2017.05.24 TC MTG AGENDA & MINUTES

May 22, 2023 By
Print 🖨 PDF 📄

Town of Leeds

Town Council Meeting for

May 24, 2017

1. Call to Order:

Mayor Peterson called to order the regular meeting of the Leeds Town Council at 7:00pm on May 24, 2017 at Leeds Town Hall, 218 N Main.

ROLL CALL:

Present

Absent

MAYOR: WAYNE PETERSON

x

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ANGELA ROHR

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ELLIOTT SHELTMAN

x

COUNCILMEMBER: NATE BLAKE

x

2. Pledge of Allegiance by Councilmember Cundick.

3. Declaration of Abstentions or Conflicts:

Councilmember Cundick I have conflict. I am the president of the Silver Reef Museum; also my wife is in charge of all of the exhibits.

Mayor Peterson, I similarly have a spouse and son who are involved on the Board of Silver Reef Museum.

4. Approval of Agenda:

Councilmember Cundick moved to approve tonight’s agenda and meeting minutes of May 10, 2017. 2nd by Councilmember Sheltman.

Councilmember Rohr, there are several discrepancy’s, mostly spelling.

Mayor Peterson if they are spelling, I think you can submit them to Kristi and they can be updated in the final copy that is approved.

Councilmember Rohr, one is a word change on page 3, cost and we can change punctuation.

Mayor Peterson, yes.

Motion passed in a Roll Call Vote.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

Yea

Nay

Abstain

Absent

MAYOR: WAYNE PETERSON

x

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ANGELA ROHR

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ELLIOTT SHELTMAN

x

COUNCILMEMBER: NATE BLAKE

x

5. Citizen Comments:

Mayor Peterson, given the number of people that are here this evening, I suspect some may have been drawn in by a particular topic and email. It was an email that I did not initially receive, but it was forwarded to me. Elliott would you like to enter it into the record, I just kind of think it would be helpful as people make comment that we are all aware of what is in that particular email.

Councilmember Sheltman, sure.

Mayor Peterson do you want to read it, or would you like me to?

Councilmember Sheltman, go ahead.

Mayor Peterson read the email into the minutes. (See attachment # 1)

Danielle Stirling, indicated she is speaking for Karen and John Markovich who are not able to attend and she agreed to read the attached letter into the minutes. (See attachment #2)

Danielle Stirling, stated she has had quite a few people ask what went through the Planning Commission and she could not recall anything going through; although, she has done some research into the Leeds General Plan to see what Planning Commission and Town Council we are supposed to be doing. Danielle read paragraphs from the General Plan and the Parking Ordinance.

Glenn Zumwalt, indicated he is a volunteer for the museum and it is a very precious asset and it is a Ghost Town. Glenn recommended coming up with a solution and not a barrier.

LoAnne Barnes, stated she moved to Leeds in 2003 and Leeds is the only Town in Washington County that has a CCC Camp, a Tithing House, and a Historical museum. These sites are valuable to Leeds and to do anything to stop these sites would be detrimental to Leeds. LoAnne indicated Elliott’s objections are an inconvenience to him and not in the best interest to the Town of Leeds.

Jo Sheltman, indicated what happened to the Wells Fargo Bank and the museum is astronomical and it is wonderful; however, she thinks we are looking at two different things with the Silver Reef Museum and the Cosmopolitan. Now at the Cosmopolitan we are dealing with lecture halls and hundreds of people with a lot of traffic, which is completely different than the Silver Reef Museum, which is a historical site. She walks a lot and does not feel safe anymore because she is stopped continuously by men who ask her things. She has asked the volunteers who handle the parking to tell people not to go past it because it is private residences. She doesn’t appreciate having to speak about something negatively when they haven’t done anything wrong. Jo indicated there are other neighbors that are concerned about the traffic; however, do not want to show their faces.

Susan Savage, stated there are never 100’s of people at the museum, or 130 cars. The Cosmopolitan holds 80 people and often come two people per car. Susan lived on HWY 91 and it was pretty traumatic when her home got torn down for the Freeway, a lot of things changed and a lot of big homes went in. When she gets up to go irrigate in the mornings, there are people speeding and they are not from the museum, they are people from the area. People come not because of advertising or signs; they have come because often they are Archaeologist, Geologists and miners, who are touring the area. For an example, she had people from Germany come in and ask where is Yant Flat and Susan did not know. She asked them how they knew about Yant Flat, they said the internet. If the museum in the past had the board and volunteers that it has now, we would still have the tall walls with the arched doorways, so they are just trying to preserve what is left.

Leo Lymann, stated he has spent 2/3 of his life promoting local history. He took a walk up the hill on Oak Grove Monday and had people from 10 different states stop and ask him questions. Also within the last year people have ask about Yant Flat and none of this has anything to do with the museum, it is just an increase of interest in the area. He is proud of the museum and is a little appalled that two members of this board scoffed at Silver Reef being a Ghost Town. Susan mentioned what it looked like 30 years ago, there was a lot more that has been torn down. The museum is doing more to protect that then any City or County.

Pat Cundick, stated she wanted to comment on what keeps the Museum going. There are about 20 people here who devote hours, and hours, to the museum. To her, the impact of the Museum has been the community rallying together in support, bringing artifacts and family history. She understands the concern with the Cosmopolitan and it is something they can work with. Once a month, generally, there is an event there because the museum is too small. She thinks the impact on the Town economically, historically, and in Town feeling, is something she is very proud of and wanted to say thank you to the people.

Susan Savage, indicated there are 232 museums in Utah and 43% are rural. The Smithsonian program that is offered is geared towards small communities. That figures out to 99.6 rural museums in Utah. The Silver Reef Museum is one of six chosen to host the Smithsonian. Nobody likes people trespassing on their property; however, the museum cannot post no trespassing signs on other peoples’ property. She gave many examples of her experience with trespassing on her property.

Dannielle Stirling, she agreed with Susan on trespassing and thinks the museum is a good thing; however, why hasn’t any of this come to the Planning Commission and read an Ordinance and discussed it.

6. Announcements:

Mayor Peterson announced the following events:

a. Declaration of Candidacy for Mayor and Town Council, June 1-7.

b. Emergency Preparedness Fair on June 24th.

7. Public Hearings:

a. 2017-2018 Tentative Budgets for the General Fund and Capital Improvement Fund.

Mayor Peterson asked for a motion to open the Public Hearing on the 2017-2018 tentative budgets for the General Fund and Capital Improvement Fund.

Councilmember Rohr, I so move that we open the Public Hearing on the 2017-2018 tentative budgets. 2nd by Councilmember Cundick. Motion passed in a Roll Call Vote.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

Yea

Nay

Abstain

Absent

MAYOR: WAYNE PETERSON

x

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ANGELA ROHR

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ELLIOTT SHELTMAN

x

COUNCILMEMBER: NATE BLAKE

x

No public comment.

Mayor Peterson asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing on the 2017-2018 tentative budgets for the General Fund and Capital Improvement Fund.

Councilmember Cundick, I so move. 2nd by Councilmember Rohr. Motion passed in a Roll Call Vote.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

Yea

Nay

Abstain

Absent

MAYOR: WAYNE PETERSON

x

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ANGELA ROHR

x

COUNCILMEMBER: ELLIOTT SHELTMAN

x

COUNCILMEMBER: NATE BLAKE

x

8. Action Items:

a. Discussion and possible action regarding Canyon Creek Change Order

Mayor Peterson indicated there is no update.

9. Discussion Items:

a. Silver Reef Museum and other Historic Buildings and the impact on the Community.

Councilmember Sheltman, discussed the museum and had the following questions for the museum board. Have they ever had discussion on traffic, parking, width of roads, complaints and the National Archives Event coming up. Elliott indicated one of the questions he had was, what is the property, and how is it governed. A comment was made that it is a Special Service District covered by the County and it doesn’t appear to be so. He has the original annexation from 2003 and it indicates the undeveloped property will come in as R-1-20. The developed property will come in with the zone that was assigned by Washington County prior to annexation. The Cosmopolitan was brought over as a restaurant; therefore, it is a non-conforming use and you cannot have a restaurant, or gift shop, on a residential lot, and you can’t have a museum on a commercial lot. He read a paragraph out of the non-conforming Ordnance and continued to discuss it.

Councilmember Cundick, Elliott I think in your email you said you had a solution.

Councilmember Sheltman, responded he was going to do it in staff reports but could do it now.

Councilmember Rohr, indicated the Land Use Ordinance has a chapter set assigned for historical, but it is blank. She requested that the Land Use book be overhauled by Planning Commission; however, it has not been completed yet. She continued to discuss it.

Councilmember Sheltman, indicated his idea is there are several empty commercial structures over here that have not been put to good use for a long time and would be a perfect location for a museum set up. The problem with Silver Reef is the roads. He continued to discuss it.

Councilmember Cundick, indicated he does not agree with all of the things Elliott has said. Events at the museum are held once a month and there are 75 to 80 people by reservation and the parking lot behind the museum is being expanded. He discussed the museum’s funding and gave a history of the museum. He indicated if Elliott wants to pursue his concerns about whether we are in violations in Ordinance, if we are in violation, we will bring it into compliance; however, he doesn’t think they are in violation. Some of County regulations supersede Town regulations. Councilmember Cundick continued to discuss it and recommended updating Ordinances to deal with historical properties.

Town Council continued to discuss it.

b. Main Street Curb and Gutter update

Mayor Peterson, Rod Mills from Ensign and Councilmember Sheltman discussed the curb and gutter.

10. Citizen Comments:

Jo Sheltman, what’s the plan regarding parking, traffic, things like that? Is it going to go back to the Planning Commission?

Pat Hank, indicated he lives on Silver Reef Drive and has no complaints, especially with the visitors, they go the speed limit. He does volunteer at the museum, but has no problems with visitors to the neighborhood.

Gary Tanner, stated he lives on Silver Reef Drive since 1994 and was one of the workers who did the restoration on the Wells Fargo Building. It is true that some of the events on the weekends have been a little cumbersome, but has never had a problem with traffic.

Mayor Peterson indicated we did receive letters from Robert and Zan Breskin and Jerry and Fawn Anderson and they will be attached to the minutes (Attachment #3 and #4).

11. Staff Reports:

Councilmember Rohr, with the Pilkey nuisance site, at this point are we going to address that.

Mayor Peterson, as was mentioned at our prior meeting that is the topic that our Town Attorney and Prosecutor are working on modifying our ordinance.

Town Council discussed it further.

12. Closed Meeting:

13. Adjournment:

Councilmember Cundick adjourned the meeting.

Time: 9:11pm.

APPROVED ON THIS _____________DAY OF __________________________, 2017

______________________________________________________________

Mayor, Wayne Peterson

ATTEST:

_______________________________________________________________

Kristi Barker, Clerk/Recorder