2023.04.26 TC MTG AGENDA & MINUTES

May 25, 2023 By
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Town of Leeds

Town Council Meeting for

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Regular Meeting 7 PM

1.Call to Order/Roll Call: 7:15

ROLL CALL:

Present

Absent

MAYOR: BILL HOSTER

X

COUNCILMEMBER: DANIELLE STIRLING

X

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

X

COUNCILMEMBER: STEPHEN WILSON

X

COUNCILMEMBER: KOHL FURLEY

X

Town Planner Scott Messel present

Invocation: Bill Hoster

Pledge of Allegiance:

Declaration of Abstentions or Conflicts: None

Consent Agenda for April 26,2023

Councilmember Cundick motioned to approve the agenda for April 26, 2023. Councilmember Furley seconded. Motion passed in a Roll Call Vote:

ROLL CALL VOTE:

Yea

Nay

Abstain

Absent

MAYOR: BILL HOSTER

X

COUNCILMEMBER: DANIELLE STIRLING

X

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

X

COUNCILMEMBER: STEPHEN WILSON

X

COUNCILMEMBER: KOHL FURLEY

X

Town Council Meeting Minutes of April 12, 2023

Councilmember Cundick moved to approve meeting minutes of March 22, 2023. Seconded by Councilmember Furley. Motion passed in a Roll Call Vote.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

Yea

Nay

Abstain

Absent

MAYOR: BILL HOSTER

X

COUNCILMEMBER: DANIELLE STIRLING

X

COUNCILMEMBER: RON CUNDICK

X

COUNCILMEMBER: STEPHEN WILSON

X

COUNCILMEMBER: KOHL FURLEY

X

Citizen Comments:

Rhonda Mclaughlin announced she brought cookies.

Announcements:

a. Public Notice for Town of Leeds 2024 Municipal Election for Two (2)

Town Council Member- each a 4-year term

Action Item: None

Discussion Items:

  1. Town of Leeds Flood Risk Map program review with Utah Division of

Emergency Management representative Jamie Huff

Jamie Huff, an employee with the Utah Division of Emergency Management, introduced herself as the risk map program manager for the division. The team performs flood risk studies across the state of Utah and presents the information to communities to inform them of their risk. Due to the recent intense winter, Jamie believes it’s a good time to share the draft flood risk results with the community. The project began in 2018, and the team has been working hard ever since to update flood risk in the county.

Jamie explained that the team provides high-level risk information for flooding, known as base level engineering, to communities, and then more detailed information is requested within the community. The previous mayor, Mayor Peterson, attended the meetings in 2018 and requested the studies that are being presented today. The team has been studying ninety miles of screen miles within the county, providing detailed information such as base flood elevations. This information is provided to the community, who would then adopt and regulate it.

Jamie notes that the flood risk maps and data are only as good as the date they were performed. The team used LIDAR, digital topography information, which was updated back in 2017. Therefore, any topography changes or developments that happened after 2017 might not be captured in their flood study. The team surveyed all bridges, culverts, and infrastructure within the channels that were being updated or revised in 2019, but any structures built after that time were not included in their study analysis.

The team performed a hydrology assessment to study how much water is coming into the watershed, and then modeled it once it hits the ground. They compiled all the analysis and put it into maps to share with the community. Jamie provided a link to their project website, where anyone interested can look up all the meeting minutes, attendees, and approved information that has been released for the project to date.

Team member Randy explained the different flood zones that are represented on the maps. He mentioned that there is a 1% annual chance zone A effective, which is the only zone present in the community’s greenbelt. He turned on some colored layers to indicate other zones, such as the aqua color, which is Zone A that comes with a model and is more accurate than what was previously effective. The aqua color is the result of a base level engineering study conducted in 2018, and it is performed on the 2017 LiDAR. The gray point wash is going to be replaced by the aqua color as the new 1% annual chance flooding zone A. Randy also pointed out that the dark blue is zoned AE, which is a 1% annual chance flood zone with elevations. He showed some cross sections marked in green, which can be used to determine the base flood elevation for any given section. Randy also explained that the orange area represents the 0.2% annual chance flood zone, also known as the 500-year flood zone, while the tan area represents an area of shallow flooding with depths less than one foot. He mentioned a ponding zone that is not indicated by a different color but has a single elevation across the pond. Randy invited questions from the attendees and offered to make changes to the names of the zones if they are called differently locally.

During a discussion, Randy was asked how he obtained data for his study on water input in the watershed. Randy explained that they analyzed the watershed and used gauge data, typography, and land cover data to come up with the flow. Jamie added that developers who want to build or develop in flood-prone areas must obtain a floodplain development permit from the town. The permit is separate from building permits, and there are specific floodplain management criteria that must be met. During the development permit process, inspections are conducted to ensure that everything is developed according to the regulations. Randy mentioned that they would review and analyze the floodplain ordinances towards the end of the mapping process.

  1. Second quarter budget review

Mayor Hoster informs the council that they are currently at the 75% mark of their budget. The council is asked to review the budget and identify any questions or concerns they may have, and it is noted that the income is in the first part of the P&L and the expenses in the second part. There is no action required on this topic.

Mayor Hoster then brings up the code enforcement officer position that has been discussed with legal counsel prior to the town council meeting. He received recommendations for the qualifications for the position from the town attorney and states he will be amending the budget in July to accommodate the expense. They mentioned that the position will likely be part-time, with an estimated 10 hours per week and a salary of around $19-$22 depending on qualifications as recommended by Hurricane and La Verkin officials. The position will be a 1099 position and there will likely be some travel involved, but we do not currently have a vehicle for the position. Mayor Hoster states that all forms used in the ACE program will be templated to avoid any variance and maintain equality.

11. Citizen Comments:

Rochelle Gardner asked for public access to the budget being reviewed and was reminded that citizens can find the budget on the state website, or they will on their own website posted with the meeting handouts that published with the agenda and minutes.

12. Staff Reports:

Councilmember Furley provided an update on various matters. Regarding the BLOOM meeting, the next one is scheduled for the first Tuesday of May at 4:30 PM, and the discussion will revolve around planning for the upcoming Fourth of July event. The councilmember expressed a desire for Scott Messel, the Town Planner, to attend the meeting.

Regarding streets and roads, Councilmember Furley is having trouble contacting two contractors to obtain detailed specifications for their bids. Some contractors have expressed a desire to make sales pitches or demonstrations, which makes it harder to evaluate their proposals. The councilmember wishes to get to the bare bones of what the contractors will be putting down on the street to make a better decision. Councilmember Furley also had a question about the budget line item and may speak with councilmembers later about it. In addition, the councilmember discussed a bid for the road on Valley Drive and wants to ensure that it extends to the end of the town’s property. They also want to bring in some rock to help maintain the road, as it is frequently used and generates a lot of dust.

Lastly, Councilmember Furley reminded everyone that the burn season will close on May 30th and that those who wish to obtain a burn permit can do so by Googling “Washington County, Utah burn permit” and following the link to Washington City’s website. A county-wide link has been made available, which allows residents to enter their information and determine whether it is a good burn day. If the permit cannot be obtained on the day, residents can try again the next day due to weather and EPA regulations from up north.

Councilmember Cundick raised a concern about the language in the agenda regarding citizen comments instructions. The current wording on the agenda states that no action may be taken on a matter raised under this agenda item. Cundick suggested that this can be confusing and proposed that citizens should be allowed to comment on agenda items that are being worked on that night. Mayor Hoster agreed and mentioned that they had previously spoken with the town’s counsel about the issue. Cundick suggested reworking the verbiage and presenting the mayor with the draft. The Clerk/Recorder says the mayor sets the agenda. Scott Messel commented that the intention behind the citizen comments instruction was to gather input and not engage in a debate. Mayor Hoster explained that the initial intent behind the language was to ensure fairness in public hearings. The council agreed to revisit the language and consider alternative ways to handle citizen comments.

Mayor Hoster started his staff report by expressing gratitude to BLOOM and other volunteers who have contributed their time and efforts to the town.

We have appointed Joe Decker as the interim chief of the fire department, and I will be supporting him administratively with my background in fire and EMS. We are not looking to lay off people or cut budgets, and we have found a pathway through House Bill 392 to finance our EMS services with sales tax, lifting the burden from property owners and putting it more on tourists. Mutual aid is also important, as we want to make sure our neighbors have the resources they need in case of an emergency. For example, the Washington County Search and Rescue handles emergency medical services, and they have the option to bill for their services if needed. Arbor Day is coming up this Friday, and it’s a great time to plant trees.

Closed Meeting-None

Adjournment: 8:11pm

Approved this Tenth Day of May 2023.

_______________________________

Bill Hoster, Mayor

ATTEST:

_________________________________

Aseneth Steed, Clerk/Recorder