[{"_1":2,"_105":-5,"_106":-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",[32,75,85,95],{"_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",6533800,"mediaKeyId","3658468-64273cb74aace68cc685b8fe7bc51a3b","parentId",3658468,"title","Midway to pursue ordinance requiring 'will-serve' letters from sewer district; council to seek HVSSD input, legal review","audioSeconds",2093,"startMs",1639000,"endMs",3732000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3658468-64273cb74aace68cc685b8fe7bc51a3b&start=1639&end=3732","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6533800/Utah/Midway-to-pursue-ordinance-requiring-will-serve-letters-from-sewer-district-council-to-seek-HVSSD-input-legal-review","mediaUrl","author","Midway","date","2025-06-03T18:00:00Z","article","The Midway City Council on June 3 instructed staff to place an ordinance on the June 17 agenda that would require applicants to provide a written will-serve verification from the Heber Valley Special Service District (HVSSD) as a condition of land-use approvals, and to seek input from HVSSD and a legal review by the city attorney before final action.

Council members raised concerns that HVSSD can process sewage but currently lacks downstream capacity to discharge effluent in some scenarios; HVSSD is conducting a study to map entitled demand against disposal capacity. Councilmember Jeff framed the proposed ordinance as a simple protective step: \"we're essentially saying, we approve this as long as you can get verification that the sewer will accept your waste,\" protecting Midway and the planning commission from later legal exposure if HVSSD later denies service.

Discussion covered several technical and legal points: staff and council distinguished between already-entitled (vested) lots and new entitlements; several members said the city could not retroactively deny approvals for recorded lots but could require verification for new entitlements or modifications that increase density or system demand. City staff said the HVSSD study is expected within a year, while capital improvements could span longer timeframes. Councilmembers debated whether the requirement should be adopted only by Midway or universally across the valley; some urged the county and other jurisdictions to adopt consistent requirements.

Council asked city attorney Corbin to analyze possible legal ramifications — including whether requiring a will-serve letter could expose the city to litigation — and asked staff to present the ordinance in ordinance form for possible action on June 17. Councilmembers also said they would ask HVSSD to consider adopting the same requirement across its service area to avoid uneven treatment of projects in neighboring jurisdictions.

Next steps: staff will send the draft ordinance to HVSSD, ask HVSSD for a formal stance within two months, have Corbin review legal risk and language, and place the ordinance on the June 17 council agenda for possible action. If HVSSD provides a will-serve letter and then later withdraws it, council members said any legal dispute should be between the applicant and HVSSD rather than the city.","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","Midway City Council Meeting - Council - 20250603 - Strategic - Audio - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","Midway City Council directed staff to seek input from the Heber Valley Special Service District and to place a draft ordinance on the June 17 agenda that would make a written 'will-serve' verification from HVSSD a condition of new land-use approvals.","taxTitle","Midway, Wasatch County, Utah","taxId",68985,"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},6533805,"Midway City to budget for part-time zoning enforcement; council says police backup could assist",105,961000,1066000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3658468-64273cb74aace68cc685b8fe7bc51a3b&start=961&end=1066","/articles/6533805/Utah/Midway-City-to-budget-for-part-time-zoning-enforcement-council-says-police-backup-could-assist","The Midway City Council directed staff on June 3 to budget for a part-time zoning-enforcement position to handle frontline complaints and proactive code compliance work, and asked staff to return with pricing for a contracted or part-time hire.

Councilmembers said current enforcement is reactive and is spread across multiple staffers, and that a dedicated part-time enforcement person would free up planning staff to focus on strategic projects. Councilmember Jeff suggested contracting with a zoning professional from nearby Heber; staff member Michael said he would reach out for pricing. Several councilmembers and staff said the police department could provide backup when enforcement encounters noncompliant or hostile property occupants.

Staff described current enforcement as largely complaint-driven; Melanie and Katie handle many frontline requests but lack bandwidth to be proactive. Councilmembers said a part-time enforcement contract could start at a few hours per week and be scaled up as needed. The city will include funding in the next budget cycle and return to council with cost estimates and a proposed scope of work for a contract or part-time hire.

Next steps: staff will obtain pricing for a part-time contract enforcement officer, report back to council and include a line item in the draft budget. Council asked staff to consider training, backup by police officers and whether a contractor could be cross-used with neighboring jurisdictions.","Councilmembers instructed staff to include funding for a part-time zoning-enforcement position (contract or part-time hire) in the city budget and to seek pricing; police officers could provide backup for enforcement actions.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":50,"_51":92,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":93,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":94,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533809,"Midway City Council to restore first-and-third meeting schedule, add focused strategic time",1515,95000,1610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3658468-64273cb74aace68cc685b8fe7bc51a3b&start=95&end=1610","/articles/6533809/Utah/Midway-City-Council-to-restore-first-and-third-meeting-schedule-add-focused-strategic-time","The Midway City Council on June 3 agreed to move away from its experiment of holding a monthly strategic-planning meeting and to return to regular council meetings on the first and third weeks of the month, beginning with a focused strategic work period before each meeting and a larger strategic session once per quarter.

Council members said the monthly strategic format gave staff insufficient time to implement council direction and created uneven workloads, with long regular-meeting agendas piling up. Councilmember Jeff argued the quarterly cadence would allow staff time to accomplish tasks between strategic sessions. Staff member Michael told the council he and other staff need more time to process direction and to bring substantive items back to regular meetings.

The council settled on a practical structure: a 5–6 p.m. focused work session on strategic-list items (minimum 30 minutes, up to 60), followed by the regular council meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Quarterly, the council will hold a longer strategic meeting to review larger items. Mayor (unnamed) said staff will prepare and circulate a calendar of quarterly strategic sessions and the revised meeting schedule for council review.

Councilmembers and staff emphasized that strategic sessions should not simply rehash agenda items but should produce clear direction, priorities and assignments so staff can advance code and zoning changes flagged as “big ticket” items. Several members asked staff to rank outstanding strategic-list projects so council can see where new ideas fit relative to items already in progress.

Next steps: staff will draft and share a calendar for the revised meeting schedule, and the council asked staff to reserve quarterly strategic dates and to include a brief status update slot at each regular meeting so progress on strategic items remains visible.","After months of testing a monthly strategic meeting model, the Midway City Council directed staff to return to regular first-and-third council meetings with a 30–60 minute strategic work session at the start of each meeting and a larger quarterly strategic meeting; staff will publish a calendar.",{"_33":96,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":97,"_41":98,"_43":99,"_45":100,"_47":101,"_49":50,"_51":102,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":103,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":104,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533795,"Council discusses sign-code impacts for new businesses; grant money may help A-frame compliance",127,1367000,1494000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3658468-64273cb74aace68cc685b8fe7bc51a3b&start=1367&end=1494","/articles/6533795/Utah/Council-discusses-sign-code-impacts-for-new-businesses-grant-money-may-help-A-frame-compliance","Midway City Council members on June 3 discussed concerns from business owners about the cost of meeting new sign-code requirements and asked staff to consider ways to soften the transition for existing or new small businesses.

Councilmember (unnamed) said a few business owners approached staff and suggested a townwide, attractive, uniform A-frame design as a compromise that would meet the city's aesthetic goals while being affordable. The council noted that Habitat (referred to in the meeting) has some grant money that could be used as seed funding to help businesses buy compliant A-frame signs.

City staff clarified that permanent signs already approved are legal and grandfathered; temporary signs are permitted for new businesses and may be used until the second business-license renewal, which means between about one and two years. Councilmembers asked staff to include the sign topic on the next meeting agenda for further discussion and to identify criteria for any local grant assistance.

Next steps: staff to place the sign-code item on the next agenda, draft potential criteria for a small-business sign grant or seed fund, and follow up with Habitat and affected business owners.","Councilmembers discussed proposed sign-code changes and said grant funds from Habitat could help small businesses afford compliant A-frame or temporary signage; staff noted temporary signs for new businesses are allowed until the second business-license renewal (about one to two years).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Midway to pursue ordinance requiring 'will-serve' letters from sewer district; council to seek HVSSD input, legal review

Midway City to budget for part-time zoning enforcement; council says police backup could assist

Midway City Council to restore first-and-third meeting schedule, add focused strategic time

Council discusses sign-code impacts for new businesses; grant money may help A-frame compliance