Riverton City Council Meeting - January 7, 2025: Rezones, UFA Report, and Mayor Pro Tem Election
Riverton City Council Meeting - January 7, 2025
The Riverton City Council held its regular meeting on January 7, 2025, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included a Unified Fire Authority presentation, approval of consent items, election of a Mayor Pro Tem, and three public hearings on proposed rezones. The council unanimously approved two rezones (Ordinances 25-01 and 25-02) and denied a third (Ordinance 25-03) by a 3-2 vote.
Consent Calendar
- Minute Approval: Minutes from December 3, 2024, approved.
- Resolution 25-01: Performance bond release for Scooters Coffee Site Plan (project 13773).
- Resolution 25-02: Warranty bond release for Copperview Farms (project 10457). All items approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Suzanne Wood (Jordan School District Board appointee) introduced herself and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the council.
- Christy Gardner (resident on 11800 South) raised concerns about increasing traffic and speeding on 11800 South, proposing traffic calming measures such as narrowing lanes, adding curvature, flashing speed signs, a tree canopy, and stop signs. She also noted the lack of an ADA ramp from the handicapped parking area into the building.
- Pelaez Rezone Public Hearing: Several residents spoke in opposition, citing preservation of the R-1 (one-acre residential) zoning, the City's General Plan, property rights, and neighborhood character. Speakers included:
- Marvin Hagen (Hagen Collision owner): Concerned about potential road widening and its impact on his business.
- Lawrence Sorge: Noted that few R-1 zones remain in Riverton and urged preservation.
- Troy Anderson: Read a statement emphasizing the 50-year-old neighborhood's rural character and CC&R restrictions, arguing the rezone is not aligned with the General Plan and would negatively affect property values.
- Wendy Onstott: Opposed "chipping away" at R-1 zoning and warned of setting a precedent.
- Marcus Wayman: Described the peaceful nature of the subdivision and asked the council to preserve it.
- The applicant, Daniel Pelaez (general contractor), and property owner Rob Freeman (First Choice Heating and Air) spoke in favor, emphasizing minimal traffic impact, plans for an aesthetically pleasing office and storage facility, and the difficulty of using the home as a rental on a busy road.
Discussion Items
Mayor/Council Reports
- Councilmember Buroker: Reported a nearly finalized policy allowing residents to place memorial plaques on existing city benches for $1,000 (locations predetermined). Ongoing Unified Fire discussions on fee increases, transitioning from three-person to four-person crews, and county contributions. Attended a policy meeting on post-disaster emergency preparedness training for public officials.
- Councilmember Pierucci: Noted Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District boundary changes (Bluffdale no longer represented). Informed residents that the EPA is reassessing safety levels of fluoride in water.
- Councilmember McDougal: Announced the Trans-Jordan annual all-day meeting rescheduled to February 6, covering the opening of the Sandy transfer station and construction of a new transfer station as the current landfill is expected to close in approximately six years.
- Councilmember Haymond: Attended a Utah League of Cities and Towns training on Redevelopment Agencies (RDA) and highlighted past effective use of RDA funding.
- Mayor Staggs: Announced the annual Strategic Planning Meeting on January 11 (8 AM to 2-3 PM, open to public). Noted cumulative property tax savings of approximately $21 million since the city began self-providing law enforcement in 2018. Utility fees are among the lowest in the valley, supported by strong sales tax revenue from developments like Mountain View Village. Reaffirmed that Riverton is not a sanctuary city and will enforce immigration laws in cooperation with federal agencies.
Presentations
- Religious Freedom Day Proclamation: Mayor Staggs proclaimed January 16, 2025, as Religious Freedom Day in Riverton, recognizing religious freedom for all residents.
- Unified Fire Authority Presentation: Chief Watkins presented 2024 EMS and fire response data: 2,168 incidents (a 7.49% increase from prior years), with half classified as priority one calls requiring advanced life support. The top address for 911 responses received 90 calls; the top 20 addresses each received at least 10 calls. A total of 441 business inspections were completed, following the International Fire Code. He recounted a November 9 garage fire where two firefighters sustained injuries due to gasoline; the department uses blue and green sheets for incident review and performance improvement.
Ordinance 25-01 – Riverton Under Car Properties Rezone
- Rezone of approximately 0.88 acres at 2284 West 12600 South from RR-22 (Residential 1/2-acre minimum) to C-G (Gateway Commercial). No specific use proposed. The Planning Commission recommended approval. Public hearing had no comments. Approved unanimously.
Ordinance 25-02 – Sycamore Glen South Rezone
- Rezone of approximately 1.04 acres at 11851 South Redwood Road from RR-22 to RM-14-SD, with special development conditions: minimum parcel size of one acre, maximum of 10 units, no more than five contiguous units, and coordination of shared access. Applicant Dave Morton expressed gratitude for collaboration. Planning Commission recommended approval; staff added condition on shared access coordination. Christy Gardner's traffic concerns were noted. Approved unanimously.
Ordinance 25-03 – Pelaez Rezone (Denied)
- Proposal to amend the General Plan and rezone approximately 0.96 acres at 3516 West 12600 South from R-1 (single-family residential, one-acre minimum) to C-G (Commercial Gateway). Applicant Rob Freeman wants to operate his HVAC business from the property. The Planning Commission recommended denial. Council discussion focused on spot zoning, adherence to the General Plan, property rights, and economic benefits. Councilmembers McCay and Pierucci supported approval, citing minimal traffic impact (approx. 30,000 cars per day on 12600 South), personal property rights, and potential sales tax revenue. Councilmembers Buroker, Haymond, and McDougal opposed, emphasizing the importance of the General Plan, avoiding fractured development, and preserving neighborhood character. Denied 3-2.
Open and Public Meetings Training
- City Attorney Ryan Carter announced that the annual Open and Public Meetings Training will be provided via video link; council members will return certificates of completion to the city recorder.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
- Mayor Pro Tem: Councilmember Tish Buroker was elected Mayor Pro Tem for 2025 (unanimous).
- Ordinance 25-01: Adopted unanimously.
- Ordinance 25-02: Adopted unanimously.
- Ordinance 25-03: Denied (3-2: Buroker, Haymond, McDougal voted to deny; McCay and Pierucci voted against denial).
- Open and Public Meetings Training: To be completed online by council members.
- Upcoming Meetings: Strategic Planning Meeting on January 11, 2025, at 8:00 AM; next regular meetings on January 21, February 4, February 18, and March 4, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
And she's like, if you want, if he's ready to roll, I'll have to go through it. Let's do that. So it's what I suspect that she's like on the question. That's where it's there mostly. Yeah. But when I ran about it, I have three minutes. I don't know. Maybe kind of wrote a picture, yeah. Do we have a meeting? Yeah, business. So I can see it. Anyway, that's just mine. I think it's just the first thing it's all necessary. Welcome everybody. We want to uh start our city council meeting, the first one of twenty twenty-five. It's very well attended here tonight. Thank you all for your participation. Uh we're going to start with an invocation offered by Jason Lethbridge, um, director of development services, and then after that, Chief Watkins is going to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Our Heavenly Father, we are grateful to be able to gather together this evening. We're grateful for the freedoms for this good country that allows us this opportunity. Please bless us this evening as we review these uh issues and items together with civility and care for each other, but also we appreciate those who are willing to step forward and participate in this process. We're grateful for those who lead this city who make all that we do here possible. We are thankful for all that we have been blessed with that acknowledge thy hand in that, and we say so in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Audience, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation or another in indivisible with liberty and justice for a while. Thank you, Jason. Thank you, Chief. Uh let me start out by saying as we move to our citizen comment portion of the meeting here, item three. We do have three issues slated for public hearing. And if you're here to speak to one of those public hearings, I'd ask that you just hold your comments until then. Um let me ask, I I think the popular item on the agenda tonight is item nine C, which is the rezone at approximately thirty-five sixteen west, a hundred and twenty-six south. How many are here to speak to that? Okay. Um I ask how many how many are in opposition to that? How many are four? Okay. Um let me do this because we have so many to help it go more orderly. I'm gonna ask uh our communications director Josh Lee to distribute some cards. If you want to provide public comment, we have received a lot of emails as well, and uh those have all been reviewed by council members, taken as part of the record. Um but given you can see how many are here. If you are wanting to speak on behalf of a larger group, we can do that too. And I can afford you a few more minutes in the the three minutes we usually give in the public hearing. Okay, so I would ask that if if you can kind of consolidate your comments or find those that you might you want to speak on on their behalf, uh then that will allow us to go through this meeting a little more timely. But outside of those issues, the um the rezone at 2284 West 126 South, uh, the one off 118 South Redwood Road, and the one there that I just mentioned, 3516 West 126 South. If you're speaking or want to make public comment there, you'll have ample opportunity to do so when we get to item or agenda number nine. Right now, the citizen comment is really for anybody else that wants to address the city council. If you want to speak outside of those three items, please step forward, uh, give us your name so our city recorder can can capture that and then be given about three minutes to address the council. I'll be very brief.
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