Draper City Council Meeting: August 4, 2026 – Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Map Amendment, and Eminent Domain
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Draper City Council Meeting
The Draper City Council met on August 4, 2026, at 5:30 PM at City Hall for a business session that included a public hearing on a zoning map amendment, a resolution authorizing eminent domain for the Lone Peak Parkway project, and action on a short-term rental ordinance. The meeting also featured the swearing-in of two new fire department members, a presentation on historic preservation, and a discussion on city beautification. Key votes included approval of the short-term rental ordinance with a two-night minimum stay, continuation of the zoning map amendment due to concerns, and unanimous adoption of the eminent domain resolution.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (July 21, 2026): Approved unanimously (5–0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jim Stitz (13122 Vista Station #427): Urged the council to adopt stricter water conservation measures, noting that current three-day/week lawn watering is excessive given drought conditions and the threat to the Great Salt Lake. He called for cultural change in landscaping norms.
- Maddie Clemens: Introduced herself as the new representative for Congressman Owen's team, replacing Alex Johnson, and thanked the council.
- Additional comment attempt on short-term rentals during the action item was denied as the public hearing for that item had been held at the previous meeting.
Oaths of Office: Fire Department
- Josh Sellers: Sworn in as a firefighter. Sellers retired from South Jordan Fire Department after 21 years and returns to service with Draper.
- Chase Tandy: Sworn in as a paramedic. Tandy previously served in Draper's paid-call program in 2004 and retired as a captain from another department, returning part-time.
Discussion Items
- Short-Term Rental Ordinance (Ordinance #1721): Staff presented updated language to align penalty provisions with state law and reduce the required size of the urgent-response contact sign. After lengthy discussion, council debated a 2-night vs. 3-night minimum stay. Councilmember Johnson moved for a 2-night minimum, which was seconded. Mayor noted that if passed, the ordinance would include that change. Council expressed support for the 2-night minimum as a compromise to reduce party incidents while allowing weekend rentals.
- Zoning Map Amendment (Ordinance #1735 – 12430 S. 700 East): Application to rezone 1.67 acres from RA1/RA2 to R4 for a five-lot subdivision. Planning Commission recommended approval (5-0). Council raised concerns about compatibility with adjacent zoning and density. After initial motion to approve failed (2-3: Lowry and Dolan in favor; Green, Johnson, Lowry opposed), council voted to continue the item to a date uncertain (5-0) for further discussion.
- Eminent Domain Resolution (Resolution #26-38 – Lone Peak Parkway): Staff and outside counsel explained the need to acquire slivers of undeveloped land from four related property owners to realign the road according to safety standards. The resolution authorizes filing a condemnation action to allow immediate occupancy after depositing appraised value into court. Council approved unanimously (5-0).
- Historic Preservation Commission Report: Jen reported on the use of an extra $5,000 from last year's budget for a reconnaissance-level survey of 715 structures; 173 were deemed contributory, and 17 are recommended for further study or National Register nomination. The commission also installed a plaque for the Widowmaker sign and advanced nominations for the Isaac Stewart House and Smith Steadman House.
- City Beautification Discussion: Staff requested direction on using CIP funds for entry signage and medians. Council agreed to first map all major entry points and identify city-owned property to prioritize projects, with initial focus on the Smith's Gateway area.
- Council/Manager Reports:
- Trail overhanging branches to be trimmed.
- Update on Bangerter Highway improvements: concerns about UDOT's portion across I-15; staff following up with legislators.
- Discussion on public meeting announcements: Council suggested including meeting schedules in the weekly email newsletter to improve transparency.
- Cardboard recycling dumpster at public works: Staff recommended eliminating the service due to $14,000 annual cost and misuse by businesses. Council expressed support for removal, noting cardboard is free at the transfer station and residents can use curbside carts.
- Water conservation update: May usage down 9%, June down 12%; on track to meet Jordan Valley's 10% reduction goal without restrictions. Council agreed to inventory non-functional turf to reduce watering.
- Council assignments discussion: Noted upcoming changes due to new mayor taking office.
Key Outcomes
- Short-Term Rental Ordinance #1721 – Approved 4–1 (Councilmember Green opposed) with a 2-night minimum stay and updated penalty language. Ordinance amends Titles 6 and 9 of the Draper City Municipal Code.
- Zoning Map Amendment #1735 – Motion to approve failed 2–3. Subsequently, a motion to continue the item to a date uncertain passed unanimously (5–0) for further study.
- Eminent Domain Resolution #26-38 – Approved unanimously (5–0), authorizing the filing of condemnation for Lone Peak Parkway right-of-way.
- Consent Calendar – Approved unanimously (5–0).
- Fire Department Oaths – Administered to two new members.
- Next Steps: Staff to map entry points for beautification, inventory non-functional turf, and continue working on the continued zoning map amendment.
Meeting Transcript
So is there a motion to go into a closed session to discuss litigation? So move. Second. Mr. Green. All in favor. Brand, have you votes? Yes. Yes. Tasha? Yes. Alright. And we want to verify what one you're comfortable with. Um Hog Taylor did do some research in the county to see what other cities have. Um most cities don't have a regulation for a minimum stay, and if they do, it's a two-day. No. Not that we found we had talked about this a couple months ago when we were talking about it. Um I think I generally lean towards a two-day just to see if that solves a lot of our problems. But I remember at the time when we discussed it that there was some input maybe from the police about longer was better. So I'd love to hear if you have uh I mean I think it would be better if no one ever had a party, right? So no in uh in the perfect uh uh a crazy party where bad things are happening, but I'd be interested in sort of where the police can have and then we we pulled some. I'm not sure if it was shared or not yet. Um I haven't had a chance to digest terms or time lines, but um in the I think eight years that we went back we had 500 incidences um of involvement with word search of short-term rental ERBO, air views maybe things like that. And our crime analysts little it down to about 80, wasn't it? About eighty that were significant that that we could actually show some kind of a nexus um between our actions and what was going on in a rental. I looked at the spreadsheet and not everything was a criminal complaint. Sometimes the the Airbnb renter, their car had broken into. So there were calls for service that were related to the occupants needing police assistance. Yeah, I mean there there were some co there weren't a surprisingly enough, there weren't a lot of noise complaints, but there were some like um there were three or four different domestic violence type, you know, argument type things. Um there were calls for service after the re the Airbnb renter had left that they left behind possessions or they had damaged the the property, that type of thing. Um so it doesn't appear that we're getting a lot of calls on parties, but when we do, it's usually pretty significant. That's only if the officer chose to put anything in there about it. I mean it's really not an element typically of our unless we had to call the responsible party for the meeting. So yeah, it's not really one of the qualifying questions we ask for investigators. So hard to hard to nail it down. I wonder too how many are the same property over and over again. Oh funny you should ask. I did I sorted, I sorted the caller with the address, and there's probably two or three that are are the uh frequent flyers. And so that's why I'm wondering is with our you know, the standards that we're creating, that that might weed out some of these, you know, kind of bad actors or problematic areas, and that by moving to three to two, we avoid just kind of uh you know, one night parties, bachelorette parties that might be out of control, and whereas you know, like a a wine and dying bachelorette party over a couple days would still be able to come to Draper because they would be behaving respectably, right? Yeah, just bachelorette or bachelor. Yeah, I think just about I just have to. Okay so we have Tasha are you good for two days as opposed to three yeah I mean I think I think I hope that the other restrictions are sufficient to be preventative but I do think we need to look at some of that language in there. I mean that current commercial I think is a little bit unclear and leads itself to different interpretations but I do share some of my green concerns on these because at the end of the day these are in residential neighborhoods and they're being used as hotels. And even when they're not hosting big parties they are so disrupted to the neighborhood. And for example I know the code have a house in their little neighborhood that's just rented constantly by different people coming in and out. So I think I think the three days is a little bit more prohibitive in general and it's just a question of where do we fit on these you know well I kind of think that because we don't have any current currently we don't have any regulations I think it it might make sense to create some and see how it goes and then if you know we still have problems then maybe revisit you know banning them there are other cities that ban them in Utah so we wouldn't be the only ones to ban them but I I would be curious to see is if we create these regulations and and I agree with you Tasha maybe defining what a commercial then is because that might help too. But we just create a zone where only STRs are allowed in certain zones. St George only allows STRs in like free places. Hawaii only allows STRs in the same places where the tourists are so you can't do that because what it does is it says infrastructures available for these places. I think our city has got places that are not conducive to these types of things.
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