Town Council

Town Council Levan Town Hall, August 25, 2025, 7:00 PM Meeting minutes Present at meeting: Mayor Bruce Rowley, Council member Chris Chipping, Council member Belle Brough, Council member Ray Evans and Council member Rachel Goates were absent Town Clerk Christine Carrigan Meeting Recorder: Chantal Rowley, Public attending: Carol Bennett, Rebecca Dopp (Times-News), Russell & Christie Mangelson, Todd Quarnberg, Jerry Spencer, Linda Hanks, Chad Van Ausdal, Carolyn Royce, Micheal Royce, Tyler Royce, Tyler Shepherd Opening Ceremonies Welcome Mayor Bruce Rowley called the regular town meeting to order on Monday, August 25, 2025. He explained that the meeting date had been moved due to a deadline for canvassing the primary election, which was later canceled due to a candidate being disqualified. Invocation Invocation was given by Chris Chipping. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Rowley. Local Building Authority – Agenda No items were discussed. Regular Town Council Agenda No separate discussion. Discussion Items/Action Items R6 Update – Presentation by Shay Morrison This item was not discussed. Upcoming Activities for Halloween and Christmas -Linda Hanks Linda Hanks requested clarification about responsibilities for the upcoming Halloween and Christmas events. For Halloween, she asked whether the youth council would be handling the trunk-or-treating event or if she would have some responsibilities. She noted the event is well-attended and appreciated by the community. Some community members have expressed interest in adding more activities like games or photo booths. Linda suggested they could start earlier so youth could still participate in other activities afterward. For Christmas, Linda inquired about the county illumination event and whether Levan would participate. She recommended using the snowman decorations again since they already have them. She offered to reach out to the commissioner for more information about the county's plans. Linda also informed the council about the Juab County Community Day of Service scheduled for September 13th at Nephi City Park, commemorating September 11th. The event will include assembling hygiene kits. Linda offered to provide information to Christine for the town's website and will clarify the donation procedures. New Juab High School Principal Introduction – T. Quarnberg Principal Quarnberg introduced himself to the council. He explained that he had moved from Salt Lake, where he spent 35 years in administration, with his last two positions at Copper Hills (11 years) and Harriman High School. Principal Quarnberg outlined his educational philosophy focusing on four pillars: strong athletics, strong academics, strong performing and fine arts, and strong CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs. He emphasized the importance of preparing students for local jobs and careers, noting that many students want to return to Juab County after completing their education. He observed that current job openings in the county include positions for electricians, plumbers, accountants, and marketing agents. The principal described a positive start at the high school, with successful sports and arts programs underway. He acknowledged the challenges of running a small high school with limited resources, but praised the community's willingness to help. He committed to being an aggressive advocate for students and for what the school deserves. Water Connection – T. Royce Tyler Royce discussed his water connection and impact fees. He explained that he had started his building application on June 5, 2024, which was issued on July 18, 2024. When he went to pay for his water hookup on July 12, 2025, he learned there was a $13,076 impact fee that he was unaware of. He stated that while he was aware of the hookup fee, he did not know about the impact fee which had started in July. Royce explained that he had paid for electric service when he applied for his building permit but delayed the water connection due to budget constraints after paying $2,000 for a transformer. He argued that had he known about the upcoming impact fee, he would have paid the $1,500 water hookup fee during the year timeframe to avoid the impact fee. Tyler Shepherd questioned the fairness of impact fees in general, arguing that all town residents use infrastructure equally, not just new homes. Council members noted that impact fees are standard across most Utah municipalities. Christine stated she had consulted with the town attorney, who advised that the town should not make an exception as services weren't requested at the time the permit was paid for. She noted that the impact fee ordinance had been posted on the town website and in regular posting places with a 90-day notice before implementation. The council agreed to table the matter to allow for more research and an additional discussion with the attorney. Building Permit Approval – Outbuilding – Vanko Construction A building permit for an outbuilding at 550 East 100 South was presented to the council. The council was informed that Planning and Zoning had reviewed the application and the only issue raised was regarding setbacks, which the applicant had agreed to comply with. The inspector had signed off on the drawings, which included the setbacks. Motion: Councilmember Chris Chipping moved to approve the permit for the metal building. Seconded by: Councilmember Belle Brough Vote: Approved unanimously. Approval of Ballfield Fence The Mayor presented a bid for fencing the baseball field. He explained that the town had spent $5,000 so far on removing dirt and leveling the field, which has been laser-leveled to within 1% grade. The fence project will be more expensive, with a total cost of $83,000. The fence will be constructed by Outback Fencing, which specializes in baseball fields. The council discussed the importance of completely fencing the field to protect it from potential damage by ATVs and other vehicles. The Mayor explained that the baseball field project is expected to cost approximately $140,000 total. While the town initially considered just fencing essential parts of the field, they ultimately decided to fence the entire field for protection. The Mayor noted that the county has expressed interest in contracting the field for tournaments, which would generate some revenue. The Mayor also addressed concerns about town finances, stating that the town is financially sound and has been saving for these projects. He mentioned that the pickleball court project has received a grant, with the town responsible for $20,000 of the approximately $130,000 total cost. Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to accept the bid for the baseball field chain link fences and gates. Seconded by: Councilmember Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Mayor/Councilmember/Department/Committee Reports Mayor/Council Member Reports Councilmember Chris Chipping reported attending the fire meeting and stated everything was fine, with Levan not requesting anything additional. He noted that the fire department had brought in substantial revenue from fighting fires. Office Issued Permits Reports Christine reported two permits issued from the office: a reroofing permit for John Guerra and a permit for Country Lane Mobile Home Park (formerly East Mobile Home Park), which had undergone electrical upgrades to meet code requirements. The mobile home park's electrical work was completed after the previous owner passed away and his sister took over the property. Christine noted that residents reported the electrical service was now working well. Planning Commission Report The Planning Commission had no report other than the building permit already discussed. Committee Reports No committee reports were presented. Other Reports No other reports were presented. Council Business Approval of Minutes for June 26th, 2025, Work Session, Public Hearing and Special Meeting Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to approve the minutes for the June 26th work session, public hearing, and special meeting. Seconded by: Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Approval of Minutes for the July 10, 2025, Regular Meeting Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to approve the minutes for the July 10th regular meeting. Seconded by: Councilmember Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Approval of Claims (7-1-2025 to 7-31-2025) Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to approve the claims for July 1-31, 2025. Seconded by: Councilmember Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Approval of Payroll Comparison Report (6-1-2025 to 7-31-2025) Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to approve the payroll comparison report for June 1 to July 31, 2025. Seconded by: Councilmember Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Approval of Final Cash Receipts Report (6-1-2025 to 6-30-2025) Motion: Councilmember Belle Brough moved to approve the final cash receipts report for June 1-30, 2025. Seconded by: Councilmember Chris Chipping Vote: Approved unanimously. Review Tentative Cash Receipts Report (7-1-2025 to 7-31-2025) This item was reviewed but no formal action was taken. Review Budget Report (7-1-2025 to 7-31-2025) This item was reviewed but no formal action was taken. Council Member Belle Brough resigns her position on the Town Council Belle Brough announced she was resigning her position on the Town Council, effective immediately. She stated, “I’m resigning and it’s not because I’m for or against the lawsuit, it’s because I love my family, and I’m not jeopardizing that.” The Mayor and Chris Chipping thanked her for service to the town. Public Comments Christie Mangelson asked about unmetered water on the town's billing. Christine explained that unmetered water refers to water taken from sources without meters, such as construction companies filling trucks from fire hydrants. She noted that Travis, the water operator, reports such usage and the town then invoices the users. The council clarified that the fire department does not pay for water used for firefighting purposes. Tyler Shepherd and Russ Mangelson inquired about the data center project. The Mayor explained that a small, container-sized Bitcoin mining data center was being installed near the hydro substation. He noted that the facility would only use the town's excess power capacity and would not use any water. The Mayor stated that the facility would generate between $20,000-$30,000 in annual revenue for the town. The council addressed concerns about noise from the facility, explaining that it was placed away from residential areas due to the humming noise from the cooling system. Christine confirmed that the data center would pay impact fees and explained that the agreement ensures that the facility cannot use more electricity than the town allows, with usage regulated during high-demand periods. She noted that the arrangement might help postpone future electric rate increases. Convene into Executive Session No executive session was held. Adjourn Motion: Councilmember moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by: Councilmember Vote: Approved unanimously. Christine Carrigan, Clerk