[{"_1":2,"_85":-5,"_86":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6573478,"mediaKeyId","3382171-21dc6c8cf2c5f191fd14e8b4a96ecd65","parentId",3382171,"title","Council told new state law could let gravel pits expand without local approval","audioSeconds",321,"startMs",4513000,"endMs",4834000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3382171-21dc6c8cf2c5f191fd14e8b4a96ecd65&start=4513&end=4834","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6573478/Utah/Council-told-new-state-law-could-let-gravel-pits-expand-without-local-approval","mediaUrl","author","Perry City Council","date","2025-04-24T19:00:00Z","article","At the April 24 meeting Perry city legislative staff (Mister Barnhill) warned council members about a recently passed state bill affecting gravel‑pit operations.

Barnhill told the council that H.B. 355 (2025), described in the session as a critical‑infrastructure bill, grants gravel‑pit operators the right to expand onto contiguous land without a local permitting denial. He said the statute provides a limited role for cities to require mitigation of immediate health and safety issues through a public hearing, but “it does not give the option to say no,” leaving municipal authorities unable to refuse an expansion if the owner controls adjacent property.

Barnhill showed the council a map of the Geneva gravel pit and explained that, while the current permitted area still contains untouched acreage, the new law could allow an operator to remove additional mountainside area without the city’s ability to deny the expansion. He said the bill was sponsored locally by Senator Scott Sandahl and encouraged council members to consider outreach to state legislators if they wanted to raise concerns or pursue changes.

Barnhill said the bill’s passage came with little public attention and suggested the council might pursue approaches such as asking the company for voluntary conservation measures or seeking legislative clarification. He emphasized that no proposal to expand had been brought to the city by Geneva at the time of the meeting.

Why it matters: The law changes the balance of local control over mineral extraction on adjacent, contiguous parcels and could limit municipal land‑use authority to mitigation (not prohibition) for expansions that meet the bill’s criteria. For Perry, the Geneva gravel pit sits near residential development and recreational trails, which prompted staff to flag the statute to council for awareness and potential follow‑up.

Next steps: Barnhill recommended council members consider coordinated outreach to the local senator and said staff could invite legislators to a future work session or otherwise brief the council if members wanted to pursue changes.

","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","Perry City Council Meeting - CCM 04242025_Recording Zoom","oneSentenceSummary","During legislative updates at the April 24 meeting staff highlighted H.B. 355, which staff said allows gravel‑pit operators to expand onto contiguous land by right, limiting local governments to mitigation of immediate health or safety concerns rather than denial.","taxTitle","Perry, Box Elder County, Utah","taxId",68994,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":50,"_51":82,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6573483,"Perry City Council reviews Public Works budget with proposal to buy street sweeper and boost water‑meter spending",3113,507000,3620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3382171-21dc6c8cf2c5f191fd14e8b4a96ecd65&start=507&end=3620","/articles/6573483/Utah/Perry-City-Council-reviews-Public-Works-budget-with-proposal-to-buy-street-sweeper-and-boost-watermeter-spending","Perry City Council on April 24 heard a detailed Public Works budget presentation from Zach, Perry’s Public Works director, that highlighted proposed operational increases, several one‑time capital items and a potential equipment purchase that staff said could pay for itself in about four years.

The presentation outlined a two‑year locked mowing contract at $26,000, consolidation of fertilizer services to cover five parks, and a proposed increase in a miscellaneous services line to $10,000 to fund tree pruning and stump grinding in parks. Zach said the city used grant money this year to hire a consultant to develop a parks master plan that will guide capital projects in future budgets.

Zach described the sewer and stormwater lines in the budget as largely maintenance‑driven but said one sewer cleaning zone carries a large, one‑year cost: “there’s gonna be quite a large number of 97,000 in that line item,” he said, explaining the cost reflects the schedule and area being cleaned this fiscal year and will fall in later years.

A central proposal in the storm/street budget is buying a used street sweeper for roughly $80,000 instead of continuing twice‑annual contractor sweepings that have seen a 40% price increase this year. Zach said calls to neighboring cities convinced him the particular model being offered is reliable and would deliver more value because the city could deploy it after storms or before events rather than paying each time a contractor is on site. He recommended a cash purchase if council agreed, with the cost split between the streets and stormwater funds and a subsequent budget amendment to record that split.

Council members asked about staffing and maintenance. Zach said operating a city sweeper would require pulling one Public Works employee off regular duties for about 10 workdays a year to sweep; Shanna (finance staff) said the city has available cash and that the purchase could be funded now and later depreciated so replacement funds accumulate. Councilor questions about warranty and useful life prompted Zach to say dealers were offering only limited warranties on used machines but that he had checked with Brigham, which reported low maintenance on the same model.

Streets work in the proposal relies on data from StreetLogix. Zach said the city has approximately $650,000 available after trail costs, and estimated repairs to a road damaged by a winter water main break (425 West near Mountain View Park) at about $175,000. He described a plan to set aside roughly $50,000 a year for small patch and crack sealing and to sequence larger projects — including a mill‑and‑overlay for 1200 West — around the trail schedule and developer work so the city does not “redo” recently rebuilt pavement.

On water, Zach reported progress on pressure regulation that staff and consultants say has reduced main breaks and allowed more consistent chlorine residuals across the distribution system. He presented water‑loss data showing the city’s unaccounted water falling from roughly 50% several years ago to about 30% now. To accelerate meter replacements and reduce that unaccounted portion, Zach proposed increasing the meter budget from about $45,000 to $60,000 next year to buy roughly 70 meters and replace older units more quickly. He also reported that a recently drilled Well 5 tested at about 1,000 gallons per minute and said staff are moving toward pricing and construction for bringing the well online.

Zach noted utility power costs are trending higher and that staff are working with Rocky Mountain Power and on pump scheduling strategies (variable frequency drives and coordinated pumping) to reduce peak charges. He also briefed council on two generators that are installed on pads and awaiting natural‑gas hook‑ups.

Staff said they plan to bring StreetLogix maps and a five‑year prioritized list to the council in the coming weeks and that the city hopes to publish an online map so residents can see planned road work.

Votes at a glance: The meeting did include two procedural voice votes later in the agenda. The council approved the consent items by voice vote (no roll‑call recorded) and later voted to adjourn; both items were approved without recorded dissent.

Why it matters: The items Zach presented would reallocate maintenance duties, increase targeted capital and equipment spending, and accelerate replacement of meters and other infrastructure. The street sweeper purchase in particular would move the city from a recurring contractor expense to owning an asset; staff estimated a multi‑year payback but flagged maintenance and warranty limitations for used equipment.

Next steps and follow‑up: Staff said they will return with a formal budget amendment if council approves buying a sweeper, present the StreetLogix five‑year pavement plan at an upcoming meeting, and bring a recommended meter replacement schedule if the council approves increased meter funding.

","At the April 24 council meeting Public Works staff presented a budget that would lock a two‑year mowing contract, fund more tree work in parks, cover a $97,000 sewer cleaning line item, and proposes buying a used street sweeper (about $80,000) plus increasing the water‑meter replacement budget to $60,000 to reduce reported water loss.","actionData","errors"]

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Council told new state law could let gravel pits expand without local approval

Perry City Council reviews Public Works budget with proposal to buy street sweeper and boost water‑meter spending