Riverton City Council Work Session and Meeting - October 20, 2026

This was a hybrid meeting of the Riverton City Council, beginning with a work session at 4:30 PM and a regular council meeting at 7:00 PM. The work session covered the traffic calming program, a potential administrative law judge (ALJ) system for code enforcement, and a comprehensive review of the city's fee schedule. The council meeting included citizen comments on the city's 287(g) ICE agreement, presentations, consent agenda items, and public hearings on land use and signage ordinances. Several votes were taken, including approval of a satellite water leak detection contract and skate park design services.

Work Session: Traffic Committee Process

• City Engineer Matt Cassel presented an update on the traffic calming program. He reported that 16 agenda items were closed in the last month, 27 remain open, and 4 were added. The program will shift from quarterly to monthly meetings to improve response times.
• A new three-phase appeal process is being drafted: if a resident's request is denied, they can gain neighborhood support to move to higher phases (e.g., 25% of neighborhood signatures). This aims to prevent one or two residents from driving decisions without broader community input.
• Councilmember Perucci suggested exploring whether the traffic calming process should be codified as an ordinance rather than an administrative policy. The mayor and others preferred implementing it first with flexibility, then potentially formalizing later.
• Staff will provide quarterly updates to council on program activities.
• Mayor reported that Jordan School District approved a land trade with UDOT for a staging site for Mountain View Corridor construction, affecting current park space used by girls softball and Harriman football. The property is zoned parks and open space; any future change would require council action.

Work Session: Administrative Law Judge Discussion

• City Attorney Ryan Carter presented options for handling code enforcement cases. Currently, cases go through justice court with a 14-day notice to correct, then prosecutor filing, then court adjudication (often taking 40–300 days).
• He contrasted with Taylorsville's system using an ALJ, which offers a predictable 60-day timeline, civil penalties (preponderance of evidence), and daily fines that can result in tax liens. Estimated cost: ~$150,000/year for a coordinator plus $12,000–$24,000 for an ALJ contract, potentially offset to under $100,000 by converting an existing unfilled position.
• Current caseload: 35 cases went to court in 2025; 2026 is on pace for 60–70% of that (about 20–25 cases). The city has 6 warrants out for code enforcement cases.
• Councilmember McDougall argued for stronger code enforcement to attract high-end retail and improve city aesthetics, noting that current fines are often under $500 and that cases can be dragged out for years in district court.
• Councilmember Heyman asked about proactive vs. complaint-driven enforcement. Staff noted that increased personal contact by the code enforcement officer has improved compliance rates.
• The council decided to defer the ALJ decision, instead focusing on tightening code language and clarifying council intent. They will continue to improve the existing process.

Work Session: Fee Schedule Discussion

• City Manager Kevin Hicks presented a comprehensive review of the fee schedule, noting that many fees have not been updated since 2019 or earlier. The goal is to cover costs (not generate profit) and to compare with other cities.
• Key areas: General government, police, cemetery (opening/closing fees), planning & zoning (all fees), engineering (some fees tied to wages), building permits (using ICC valuation tables), animal control (new shelter, cost analysis ongoing), parks & recreation fees (including a controversial event fee for large groups).
• For parks, staff raised the issue of events over 500 attendees. Options include requiring rental of all facilities, setting a cap (e.g., 350 people without a special permit), or charging higher fees. The council did not make a decision but will discuss further on November 17, 2026.
• Impact fees are being reviewed separately by a consultant; any changes require a public hearing and a 90-day waiting period.
• The council generally agreed that fees should be reviewed annually to account for inflation.

Council Meeting: Citizen Comments on 287(g) ICE Agreement

• Multiple speakers (Alexander Lecate, Taylor Payton, Summer, Angela, Aaron, Amanda) spoke against Riverton's 287(g) agreement with ICE, citing examples of civil rights abuses, racial profiling, and a recent case in Noel, Missouri, where a high school student was detained after a traffic stop. They argued that the agreement diverts police resources, erodes trust, and has not been shown to improve public safety. Some referenced studies showing that such agreements increase victimization among Latinos. They urged the council to end the agreement.
• The council listened but did not respond or take action during the meeting.

Presentations/Recognitions

• Councilmember McDougall presented the Riverton City Choice Award for Excellence in Education to Hadley, a third/fourth-grade student from Midas Creek, recognized for her kindness, diligence, and perseverance after a serious injury.
• Chief Taylor was absent due to illness; the police department presentation was skipped.

Consent Calendar

• Item 14b (Resolution No. 26-50): Authorizing a purchase order contract with Asterra for satellite water leak detection/infrastructure condition assessment. Councilmember Smith requested it be pulled for discussion. Staff explained the technology uses satellite radar to detect underground water leaks, followed by acoustic verification. The cost is about $18,000, with potential savings from reduced water loss and infrastructure damage. The council approved the contract after roll call vote (all yes).
• Minutes: Approved for October 6, 2026.

Public Hearings

• Ordinance No. 26-21 (Table of Commercial Uses): Updated to comply with state code changes, added churches as conditional uses in commercial zones, cleaned up categories, and adjusted permissions. The planning commission recommended approval. No public comment. The council adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance No. 26-19 (Window Signage): Amendments to regulate window signs, distinguishing them from window tinting. The original proposal limited signage to 50% of a single window and 33% of total building surface. Alternatives included removing all limits or prohibiting window signs. After debate, the council voted to adopt the alternative language removing limits on allowed window signage (motion by Councilmember Johnson, second by Perucci). All voted yes. Staff will prepare the final ordinance.

Discussion/Action Items

• Resolution No. 26-51 (Skate Park Conceptual Designs): Approved a contract with American Ramp Company for $18,000 to produce conceptual designs for two locations (Centennial Park and Main Park). This is not approval of a location or final design. Funding is from a TRCC grant (approximately $18,500). The council approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Resolution 26-50 (Asterra contract): Approved (all yes).
• Vote on Ordinance 26-21 (Table of Commercial Uses): Adopted (all yes).
• Vote on Ordinance 26-19 (Window Signage): Adopted with alternative language removing size limits (all yes).
• Vote on Resolution 26-51 (Skate Park design contract): Approved (all yes).
• Deferred Decisions: The Administrative Law Judge system for code enforcement was tabled pending further code clarification. The fee schedule review, especially parks event fees, will be discussed at the November 17 work session. The traffic calming program will be reviewed at the next work session after council members have time to study the draft.
• Next Steps: Staff will provide quarterly updates on traffic calming, prepare a formal traffic calming document for council input, and bring back parks fee recommendations on November 17.