[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6503044,"mediaKeyId","5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0","parentId",5665440,"title","Ivins City Council ratifies selection of city manager after extended finalist interviews","audioSeconds",499,"startMs",12511000,"endMs",13010000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0&start=12511&end=13010","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0/thumbnail_12511000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6503044/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-City-Council-ratifies-selection-of-city-manager-after-extended-finalist-interviews","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503044-007b5694b5cecec350382c43b7815eb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770362106&Signature=bEWuhR0rt25vrJaiexY2L6~pXjoRufU2u0uftHtDKkYdWm3Y1pu8IsedtigI9L5tpMcCpCh9yWERefRUMWxVg1WyeYVblJNAVSzrGAeQcFOlox2e59-eZkeXzGSWLtmIenNJgL5r8LFt4CN0kWvB21GUmQRMZpGb~LeRdsbYikMjoGGisi6VZkfb5qM4Yk81xk2Ym3mYsmOxKifzYhUtF1bKekbkcrzEP-5JMJB1utAMN6MBSg534rAp3EKJlqHumZMAXSzahaXVvGTcLIfdnPt~SaV6~qXGOIbD7r0xi2idqnRrfiEwdbOl60KnxyVzPm7VFnmudNudXdygA~3zbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ivins","date","2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Ivins City Council on Aug. 21 ratified the selection of a city manager following an extended selection process and final interviews of three finalists. Councilmembers said the finalists were all strong candidates and that the decision was difficult.

Councilmember Sharon Gillespie, who led the comment during the meeting, moved to extend an employment offer to “Candidate No. 43” and authorized the mayor to work through final contract details. The council seconded the motion and conducted a roll-call vote. Councilmembers cast aye votes in favor of extending the offer, and Mayor Hart also voted aye.

Council members thanked staff for managing a months-long recruitment process that drew dozens of applicants and singled out Human Resources lead Shar (staff) and city attorney Brian Pack for support during the recruitment and legal review. Multiple council members said the three finalists had “phenomenal” credentials and praised the selection committee’s work. Because the final personnel discussions were held in closed session, the council did not use full candidate names during the open meeting; the motion and vote reference the finalist by the internal candidate number used in the hiring process.

The council’s action authorized the mayor to finalize an offer and return the signed employment agreement to the council as required by city policy and state law. The final employment contract and any related personnel details will be posted or reported in accordance with the city’s public-record rules once the offer process is complete.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ivins - City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","After public finalist interviews and closed deliberations, the council unanimously voted to authorize the mayor to extend an employment offer to the council’s chosen finalist (referred to at the meeting as Candidate No. 43).","taxTitle","Ivins, Washington County, Utah","taxId",6018,"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},6503049,"Ivins approves sale of narrow city parcel to developer to relocate storm drain, council retains 20-foot setbacks",485,9192000,9677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0&start=9192&end=9677","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0/thumbnail_9192000.jpg","/articles/6503049/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-approves-sale-of-narrow-city-parcel-to-developer-to-relocate-storm-drain-council-retains-20-foot-setbacks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503049-27e1a9ef63efb4e13c0709312c170eed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770412714&Signature=JGrSnd9gNAvRA6SoQ4nrAhjHX7m2IE6CPRrEzI0jmOzx4dIV7jWxZ83xGjcinN5BPlhuPwia2kMJaWRaO1Wix13sVFNKFVCcMn-UIqiQCD7oS8xrGhdBzhaWB~awxvXmX7Th7Rb~AQHBh44Erw~0OpW8njJ4I-~Z9LoV~XWFz4V1Cs4dArn0uk9tHI8XyMBZvnpu0IBwZdAXcxG5WaDqajx6VNxgd-bd1frd1OWE4I~RHQejQwF5aOcMl27hvdmGSkHC9qVa3T9Q2HXcDxUlg~nrFxUUSo15CupY4l215RPhRi~1BBnBowd~TQ716mISNxZKhuTmDtypEzcLT6P86Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ivins City Council approved the sale of a narrow city-owned parcel immediately east of Parcel SB-21-B1 (near 500 East and 400 South) to allow relocation and upsizing of a stormwater line into the public street and to remove a city-owned maintenance burden from a small private strip.

City engineering staff told the council a 30-inch storm drain in the existing alignment needs replacement; replacing it in place would cost the city substantially more and would leave a buried pipe in a narrow strip behind homes that is difficult to access. The developer proposed to relocate the storm line into the public roadway and to upsize a portion of the line. Staff said moving the public storm line into the street would reduce long-term maintenance and operations risks for the city.

At the meeting, the applicant offered to pay $30,000 for the property but later said they would accept a price halved to $15,000 if the council required the developer to retain the 20-foot setbacks residents requested. The council approved disposing of the parcel and accepted the developer’s reduced purchase proposal in exchange for retaining 20-foot setbacks, directing staff to finalize the sale and necessary easement work.

City staff estimated the net cost to the city of moving and upsizing the new storm line in the street would be lower than the cost of replacing the existing buried pipe in its current alignment. The council’s action included direction that the developer coordinate relocation design and construction with Public Works so the city’s utilities can be installed to city standards.

The adopted motion directs staff to finalize the purchase and related development-agreement language and to oversee relocation work with the developer. The council did not identify any outstanding legal or procedural objections during the public hearing and approved the action on a council vote.

","Council approved disposal of a city-owned parcel east of 500 East/400 South so the developer can move an undersized storm drain into the street; council accepted a reduced sale price in exchange for retaining 20-foot setbacks.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503054,"Ivins council delays vote on Best/Lofts rezoning after hours of public comment, asks developer for binding development agreement",7876,1013000,8889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0&start=1013&end=8889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5665440-f70353a00499996b58c7edd9fa5321f0/thumbnail_1013000.jpg","/articles/6503054/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-council-delays-vote-on-BestLofts-rezoning-after-hours-of-public-comment-asks-developer-for-binding-development-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503054-690bf0183be57e5a1de12827895c8853/orig.mp4?Expires=1770370905&Signature=CAcZIdXvpaSk5YpP34MBIl9J9LuPfYVhDUcbGTf69OlXEptaN6Fsbb~6f5Cda3f7j8nyr2bR4GMwOJfPW1cMQGiAc0JGW2G47NtsLIdf3sUzjOi9eTYTtgESj0Ki2hm03OhKEXrX4I5-ZQOR3QCDcIbXRgK--U6F8kAf84Szyxop0nHe-egDXJxqqnYFgByTMuhCEiyl8DSuLnnCDH7PQKGxDfhQzB4jThrlkCM2e~xN8XYVJh9DWtk8WNEUt~Z4FGJVzVba3QKgg4wo4697kKOe7w2h2ywf2EsAlj29NJemjXAKbGZ8QNnZ6I4fj6bSrmbRIdVLNM36I8pLynJGow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ivins City Council on Aug. 21 continued action on Ordinance 2025-18, a proposed map and zone change for roughly 13.02 acres near 290 South and 100 West, sending the item back to staff and the applicant for a binding development agreement and a revised concept plan.

The proposal before the council — filed by Lofts Development LLC on land owned by the Best family — would change the general-plan land use from medium-density residential and a small corner of neighborhood commercial to high-density residential and rezone the property from RA-1 (one-acre minimum) to R-1-5 (single-family, 5,000-square-foot minimum lots). The applicant presented a concept showing mostly detached single-family homes; the developer told council they intend the project to provide “missing middle” or “attainable” housing, not multifamily rentals.

The matter drew a full public hearing and more than a dozen residents who said the location next to Unity Park is not suitable for the proposed density. Residents repeatedly cited existing parking and traffic spillover from the park’s events, nighttime field lighting, and concerns about water supply. Christine Haddad and several neighbors asked the council to keep the land use as medium density. “We are not against high density,” resident Lisa German told the council. “We just think this is the wrong area to do it.”

Several speakers urged that rezoning to smaller lots would not produce genuinely affordable housing. Scott Cottom, who addressed the planning commission earlier, cited Ivins’ 2022 moderate-income housing plan and said the proposed homes were unlikely to meet the city’s affordability thresholds. “I can’t imagine these homes are going to be affordable,” Cottom said during the hearing.

Developer representatives responded to those concerns. Duane Schellenberg, one of the applicants, thanked the public and said the team was seeking “transparency” by bringing both the land-use and zone-change requests together. Later, developer Dave Nasal told the council he was “willing to commit to single-family detached” homes and said his firm would consider reducing lot counts to reach medium-density thresholds if required. Nasal also said the team would be open to moving a drainage basin and adding internal parking if the council made such requests.

Council members aired several technical and policy concerns during the meeting: consistency with the city’s general-plan map, the precedent set by approving a land-use change for a single parcel, parking and road cross sections, buffering between new smaller lots and adjacent larger-lot neighborhoods, and how to ensure the developer’s stated single-family intent would be binding. Councilmember Sharon Gillespie said she favored a careful, enforceable approach. “If we change this land use to high density, that opens the door to uses we may not want in that location,” Gillespie said during deliberations.

After extended discussion and an apparent straw poll in the chamber, the council voted to continue the ordinance to a future meeting and directed staff to work with the applicant on a development agreement and a revised concept plan that would: require single-family detached homes, consider feathering larger lots along 100 West, evaluate 7,500-square-foot lots adjacent to 10,000-square-foot homes, incorporate earth-tone architecture and desert landscaping, and address parking and basin relocation. The motion asked staff to return the item with a draft development agreement and a refined concept plan for council consideration.

Mayor Hart and council members emphasized that the continuation was not a rejection of the project but a request for specifics and enforceable commitments. Nasal said his team would pursue the development agreement and was open to many of the council’s suggestions, including reducing counts to about 69 units to match medium-density entitlement if necessary.

What’s next: staff will work with the applicant on a development agreement and revised concept plan, and the council will consider the amended ordinance and agreement at a future meeting. The council directed the applicant to return with a concept plan attached to any future ordinance and development-agreement packet. The timeline for returning to council was not specified at the meeting.

","After a lengthy public hearing and extensive public comment about traffic, parking and affordability, the Ivins City Council continued Ordinance 2025-18 and directed staff to work with the applicant on a development agreement and revised concept plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Ivins City Council ratifies selection of city manager after extended finalist interviews

Ivins approves sale of narrow city parcel to developer to relocate storm drain, council retains 20-foot setbacks

Ivins council delays vote on Best/Lofts rezoning after hours of public comment, asks developer for binding development agreement