Regular Session

Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 Minutes Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Location: Fairfield Town Office, 121 West Main Street, Fairfield, Utah Time: 7:00 P.M. Minutes By: Stephanie Shelley Call to Order 1)​ Roll Call Town Council Members Present: Mayor Hollie McKinney (arrived late from mediation), RL Panek, Tyler Thomas (arrived late from mediation), Richard Cameron, Michael Weber Staff Present: Treasurer: Codi Butterfield, Attorney: Todd Sheeran, Officer: Sargent Dutson Others Present: Spencer Foster (LAA/MAG), Tal Adair, Kyler Fisher, Vern Carson, Attonnery: Todd Sheeran. 2)​ Prayer / Pledge Of Allegiance Councilman Cameron offered the prayer. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance. ​ 3)​ General Public Comment (2-minute limit per person): Comments are for any matter not on the agenda and not related to a pending land use application. ​ Vern Carson asked if the council would be addressing the water ordinance during the meeting. Councilman Weber confirmed it was on the agenda as business item 7, but noted they were not taking action on it as the Planning Commission hadn't completed their review. Reports 1)​ Planning Commission Update. Kyler Fisher reported that the Planning Commission met last Tuesday. During this meeting, no items were passed. He mentioned that the Planning Commission did not take action on any resolutions or applications. The discussion included whether there needs to be another meeting to ensure all deadlines are met for their pending matters. Kyler also highlighted the time constraint for processing planning items, noting that they are awaiting specific deadlines to ensure the timely completion of all requirements. 2)​ Presentation on the Government Data Privacy Act (10-15 mins) - Spencer Foster Spencer Foster presented on the 2024 Government Data Privacy Act, which requires every government entity to adopt a privacy policy by December 31, 2025. The law prohibits agencies from selling personal information such as phone numbers and addresses. It requires the town to 1 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 appoint a Chief Administrative Officer, likely the Mayor, and records officers, which will be the Recorder (Stephanie) and Treasurer (Codi). All staff, council, and planning commission members must complete annual training through an eight-minute video. Future compliance steps will include data inventory and additional protections. Spencer noted that this is another unfunded state mandate, but offered to assist Hollie and Stephanie with the compliance process and will send templates and materials for consideration at a future council meeting. Consent Items The Council may approve these items without discussion or public comment and may remove an item to the Business Items for discussion and consideration. Councilman Weber had questions on the following payments regarding the cemetery. ●​ Gross pay of $200 on May 31, 2025, June 30, 2025, and July 31, 2025. ○​ Codi clarified that this is the Sexton pay. ●​ Cemetery clean-up of $495 on June 19, 2025. ○​ Codi clarified that it was for the cemetery clean-up for Memorial Day. ●​ Question on what the $900 was on July 22, 2025 ○​ Codi clarified that it was for McNiel engineering for the Cemetery plat. 1)​ Approval of Minutes: July 16, 2025 2)​ Approval of Financials: June 30, 2025, and July 31, 2025. Councilman Weber motioned to approve the consent items number 1 and 2. Councilman Cameron seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mayor McKinney - Yes Councilman Panek - Yes Councilman Cameron - Yes Councilman Weber - Yes Business Items The Council will discuss (without public comment) and may approve the following items: 1)​ Approve the #R2025-13 A Resolution Of Fairfield Town, Utah, Approving The Interlocal Cooperation Agreement With Utah County For The 2025 Recreation Grant Agreement Between Utah County And Fairfield Town. Mayor McKinney explained this was the annual recreation grant from Utah County, typically around $2,000, which must be used for park purposes. This year's amount was $2,051. Councilman Cameron motioned to approve #R2025-13 A Resolution Of Fairfield Town, Utah, Approving The Interlocal Cooperation Agreement With Utah County For The 2025 Recreation Grant Agreement Between Utah County And Fairfield Town. Councilman Panek seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 2 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 Mayor McKinney - Yes Councilman Panek - Yes Councilman Cameron - Yes Councilman Weber - Yes 2)​ Discuss previous recreation grants from Utah County Mayor McKinney brought up blacksmithing equipment that was purchased with a previous recreation grant during Brad's time. The equipment is currently stored in the town garage, and Clay from the park had asked if he could have it. After discussion, the Council decided to keep the equipment for future use in the town park rather than giving it to the Camp Floyd State Park. 3)​ Discussion on the Utah County Sheriff using a room in the town office. Mayor McKinney explained that the Utah County Sheriff would like to use a room in the town office to sit and do reports. The sheriff would like a location where he can see the door and window. The Council agreed this would be a positive arrangement and had no objections. 4)​ Discuss the Comcast Water impact fee and water requirements Mayor McKinney explained that Comcast has a building permit for a property in the Bolindar subdivision across from the storage units. The one-acre property will only need water for minimal landscaping outside its fence. The town's ordinance requires a one-acre share of water per acre lot, but it is unclear whether this requirement should also apply to utility stations that use very little water. The Council discussed whether impact fees could be reduced, given the minimal impact on the water system. The consensus was that Comcast should still purchase a water share as required initially, as they were aware of this requirement from the beginning of the project, and they would still be connecting to the town's water system. 5)​ Comcast franchise agreement. Mayor McKinney stated this item would be tabled as Todd Sheeran (attorney) still had some concerns with the agreement after his review, and she hadn't had a chance to look at it yet. 6)​ Road easements for utilities Mayor McKinney explained that the town lacks proper utility easements for roads, a problem that will become apparent when Comcast connects its building to fiber along Allen’s Ranch Road to SR 73. There are also no utility easements for natural gas, which is scheduled for installation in spring 2026. The discussion noted that some roads do not appear as owned by Fairfield Town in Utah County parcel maps, certain roadways need to be dedicated to the town, most roads have a 56-foot right-of-way from fence to fence, and additional easements will likely be required for dry utilities such as gas, power, and communications. The Council agreed to obtain an estimate from McNeil Engineering to determine the cost of resolving these easement issues. 3 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 7)​ Discuss and review the Water ordinance Mayor McKinney presented a draft water ordinance, prepared with assistance from Bowen Collins, that still requires revision. The draft included new definitions, policies on irrigation shares, water rights, and source locations, well capping provisions, and updated water share requirements. Concerns were raised that the proposed requirements were too high: 1.8 acre-feet per residential lot plus 1.8 acre-feet per additional acre. The draft also prohibited private wells for culinary use within 300 feet of the municipal system (reduced from 1,000 feet), and commercial and light industrial standards remained unclear. Tyler noted that state law requires only 0.45 acre-feet for a single-family home with a yard, while Fairfield’s higher standards account for animals, gardens, and rural uses. The Council agreed to retain the current requirements, which have worked well, while considering a minimum for commercial and industrial properties, with additional needs to be determined by an engineer. Mayor McKinney emphasized that the ordinance must be adopted by September 29, which will require a public hearing and additional meetings. She will send the draft to the Council for review. 8)​ Update on The Inland Port Authority Mayor McKinney reported that the Inland Port Authority is still working on reimbursing the town for the waterline. Because the bond amount is small compared to their typical $30 million bonds, the Authority is exploring alternative financing options, including a collateralized loan. She expressed frustration that reimbursement—promised for June or July—has still not occurred. Mayor McKinney has another meeting scheduled with the Port Authority and stated she will halt the project if the town is not reimbursed. 9)​ Discuss the budget Codi Butterfield reported that the budget includes $750,000 for park improvements in the general fund and $955,000 in the capital projects fund following the purchase of the land and house. The lowest bid for the park project was approximately $430,000 to $435,000 and covers excavation to five inches below finished grade, construction of the parking lot and park access road, relocation of a fire hydrant, installation of culinary water for the future town hall, and a tap for the sprinkler system. The Council discussed the future town hall and agreed to move forward with the park project, awarding the bid for Phase 1 and beginning planning for Phase 2, which may include the history path. They also decided to reserve the central location for a future, more substantial town hall rather than building a basic structure now, and to revisit town hall plans in January after the Christmas events. 10)​ Discussion on next steps with the park ​ Discussed as part of the budget item above. 4 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 11)​ Discussion on the maintenance of the new office and items that need to be taken care of. The Council reviewed several maintenance issues that need attention, including installing a security camera and improving lighting in the back parking lot, constructing a concrete path to the house, building a handicap ramp using structural foam with a four-inch sidewalk on top, repairing a water spigot that sprays, and fixing broken electrical outlets on the back patio. The Council agreed to purchase solar lights as an immediate solution for lighting. Councilman Cameron noted he has assistance from Oakland for construction projects and will bill the town for their hours once the work is completed. 12)​ Discussion on landscaping maintenance in Town. Mayor McKinney informed the Council that the Cemetery Board was aware of Tristan mowing the cemetery. She explained that the lawnmower had not been working, and since Tristan’s crew was already working in town, she asked him if he could also take care of the cemetery. Councilman Thomas had already contacted him to set up maintenance on the spring. Before the Town moved into the new office, Hollie asked Tristan about his rates, and he quoted $50 per maintenance visit. It was not yet clear whether mowing would be needed weekly or every other week. Tristan also agreed to move the water on his own time, mow along the driveway and road, and address weeds around the new office. Hollie arranged for the work to be completed in one visit to save time and effort. Councilmember Weber expressed concern about having the Mayor’s son perform paid work for the Town. He noted that Tristan had previously mowed the cemetery in August without the Cemetery Board’s knowledge, for which he received $400, despite the cemetery not being watered. Councilman Weber said he was uncomfortable with the arrangement and believed the decision had been made improperly. Mayor McKinney acknowledged his frustration, noting that the mower was down, weeds were knee-high, and additional tasks still needed attention around town, including cleaning up Bird’s Road and maintaining the road into the cemetery. She explained that she had only mentioned the cemetery mowing to Tristan while his crew was already in town working, and he completed it quickly. Councilman Thomas added that Tristan’s company had been handling the spring maintenance for four years and always did a good job, including work on Darwin’s property, and he had no concerns with their performance. Mayor McKinney stated that she had told Tristan not to do any additional work. She clarified that she was not interested in being directly involved with the Cemetery Board but felt obligated to respond when residents complained about upkeep. She believed the Cemetery Board was generally doing a good job, but that the ordinance process still needed to be completed. She also noted that she had asked Vern and Councilman Weber to address cemetery maintenance issues while she was away at Lake Powell. Mayor McKinney stated she had attempted to contact all Councilmembers about the situation regarding the move to the Town Office. Mayor McKinney explained that she had asked the 5 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 Council for mover recommendations, but only Councilman Cameron had responded with a suggestion. Since the staff could not move the heavier items themselves and the Council was unavailable, she had asked Tristan’s company to assist. She pointed out that the company carried its own insurance for moving. Since that is not what Councilman Weber wanted, she is grateful that his family helped with the move. Her intent was to save the Town money. Councilman Panek confirmed that the mayor had reached out to him about using her son’s company. He acknowledged that in the past, when he received quotes for cleanup along the road and labor, they were high, with quotes over $2,000 just to pick up roadside trash. He said he had no issue with hiring laborers for the work, and that $200 per hour for professional movers was reasonable; he did not object to the mayor's solution in this case. Mayor McKinney noted that the Cemetery Board would soon present a spreadsheet clarifying responsibilities for cemetery maintenance. Mayor McKinney asked who would take charge of obtaining bids for landscaping around the new office. Councilman Cameron stated that he could not take on any additional responsibilities until January. Councilman Weber said he would collect bids on the Town Office Landscaping. Mayor McKinney also mentioned that both Stephanie and Codi need new computers at a cost of $2,945 for both, including warranties. The current computers will cost $60 each per month for security after next month. 13)​ Discussion on the Christmas event and light installation Mayor McKinney noted that the town had signed a five-year contract with Tristan last year for the Christmas lights installation. The Council agreed to honor the contract for this year's event. Closed Session Councilman Cameron moved to temporarily recess the council meeting to go into closed meeting for the following purposes: strategy sessions to discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation. Councilman Weber seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Mayor McKinney - Yes Councilman Panek - Yes Councilman Cameron - Yes Councilman Weber - Yes Councilman Thomas - Yes The meeting was closed at 9 pm. 6 of 6  Approved Meeting Minutes Fairfield Town Council Regular Session August 20, 2025 Adjournment September 17, 2025​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Stephanie Shelley Minutes Approval Date Stephanie Shelley Town Recorder 7 of 6