Riverton City Council Meeting March 4, 2025: Park, Fire Staffing, Budget, and Fee Decisions
Riverton City Council Meeting - March 4, 2025
This combined Work Session and Regular City Council meeting on March 4, 2025, addressed a range of topics including a proposed 10-acre park, a contentious discussion on fire engine staffing levels, budget adjustments, and water rate fee schedule changes. The Council also heard public comments on traffic safety and a resident firefighter's concerns, recognized community achievers, and approved several resolutions and ordinances.
Consent Calendar
- Items Approved (a, b, c): The Council unanimously approved minute approval (Feb 18, 2025), a performance bond release for Riverton West Building 1 (Resolution 25-12), and declaring city equipment surplus (Resolution 25-13). Items d and e were removed for separate discussion.
- Animal Control Interlocal Agreement (Resolution 25-14): Approved unanimously after City Manager Kevin Hicks explained it will allow Herriman City to provide interim shelter services while Riverton's new animal shelter (expected completion by end of June 2025) is under construction.
- Truck Routes Ordinance (Ordinance 25-07): Approved unanimously to remove 13800 South from truck routes, with intent to revisit other routes after construction concludes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Traffic Safety (Parkside Community): Alexander Johnson and Abigail Patenai requested a "Do Not Block Intersection" sign and more traffic enforcement at the Parkside neighborhood entrance on 12600 South, citing dangerous conditions due to Bangerter Highway construction and 13400 South closure. They noted traffic regularly blocks the intersection and left-turn visibility is poor.
- JustServe City Invitation: Elizabeth Hymas and Joseph White invited Riverton to become a JustServe City, a free platform connecting residents with volunteer opportunities.
- Fire Staffing Concerns: Cliff Burningham, a resident and professional firefighter, urged the Council not to reduce staffing from four to three firefighters on engines, arguing it compromises safety and scene control, especially during critical medical calls. He advocated for increasing service to meet rising demand.
Presentations
- Choice Awards for Excellence in Education: Councilmember McDougal presented awards to Southland Elementary students Claire Preece and Steven Lambson, and school counselor Maria Velasquez-Stump for their contributions.
- Recognition of "Riverton Depot Dawgz": Mayor Staggs recognized a team from Jiffy Lube who won first place in a global competition (out of 1,300 teams) for the fastest oil change, earning a $10,000 prize.
Discussion Items
- Mountain Ridge Development 10-Acre Park: Development Services Director Jason Lethbridge presented plans for a park south of 13400 South along Sentinel Drive, including playfields, a splash pad, playground, pickleball courts, and walking trails. Councilmember McDougal expressed concern about the splash pad in a desert environment, but Councilmember Pierucci supported it, citing high community demand. Staff noted parks committee review and that the retention pond would be grassed for programmable use. Representative Brandon Watson from Edge Homes said construction could start this year pending plan approval.
- Fire Three Man vs. Four Man Service: Mayor Staggs clarified the discussion is budget-based, not a reflection on UFA service. Councilmember Buroker requested historical context on staffing levels. Chief Dominic Burchett detailed that Riverton currently benefits from 12 firefighters per day for the cost of eight due to specialty units. Reducing both stations to three-person crews would result in a 33% reduction in daily staffing and removal of specialty units and one ambulance. Councilmember Pierucci noted the city's population growth and questioned if savings justify public safety impacts. Councilmember McDougal supported exploring a split (one station four-person, one three-person) but stressed it's temporary. Councilmember Haymond advocated for planning for rising costs rather than cutting services. The Council requested call volume data by station (121: 1200 calls, 124: 900 calls in 2024) and deferred a final decision to the next meeting on March 18, 2025.
- Budget Amendment (Resolution 25-11): Administrative Services Director Nick Geer explained the need to adjust the budget for additional water purchases ($1.6 million short) due to delays in the Greenwell project and higher-than-expected water use. The amendment uses fund balance. Councilmembers discussed improving budget transparency and monthly reporting. The amendment was approved unanimously.
- Fee Schedule Amendment (Resolution 25-10): Council debated two water rate options. Exhibit A raises base rates across the board; Exhibit B increases tiered usage rates. Councilmember Buroker supported Exhibit A, citing need for base rate increase and lack of data on high users. Councilmember McCay worried about fairness for HOAs and PUDs. Councilmember McDougal supported usage-based pricing to incentivize conservation. Councilmember Pierucci preferred Exhibit B as a step before a pending rate study. Public commenter Shonda Walker supported Exhibit B for conservation and fairness. The Council ultimately approved Exhibit B unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Rezone Approved: Ordinance 25-06, rezoning 0.81 acres at 11968 South Redwood Road from C-N to C-G, passed unanimously.
- Budget Amendment Approved: Resolution 25-11, amending the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget for additional water purchases, passed unanimously.
- Fee Schedule Approved: Resolution 25-10, adopting water rate changes with Exhibit B (tiered usage increase), effective April 1, 2025, passed unanimously.
- Fire Staffing Decision Deferred: The Council will make a final decision on whether to reduce one or both stations to three-person crews at the March 18, 2025 meeting, after reviewing station call data and further discussion.
- Closed Session: The Council convened a closed session at 8:48 PM to discuss real property (water rights) and adjourned at 9:20 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right, Council, I know we have quite a bit to talk about here in work session meetings, so we'll get started a couple of minutes late. Call our work session meeting to order all of our elected officials present. Three items up in discussion. Um Ryan, help me out 5A. How much time do you think that would that would take? Because I'd like to prioritize some for some open discussion and work in the work session on uh 5C. Mayor, my recommendation is that you just exercise your prerogative as board chair to go ahead and bump mine to the end. We'll take whatever types left. Then let's and as much as we got Brandon here on 5B, let's go ahead and talk about that, and we'll move into 5C and then time permitting the uh business license code updates. So it's five we're on five B. Five B. Is that right? Okay. This is, and I'll I'll just level set this conversation very quickly. This is a discussion item on the park, the ten acre park that is part of the mountain ridge development. I don't know why I put that picture together. It isn't very good. Uh just shows you it's uh it's the area south of 134th along Sentinel. The east side of Sentinel is now uh beginning development uh with edge homes. It's the second part of that uh mountain ridge uh and it includes the ten acre park. This is is rotated to its side, so a hundred and thirty-fourth is on the left side of the screen, but it's the uh ten acre area along the canal with 138 forming the uh the south border, uh, and then it comes up to this point. Uh this is early uh in the process. Obviously, there's uh some uh very decently fleshed out plans for the park. They've been working with our our parks and trails committee, but it is not before you for approval, nor is it uh going to the planning commission yet. So we just wanted to get general feedback uh from you and and priorities and and questions and concerns. Just to make it fun, I rotated this the other way, so 138th is now on the other side of the screen. Uh but you can see uh it is bordered the canal on the east side, uh, this Greenford Lane along the west side, uh, and then it's kind of broken up into general areas. The the southern portion, uh, we've got a couple of play fields uh that are scaled out with the associated parking. This middle area, and we'll we'll get to some more detail is is laid out for the the recreation, the play area. There's a splash pad, some playground equipment, and then uh pickleball courts. Uh and this this north area, because of the geometry is is not quite sized sufficiently for uh formal programmed play space. Uh so the discussion that we've had uh with this area would would be a little uh more informal and passive uh with some walking trails and things there. But uh Edge Holmes, who is uh developing the overall area and is also going to serve as the design and and contractor on the park itself, uh has put together some uh renderings of the space. I'll just go through those very quickly and then we'll go back and and we can both respond to questions and provide any additional details. Uh you can see the uh pickleball courts laid out and then play ground equipment and uh and a splash pad uh that you can see there. The this northern area here, there's a a break point between them. This is the clubhouse and pool that would be private to the mountain ridge development. Uh so separate from the public park, and and we felt it best for a lot of reasons to have a very clear dividing line between the two. Uh so again, oh and the the trail will extend along the canal. That's kind of that uh hatched line that you see here. Uh so the trail will run uh within the park area along and then it will connect to the loop. And let me go back to uh it will connect to a loop that goes around the development. It they'll be able to cross Sentinel, uh, and then it it loops all the way around. So there'll be some walking paths internal to the development as well. So, really tonight uh just we both wanted to introduce you to the park as it's currently laid out, but also give you the opportunity for input, feedback, questions, concerns, and and we can move forward with uh more formal design uh to incorporate those things in. So we have a representative from Edge Homes, uh Brandon that's here, and then again, it's also been reviewed uh over several meetings by Cheryl and the parks committee. Thank you. That was gonna be my first question. So this has been a lot of input from our parks committee uh to come to this point. And second question, the clubhouse component there, that's not part of the 10 acres, correct?
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