OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Riverton City Council Meeting: July 21, 2026 – Rezones, Economic, Parking, and Hazard Plan

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, July 21, 2026
BodyRiverton, Utah
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, July 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:01:15

Transcript — Verbatim
3:30

Um Cion Bank chief economist Robert Spenlov and I told him I wanted to introduce him just a little bit personally.

3:38

I've gotten to know him through my work on the Intermountain Health Board and always find him knowledgeable and has excellent comments and remarks, and then I've had the chance to listen to his presentations about the economy uh several times and know I come away better informed each and every time.

3:56

And I wanted all of you to have that opportunity.

3:59

So as I indicated, he is the chief ec economist for Zion's Bank.

4:05

And um, he was actually the state demographer, which I find very interesting also.

4:10

And he's spent many years up at the Capitol and was a legislature, legislator for ten years.

4:23

Oh, sure, thanks for having me.

4:25

Um let's see, do you want me oh, you've got it perfect, okay.

4:32

Um, that'd be even better.

4:41

I know right.

4:43

Um, and how long do you want me to go?

4:46

Um, I say it's you for thirty minutes.

4:51

Okay.

4:51

So what what I'll do is I'm just I'll just run through this really quick.

4:56

Um, I've got uh if you've so you've heard me speak.

5:00

If you've ever heard me speak, you know I like to go really fast.

5:02

Um and so I'm gonna fly through these slides.

5:05

I I do about two slides a minute.

5:07

Um so um, but then I'll uh make the the slide deck available, and then we can kind of jump back and if you have any questions, we can go back and do that as well.

5:17

Um just uh also if you're interested, uh we have our uh economic snapshots that uh that we have at our branches and also um on our website if you want kind of a monthly overview of that.

5:31

So the theme of my uh presentation, this has been the theme for the past few weeks.

5:36

Uh we have a new chair of the of the Federal Reserve Bank or central bank, Kevin Warsh, and his theme, he's said this several times, um, has been we will deliver price stability.

5:50

Um the other thing he said, he said inflation is a choice.

5:53

Um, and so what does it mean when he talks about that?

5:57

Um, and it is um it's kind of a pivot uh from what we've been hearing from the Fed recently.

6:03

Um then another one of the big themes that we're looking at this year specifically is we've got these kind of historic economic shocks uh that are facing the economy.

6:15

Um and these are just over the last few years, but we have the the pandemic and the breakdown in the supply chain coupled with a distortion of uh consumer uh demand.

6:26

And then right after that, we have the war with Russia and Ukraine, which is still going.

6:32

Right after that, we've got tariffs and the trade war, which is still going.

6:35

Right after that, we've got the war with Iran, which is going.

6:39

Um, and then coming up, we've got this uh artificial intelligence uh revolution.

6:44

All of these are creating huge distortions in the economy that we don't really understand.

6:51

Um so you can kind of keep that uh in perspective as we're looking at this.

6:56

Um so one of the, you know, when you think about uh banks, what do banks deal with?

7:01

We deal with interest rates.

7:02

And so the you know, the main rate that the Federal Reserve controls is this one.

7:08

In fact, we call this the federal funds rate.

7:10

And it's it's a very short-term rate, it's just an overnight rate.

7:14

So really only banks use it, but it's the rate the banks use to borrow from the Fed to maintain liquidity.

7:21

And so you can see how the Fed uses this rate strategically to try to either speed up or slow down the economy.

7:28

Uh by the way, the shaded areas are recessions.

7:30

Um, so kind of going into the last few years, um, you can see when the when the pandemic hit, it caused a recession, and the Fed pushed that rate down to zero.

7:40

Um, and you know, the uh very quickly after that, as the economy reopened, we started to see runaway inflation.

7:49

So the Fed had to raise that rate up to above five percent.

7:53

Um and now over the last few years, the Fed's been lowering that rate again, um, and now it's back down to about three and a half percent.

8:00

Uh they stopped lowering that rate um last time was about nine months ago.

8:05

Um so the question for markets is what is the Fed gonna do moving forward?

8:11

So, and I want to show you how much the market has changed or the expectations of interest rates have changed.

8:18

So, this is at the beginning of the year.

8:20

Pay attention to the number that's uh for uh 2026.

8:24

So this would be by the end of the year.

8:26

That rate right now is 3.6%.

8:28

The Fed had been saying that they were gonna lower uh that rate uh going through the rest of the year.

8:35

So there was an expectation of interest rates going down for the rest of the year.

8:40

Let me show you the same chart now.

8:43

Whoops, that 2026, and let me jump back again, has gone from 3.4 up to 3.8.

8:52

So what that means is the bias from the Fed has shifted from expecting rates to go down this year to now the expectation is that interest rates are gonna go up this year.

9:03

That's a critical fundamental change in that bias.

9:07

When you look at markets, so this is the market expectation of that same rate.

9:11

The market at the beginning of the year actually thought the Fed was gonna go further and was gonna go all the way down to 3.1%.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████22%
Economic Development███████████████████19%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Transportation Safety███████7%
Signage Regulation███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Immigration Policy███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Riverton City Council Meeting: July 21, 2026 – Rezones, Economic, Parking, and Hazard Plan

The Riverton City Council met on July 21, 2026, in a hybrid work session (5:00 PM) and regular meeting (7:00 PM). The work session featured an economic presentation by Zions Bank, discussions on water smart metering and transitioning parking enforcement from criminal to civil. The regular meeting included citizen comment, police recognition, approval of two rezones along Redwood Road, tabling of a window signage ordinance and a hazard mitigation plan, and a closed session.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of June 16, 2026.
  • Resolution No. 26-37: Approving amendments to the Riverton City Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.
  • Resolution No. 26-38: Issuing a purchase order contract to Methods Consulting for analysis on the Sentinel Ridge Roundabout.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Summer Joos (Riverton) expressed concerns about the city’s participation in the 287(g) program, arguing that the agreement required council approval by ordinance or resolution and urged formal ratification or repeal.
  • Rod Higley opposed the George rezone, citing concerns about increased density’s impact on water resources, stormwater infrastructure, open space, and the heat island effect.
  • Michelle Berg (neighboring property owner) supported RM-6 zoning as the maximum density she would accept for the George and Prince rezones.
  • Bethany Dangerfield (adjacent owner) supported RM-6 zoning due to fire risk from dry vegetation on the vacant lots.
  • Nikki Bown (Laurel Chase Drive) expressed frustration that the applicant claimed to have contacted adjacent residents, stating she was not contacted.
  • Colby (last name not provided) challenged Mr. Prince to acquire two additional properties south of his development.
  • Johann Leiflang (12389 South) supported the Prince rezone, noting difficulty maintaining vacant properties and preferring new single-family homes.

Discussion Items

Zions Bank Economist Presentation

Robert Spendlove, Senior Economist, presented national and Utah economic trends. Key points: inflation remains above 3%, the Fed is expected to possibly raise rates again in 2026; Utah’s economy is strong with 2.8% GDP growth, employment growth, and above-average wage growth (5.5% vs. 4.5% nationally). Housing affordability is a major challenge, with Utah home prices averaging $540,000. Consumer sentiment is low but spending holds up. The presentation included discussion on the impact of AI, trade wars, and the 2034 Olympics.

Water Smart Metering

City Manager Kevin Hicks proposed a customer portal allowing residents to monitor water usage via the Tyler software system. Benefits include real-time monitoring, leak detection, and conservation support. Costs range from $16,000–$60,000 annually depending on integration. Council generally supported the concept but directed staff to evaluate the proposal during the next budget cycle, considering the impact of new water rate structures.

Parking Tickets

Kevin Hicks presented options to transition parking violations from criminal to civil enforcement, citing inefficiencies in the current system (beyond a reasonable doubt standard, high dismissal rates). The change could reduce court burden, improve enforcement, and potentially be expanded to code enforcement via an administrative law judge (ALJ). Council directed staff to gather implementation costs and program structure, with a visit to Taylorsville’s ALJ system scheduled for August 28, 2026. Councilmembers expressed interest but wanted more data.

Ordinance No. 26-17 – George Rezone (12345 & 12363 South Redwood Road)

Rezone of 1.80 acres from RR-22 to RM-6 (single-family detached, 5,000 sq ft lots). Planning Commission recommended approval. Public hearing held; concerns about water, heat island, fire hazard, and neighbor notification. Council approved unanimously, with members noting the RM-6 zone is a reasonable compromise for growth and neighborhood character.

Ordinance No. 26-18 – Prince Rezone (12341 & 12389 South Redwood Road)

Rezone of 1.80 acres from RR-22 to RM-6, consistent with the George rezone. Applicant Alan Prince described plans to consolidate parcels, close seven driveways, add two new access points, and build 34 new single-family homes plus four renovated existing homes. Estimated $30 million in economic value, over $1 million in building fees, and $150,000 annual tax revenue. Public hearing included support and a challenge to acquire more land. Council approved unanimously.

Ordinance No. 26-19 – Window Signage Amendments

Proposed clarifications to window sign regulations: define window signs, limit to business advertising, set 50% coverage per window and 33% of total window area, exempt window tinting, allow full coverage of windows ≤10 sq ft. Discussion included concerns about enforcement, police visibility (Chief Taylor preferred greater visibility for tactical reasons), and impact on businesses. Council tabled the item to the August 4, 2026 meeting to gather more input from business owners and law enforcement.

Resolution No. 26-12 – Hazard Mitigation Plan

Adoption of the Salt Lake County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Volumes 1 & 2). Staff updated project lists per Council feedback. Councilmembers raised questions about boilerplate language, references to climate change, hazard risk analysis, and the relationship between growth and hazards. Council tabled the item to a future meeting, requesting that Salt Lake County Emergency Management representatives attend to explain the plan.

Key Outcomes

  • George Rezone (Ordinance 26-17): Adopted unanimously (5-0).
  • Prince Rezone (Ordinance 26-18): Adopted unanimously (5-0).
  • Window Signage (Ordinance 26-19): Tabled to August 4, 2026 meeting (5-0).
  • Hazard Mitigation Plan (Resolution 26-12): Tabled to a future meeting (5-0).
  • Closed Session: Convened at 8:42 PM to discuss real property and water rights (5-0). Adjourned at 8:58 PM.
  • Administrative Updates: Skate park design grants denied (TRCC funding remains); new utility bills mailing in early August; paper newsletters discontinued; residents can register for printed copies via website.

Meeting Transcript

Um Cion Bank chief economist Robert Spenlov and I told him I wanted to introduce him just a little bit personally. I've gotten to know him through my work on the Intermountain Health Board and always find him knowledgeable and has excellent comments and remarks, and then I've had the chance to listen to his presentations about the economy uh several times and know I come away better informed each and every time. And I wanted all of you to have that opportunity. So as I indicated, he is the chief ec economist for Zion's Bank. And um, he was actually the state demographer, which I find very interesting also. And he's spent many years up at the Capitol and was a legislature, legislator for ten years. Oh, sure, thanks for having me. Um let's see, do you want me oh, you've got it perfect, okay. Um, that'd be even better. I know right. Um, and how long do you want me to go? Um, I say it's you for thirty minutes. Okay. So what what I'll do is I'm just I'll just run through this really quick. Um, I've got uh if you've so you've heard me speak. If you've ever heard me speak, you know I like to go really fast. Um and so I'm gonna fly through these slides. I I do about two slides a minute. Um so um, but then I'll uh make the the slide deck available, and then we can kind of jump back and if you have any questions, we can go back and do that as well. Um just uh also if you're interested, uh we have our uh economic snapshots that uh that we have at our branches and also um on our website if you want kind of a monthly overview of that. So the theme of my uh presentation, this has been the theme for the past few weeks. Uh we have a new chair of the of the Federal Reserve Bank or central bank, Kevin Warsh, and his theme, he's said this several times, um, has been we will deliver price stability. Um the other thing he said, he said inflation is a choice. Um, and so what does it mean when he talks about that? Um, and it is um it's kind of a pivot uh from what we've been hearing from the Fed recently. Um then another one of the big themes that we're looking at this year specifically is we've got these kind of historic economic shocks uh that are facing the economy. Um and these are just over the last few years, but we have the the pandemic and the breakdown in the supply chain coupled with a distortion of uh consumer uh demand. And then right after that, we have the war with Russia and Ukraine, which is still going. Right after that, we've got tariffs and the trade war, which is still going. Right after that, we've got the war with Iran, which is going. Um, and then coming up, we've got this uh artificial intelligence uh revolution. All of these are creating huge distortions in the economy that we don't really understand. Um so you can kind of keep that uh in perspective as we're looking at this. Um so one of the, you know, when you think about uh banks, what do banks deal with? We deal with interest rates. And so the you know, the main rate that the Federal Reserve controls is this one. In fact, we call this the federal funds rate. And it's it's a very short-term rate, it's just an overnight rate. So really only banks use it, but it's the rate the banks use to borrow from the Fed to maintain liquidity. And so you can see how the Fed uses this rate strategically to try to either speed up or slow down the economy. Uh by the way, the shaded areas are recessions. Um, so kind of going into the last few years, um, you can see when the when the pandemic hit, it caused a recession, and the Fed pushed that rate down to zero. Um, and you know, the uh very quickly after that, as the economy reopened, we started to see runaway inflation. So the Fed had to raise that rate up to above five percent. Um and now over the last few years, the Fed's been lowering that rate again, um, and now it's back down to about three and a half percent. Uh they stopped lowering that rate um last time was about nine months ago. Um so the question for markets is what is the Fed gonna do moving forward? So, and I want to show you how much the market has changed or the expectations of interest rates have changed. So, this is at the beginning of the year. Pay attention to the number that's uh for uh 2026.

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