[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6539264,"mediaKeyId","3668091-49176ade11d835230c8867b357532b60","parentId",3668091,"title","Toquerville council approves budget, ordinances and support for solar project; tables MPDO site plan","audioSeconds",1371,"startMs",3424000,"endMs",4795000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3668091-49176ade11d835230c8867b357532b60&start=3424&end=4795","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3668091-49176ade11d835230c8867b357532b60/thumbnail_3424000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6539264/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/Toquerville-council-approves-budget-ordinances-and-support-for-solar-project-tables-MPDO-site-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539264-decdd6cc05dd704541644c136df4bdb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770837984&Signature=LTNrHNX4YJq2Cqmln2amS1AfI94PW81LCvghblgIBkQPOObicsB0VfxAREGWTixNm-cxLIBQB-d0Wx-NOVip~cFP90upJF049-E4GoxFdFk9tU-F3uO~A6cgLLyxyHIPafMQxmOE2-XWDpgx8JxxNtJ~-VutHI261zWmQBjPEFWomSQziXmsLQdcTLnB39k9cz8J3yHp4Bzjlc3rgcwyi-HBNHzozDnL-xvLYcAcCoa0A9eSIpBZXkHWRtDQa1ISIl8nJeLVSvyaaX6E-LN8bGR9y4bDO1EWB8Nvgpl719NKXUGt5xAWwFLXqz-oyD8yVV1QWNEzxjneXmUTtNNa-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Toquerville","date","2025-06-05T03:09:08Z","article","The Toquerville City Council approved several budget, ordinance and policy items and acted on multiple resolutions at its recent meeting.

Key approved items included the fiscal‑year 2025–26 final budget, a municipal compensation schedule ordinance, technical updates to roadway cross‑section standards, a burning regulation ordinance that incorporates Washington County rules by reference with local clarifications, and a commemorative resolution for the U.S. semiquincentennial. The council also approved a nonbinding resolution expressing support for the Browse Solar Project after stripping references to unspecified royalty payments and certain staff study directives.

The council took other actions with limited debate. It tabled a master‑planned development (MPDO) site plan for Firelight planning area 6 to allow staff and the applicant to provide additional trail, open‑space and ERU accounting and other clarifications; the item was continued to a future meeting. The council also set a contractor water rate for the Washington County Conservancy District contractor project (Cottam/virgin waterline) at $3.00 per 1,000 gallons for that project after discussion of hydrant‑meter billing and site work.

Budget and compensation

Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 final budget and heard staff summaries of several changes included in the final document: an accounting roll‑over for the parkway project, updates to insurance valuations, a multi‑year licensing renewal for security cameras, and a correction to stormwater utility fee projections. City staff said the budget assumes continued build‑out and rising service demands from entitlements in the city and that staff levels reflect anticipated growth.

The council passed an ordinance adopting a compensation schedule required by state law; it sets a 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment effective July 1 and a merit increase ceiling of 4% effective January 1, both applied under the scale and administrative procedures described in the ordinance exhibit.

Solar project

Councilors also considered a developer request for a nonbinding statement of support for a proposed utility‑scale solar project. City legal and planning staff and the developer discussed wording. Councilors removed specific recital language about royalties and a staff direction clause before approving the resolution; the amended resolution passed.

Other technical actions

The council adopted updates to standard road cross sections and clarified meter‑box placement in the public‑utility easement to ensure consistent field locations and proper maintenance access by water staff. The council also adopted by ordinance local burning regulations that incorporate Washington County language but add clarifying language limiting allowed open‑vegetation burns and requiring permits for other materials.

Votes at a glance (selected items)

- Motion to deny general‑plan amendment (G‑1): motion defeated 3–2 (see separate article).
- Resolution supporting Browse Solar Project (G‑2): amended (royalty language removed; staffing directive removed) and approved.
- MPDO site plan for Firelight planning area 6 (G‑3): tabled for additional materials and refinement.
- Fiscal‑year 2025–26 final budget (G‑4): adopted.
- Ordinance adopting municipal compensation schedule (G‑5): adopted.
- Ordinance establishing burn regulations (G‑6): adopted with clarifying redlines.
- Resolution updating roadway cross sections and meter‑box location standards (G‑7): adopted.
- Contractor hydrant‑meter water billing for Cottam/Virgin pipeline project (G‑8): set at $3.00 per 1,000 gallons for this project; motion carried.
- Resolution commemorating the United States semiquincentennial (G‑9): adopted.

What’s next

Staff confirmed that several items require follow up: Firelight must provide a rolling ERU/trail/open‑space accounting and engineering details before the MPDO site plan will return to council; council also directed staff to provide the budget roll‑over and camera licensing details in upcoming amendments. The solar developer will use the council’s amended resolution as a nonbinding statement of local interest in further discussions with regional power buyers.

This summary is based on the city council meeting transcript and official agenda items recorded in the public meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06.04.2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the meeting the council approved the fiscal‑year 2025–26 budget, adopted a compensation ordinance, approved multiple technical standards and passed a nonbinding resolution supporting a utility‑scale solar proposal after edits; the council tabled a Firelight MPDO site plan and set a contractor water‑use rate for a public works project.","taxTitle","Toquerville, Washington County, Utah","taxId",7485,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6539269,"Toquerville council defeats motion to deny Fieldstone Homes general-plan amendment after heated public hearing",4636,1020000,5656000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3668091-49176ade11d835230c8867b357532b60&start=1020&end=5656","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3668091-49176ade11d835230c8867b357532b60/thumbnail_1020000.jpg","/articles/6539269/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/Toquerville-council-defeats-motion-to-deny-Fieldstone-Homes-general-plan-amendment-after-heated-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539269-61f2e97700d630bc6e8cc72bb557b2a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770837984&Signature=J08eAE-X-la8hDvST5J1mmu5vWJsd6y6FphJbHRcPCZyx0pkaODPPr1Guh55g-lrzPAxA~z72aDjxvnhwltuUKaKUWI5BIzbYmm9A7NZCnnA1r1Hl-2E81Qy639Oi5aR98gOQqEUm86xmHBRtFSh9zfdV1IfRfADBhJmz2TnCBID6Mq1e8E4HU1ubyc-7VWRlMBvNu9M3nGErZXY2FgxUjZohIncAVuBAxFgv4q5SFY9TTA85S0xh4Rqmd5EO5AkK3TVQp6D8h6QX8xUBNUM0mhR3JpUy0-IgH1TnXdv9H~wSWC~jTiY3yhCA~HI5PLuv~6jJYi-kCukV9cx0sf82g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Toquerville City Council meeting, councilors voted on a motion to deny a general‑plan amendment submitted by Fieldstone Homes that would reclassify tax parcel T30223212BR2 from commercial to residential; council members voted to deny the motion 3–2, meaning the motion to deny the amendment failed.

The amendment drew a lengthy public hearing and extended council discussion because speakers said it could affect the city’s commercial tax base, nearby retail prospects and the timing of infrastructure investments. Supporters said adding residential capacity would provide rooftops that make retail and hotels viable; opponents said preserving commercially zoned land was necessary to protect long‑term revenue and avoid infrastructure shortfalls.

Fieldstone Homes representatives and project partners described the developer’s plan and market analysis. Jason Harris of Fieldstone Homes said the proposal would allow denser housing types and give the developer flexibility to build a mix of product, describing the request as “12 units per acre” to allow different product types and missing‑middle housing.

Rick Caldwell, who said he is a partner on the Boulder Ridge project, told the council the developer wants to deliver a long‑term quality product and said covenants and homeowners associations can help preserve neighborhood appearance. Jerry Eaves, another development partner, told the council that when the project was modeled as total commercial the bond valuation was lower and that adding residential rooftop assumptions raised the projected tax value. “The value of that bond dropped $1,400,000,” Eaves said when discussing a market analysis the developers provided to the council.

Planning staff and a planning commissioner who spoke at the meeting said affordable and workforce housing featured in their deliberations at the planning commission. A planning commissioner, who said she voted in favor of recommending the amendment, said, “I moved in favor of this general plan amendment but only 2 of us carried that,” and cited the county median home price as part of the context for the housing discussion.

Opponents at the hearing and several council members argued the parcel had been designated commercial in the adopted general plan specifically to capture sales and commercial property taxes at the Anderson Junction / I‑15 frontage. One council speaker said the general plan and public input prioritized commercial development at that location and warned that converting commercial land to residential would reduce immediate commercial tax receipts: “We worked really hard to develop the general plan…we made it so that it would take a little bit of work for us to amend it or change it,” the speaker said, adding concerns about infrastructure and whether the city could support future maintenance costs if commercial land were converted to housing.

Council action and next steps

A council member moved to deny the general‑plan amendment; the motion was put to a roll‑call vote and was defeated on a 3–2 vote. The motion on the record was to deny business item G‑1; after the roll call a council member said, “The motion is denied.” The transcript did not record the names and votes of each council member in the roll call aside from the numerical result.

The record shows that the public hearing included multiple developers and residents, and that planning commission review had been split. Council members asked developers and staff detailed questions about density, the timeline for commercial absorption, potential retail interest (speakers mentioned hotel and retail interest), water availability, road access and which planning areas would provide bonus density or open space credits. Several speakers and staff said additional materials — including a trails/open‑space accounting table and engineering details for future phases — would be needed before subsequent land‑use and plat approvals for the development.

Evidence spans from the transcript supporting this article are recorded below.","After a lengthy public hearing and split debate over housing, retail and infrastructure, the Toquerville City Council voted down a motion to deny a general‑plan amendment requested by Fieldstone Homes to change a parcel from commercial to residential; the motion to deny failed 3–2.","actionData","errors"]

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Toquerville council approves budget, ordinances and support for solar project; tables MPDO site plan

Toquerville council defeats motion to deny Fieldstone Homes general-plan amendment after heated public hearing