All present included Mayor Kevin Smith,
Council Member Sharon Gillespie,
Council Member Sharon Barton,
Council Member Dillon Hurt,
and
Council Member Wayne Pennington.
STAFF:
City Manager Chuck Gillette,
Director of Finance Cade Visser,
City Attorney Bryan Pack,
Building and Zoning Administrator Rob Dalley,
Public Works Director and City Engineer Tom Jorgensen,
Chief of Police Jaron Studley,
Fire Chief Dan Cazier,
and
City Recorder Kari D. Jimenez.
EXCUSED:
Council Member Mike Scott
Audience: James Barden, Michele Adams, Kathy Smith, Beck y & Chuck Warren, Bonnie Kline, Koko Head and others who did not sign in.
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NOTICE: This meeting will be held in person. You may listen to the live audio feed by going to www.ivinsutah.gov under "Upcoming Events". When the meeting is live, it will reflect "In Progress" - click on the "In Progress" link to listen to the meeting live. |
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The link for Public Hearing electronic participation is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88517211621 |
Mayor Kevin Smith acknowledged there was a quorum present. Council Member Scott was excused.
Council Member Sharon Gillespie led the Flag Salute
Council Member Sharon Gillespie gave the Invocation
There were no disclosures or conflicts of interest with items on this meeting's agenda.
Chief Jaron Studley explained the significance of the Oath and swore in new Officers Jeremy Gatica and Brandon Gough. Officer Braden Ray was sworn in as a Sergeant. The Mayor, City Council and audience members congratulated these Public Safety employees and thanked them for their service.
Building Report
Public Works Summary of Operations
Engineering Report
Finance Report
Electronic reports are available as attachments to this agenda and verbal reports given by Building and Zoning Administrator Rob Dalley, Public Works Director and City Engineer Tom Jorgensen and Director of Finance Cade Visser, may be accessed at the following time stamps:
Building and Zoning Administrator Rob Dalley: 00:10:32
Public Works Director and City Engineer Tom Jorgensen: 00:13:12
Director of Finance Cade Visser: 00:13:48
A report was provided to the Mayor and City Council. The report provided by Commissioner Pam Gardiol may be accessed at time stamp 00:15:04.
Resolution
The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:21:58.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Barton moved to approve Resolution No. 2026-05R, a Resolution of Ivins City, Utah, Re-Appointing a Planning Commission Member
SECOND: Council Member Dillon Hurt
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor. The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 00:22:28.
Resolution
Arts Commission Members recommended the re-appointments of Kaitlyn Kraus and Liz Fortney. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:23:36.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Gillespie moved to approve Resolution No. 2026-06R, a Resolution of Ivins City, Utah, Re-Appointing Kaitlyn Kraus, as an Arts Commission Member to serve the term that expires March 31, 2028
SECOND: Council Member Wayne Pennington
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 00:24:36. Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor.
Resolution
Arts Commission Members recommended the re-appointments of Kaitlyn Kraus and Liz Fortney. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:23:36.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Gillespie moved to approve Resolution No. 2026-07R, a Resolution of Ivins City, Utah, Re-Appointing Elizabeth Fortney to be re-appointed as an Arts Commission member to serve a term that expires on March 31, 2028
SECOND: Council Member Sharon Barton
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 00:25:08. Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor.
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
Public Hearing Notice
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: Recent legislation passed by the Utah Legislature as HB 48 in 2025 and HB 41 in 2026, requires municipalities to adopt updated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) codes, transitioning from the 2006 Utah WUI Code to the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code effective January 1, 2027. These codes require Ivins City to formally designate WUI areas within its boundaries where structures face a higher wildfire risk and must be built to enhanced safety standards. The map identifies the high-risk areas and is available as an attachment to this agenda. Mayor Kevin Smith opened the Public Hearing. There being no comments in person or through the Zoom application, Mayor Kevin Smith closed the Public Hearing. The explanation of this agenda item and discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:26:34.
Ordinance and Map
Staff Report
MOTION: Council Member Wayne Pennington moved to approve Ordinance No. 2026-02, Adopting the 2006 Utah Wildland-Urban Interface Code as adopted by the State of Utah and the Wildland-Urban Interface Areas Map, with the modification to include Appendix C once the 2024 Code is adopted
SECOND: Council Member Sharon Gillespie
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 00:34:58. Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor.
Public Hearing Notice
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: Black Desert Resort applied for a zoning text amendment to allow Verizon to place wireless communication equipment on the roof of the resort, positioned behind existing structures so it would comply with current height restrictions and not be visible from adjacent properties. The request also required a modification to the Table of Uses within the RC zone and was written broadly so the City could allow similar uses in other locations if desired. The proposed amendments are in compliance with City ordinances. Mayor Kevin Smith opened the Public Hearing. Residents in attendance were in support of this and thanked Black Desert and their Counsel for taking this action and for communicating with the adjacent residents. There being no other comments in person or through the Zoom application, Mayor Kevin Smith closed the Public Hearing. The explanation of this agenda item and public comments may be accessed at time stamp 00:36:04.
Ordinance
Staff Report
The City Attorney suggested some grammatical changes, which may be accessed at time stamp 00:41:02.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Barton moved to approve Ordinance No. 2026-08, an Ordinance of Ivins City, Utah, approving a Zoning Text Amendment to Section 16.33.102 and the Table of Uses proposing a new Use for Wireless Communications Equipment, including the changes recommended by the City Attorney
SECOND: Council Member Dillon Hurt
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 00:43:10. Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor.
Ordinance
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: This will amend the Ivins City Code provisions governing the Arts Commission to provide greater flexibility, clarity, and continuity in its structure and operations. The Arts Commission may consist of five to seven members appointed by the Mayor with City Council consent, with an emphasis on residents who bring relevant arts experience. The term of service are two-year terms with a maximum of three consecutive terms and required staggered appointments. This ordinance clarifies officer roles and procedures, allowing members to serve as Chair or Vice Chair for up to two consecutive one-year terms to improve leadership continuity, and assigned responsibility for meeting minutes to City Staff. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:44:58.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Gillespie moved to approve Ordinance No. 2026-09, an Ordinance of Ivins City, Utah, amending regulations governing membership and Officership of the Arts Commission
SECOND: Council Member Sharon Barton
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
2026 Art on Loan Choices Presentation PP Mar 2026
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: The Ivins City Arts Commission representatives provided a presentation to the Mayor and City Council. A copy of the presentation is available as an attachment to this agenda. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:46:32.
MOTION: Council Member Dillon Hurt moved to approve the Arts Commissions selections for the Art-on-Loan Program
SECOND: Council Member Sharon Barton
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: The Strongest Town Contest is an annual competition organized by the nonprofit Strong Towns that highlights cities and towns across North America that are making meaningful progress toward becoming more resilient, livable, and financially sustainable. Communities are nominated and selected to compete in a bracket-style, public voting tournament where they go head-to-head over several rounds until one is named the “Strongest Town.” Rather than rewarding size or perfection, the contest focuses on communities that are taking practical, incremental steps to improve areas like transportation, housing, fiscal responsibility, and neighborhood vitality. It emphasizes a “Strong Towns approach,” which prioritizes small-scale, locally driven improvements, long-term financial health, and adaptability over large, top-down projects.
Ivins City is in the final eight. Some residents are concerned that this is going to bring more growth to Ivins but the word is already out with Tuacahn, Snow Canyon State Park, Black Desert Resort and the PGA, LPGA and Pickleball events they hold, advertising through Zion Tourism and similar. It was felt that the Strongest Town Contest was a positive thing for Ivins City. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:53:30.
Ordinance
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: The recommended changes have been made that were discussed at a prior City Council meeting. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 00:58:24.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Gillespie moved to approve Ordinance No. 2026-07, an Ordinance of Ivins City, Utah, creating a Planned Unit Development Residential (PUD-R) Zone
SECOND: Council Member Dillon Hurt
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 01:04:46. Roll call vote. All Council Members who were present voted in favor.
Draft Agreement
Mayor Kevin Smith referred to the Ivins City work group that consists of himself, Council Member Mike Scott, Council Member Dillon Hurt and City Manager Chuck Gillette. They have been meeting collaboratively with the City of Santa Clara representatives regarding the new agreement. It will be an agreement for 6 years and the percentage of what each City pays is based on population and call volume. There were concerns that the increase per year could be up to 6%. The difference in what Ivins City is paying now versus what Ivins City will be paying with the new agreement is just over $90,000. In 2012 there were cost savings that needed to occur between both cities and Ivins had a more professional police service so it was determined to merge Ivins City and the City of Santa Clara into one. Due to the Police Department being ran by Ivins City, it was decided that the City of Santa Clara would manage the Fire/EMS Department when the cities merged those services in 2017. The Mayor and City Council discussed examples of causes for termination of the agreement. One Council Member would like the requirement for a joint annual public meeting included in the contract. Another Council Member disagreed. Mayor Kevin Smith will have a discussion with the Mayor of Santa Clara regarding that. This agenda item will be a continued discussion on a future agenda. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 01:05:24.
Updated Staff Report
AMI Hydro Beacon Recommendation with Q&A
BACKGROUND and RECOMMENDATION: The City issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) in August 2025 and, after reviewing proposals, narrowed the selection to two finalists: Hydro/Badger BEACON cellular and Mountainland Supply/Sensus fixed network. While both met the City’s objectives, staff determined that the Hydro/BEACON cellular solution was the better long-term option due to its simpler, more flexible architecture and the ability to avoid owning and maintaining communications infrastructure. The Hydro system allows phased implementation, supports retrofitting existing meters, and provides a comprehensive customer platform with analytics, alerts, and monitoring tools. Based on scalability, reduced infrastructure burden, and implementation flexibility, staff recommended proceeding with the Hydro solution while finalizing quantities and retrofit opportunities prior to signing the contract. Doug Bennett with the Washington County Water Conservancy District referred to much of the Kayenta area being on a different water system and would like to proposals to piggy back onto those bids and if there are any other water systems delivering within Ivins City, that they would have the opportunity to obtain the same rate and have the opportunity to collaborate. It was reported that Council Member Mike Scott had requested that this agenda item be tabled until the next City Council meeting when he can be present. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 01:36:18.
MOTION: Council Member Sharon Gillespie moved to table agenda item 5)F, discuss and consider approval of selection of vendor for the Water Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System Implementation project until the next City Council meeting
SECOND: Council Member Sharon Barton
VOTE: The motion carried unanimously.
| Council Member Sharon Gillespie |
AYE |
| Council Member Sharon Barton |
AYE |
| Council Member Dillon Hurt |
AYE |
| Council Member Wayne Pennington |
AYE |
| Council Member Mike Scott |
ABSENT |
The Motion may be accessed at time stamp 01:51:40.
The Mayor and City Council agreed that they would like Council Member Scott to be present when this is discussed. This will be discussed on a future City Council agenda, towards the end of the year and before the Legislative Policy Committee meetings begin in January, 2027. The discussion may be accessed at time stamp 01:55:52.