Draper City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025

This session comprised a study on the Convention Tourism Assessment Area (CTAA) update, the TRSSD street light transfer, a General Plan water use element, and a zoning discussion for the East William Draper neighborhood, followed by a regular council meeting featuring proclamations, public comments, and several unanimous approvals of resolutions and ordinances.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of October 7, 2025 City Council meeting minutes.
• Approval of Resolution 2556 authorizing a public utilities easement on Jensen Farm Park real property.
• Approval of Resolution 2557 conveying real property from the War Horse Ranch Development Agreement while retaining access easements.
• Approval of Resolution 2558 appointing Tasha Lowry to the Draper City Audit Committee.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sarah Brinkerhoff (Draper Library): Expressed enthusiasm for the library's "Tiny Art Show," inviting council members and employees to judge. She highlighted the inclusivity of the event, noting over 140 entrants from the "all abilities" program, and emphasized the alignment with the city's Extra Mile Day and Kindness Week themes. She requested council participation in the judging process.

Discussion Items

Convention Tourism Assessment Area (CTAA) Update

• Tyson Libert (CTAA): Stated the visitor economy is a $5.8 billion industry supporting 47,000 jobs and noted the South Valley is outperforming other destinations with a 1.3% revenue growth year-over-year.
• Clay Partaine (CTAA): Highlighted successful events like the Gymnastics National Championships and volleyball events that brought significant economic impact.
• Public Comment: A resident shared that a restaurant employee visiting from San Diego was inspired by the Draper ski package, demonstrating the effectiveness of their marketing.
• Council: Expressed concerns regarding the equitable benefit of CTAA funds and the need to ensure funds return to participating cities without leaking to non-participating areas.

TRSSD Street Light Maintenance Transfer

• TRSSD Board: Requested Draper Public Works assume maintenance of roughly 160 street lights, noting a 10% increase in workload.
• City Staff & Council: Expressed strong concern about maintaining non-standard, expensive lighting and the lack of parts inventory. Mayor Walker and Council members indicated willingness to discuss the transfer only if TRSSD agrees to eventually replace the lights with standard Draper City models or provides revenue to cover the switch-over costs.

General Plan Water Use Element

• Staff: Presented a draft element with five goals and 15 measures aligned with State Senate Bill 10, including time-of-day watering restrictions (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and water shortage plans.
• Council Member Todd: Compared the plan to Nevada's successful water conservation model but warned that voluntary measures may eventually be replaced by strict enforcement if resources dwindle.

East William Draper Zoning Study

• Staff: Presented a study on the area between 122nd South and Kimball's Lane, highlighting land use/zoning incongruities and a desire to prevent uncontrolled "creep" of high-density development.
• Councilor Johnson: Expressed opposition to increasing density, stating a preference for quarter-acre single-family lots and noting that high-density townhomes in the area were a "spot zone" that the council did not create.
• Council: The majority voted to leave the current land use map unchanged, preferring to handle individual rezoning requests on a case-by-basis rather than initiating a broad master plan.

Other Topics

• Mountain Lion Mascot: Council decided to have staff email residents all submitted names, ask them to vote for their top three, and then narrow the list to three for a final vote.
• Jordan Basin Improvement District: Council invited Mayor Walker to attend the board, with a consideration of an alternate member.
• Miller Sports & Entertainment: Discussed a potential partnership for a Utah Mammoth ticket fundraiser, with interest noted in offering residents a discount.
• City Staff Updates: Confirmed the hiring of a new arborist; noted a project delay on 1380 South and 150 East due to utility conflicts; and acknowledged a successful wood chipping project for fire safety in Suncrest.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinances 1678 & 1679: Unanimously approved (4-0) the zoning map change from RA2 to RM2 and the land use map change to Residential High Density for the Kimball's Junction Addition parcel to allow expansion of the Edge Homes project.
• CRA Actions: The Draper Gateway Community Development Project area was dissolved (Resolution CRA 2506 and Ordinance 1681) via unanimous vote (4-0).
• Resolution 2553: Unanimously approved (4-0) the reimbursement agreement with Lloyd's TLC Limited for infrastructure improvements on Bangateur Parkway, 1380 South, and 150 East.
• Resolution 2555: Unanimously approved (4-0) the update to the Draper City tree guide to reflect new species, firewise practices, and proper sizing.
• Proclamations: The Council officially proclaimed November 1, 2025, as "Extra Mile Day" and November 8-15, 2025, as "Kindness Week Worldwide."
• Memorial Tribute: A presentation and certificate were awarded to the family of the late Jean Hendrickson, an "Extra Mile Hero," for her lifelong service to the community.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM.