Staff believes needs a development agreement because

5

expectations need to be set about roads, trails, and who pays for them.

6
7

Council Member Wilding stated that the most comments and concerns he receives are in regard to

8

zoning. He is infrequently asked to preserve the one-acre lots, but most of the comments are in regard

9

to subdividing those lots. He believes it should be a priority to look at small-lot zoning. One-acre

10

lots were appropriate when people wanted to build homes in a rural, animal-friendly setting, but

11

nobody is building those types of homes anymore. The west side of Bluffdale should not be a haven

12

for $5-million-dollar homes on one-acre lots with fully landscaped yards. That is not conducive to

13

water conservation or help the City. Different types of homes will provide for residents at different

14

stages of life, and more lots will generate more tax revenue. He believes the topic had good Council

15

involvement and fairly uniform opinions when it was discussed previously, and he would like to

16

involve the Planning Commission in taking action on it this year.

17
18

In response to a question raised by Mr. Donaldson, Council Member Wilding stated that most

19

residents’ concerns are in regard to property owners subdividing their one-acre lots, but that issue was

20

addressed by restricting the new zoning to two-acre or larger parcels. That restriction would protect

21

current neighborhoods while furthering the State’s housing goals. People are scared of high-density,

22

multi-family housing, but the proposed zoning would not allow that type of development. He believes

23

the owners of some larger lots would develop their properties quickly if smaller lots were allowed.

24
25

Council Member Lord asked if HOA regulations would supersede any City changes. For example,

26

his neighborhood bylaws prevent lots from being subdivided. Mr. Kartchner clarified that Bluffdale

27

is not a party to HOAs.

28
29

Mr. Crowell noted that rezoning does not have to be granted if the location is not appropriate for the

30

new zone. They receive a lot of calls about subdividing lots, and many of those would be flag lots,

35

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

which carry their own set of considerations.

Sometimes larger projects need a development

2

agreement, and that discussion is needed prior to rezoning.

3
4

Mr. Donaldson agreed that development agreements are often necessary for items like parks, trails,

5

infrastructure improvements, and reimbursement agreements.

6

reciprocal contract between the City and the developer. Rezoning a property to higher density has

7

value, so any time that type of rezone is requested, the City could require reciprocity through a

8

development agreement. Without a development agreement, the developer may not agree to connect

9

a trail through, for example. Rezoning is a legislative decision, and the property owner is not entitled

10

to it.

11
12

Council Member Aston noted that they were talking about three different things, and she is not in

13

favor of preemptive rezoning. Mr. Donaldson stated that the City would create the zone, but property

14

owners would have to apply for rezoning, and a development agreement could be required in

15

conjunction with rezoning.

16
17

Council Member Smith asked if simply evaluating allowing smaller zones would count toward State

18

requirements. Mr. Crowell stated that 0.50 and .033 acre lots may not meet State requirements as

19

their goals are for higher density. Bluffdale should meet the criteria in 2026, but will soon be required

20

to meet five goals instead of three.

21
22

Council Member Aston asked if there would be any issues with the Council making the decision to

23

apply R-2 or R-3 zoning on a case-by-case basis. Mr. Donaldson stated that spot zoning is not illegal

24

in Utah and no property is entitled to rezoning. The General Plan would need to be amended, but it

25

is an advisory document. Mr. Crowell added that it is never a bad idea to state findings and reasons

26

on the record.

27
28

Mr. Crowell summarized the proposed zones and reasons for the draft language. His recommendation

29

was that the General Plan be amended to mirror the zoning. The Council could also consider changing

30

the color thresholds in the plan text rather than also amending the Land Use Map. In response to a

31

question raised by Mr. Kartchner, Mr. Donaldson confirmed that that would make it easier to
36

A development agreement is a

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

subdivide a lot because a General Plan Amendment would not be required. Mr. Crowell pointed out

2

that it would also require less steps and lower the application fee.

3
4

Council Member Wilding requested that a joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting be

5

scheduled on the topic. Council Member Smith agreed that it would be helpful. Potential dates were

6

discussed.

7
8

Council Member Aston stated that there is an active campaign for Salt Lake County to build a

9

recreation center on the property beside the county park parcel. However, they want the City to

10

acquire approximately 15 acres of adjacent property. She asked if a developer could be asked to

11

donate land in exchange for higher density. Mr. Kartchner stated that the density would have to be

12

much higher than 0.33 acres because 15 acres is more than a third of the total available land.

13

Additionally, the County has not committed to building a recreation center even if the land is

14

available. It was noted that only half of the County parcel is currently developed, but they plan to

15

expand the existing park.

16
17

Council Member Wilding is in favor of bringing a recreation center to the City and would be interested

18

in considering developer incentives. Council Member Lord asked if the area density was high enough

19

to warrant a recreation center. Council Member Smith stated that it would be great to have a recreation

20

center in Bluffdale. It was clarified that the County has identified Bluffdale and West Jordan as the

21

two potential locations, and it is a very competitive and expensive process. Land is just one factor.

22

Mr. Kartchner noted that 15 acres would have a value of approximately $5 million.

23
24

Council Member Austin asked if the County would consider building the recreation center on property

25

the City already owns. Council Member Aston clarified that the only Bluffdale site they are willing

26

to consider is next to the park because that area is already established. Mr. Kartchner noted that the

27

property Council Member Austin referred to is fallow and has some easement issues.

28
29

Mr. Kartchner reported that the City has the opportunity to purchase 300-acre feet of deep well water

30

that could be used as culinary water in an emergency. He asked if the Council would be in favor of

31

adding the purchase price of approximately $1.2 million to the bond and noted that it had been the
37

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

City’s policy to acquire any water that becomes available. In response to a question from Council

2

Member Austin, Mr. Kartchner clarified that a bond will be issued for the water tank on the east side

3

of Bluffdale and the effluent water project in July 2026, which will be then paid through the Water

4

Fund and Impact Fees. It is possible the water purchase can be paid through the Water Fund. Mr.

5

Kartchner was instructed to begin negotiations.

6
7

The potential recreation center property was discussed further. It is currently owned by the Church,

8

but they stopped farming the land and placed it on their offload list.

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

2.6.2

Code Enforcement Discussion.

Code enforcement was discussed in conjunction with land use.
2.7

Finance.

Administrative Services Director, Stephanie Thayer, reported that the Administrative Services

17

Department includes City Recorder, Tami Timothy; Communications Specialist, Amanda Luker;

18

Events Coordinator, Paula Pemberton; Finance Manager, Merrill Terry; Accounts Payable

19

Technician, Courtney Armstrong; Accounts Receivable Technician, Felicia Didericksen; and

20

Receptionist, Allison Wilcox. Ms. Wilcox also supervises the City’s 19 crossing guards, and all

21

administrative staff are cross-trained to work in the front office. Contract Finance Director, Dave

22

Sanderson, completes bank reconciliations and audit preparation to ensure a separation of duties.

23
24

The tentative budget, referred to as the City Manager’s Budget, is typically presented to the City

25

Council in April and must be adopted on or before the last meeting in May. Additional public work

26

sessions are held in May and June, and the Final Budget must be adopted by June 22, 2026.

27
28

Bluffdale’s government is limited by its financial resources and must balance citizens’ needs and

29

wants and Council priorities against revenues. The highest costs are in personnel. More personnel

30

are needed, but at times the City cannot afford to hire them.

31

38

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

The City Council receives departmental budget requests and determines their order of importance

2

based on City priorities and the Strategic Implementation Plan. If costs must be cut, the least crucial

3

activities and services are eliminated first.

4
5

The City’s population has increased from approximately 8,000 in 2010 to 23,000 in 2025. Additional

6

police officers and firefighters were added when possible. Other departments, like Administrative

7

Services, can take on more work before they need to expand.

8
9

Revenues are categorized based on stability. Sales tax is hard to estimate and unstable as it can

10

decrease significantly if the economy declines and consumer spending habits change. Building

11

permits and development fees decrease as the City is built out.

12
13

Ms. Thayer stated that she does not believe there is an appetite for a property tax increase, but one

14

will be necessary in the future if other revenue sources are not found. Breaking up the land into

15

smaller zones would bring in development fees, and she enjoys hearing proposals like that which can

16

bring in revenue without a major negative impact. She hopes to be as good at finding money for

17

projects as Mr. Kartchner was, but that will be challenging.

18
19

Expenditures are categorized as primary and discretionary, recurring and non-recurring. They always

20

try to match revenues and expenditures in a sustainable and balanced way. Recurring revenues like

21

property tax and sales tax are matched to recurring expenses such as salaries and day-to-day

22

operational costs. One-time revenues like grants, building permits, and development fees fund one-

23

time costs like capital projects and major equipment purchases.

24
25

Different funds are used for different purposes, and the funds cannot be intermingled. For example,

26

salaries and wages cannot be paid from the Class C Roads Fund. The General Fund includes sales,

27

energy, and hotel taxes. All property tax revenues go directly to the Fire and Police Protection Fund,

28

but they do not cover those costs, so they are supplemented with a transfer from the General Fund.

29

The Water Fund is treated differently from other funds, with equipment purchases depreciated over

30

time.

31
39

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Ms. Thayer reviewed General Fund revenue trends. Sales taxes have increased consistently over the

2

past several years, but that trend was not expected to continue. There is a two-month delay between

3

collection and receipt by the City, so Christmas numbers were not yet available. Development-related

4

fees are declining. Charges for services such as garbage and stormwater have offsetting expenditures

5

and are typically tied to provider increases.

6
7

In response to a question raised by Council Member Smith, Ms. Thayer clarified that no sales tax

8

revenue is received into the system in July and August. Mr. Kartchner stated that he has a chart that

9

tracks accrual numbers by month rather than cash. The numbers have been erratic for the past several

10

years, which makes budget projections difficult.

11
12

Ms. Thayer presented a chart on sales tax by business type and noted that the more homes in the City,

13

the more sales tax revenue is generated by online shopping. Convenience stores and construction

14

supply companies are also a big revenue source. She then presented a chart of sales tax revenue by

15

acre. Mr. Kartchner noted that the City’s one-acre lots generate approximately $3,000 per year. If

16

18 townhomes were built on that property, the sales tax per household would only change slightly if

17

at all, so the same acre of land would generate over $40,000. Ultra-low density cannot carry the costs

18

of running the City because those costs are not proportional. Roads and water infrastructure are the

19

same whether they lead to a one-acre subdivision or a high-density development.

20
21

A comparison table between Bluffdale and other cities was reviewed. The City’s Public Protection

22

Fee is added to the property tax figures to ensure an equivalent comparison. Some nearby cities had

23

property tax increases in 2025, either initiated by the city or the United Fire Authority. Ms. Thayer

24

remarked that the City’s portion of property taxes only accounts for approximately 10% of residents’

25

tax bills. Although 100% of property taxes go toward public safety, that revenue only covers 31% of

26

public safety costs. The Public Safety Fee generates an additional $750,000 per year.

27
28
29
30
31

Ms. Thayer reported that she anticipates the following:
•

Reduced but continuing growth pressure.

•

A focus on sustainable growth, infrastructure, safety, and services.
40

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

•

Continued higher-than-average inflation, especially on construction costs.

2

•

Strategic investment in infrastructure.

3

•

Prioritized use of fund balances and grants.

4

•

Future decisions on the Public Safety Fee and/or property tax rate to increase revenue.

5

•

Implementation and support of the City’s Financial Strategic Plan.

6
7
8
9

Ms. Thayer reported that most departments have a point person who updates their departmental web

10

page, with Ms. Luker overseeing the entire City website. She encouraged the Council to contact Ms.

11

Luker with any requested changes or updates. She then reviewed the website’s menu system and

12

specific pages. The staff directory provides email addresses and desk phone numbers for key contacts

13

but does not list all employees.

14
15

In response to a question from Council Member Lord, Ms. Thayer confirmed that the business

16

directory lists all licensed businesses in Bluffdale. Mr. Kartchner clarified that some minor home

17

occupations are not listed.

18
19

Ms. Thayer remarked that Ms. Didericksen and other staff members do a great job of responding to

20

residents’ concerns. For issues like missed garbage pickup, residents can fill out a form on the website

21

and Ms. Didericksen will respond. Other areas of the website that were reviewed include departments,

22

boards and commissions, and the search function. It was noted that many Government Records

23

Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”) requests are for information that is already available on

24

the website.

25
26

Mr. Crowell stated that many local governments have removed employee names from their websites

27

due to safety concerns. Ms. Thayer indicated that there could be a level of concern, but Bluffdale

28

does not have a policy on the matter. Staff is trained to recognize phishing and other potentially

29

harmful emails. Mr. Kartchner stated that generic emails had been created for some positions, and he

30

believes that less employee contact information will be published over time.

2.8

Website.

31
41

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1
2
3

3.

Discussion.

4

indicated that other cities have taken a position on the matter. Mr. Kartchner stated that the City does

5

not have an official opinion on the facility and asked if the Council had an interest in drafting a

6

statement outlining its position. Council Member Aston stated that another location would be

7

preferable. Council Member Smith remarked that he does not believe a resolution needs to be passed,

8

but he does think the City’s concerns should be communicated to the appropriate parties.

9
10

Mr. Kartchner proposed that any statement be based on science. Many of the opinions he has read

11

relate to accidents that happened more than 15 years ago. Technology and process have changed

12

dramatically since that time, and there have been no accidents in 15 years. However, the primary

13

facility in the United States is in an isolated area of New Mexico. His research indicated that there is

14

little to no chance of a nuclear incident with uranium enrichment. Council Member Aston suggested

15

that the letter should simply state their questions and request more information.

16
17

Mr. Kartchner stated that when he and Mayor Hall met with them, they indicated that safety would

18

not be an issue. He believes a chlorine spill from the water treatment plant is more likely and a bigger

19

risk to the City than an incident on the proposed production site. Mr. Donaldson agreed that

20

statistically, chlorine accidents are much more common than nuclear accidents. Council Member

21

Austin stated that that may be the case, but chlorine problems are less far-reaching than nuclear

22

disasters. His employer’s parent company is based in Japan, and a recent earthquake near their nuclear

23

facility caused a nuclear incident. Bluffdale is on a major fault line, so the risk is not zero.

24
25

It was noted that nuclear power and uranium enrichment are very different from each other.

26

Mr. Kartchner reiterated that Bluffdale is more at risk of a chlorine gas leak and reported that the

27

containment system is designed to prohibit spread, and the work is done in smaller batches. He was

28

not stating a position on the facility, but he believes some opposition is due to fear of the unknown.

29
30

Council Member Aston asked how the Council can obtain more information on the proposed facility.

31

Mr. Kartchner stated that they can keep asking questions. In response to a question from Council

Council Member Lord expressed concern about the proposed uranium enrichment facility and

42

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY MEETING MINUTES
Friday, January 9, 2026
1

Member Lord, he indicated that the uranium enrichment process does not require a lot of water.

2

However, the data centers in Independence and most modern data centers do not use much water.

3
4

Council Member Wilding agreed with his Council colleagues that more information is needed. If

5

there is cause for concern, the City should do everything it can to prevent it from being located in

6

Bluffdale. Mr. Kartchner stated that a more remote location would be ideal, but they may have

7

difficulty finding workers.

8
9

Council Member Smith stated that the City does not have authority over the facility location but

10

believes the Council should communicate its concerns and invite them to continue their public

11

education efforts. He wants residents to know that their concerns are being taken seriously.

12
13

Mr. Donaldson stated that different sites are being considered, and a date has not been set for that

14

decision. Mr. Kartchner indicated that the facility will require significant financing that they may not

15

have yet. Council Member Austin asked if the Council’s thoughts and concerns should be made

16

public prior to a decision. Mr. Kartchner asked if it was the Council’s role to make a statement

17

regarding something they have no control over. It was noted that other cities have made statements

18

against the proposed location. The Council discussed whether a resolution or statement would be

19

appropriate, and it was determined that further discussion is required. Mr. Kartchner will draft an

20

initial memorandum on the matter.

21
22

4.

23
24

Council Member Aston moved to ADJOURN.

25

motion. The motion passed with the unanimous consent of the Council.

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34

Adjournment.
Council Member Aston seconded the

The City Council Meeting adjourned at approximately 4:24 p.m.
__________________________________
Tami Timothy, UCC
City Recorder
Approved: _________________________
43

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

Present:

42

Meeting Minutes, and Meeting Agenda, as presented. Council Member Aston seconded the

City Council:

Natalie Hall, Mayor
Wendy Aston
Steve Austin
Alan Lord
Mackey Smith
Greg Wilding

Staff:

Bruce Kartchner, City Manager
Fred Donaldson, City Attorney
Stephanie Thayer, Finance Director
Tami Timothy, City Recorder
Grant Crowell, Community and Economic Development Dir.
Caitlin Tubbs, Planning Manager
Ellen Oakman, Associate City Planner
Matt Evans, Fire Chief
Shane Paddock, Public Works Director
Amanda Luker, Communications Specialist
Carl Hamer, Police Sergeant
Courtney Peterson, Legal Assistant

BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING
1.

Call to Order.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
All members of the City Council were present.
Adam Drais offered the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
2.

Minutes and Agenda Approval.
2.1

December 10, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes.

2.2

January 05, 2026, Oath of Office Meeting Minutes.

2.3

Approval of this Meeting’s Agenda.

Council Member Austin moved to APPROVE the City Council Meeting Minutes, Oath of Office

1

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

motion. The motion passed with the unanimous consent of the Council.
3.

Mayor and Council Reports.

Mayor Hall reported on the following:
•

She attended the final Conference of Mayors Meeting of 2025 and had the opportunity to say

8

goodbye to many mayors she has served with. She looked forward to welcoming new mayors

9

in January.

10

•

2025 was the second year Bluffdale participated in Wreaths Across America. Wreaths were

11

donated for anyone who served in the United States military and were placed on their graves

12

at the December event. She and the event organizers then met on January 10 to remove and

13

recycle the wreaths. She encouraged everyone to participate in the 2026 event.

14

•

15
16

Mayor Hall serves as the New Chairperson of the Utah Transit Authority ("UTA") Local
Advisory Committee. Their Audit Meeting was very informative.

•

Bluffdale donates money for bus service to the Salt Lake County Senior Center in Riverton.

17

She and Mayor Buroker served at their December party. She also attended their “New Year’s

18

Noon” event. She urged residents to consider volunteering and getting their senior family

19

members involved in the programs they offer.

20

•

21
22
23
24
25

Mackey Smith, re-elected Council Member Wendy Aston and Mayor Hall.
Council Member Austin reported on the following:
•

26
27

The Oath of Office Ceremony was held on January 5th to welcome new Council Member,

He thanked Staff for the information they provided at last Friday’s retreat. It was a very
productive meeting.

•

He attended the Healthy Bluffdale Coalition Meeting. They received an award from Salt Lake

28

County at their Student Health and Risk Prevention (“SHARP”) Roadshow.

29

Communities Coordinator, Julia Glade, stated that, “The mission of the Healthy Bluffdale

30

Coalition is to build a resilient and healthy community by fostering overall wellness;

31

strengthening connections among youth, parents, families, and Community members; and
2

Healthy

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

promoting prevention through evidence-based initiatives. In 2025, the Healthy Bluffdale

2

Coalition partnered with a variety of organizations to provide activities and events that create

3

meaningful opportunities for community connection. The Coalition offered free screenings

4

of the “Screenagers” movie series, helping families and leaders engage in important

5

conversations around youth wellbeing. In partnership with the Bluffdale Arts Council, the

6

Coalition also supported weekly opportunities for residents to connect with friends and family

7

during Food Truck Nights. Additionally, the Coalition provided funding and support for the

8

City’s Youth Council to attend a prevention summit, empowering youth leaders to better

9

understand prevention science and implement positive changes within their community.

10

Please join me in recognizing the Healthy Bluffdale Coalition for their dedication and

11

impactful efforts to strengthen and support their community.” Council Member Austin

12

reported that the Coalition hopes to display the award at City Hall.

13

•

The Healthy Bluffdale Coalition will hold several more “Screenagers” screenings on January

14

21, February 11, and February 21. Screenings on March 7 and March 18 will be for

15

elementary-age children.

16
17
18
19
20

Council Member Aston reported on the following:
•

She attended Wreaths Across America with Mayor Hall.

•

She attended the Mountain View Corridor opening celebration and is very excited that it is

21
22

open.
•

23
24

such as crosswalk safety.
•

25
26
27

She met with Hidden Valley Middle School Principal, Sterling Hunt. They discussed issues
She attended the Work Session and Swearing-In ceremonies for Bluffdale and four other
cities.

•

2025 was the Primary Children’s Toy Drive’s most successful year. She thanked everyone
who volunteered and donated. Mayor Hall was the top contributor.

28

3

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3

Council Member Wilding reported on the following:
•

He thanked the department heads and City Manager, Bruce Kartchner, for their time, effort,

4

care, and concern for Bluffdale. He also thanked his Council colleagues. The Retreat

5

provided the opportunity to talk about their vision and goals for the upcoming year. He is

6

excited about the direction the City is going in.

7
8
9
10

Council Member Smith reported on the following:
•

11
12

opportunity it presents to get to know his neighbors.
•

13
14

The Utah League of Cities and Towns’ ("ULCT") resources were beneficial in preparing for
his position on the Council. The City’s department heads were also very helpful.

•

15
16

He expressed his gratitude for being able to serve on the Bluffdale City Council and the

The Retreat helped him better understand each department’s needs and how the Council can
support them.

•

He joined Council Member Aston in meeting with Principal Hunt. They toured the school

17

food pantry, which provides things like coats, sleeping bags, shoes, and food for those in need.

18

He will work to ensure that families know those resources are available.

19

•

He attended the Riverton swearing-in ceremony.

20

•

He attended the scheduling meeting for City events. He is excited about all the events that

21

will be held to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, including America’s Potluck on July

22

5th.

23

•

24
25
26
27
28

He is coordinating with Mayor Hall and Staff regarding how he can advocate for the City
during the legislative session.

Council Member Lord reported on the following:
•

He also attended the calendaring meeting. He was thankful to all the volunteer organizations

29

in Bluffdale for the events they coordinate. There are ample volunteer opportunities, and he

30

encouraged citizens to participate.

31

•

The Retreat was very helpful. A lot of people work very hard to make the City run smoothly.
4

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

•

He attended the Bluffdale Arts Council Christmas play. They did a wonderful job.

2

•

He and Council Member Austin participated in a community Christmas Choir and orchestra

3

program at the South Valley Bible Church.

4

•

5

He has been reviewing information about the upcoming legislative session, where they will
consider many bills that will impact Bluffdale.

6

•

7

The business he works for is a member of the Associated General Contractors Association.
They will be doing a service project to put food packets together at their January convention.

8
9
10
11
12
13

Youth Council Mayor, Isabel Flynn, reported that all members of the Youth Council will participate

14

in the presentation.

15
16

Secretary, Cade Blackham, reported that members of the Youth Council would provide updates about

17

upcoming events, as well as events of the previous quarter.

18
19

Communications Director, Keeley Henderson, and Historian, Sariah Drais, planned the Youth

20

Council Trunk or Treat event. The Spook Alley was a big success with a fantastic turnout and an

21

organized line that kept everything moving smoothly. The Youth Council was present and engaged

22

with the children throughout the night. They thanked Teens Lifting Teens for providing the grant

23

funding to create that night to remember.

24
25

Santa and the Lights “Letters to Santa” Booth Coordinator, Noelle Rees, reported that the booth was

26

a fun, interactive activity created to give children and their families a special holiday experience.

27

They had a great turnout, with a steady flow of people all night. They set up a simple, organized

28

system with lettered envelopes and a form. Children wrote their letters, sealed them, and dropped

29

them in the mailbox. Youth Council members were present to help guide families and keep the line

30

moving. As part of the experience, each child received a thoughtful response, which helped continue

4.

Presentation Items.
4.1

Youth Council Update. (Presenter, Isabel Flynn, Youth City Council Mayor)

5

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

the holiday excitement after the event. Funds for the booth were used for letter templates, envelopes,

2

and decorations to create a festive, welcoming space.

3
4

Youth Council Mayor Flynn introduced Deputy Mayor Reid Simmons. The annual Bingo Night will

5

be held on Thursday, January 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Summit Academy High School and is open to

6

residents of all ages. Prizes are being donated from local businesses like Jersey Mike’s, FatCats,

7

Domino’s, Jena Cakes, and others. They expect 300 people to attend. The event has grown over

8

time, expanding from the Council chambers to an elementary school and now to a high school. A

9

total of 128 Domino’s pizzas will be served. They hope to see everyone there. The Youth Council

10

Dance will be held on February 20 at 7:00 p.m. with DJ Clint Lantz.

11
12

Deputy Mayor Simmons thanked the City Council for the donations that allow them to hold events

13

like Santa and the Lights and the Trunk or Treat Spook Alley. With the Council’s support, they can

14

continue to hold events like bingo night and the dance to grow their presence locally and with other

15

youth councils. They are excited to keep serving and strengthening the community.

16
17

Mayor Hall reported that she and Council Member Aston will be joining the Youth Council for

18

Legislative Day at the State Capitol.

19
20

Mr. Kartchner remarked that the number of hours each Youth Council member volunteers and the

21

positive energy they bring to events far outweighs any costs to the City. Council Member Lord agreed

22

and expressed his appreciation for their attendance at Bluffdale events.

23
24
25
26
27

Mayor Hall reported that Sariah Drais had been on the Youth Council all four of her high school

28

years, which is a major time commitment. She really enjoyed getting to know Ms. Drais and watching

29

her growth on the Youth Council.

30
31

Ms. Drais stated that throughout her time on the Youth Council, she helped plan and support many

32

events, including Santa and the Lights, where she took on a significant role to ensure all assigned

4.2

Recognition of Sariah Drais, Graduating Four-Year Youth Council Members.
(Presenter, Mayor Hall)

6

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

responsibilities were completed. She also contributed time and effort as part of the planning

2

committee for the Halloween Trunk or Treat. Other events she helped plan and participate in included

3

Bingo Night, the Youth Dance, Old West Days, and the Rodeo.

4
5

Last year, she applied for and was honored to receive the leadership position of Historian on the

6

Bluffdale Youth Council. In this role, she captured important moments and worked to ensure that

7

every member and activity was represented. She also collaborated with the Communications team to

8

help prepare their section of the City newsletter. Some of her favorite experiences were the trips,

9

especially the Day of Legislation, the Utah State University Leadership Conference, and Bryce

10

Canyon's Prevention Summit. However, more than any single trip or event, her favorite part of

11

serving on the Bluffdale Youth Council is being surrounded by such amazing leaders.

12
13

Serving on the Bluffdale Youth Council was an incredible experience filled with memories and

14

friendships she will always cherish. She has grown as a leader and active member of her community,

15

and she loves how service and activities can bring people together. Every experience and event the

16

Youth Council prepared was engaging and meaningful, creating memories she will never forget. She

17

truly loved being a part of the Bluffdale Youth Council.

18
19

Ms. Drais stated that she only had two days left of school. She plans to work until April, when she

20

will begin studying at Brigham Young University. She will serve her mission for The Church of Jesus

21

Christ of Latter-day Saints in the fall.

22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

Photographs were taken with the City Council.
4.3

Training on Open and Public Meetings Act and Procedures. (Staff presenter, Fred
Donaldson) [LBA and RDA Open and Public Meetings Act training held in
conjunction]

Mayor Hall reported that the LBA and RDA Trainings will be held in conjunction.
City Attorney, Fred Donaldson, reported that the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act provides that
meetings and deliberations of public bodies are to be conducted openly. Meetings must be open to

7

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

the public unless properly closed and they can only be closed for specific reasons. The law favors

2

openness, and exceptions to holding open meetings will be strictly construed.

3
4
5
6

A “meeting” is defined as:
•

A gathering of a public body.

7

•

With a quorum present.

8

•

That is convened by the person with authority to convene the public body following the

9
10

process provided by law.
•

11
12

For the purpose of acting as a public body to receive public comment on a relevant matter,
deliberate about a relevant matter, or take action on a relevant matter.

•

A meeting can be in person, electronic, or hybrid.

13
14

Mr. Donaldson indicated that in the past, gatherings of more than three Council members could

15

potentially invoke the requirements of the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. That had been

16

clarified as stated above. In response to a question raised by Mayor Hall, he confirmed that a ribbon

17

cutting or other gathering is not a meeting even if a quorum is present.

18
19
20

A “public body” is an administrative, advisory, executive, or legislative body that:

21

•

Was created by the Utah Constitution, statute, rule, ordinance, or resolution;

22

•

Consists of two or more persons;

23

•

Spends, distributes, or is supported by tax money; and

24

•

Is vested with the authority to make decisions about the public’s business.

25
26
27
28

The following are public bodies:
•

City Council;

29

•

Planning Commission;

30

•

City Redevelopment Agency;

31

•

Local Building Authority;
8

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

•

Historic Preservation Commission;

2

•

Arts Advisory Board; and

3
4
5

•

Healthy Bluffdale Coalition.

Mr. Donaldson remarked that City Recorder, Tami Timothy, ensures that the City meets all noticing

6

requirements outlined in the Meeting Packet. With the exception of certain public hearing items that

7

require specific notice, only 24 hours’ notice is required for public meetings. Written minutes must

8

be kept for all meetings, and approved minutes are the official public record of a meeting.

9
10

Open meetings are recorded, and the complete, unedited recording is public record. Members of the

11

public can also record meetings. Bluffdale public meetings are livestreamed on the City website.

12
13

All public bodies can conduct electronic meetings, but an anchor location is required so that members

14

of the public can participate in the meeting. That requirement can be suspended for certain public

15

health emergencies. Electronic meetings must follow the same procedures as regular meetings.

16
17

Mr. Donaldson reported that the legislature recently added the following language regarding

18

predetermining public body action to the Code:

19
20

Individuals constituting a quorum of a public body may not act together outside a meeting in

21

a concerted, deliberate way to predetermine an action to be taken by the public body at a

22

meeting on a relevant matter.

23
24

The language does not mean that Council members cannot discuss matters on a one-on-one basis, but

25

they should only deliberate during a public meeting. However, members of a public body should not

26

transmit electronic messages to each other during a convened meeting.

27
28

Meetings are open to the public unless closed for a specific reason, and no local government meetings

29

are legally required to be closed.

30
31
32

If a meeting is closed:

9

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

•

A quorum of the public body must be present.

2

•

Two-thirds of members present must vote to approve. The Mayor does not vote.

3

•

Must first hold an open public meeting with proper notice before closing a meeting.

4

•

The reason for closure must be publicly announced, and a roll call vote must be taken.

5

•

The Closed part of the meeting must be recorded except in very specific situations. .

6
7
8
9

Reasons for closing a meeting include:
•

10

To discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an
individual.

11

•

To discuss collective bargaining.

12

•

To discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation.

13

•

To discuss security personnel, devices, or systems.

14

•

To discuss an investigative proceeding regarding allegations of criminal misconduct.

15

•

To discuss certain issues related to procurements and trade secrets.

16

•

To discuss a loan application if the discussion would disclose personal financial information

17
18
19
20
21

or nonpublic business financial information that could result in competitive injury.
•

To discuss the sale of real property/water rights/shares under certain circumstances.

During a closed meeting, a public body may not:

22

•

Approve an ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, contract, or appointment.

23

•

Interview a person to fill an elected position.

24

•

Discuss character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an applicant to fill

25
26

a mid-term vacancy.
•

Take final action on a matter.

27
28

Intentional violation of the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act is a Class B Misdemeanor, and a

29

court can void any action taken in violation of the act. However, violations can also be cured in

30

subsequent meetings. Violations may incur court and attorney fees.
10

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2

The following entities enforce the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act:

3
4

•

The Attorney General

5

•

The County Attorney

6

•

A private citizen denied a right under the Open Meetings Act may also commence a lawsuit.

7
8

Council Member Wilding stated that some boards require proof of this training and asked for an email

9

indicating the Council had met that requirement. Mr. Donaldson will send an email indicating that it

10

had been completed.

11
12

Mr. Donaldson reviewed meeting procedures. Bluffdale City Code § 1.60.020(I) states that:

13
14

•

15
16

conducted in an orderly, efficient, and fair manner without undue formality.
•

17
18
19
20
21
22

Except as otherwise provided by law, it is the intent of the City Council that its meetings be
To that end, the City Council shall conduct its meetings generally consistent with Robert’s
Rules of Order.

Per the Bluffdale Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 7.20: Parliamentary Procedures:
•

A “quorum” is defined as a simple majority of the membership of a public body.

•

Councils follow a fixed pattern in conducting their meetings. The order is arranged for

23

convenience and enables members to know in advance when each type of business will be

24

considered. The order of business is at the Mayor’s discretion

25

•

A written agenda is prepared. If any member desires to add an item, written consent must be

26

obtained from two members or the Mayor. Upon receiving a proper request, the City Manager

27

will add or delete agenda items as requested. Mr. Donaldson indicated that Bluffdale City

28

Code §1.60.020.E needs to be amended to correct a slight inconsistency on this item.

29

•

Meetings are chaired by the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore. Once a member is recognized by

30

the Chair for the purpose of a statement, that person must be protected in their right to speak.

31

Debate is restricted to the measure under consideration, and motives should not be discussed.
11

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

•

Council actions are done by motion, which is a formal statement of a proposal for the

2

governing body to consider and vote upon. Council members are encouraged to familiarize

3

themselves with the steps of phrasing and handling a motion. The steps for a motion are as

4

follows:

5

o Addressing the Chair.

6

o Recognition by the Chair.

7
8
9
10
11

o Proposing a motion. Proposals should be stated in the positive and in the form “I move
to approve...” even if a majority of the Council will vote against the motion.
o Seconding a motion. The Chair can call for a second if one is not offered. A second

does not indicate that the person seconding the motion supports or will vote in favor
of it. If no second is offered, the motion dies.

12

o Statement of motion by the Chair. If the Chair restates the motion and the person who

13

proposed the motion disagrees, they can ask the Chair to restate the motion again. The

14

Chair should ask if the restated motion correctly expresses the proposal. If the request

15

is made for the purpose of delay or deemed to be unsuitable, the Chair can rule the

16

motion out of order.

17
18

o Voting on a motion. Prior to voting, the Chair may inquire if there is further discussion
or if the matter is ready for a vote.

19

o Amending a motion. Amendments should be to the substance of the motion rather

20

than how it was stated. A second and discussion of the amendment is required.

21

o Discussion is allowed after a motion is made.

22
23

In response to a question from Council Member Lord, Mr. Donaldson clarified that “I move that we

24

consider the approval of...” would be an acceptable form. Mayor Hall remarked that the intention is

25

to move the item to a vote, and proposing a motion does not indicate support.

26
27

Mr. Donaldson reported that Chapter 7.20 (G) provides detailed instructions on types of motions and

28

rules of precedence, and Chapter 7.20(H) includes helpful definitions. A copy of Robert’s Rules of

29

Order and a quick reference guide are available in the City Attorney’s office.
12

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4

5.

Public Comment.

Taylor Maxfield stated that he lives approximately one-half mile west of City Hall. He has spoken

5

with individual Council members about his frustrations, as well as brought them up in a neighborhood

6

pre-election meeting. Some residents are getting frustrated at City Code Enforcement nitpicking what

7

they can and cannot do on their own properties. It is an issue that seemed to start within the last two

8

years. He has started to feel like Bluffdale has become a City-run HOA, which is not why he moved

9

to the City.

10
11

Mr. Maxfield has two shipping containers in his backyard that are approximately eight feet apart with

12

a flat wood cover between them. Code Enforcement told him that he must remove the cover because

13

it makes it a structure even though it is open at the front and rear. He does not need the cover anymore

14

because his detached garage has been completed. However, it was built two-and-a-half years ago to

15

the specifications of a structural engineer to withstand snow load, wind, etc., and the materials cost

16

was approximately $3,000. It is nice to have, and it would cost approximately $800 to remove it. He

17

asked Code Enforcement and the Building Department why it had to be removed, and their only

18

answer was that it is against the rules. Removing it will not change the look of his property, and it is

19

not hurting anyone. He is being told that if he does not follow the rules, the City will come after him.

20
21

Mr. Maxfield would like to reach a resolution that does not require him to spend hundreds of dollars

22

and hours of time just because the government wants to control how his property looks.

23
24
25
26
27
28
29

There were no further comments. The Public Comment period was closed.
6.

Consent Agenda.

None.

13

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

7.

Action or Discussion Items; Continued from Previous Meeting.

9

Member Aston for serving in this position in 2025 and indicated that Council Member Wilding agreed

10

to take on that role in 2026.

11
12

Council Member Aston moved to APPROVE Resolution 2026-01 – Consideration and Vote on

13

a Resolution Designating the Appointment of Greg Wilding as Mayor Pro Tempore. Council

14

Member Austin seconded the motion. The motion passed with the unanimous consent of the

15

Council.

7.1

Resolution 2026-01 – Consideration and Vote on a Resolution Designating the
Appointment of a Mayor Pro Tempore.
Pursuant to Bluffdale Code
1.60.030(B)(4) the City Council May Elect a Member of the City Council to
Preside as Mayor Pro Tempore. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

The Mayor Pro Tempore conducts meetings in Mayor Hall’s absence. Mayor Hall thanked Council

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

Mayor Hall thanked Council Member Lord for representing the City in 2025. Council Member Smith

24

will serve in this role in 2026.

25
26

Council Member Aston moved to APPROVE Resolution 2026-02 – Consideration and Vote on

27

a Resolution Designating the Appointment of Mackey Smith as Representative for the

28

Association of Municipal Councils. Council Member Austin seconded the motion. The motion

29

passed with the unanimous consent of the Council.

7.2

Resolution 2026-02 – Consideration and Vote on a Resolution Designating the
Appointment of a Representative for the Association of Municipal Councils.
Pursuant to Bluffdale Code 1.60.030(7), the Mayor May Recommend for City
Council Consideration Any Measure Deemed Best Interest. (Presenter, Mayor
Hall)

30

14

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
7.3

Resolution 2026-03 – Consideration and Vote on a Resolution Appointing
Statutory Officers, City Treasurer and City Recorder. Pursuant to Utah Code §
10-3-916, Provides that the Mayor Shall Appoint These Positions with the Advice
and Consent of the City Council. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

1
2
3
4
5
6

Mayor Hall reported that the naming of a City Treasurer and Recorder is also an annual requirement.

7

City Treasurer, Stephanie Thayer, and City Recorder, Tami Timothy, will continue their roles in 2026.

8
9

Council Member Wilding moved to APPROVE Resolution 2026-03 – Consideration and Vote

10

on a Resolution Appointing Statutory Officers; City Treasurer, Stephanie Thayer, and City

11

Recorder, Tami Timothy. Council Member Aston seconded the motion. The motion passed

12

with the unanimous consent of the Council.

13
14
15
16
17
18

Mr. Donaldson reported that a mudslide occurred in October 2025 on 14600 South near the railroad

19

crossing. The mudslide was caused by water seeping into the hillside. The Jordan Valley Water

20

Conservancy District was asked to reimburse the City’s costs associated with the cleanup.

21

agreed to do so with a Settlement and Release Agreement. City Engineer, Michael Fazio, has

22

indicated that the slope will be rebuilt as part of the 14600 South project, so Staff has no concerns

23

about a recurrence.

24
25

In response to a question raised by Council Member Lord, Mr. Kartchner confirmed that the

26

agreement will reimburse all costs the City incurred.

27
28

Council Member Austin moved to APPROVE Resolution 2026-04 – Consideration and Vote on

29

a Settlement Agreement between Bluffdale City and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District.

30

Council Member Aston seconded the motion. The motion passed with the unanimous consent

31

of the Council.

32
33
34

8.

7.4

Resolution 2026-04 – Consideration and Vote on a Settlement Agreement
between Bluffdale City and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. (Staff
Presenter, Fred Donaldson)

Public Hearing Items.
15

They

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

None.

8

Local Building Authority controls the funds that were used to pay for various City buildings, including

9

City Hall, Fire Station 92, and the Public Works Building.

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BLUFFDALE BOARD
1.

Call to Order.

All members of the LBA were present. Mayor Hall welcomed Trustee Smith and reported that the

2.

Discussion/Presentation/Action Items.
2.1

Training on Open and Public Meetings Act and Procedures. (Staff presenter, Fred
Donaldson) [Regular Business Meeting - Agenda Item 4.3]

Chair Hall reported that training was conducted during the Regular Business Meeting.
3.

LBA Discussion.

All members of the LBA were present.
4.

Adjournment.

The LBA meeting was adjourned.
BLUFFDALE CITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING
1.

Call to Order (Roll Call).

All members of the RDA were present.
2.

Discussion/Presentation/Action Items:
2.1

Training on Open and Public Meetings Act and Procedures. (Staff presenter, Fred
Donaldson) [Regular Business Meeting - Agenda Item 4.3]

Vice-Chair Wilding reported that training was conducted during the Regular Business Meeting.
2.2

RDA Resolution 2026-05 - Consideration and Vote on a Resolution Appointing
and Designating Officers of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Bluffdale,
16

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Utah. Pursuant to Bluffdale Code 1.60.050(2), the Mayor and City Council Shall
Be, and Hereby Are, Designated the Governing Body of the City Redevelopment
Agency. (Presenter, Mayor Hall)

1
2
3
4
5

Vice-Chair Wilding reported that Council Member Lord agreed to serve as Chair. He will continue

6

to serve as Vice-Chair. Bruce Kartchner will be appointed as Secretary-Treasurer.

7
8

Board Member Hall moved to APPROVE RDA Resolution 2026-05 – Consideration and Vote

9

on a Resolution Appointing and Designating Officers of the Redevelopment Agency of the City

10

of Bluffdale, Utah. Board Member Smith seconded the motion. Vote on Motion: Board

11

Member Austin-Yes, Board Member Aston-Yes, Board Member Wilding-Yes, Board Member

12

Smith-Yes, Board Member Lord-Yes. The motion passed with the unanimous consent of the

13

Board.

14
15

2.

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Adjournment.

The RDA meeting was adjourned.
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING (CONTINUED)
3.

Staff Reports, Additional Council Discussion, and Calendaring Items.

City Manager, Bruce Kartchner, reported on the following:
•

A construction crew damaged a water line on 14600 South between Redwood Road and the

26

train trestle. This normally would not be an issue. However, one valve was turned off due to

27

construction underneath the trestle, and the other valve had to be temporarily closed to perform

28

the repair. The work was completed within a few hours, and the water was not contaminated.

29

The contractor who damaged the line will be billed for the repair.

30
31

In response to a question from Council Member Lord, Mr. Kartchner stated that updates were

32

posted on the City website and social media during the outage. If someone were to file a

33

Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”) request about the incident,

17

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1

the City would provide any records on the incident. Any violations are addressed, but that

2

information is not published.

3
4

Council Member Smith asked how costs are calculated in these circumstances. Mr. Kartchner

5

reported that actual costs for materials and labor are billed. If outside contractors are hired to

6

perform repairs, their charges are also passed through to the responsible party.

7
8

•

The City Offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of Civil Rights Day.

9
10

Mayor Hall reported that all City Council Members are welcome to attend the Utah League of Cities

11

and Towns ("ULCT") Legislative Policy Committee (“LPC”) meetings. Members who wish to have

12

lunch must RSVP.

13

Mr. Kartchner.

14
15

Legislative Youth Day on the Hill is Wednesday, January 21. The first LPC meeting will be on

16

January 26. Meetings will be held every Monday at 12:00 p.m. during the Legislative Session with

17

the exception of Presidents' Day, February 16. That week’s meeting will be held on February 17.

18

The final meeting is on March 2. LPC meetings are held monthly when the legislature is not in

19

session. Mayor Hall reported that it can be difficult to find parking at the Capitol and encouraged

20

anyone attending to get there early. Mr. Kartchner noted that the Council can also participate online.

21
22

Mayor Hall reminded members of the public that they are welcome to visit their State legislators. If

23

the legislators are notified in advance, they can sometimes arrange for citizens to sit with them on the

24

floor for a few minutes. Senator McCay and Representative Strong will hold a Legislative Town Hall

25

on Thursday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m. at Riverton City Hall.

26
27

In response to a question from Council Member Wilding, it was clarified that RSVPs for the LPC

28

meetings can be sent for individual meetings or all at once.

29
30

A joint City Council/Planning Commission Work Session will be on Wednesday, January 21, at

31

6:00 p.m. The next regular City Council meeting will be on January 28 at 6:00 p.m.

Voting members for 2025 are Mayor Hall, Council Member Aston, and

18

DRAFT – FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL,
LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY, AND
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

4.

Closed Meeting.

There was no Closed Meeting.
5.

Adjournment.

Council Member Aston moved to ADJOURN.

Council Member Austin seconded the

motion. The motion passed with the unanimous consent of the Council.
The Regular Business Meeting adjourned at 7:23 PM.

_________________________________
Tami Timothy, UCC
City Recorder
Approved: _________________________

19

THE CITY OF BLUFFDALE
2222 W 14400 South
Bluffdale, Utah 84065
(801) 254-2200
Fax (801) 253-3270
MEMORANDUM
To:

Bluffdale City Council

From: Fredric Donaldson, Bluffdale City Attorney
Date: January 21, 2026
Re:

Resolution Amending Policies and Procedures Manual regarding hiring interns

The Bluffdale Policies and Procedures Manual is silent regarding the hiring
procedures applicable for hiring interns. The proposed amendment will allow the City
Manager to determine the appropriate hiring procedures for hiring interns. In some
instances, it will be appropriate to require interns to be hired following the same
procedures as those applicable to other City employees. In other cases, it may make sense
not to follow the same procedures for hiring interns.

THE CITY OF BLUFFDALE, UTAH
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-08
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE BLUFFDALE CITY POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES MANUAL RELATED TO HIRING INTERNS
WHEREAS, the City of Bluffdale (“City”) has adopted a Policies and Procedures Manual
for employees of the City (“manual”); and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt amendments to the manual as provided
in Exhibit A hereto (“amendments”); and
WHEREAS, the amendments are in the best interests of the city and its residents.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Adoption of Amendments. The amendments to the Bluffdale City Policies
and Procedures manual identified in Exhibit A are hereby adopted.
Section 2. Effective Date. This resolution shall be effective immediately upon
passage.
PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED: January 28, 2026.
______________________________
Mayor Natalie Hall
ATTEST:

[seal]

___________________________________
City Recorder
Voting by the Council:

Councilmember Aston
Councilmember Austin
Councilmember Lord
Councilmember Smith
Councilmember Wilding
Mayor Hall (tie only)

YES

NO

ABSTAIN

_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____

ABSENT
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____

EXHIBIT A
1.30.080 Hiring Procedures
F. At the discretion of the City Manager, the hiring of interns may follow the same hiring policy
and procedural steps as full-time or part-time employees.

THE CITY OF BLUFFDALE, UTAH
A UTAH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
RESOLUTION 2026-06
A RESOLUTION APPOINTING AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
WHEREAS the City Council created and established an Audit Committee
pursuant to Bluffdale City Ordinance 2023-30,
WHEREAS the Mayor and the Bluffdale City Council have determined that it is
in the public interest to appoint members to the Audit Committee;
WHEREAS the appointed members of the Audit Committee shall serve a three
year term. All members are required to be residents of the City;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL:
Section 1. That the following person(s) are appointed to the Bluffdale Audit
Committee to serve until the times indicated by his or her name:
NAME

TO SERVE UNTIL

Adam Marchant

January 30, 2029

Section 2. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
authorizes and directs the Mayor to execute and cause to be delivered the same.
PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED the 28th day of January, 2026.
By: ________________________________
Mayor Natalie Hall
ATTEST:
By: ______________________________
City Recorder

Voting by the City Council:

Aye

Nay

Abstain

Excused

Councilmember Aston

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Councilmember Austin
Councilmember Lord
Councilmember Smith
Councilmember Wilding
Mayor Hall (tie only)

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THE CITY OF BLUFFDALE, UTAH
A UTAH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
RESOLUTION 2026-07
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT OF BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
WHEREAS, the City Council created and established a Budget Review
Committee pursuant to Bluffdale City Ordinance 2023-31,
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the Bluffdale City Council have determined that it is
in the public interest to appoint members to the Budget Review Committee consisting
of no less than five to no more than seven members;
WHEREAS, the appointed members of the Budget Review Committee are
required to be Bluffdale residents, city staff, or city council members
WHEREAS, the appointed members of the Budget Review Committee shall
serve a three year term. All members are required to be residents of the City;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BLUFFDALE CITY COUNCIL:
Section 1. That the following person(s) are appointed to the Bluffdale Audit
Committee to serve until the times indicated by his or her name:
NAME

TO SERVE UNTIL

Adam Marchant

January 30, 2029

Andrew Smith

January 30, 2029

Section 2. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
authorizes and directs the Mayor to execute and cause to be delivered the same.
PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED the 28th day of January, 2026.

By: ________________________________
Mayor Natalie Hall

ATTEST:
By: ______________________________
City Recorder

Voting by the City Council:

Aye

Nay

Abstain

Excused

Councilmember Aston
Councilmember Austin
Councilmember Lord
Councilmember Smith
Councilmember Wilding
Mayor Hall (tie only)

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