April 24, 2024 | General Meeting

Voting

• 5-0 approving a reimbursement agreement with Edge Homes for improvements to Herriman Blvd./12600 South
• 5-0 directing the City to discontinue paying membership fees to EDC Utah and to join the South Valley Chamber of Commerce (in addition to the Mountain West Chamber of Commerce)
• 5-0 approving the 2024 Arbor Day proclamation
• 5-0 approving an ordinance to restrict helipads, helicopters, and other personal air mobility vehicles
• 5-0 approving a deferral of building permit fees for Slackwater Pizza
• 5-0 approving a notice of a pending ordinance regarding preliminary subdivision plats and street connectivity
• 5-0 approving the Consent Agenda, which includes the following:
• City Council meeting minutes for March 27 and April 10
• Contract for audit services to HBME, LLC
• March 2024 monthly financial summary

General Meeting

Herriman Boulevard improvement reimbursement

The City has a reimbursement agreement with Edge Homes for improvement of Herriman Boulevard (12600 South) on its west end by the Creek Ridge subdivision. This is the third phase of the agreement, and now that Edge Homes has completed the improvements, the City Council approved a reimbursement for $1,662,994. $1,000,000 was funded by the state of Utah, and the remaining funds are coming from a combination of the general fund, transportation impact fees, and water impact fees.

Slackwater building fee deferral

Slackwater Pizza's construction costs were substantially higher than they expected and approached the City a few months ago requesting a waiver or deferral of building permit fees. The City Council decided at that time not to waive the building fee but sympathized with the situation, so they agreed to defer fees for one year. The Council formally approved that action in this meeting.

Chamber of commerce discussion

The City Council has been discussing and considering whether the City should continue its membership in the local Mountain West Chamber of Commerce or instead take part in the larger, more regional South Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Council feels the Mountain West Chamber brings great local focus and care, while the South Valley Chamber would allow the City to more closely interact with large economic players in Utah. After a discussion, the Council opted to continue its membership with the Mountain West Chamber, as well as join the South Valley Chamber, while removing membership from the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (where the Council does not feel it receives value for the money paid to the organization). Over a two-year period, the City will approximately break even on costs it otherwise would have spent. 

Helipad ordinance

The City Council approved an ordinance that will prohibit helipads as well as private aircraft landing and takeoff in the City (except for drones). This is a permanent ordinance that follows a temporary ordinance the City Council approved a few months ago.

City Council comments

• Councilmember Hodges commended the City's staff, especially Arborist Trent Bristol, for the ongoing series of Arbor Day educational presentations at local elementary schools
• Councilmember Hodges also noted a recent day at the Unified Fire Authority fire school, a hands-on experience to understand the demands of our firefighters
• Mayor Palmer commended the City's staff for the recent spring cleanup. Staff noted that it was a busy event, pointing out that 1,100 residents came through on Saturday alone. 

City Council board and committee reports

• Councilmember Henderson, representing the Unified Fire Authority board, noted the budget committee is continuing progress and said he was pleased with how well UFA is managing costs. He also noted that Herriman will be paying the lowest increase of fees of any of its participating neighbor cities
• Councilmember Hodges noted the City's participation in the Utah League of Cities and Towns conference in St. George
• Councilmember Ohrn, representing the Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District board, said the District experienced a 13% increase in maintenance costs due to price inflation for parts and supplies.

Work Meeting

Wasatch South Hills development agreement

The Wasatch South Hills development team discussed their proposal for an amendment to their master development agreement. The original MDA was signed in 2009 and has had four amendments since then. The development is partially complete, including some commercial space at Academy Village, the Soleil Lofts apartments near the RSL complex, and some other areas. Their proposal includes land swaps and some collaboration with DAI Utah, the development company coordinating the proposed Panorama development. The developer will continue to meet with the City in coming weeks and months before the amendment proposal returns for a City Council vote.

Public Works budget discussion

As part of the budget drafting process, the Council is discussing the budget requests for City departments. In this meeting, they reviewed the Public Works division, which includes the Streets, Street Lights, Snow Removal, Facilities, Water, and Stormwater departments. One notable line item is for road pavement management, for which the City is continually committing more financial resources. Though many roadways in Herriman are relatively new, proactive and routine maintenance on quality roads save the City money on more expensive reconstruction until much later in time.

General Fund grant program

The City initiated a grant application process to standardize funding requests from community organizations. The item resulted in a discussion about funding for the Friends of Herriman and what is an appropriate amount based on the parameters of their formation. The Council also discussed the Miss Herriman scholarship pageant (which the Friends of Herriman will no longer run) and whether that is an appropriate use of City funding going into the future—or if the City should reallocate those funds for strictly merit-based scholarship funding.

Video

• Work meeting
• Work meeting 2
• General meeting