Lehi City Council Meeting - September 8, 2026: Budget, Justice Court, General Plan, and Multiple Ordinances
Lehi City Council Meeting - September 8, 2026
The Lehi City Council met on September 8, 2026, in a combined pre-council (4:00 PM) and regular session (7:00 PM) to discuss a wide range of topics including the city's financial health, justice court operations, the general plan, transportation master plan updates, multiple zoning and development items, and public comments. Key actions included approval of several ordinances and resolutions, tabling of the Walker development agreement with direction for amendments, denial of a zone change to heavy commercial, and discussion on the Gardner Plumb development agreement with direction for retooling.
Consent Calendar
- Approved Resolution #2026-50 (agreement with Rhino Pumps LLC for Thanksgiving Point Lift Station Overwatch Upgrade) and purchase orders PO 8462, PO 8495, and PO 8496.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Harry Hansen (resident): Expressed concerns about the current General Plan, calling it an 'artifact of the previous administration' and urging revisiting areas where heavy commercial is zoned next to residential.
- Camille Perchert (resident/former Legacy Center employee): Requested elimination of member-only hours (5-8 AM and 9-11 PM) at the Legacy Center, arguing the policy is outdated and turns away paying customers. She proposed tiered pricing and a guest sponsorship program instead.
- Sari Christensen (resident): Advocated for adding indoor pickleball at the Legacy Center, citing over 250 signatures of support, low initial cost (~$3,000), and potential revenue generation. She suggested dedicating 20 hours per week without disrupting existing programs.
- Kevin Woodruff (resident, Legacy Center member): Supported the pickleball proposal, noting that neighboring cities offer indoor pickleball and that Lehigh residents currently travel elsewhere to play.
- Steve Seely (Willow Park volunteer): Presented a conceptual entrance design for Willow Park, emphasizing preserving the campground and using a $500,000 grant for improvements. He requested maintaining the park's unique character.
- Lyle Swap (retired Air Force, new resident): Supported both the expanded hours and pickleball initiatives, citing the Air Force's adoption of pickleball and the need for indoor recreational options during cold and windy weather.
Discussion Items
Justice Court Operations and Costs (Pre-Council)
- Presentation by Mr. Boyle (staff): Reviewed revenue and expenditures for the Lehi City Justice Court. The court shows a net revenue of about $223,000 after expenses. Options discussed: continuing as is, moving to Utah County Justice Court (similar net revenue but with qualitative losses), renovating Old City Hall for the court (Option A: $875,000 with secure judge access; Option B: $500,000 with shared entrance), leasing private space ($87k-$150k/year), or building a new court (estimated $10-15 million bond).
- Council discussion: Members favored renovating Old City Hall (Option A) for its security and community benefits. They agreed to proceed with posting the judge vacancy and moving forward with renovation planning.
General Plan Overview and Discussion (Pre-Council)
- Kim (Planning Director): Presented the 2022 General Plan, highlighting that Lehigh is about 84% built out by acreage. Only 16% undeveloped land remains, with 29% of planned commercial acreage still vacant. The plan emphasizes transit-oriented development (TOD) and a 'complete community' vision.
- Council discussion: Members expressed interest in a minor update to the General Plan (budget around $100,000) to address compatibility issues between residential and commercial zones, improving transition areas. Staff will prepare a work session to identify incompatible uses and potential code amendments.
Master Transportation Plan Update (Pre-Council)
- Brad (Transportation Manager): Proposed several changes to the transportation master plan, including:
- Removing the 300 East connection to 1900 South (replaced by local road due to UDOT changes).
- Changing 700 South to a local road with a cycle track connection.
- Realigning Triniman Lane to tie into Leo Lane to fix a dangerous intersection.
- Adjusting cross-sections (12-foot vs 14-foot turn lanes) on major collectors.
- Considering the 'Point of the Mountain Connector' as an alternative to the freeway-to-freeway connector, which is not supported by MAG/WFRC due to cost ($3.5-4.5 billion).
- Council discussion: Members expressed concerns about the 2300 West widening (removing sidewalks) and the proposed connector near Holbrook. They requested further studies before adding the connector to the plan. Councilmember Lockhart advocated for keeping the freeway-to-freeway connector dotted on the map due to state-level conversations, but staff noted it would not be funded by MAG.
Walker Development Agreement (Item 5.4) and Zone Change (Item 5.5)
- Deborah Walker (property owner): Presented a development agreement with restricted heavy commercial uses on 2.581 acres at 915 W State Street, including no access to Triniman Lane, increased buffering (wall, sidewalk, landscaping), and limitations on business types (e.g., no crematory, limited outdoor storage).
- Residents' testimony: Over 100 neighbors opposed, citing noise, traffic, and compatibility issues. Some requested a split zone (residential on Triniman side, commercial on State Street side).
- Council discussion: Members opposed heavy commercial zoning. They tabled the development agreement (Resolution 2026-52) with direction to staff to:
- Amend uses (remove crematory, welding shop, outdoor sales/storage, etc.)
- Add stricter buffering (12-foot landscape buffer with trees, 8-foot masonry wall)
- Include a concept plan with setbacks and parking locations
- Require no windows facing residential, enclosed dumpsters, and no overnight parking
- Zone change denial (Ordinance 27-2026): The council voted 4-1 to deny the zone change from R-1-8 to C-H Heavy Commercial, citing incompatibility with surrounding residential uses. They will instead pursue a development agreement that keeps the property zoned R-1-8 with specific permitted uses.
Gardner Plumb Development Agreement (Item 5.11, Discussion)
- Paxton Guiman (Edge Homes) and Walt Plumb (Gardner/Boyer): Requested approval to transfer 124 vested density units from the north side of 2100 North to the south side (12 acres near Willow Point) to enable a mixed-use development with a hotel, specialty grocer, retail, and fitness center, along with 130 townhomes/single-family homes. They proposed 47 additional guest parking stalls with cross-access for Willow Point and upgrades to existing parking issues in that community.
- Council discussion: Members expressed interest but requested:
- Quantified commitments in the development agreement (e.g., square footage of retail, hotel)
- A timeline for commercial development (tied to residential phases)
- Additional green space/pedestrian connectivity
- A formal parking study to ensure the proposed solutions (parallel parking, bulb-outs, extra stalls) are sufficient.
- Direction: Staff will redraft the development agreement incorporating these elements and bring it back for future action.
Key Outcomes
- Approved:
- Ordinance #37-2026: Development Code Amendment for renewable energy systems (max kW from 10 to 15).
- Resolution #2026-51: Appointing 20 members to the Small Business Advisory Council.
- Resolution #2026-49: Charitable grant agreement for Mill Pond property (renamed 'Peck Mill Pond').
- Ordinance #38-2026: Zone change (PF to TH-5) for Jay Peterson property (correcting a previous error).
- Resolution #2026-54: Data Privacy Program Policy.
- Resolution #2026-53: Amended PARC Fund Guidelines (with changes: reference to Part 14, inclusion of Utah Code 59-12-1402, requirement for at least some funds for cultural grants, addition of public hearing before council allocation).
- Ordinance #36-2026: Parking requirements for preschools/daycares with specialized therapy (1 stall per employee on largest shift plus 5 visitor spaces).
- Resolution #2026-55: Granting Zayo a nonexclusive telecommunications franchise.
- Tabled: Resolution #2026-52 (Walker Development Agreement) with direction to staff for amendments.
- Denied: Ordinance #27-2026 (Walker Zone Change to C-H Heavy Commercial).
- Future Action: Justice Court renovation (Option A) to proceed; judge posting authorized. Staff to work on development agreement revisions for Gardner Plumb project. General Plan and Transportation Plan updates to be discussed in future work sessions. Parking code violation ordinance (Title 7 Chapter 3) to be refined with 15-business-day notice period and potential hearing examiner process.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, we'll go ahead and get started. Welcome to our um pre-council meeting today at four o'clock here in the Lehigh City uh council chambers. Uh we do have a full council currently. We have council member Newell, Councilmember Harrison, Councilmember Stallings, Councilmember Freeman, and Councilmember Lockhart. So we're welcome each of you to the dais. Also, we welcome those who are with us in the uh room today. We welcome you. This is a pre-council meeting. Just a reminder, there will not be public comment during this portion of our meeting. Uh so we do appreciate that. And we appreciate that you're participating with us. Before we get started, we've asked uh council member Newell if she'll offer an opening prayer. Her dear Henley Father, we're grateful to be here together as a council and with our staff to be able to discuss the things and pretty into Lehigh and be able to make decisions that would best impact our our city and our residents. We asked the Henley Father that to be with all of our staff members and those who work through the city that they may be safe and protected. We asked you to have that spirit to be with us, that we can make good decisions, that we can show empathy, and that uh we can listen. Again, Henley Father, we're so grateful for the opportunity to serve. Thank you, Councilmember Newell. Okay, we'll jump into uh item number two, 2.1 the power purchase adjustment calculation report. Mr. Julies. All right. Um just wanted to get with you like we had talked about and give you an update on the results from um the power purchase adjustment clause. So that's as you recall a calculation we do at the end of the fiscal year to see how um our collection of our rates ended up being as compared to our wholesale market costs. Um additionally, just as just to remind you, um we had adopted the uh the rate study that was discussed in when did we do that? I think it was June. Uh May or June. Um as you recall, there's a proposed rate increase for this year, and that's about a four percent rate increase. Um when we did the calculation on the power purchase adjustment, the calculation came back that the effective rate will actually be a two percent decrease. So, although those are two separate buckets, so you have your rate and then you have the power purchase adjustment that only deals with the wholesale cost. And so although our rate increase went up to cover everything operationally in the power department, our wholesale energy costs came down enough because of purchases we made, the way things performed, that the net effective rate was gonna go down by two percent. So those are the results. Um, as compared to um other cities and Rocky Mountain Power. We stayed about the same as what we were before. Um that's without the fact that they may have raised their rates or lowered them, but that's where we're at. So that's the report. You don't need to approve anything or do anything different, but we'll just move forward with that. Just want to give you a heads up. Any questions for Mr. Eaves? It's good news. It is good news. Thanks, Joel. Thank you. Okay, item 2.2 quarterly financial report, Mr. Lundell. I'm waiting for something to come up. That's true. It'll work. Right. So um quarterly report uh from for financials.
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