[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6477165,"mediaKeyId","5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c","parentId",5713115,"title","Council authorizes staff to pursue alternate procurement to complete Westfield Park; pickleball courts and phased work priority","audioSeconds",856,"startMs",6720000,"endMs",7576000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c&start=6720&end=7576","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c/thumbnail_6720000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477165/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/Council-authorizes-staff-to-pursue-alternate-procurement-to-complete-Westfield-Park-pickleball-courts-and-phased-work-priority","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477165-b3b55cf412c327f3fc919bbfe2fc62c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929412&Signature=EVKQJ2sK6JBrR9OvIf0iLl56KbYcMXITkbG1l3F6GOn1EGgKF96nPvFXqyEXIRWzLQmztHPbSK9qjQ15wKza9qNUkNWkaTqWRUJz7GGgKy6qSEVN4W8Lj5da5X5MZRci04M9QkYz7bPben~I-fsMdE5qfOyTiND~rgDKwbcXuGgPCnLElUZhpnMqTdqFY7XcPKSHEOmPqGdo0B3sn25L8U-OYyW-FReN2xTHBL86pUJEncLi-f2ov5g2bX-Ho6RA36X90~LI2asszgP9rK35ssw33dde~cXBn0EEUHU7Xc~ymhmGngPTX8YVfz-5AO2HVEYE5CvdWacOf2uh~irCtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Toquerville","date","2025-09-04T03:30:52.887Z","article","The Toquerville City Council gave staff permission to pursue an alternate procurement approach to complete Westfield Park, with an emphasis on phasing the work and combining contractor scope with city crews and volunteer labor.

Staff said obtaining fully engineered, bid‑ready drawings would add tens of thousands of dollars to the project schedule and cost; to avoid consuming scarce park impact fees, they proposed a procurement path that identifies a single qualified contractor, negotiates a scope and returns a contract to council for approval. The plan would prioritize concrete work (pickleball courts and pavilion pads), parking and key site infrastructure; the city’s public‑works crews would perform irrigation piping and other work where feasible, and volunteer events could be used for final landscaping.

Council members and staff discussed details for pickleball courts — post‑tension concrete, surfacing, fencing and lighting — and cautioned that court construction requires experienced subcontractors and engineered slab design to avoid future failures. Staff said one vendor on state contract had already been used for pavilion structures and those parts of the order are in process. The council instructed staff to seek more comparable, apples‑to‑apples contractor takeoffs for the remaining scope and to return with a recommended contractor and contract language that protects the city.

Why it matters: The park has strong public support and includes amenities (pavilions, pickleball courts, parking) that residents prioritized; however costs are higher than earlier informal estimates and the city has limited discretionary funding. The council and staff favored a phased delivery that maximizes value, reduces procurement lead time and uses a mix of contractor work, city staff labor and volunteer effort.

Next steps: Staff will refine scope, request comparable contractor takeoffs on the same basis of design, negotiate a recommended contract under the city’s alternate procurement policy and present a contract for council approval. The council approved pursuing that path.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","09.03.2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Toquerville staff received direction to pursue a nonstandard procurement approach to finish Westfield Park within budget constraints; council favorably discussed phasing, contractor selection and completing concrete and courts while using city crews and volunteers for landscaping and finishing work.","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},6477168,"City, conservancy district step back from cofferdam plan; council to form community steering committee for reservoir recreation",169,3484000,3653000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c&start=3484&end=3653","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c/thumbnail_3484000.jpg","/articles/6477168/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/City-conservancy-district-step-back-from-cofferdam-plan-council-to-form-community-steering-committee-for-reservoir-recreation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477168-6e7016ca152ff2140a44ab6600795ce4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929412&Signature=cJAmtbSX5GAPTZFUvMPhpGR6bjIuat9GtpUGOeLkkcE0y3BQuvVa4D2yT9n1noxBTSNNGzo0Bs~ql0J8L3ycwMupVuvw0M6DXch3~CQwWET8gruCP5PXFeLrFtkFtpL9c8xazMtiBDJioJ0sgLZt6rUNKiNIIxPg~goX5fnpnZdDoaNzDz3pyPLa~ZHA7MVM6-cTvmh4mFOoTLN8JCUj6cnDkUTZBRrcuxkED5r6h0Z2wOdd8JNCiuJK8f2wykZwSHGzfBNu0VZEnhOnS8rO2gq7CJEfQ2XGcUXkxkvRYgBqyM3v0B5dQtYYiuHq5y5~xJo3VJ6Ny8wXPT7XShtuKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Toquerville staff and council discussed the future recreation plan for Chief Toker Reservoir (also referred to in meeting discussion as the Tocqueville Reservoir) after the Washington County conservancy district withdrew support for an earlier cofferdam concept.

City Manager Ben Billingsley said the city had pursued a cofferdam at the reservoir’s north end that would have stabilized water in a recreation area, a project staff believed could be funded by a near‑term grant opportunity. The conservancy district, however, recently concluded the cofferdam idea raised operational challenges — chiefly the difficulty of maintaining stable water levels for recreation when the reservoir may be supplied by a mix of reuse water, Ash Creek flows or Virgin River diversions depending on season and water rights. The district withdrew support for the cofferdam, Billingsley said, and the city declined to pursue the grant cycle tied to that scope.

Billingsley outlined a fallback approach: build a South End day‑use area (parking, a small pavilion and unimproved dirt trails), but delay major capital investments until staff and a community steering committee can observe how water levels behave over multiple seasons. “We could build a dirt parking area and watch it. Let it fill, let it recede, and then we see what kind of facilities would be most appropriate,” he said.

Mike (public works) and the sewer and water representatives noted technical and permitting concerns. Sewer‑district staff emphasized the Division of Drinking Water and Division of Water Quality are closely watching proposed reuse and mixing scenarios and that water‑quality outcomes could affect the plant’s permits. City and district staff asked that representatives from the conservancy district and the sewer/water districts sit on the proposed steering committee. A conservancy official present asked that the city’s recreation MOU reflect the relationship between the conservancy district and the city and clarify the Bureau of Reclamation grant requirements tied to recreation funding.

Why it matters: The reservoir and its recreation plan have potential impacts on water quality, permit obligations for the Confluence Park treatment plant and on city budgets: constructing a fully developed recreation area now could consume multiple years of park impact fees and other local funds. Staff said a phased, data‑driven approach would reduce the risk of costly retrofits.

Next steps: Council asked staff to draft an MOU with the conservancy district and appoint a community steering committee to advise on design and grant timing. Staff said they will not submit an application for the rejected cofferdam grant this funding cycle and will instead reconvene stakeholders before requesting major capital funds.","After the conservancy district withdrew support for a cofferdam concept, Toquerville staff recommended a measured approach to Chief Toker Reservoir recreation: create access and a temporary parking base, monitor water levels over multiple seasons and form a citizen steering committee to advise future facilities and grant applications.",{"_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},6477171,"Residents press council on Westfield Road access as Firelight developer discusses funding and timing",711,2029000,2740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c&start=2029&end=2740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c/thumbnail_2029000.jpg","/articles/6477171/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/Residents-press-council-on-Westfield-Road-access-as-Firelight-developer-discusses-funding-and-timing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477171-5af7874b41ce1371ad0dae509567aea7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929412&Signature=hviJxanCYRw3Lz3NpD87KaL~nmCRPeFRCdz2cdkobJHr0wQZpW4poWMHCsL2KaaO~RBwC0XaJP9C4TwDp0HItx7AMjNHgWugo1OlW4idu1DTmiYyeDubzBIP6cKckyCw32XYAbrwkbOtQO9ByjJRNRddrd75gBXV4YvRCqvEkH32XFFuLPrY6jPPjSPEG4Entps26Ym8mwg5vrjKS~gxcoqbkz8cq6~VyQ~eGKKNmIxpSqSfEyxi5vdtrFqKF1~RAj~G2jeWyBjl2o9kuviqTSee7LT2XS8-lAeHBNVog6aG2eCm0MPZ0tZ1RbQpZqkmBVWeRVGq9huuYx6uyw8XLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents and property owners raised concerns at Monday’s Toquerville City Council meeting about access from Westfield Road to the new parkway and the implications for emergency egress and fire safety.

Several public commenters, including DC Young and Dan Cavan, told the council they understood a developer commitment to extend Westfield Road to the parkway had been part of earlier approvals and that recent closures now leave neighbors without the promised secondary egress. “When the proposal for the bypass road was approved, the requirements were that contracting vehicles would not use city streets,” DC Young wrote in an email read into the public record; he added that the developer’s recent closure of the unpaved extension left nearby homes without the second access they had expected.

Dan Cavan said the blocked connection also restricts emergency access and leaves fire hydrants isolated, adding that enforcement had been inconsistent on construction‑vehicle routing. “Even if it is private property, if we had to get people out of there it would have been nice to be able to get them out that way,” Cavan said.

Scott McCall, a Firelight representative, told the council the company has master‑planned Westfield Road and has design plans and a draft road‑dedication plat. McCall said the developer paused construction on the road because the parcel did not “pencil” financially at the time and resources were redirected to the parkway and other projects. “We don't have the funds to build the road without an associated project right now,” McCall said, adding that adjacent development or a funding mechanism would trigger construction.

Doug Westbrook, a landowner in the area, said the approvals created a “pickle” because the MPD zoning had moved forward in places where Firelight didn’t yet own all parcels. Westbrook said he understood the development agreement’s mechanics but said the outcome left landowners and the city in a difficult position.

Council and staff said the city’s authority is limited because Westfield Road is on private property and is not a dedicated public right of way. City Manager Ben Billingsley said developers have indicated they are working on a funding mechanism to construct Westfield Road in coordination with adjacent development, and staff urged further coordination with the Hurricane Valley Fire District on secondary‑access requirements.

Why it matters: Residents say a second egress is a public‑safety issue for homes west of Ash Creek. Developers say the road’s construction depends on funding and adjacent private development. City staff said the road will be dedicated and constructed when the developer assembles funding or when adjacent projects are approved and can fund the work.

What’s next: Council accepted the comments and directed staff to continue discussions with developers and the fire district; no action to require immediate construction was taken. The council also heard that prior development approvals contain conditions enforcing secondary‑access requirements for subdivisions (such as the earlier Tober Hills approvals), and staff said future subdivisions will be required to resolve access at the preliminary‑plat stage.","Residents and landowners urged the council to require developer-built Westfield Road access; Firelight representatives said road construction awaits adjacent development and funding, and the council discussed emergency-access and fire-district conditions.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477172,"Council approves several land-use items, accepts developer payment in lieu for trail",630,2786000,3416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c&start=2786&end=3416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713115-310ccccf6ce74f47bce62e8438a4325c/thumbnail_2786000.jpg","/articles/6477172/Toquerville/Washington-County/Utah/Council-approves-several-land-use-items-accepts-developer-payment-in-lieu-for-trail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477172-709595db1d9d8341f95dee8f7a750325/orig.mp4?Expires=1770929412&Signature=LUKQa-5D7CUcvnH8OBqPmbO1efYflaA-pTKQwJoTAPe4WZm8jyLx2fDz8yhIxB3ioJpUutol-X4wsoqGVAP195De5VBPGx7i5XqMiB2AZRwmjhd7RcHRLwyulg66YjHtIgDIVy48-ILGWhc07OWUybVOexG2AsyppLOMg6loUs-QSmjD4pJdbG6f2dZ63J16Q~U-pQgNDdCjZ5no4J~MkNJlqWYikBcfUXMq7~qaUuDdXRZ~IRnKFbqhfJq2eHW5s1iY4MKjP8N0z77ZJLD8UyJh45tUv0uAz6Bw2j7KlhwkfPImwo8aOB3uq9L4PL8pGhUNWW-gutylMq~JGcu63Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Toquerville City Council on Monday approved a series of land-use items and financial agreements and tabled two staff items for later review.

The council unanimously approved a zone change application to rezone property at 1816 South Shangri La from MU-20 to AG-1 to bring the parcel into conformance with lot-size rules and a corresponding lot-line adjustment. Planning staff said the change corrects a nonconforming lot arrangement and aligns the parcel with the city's general plan designation as agricultural. A councilmember moved to approve the change and the motion carried.

Council members also approved a modification to the Firelight master planned development (MPD) — the site plan for Planning Area 11 — after planning commission review. Planning staff said the change updates the MPD’s exhibit C and confirms the developer’s commitments on trails, open space and buffering to adjacent R-1-20 lots.

The council approved an addendum to the Firelight Development Agreement that allows the developer to seek certain administrative land‑use approvals on the condition that title to the subject property be obtained within a specified lapse period. City staff and the city attorney said the addendum protects the city by making approvals conditional (a paper approval that does not vest until ownership is obtained) and by excluding land-use approvals that require fees to entities other than the city (for example, building permits or other third‑party impact fees). The council voted to adopt the addendum after clarifying that existing lapse periods in Title 10 would still apply and that the city could limit the permitted approvals if desired.

On an unrelated but consequential transaction, the council accepted a payment‑in‑lieu agreement with Satt Brothers totaling $191,438 to satisfy a developer obligation to construct a multiuse trail along the state highway frontage. City staff said the developer had offered the payment rather than building the segment; the council accepted the funds and directed they be held in a park-designated fund for future trail or park uses.

The council approved a refund of a conditional‑use application fee for Richard and Sarah Derek after staff determined the application was ineligible under the newly amended ordinance (the application required an existing house on the parcel and no house was present). The refund was granted after staff review.

Two items were tabled for later action: (1) the employee policy and procedures manual (staff requested more time to collect council questions and coordinate with outside counsel), and (2) a change order for Highway overlay/shouldering work (council asked staff to document where shoulder work was completed and to provide site verification before approving final payment).

Votes at a glance
- Zone change for 1816 S. Shangri La (MU‑20 → AG‑1): approved (motion carried; roll‑call vote recorded)
- Firelight MPD Planning Area 11 site-plan modification: approved (motion carried)
- Addendum to Firelight Development Agreement (conditional administrative approvals; exclude third‑party fee items): approved (motion carried)
- Payment in lieu — Satt Brothers — trail contribution $191,438: approved (motion carried)
- Refund — conditional‑use application fee (Richard and Sarah Derek): approved (motion carried)
- Employee manual (F2): tabled for further review
- Change order #20 (highway shoulder/overlay): tabled pending site verification

The council did not record detailed roll‑call tallies for every vote in the public transcript; outcomes above reflect the motions and chair announcements recorded on the meeting record.","At its Sept. 8 meeting, the Toquerville City Council approved a zone change, a Firelight MPD site-plan modification, an addendum to the Firelight development agreement, accepted a payment in lieu for a proposed trail and refunded a conditional-use permit fee; staff tabled two items for later action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council authorizes staff to pursue alternate procurement to complete Westfield Park; pickleball courts and phased work priority

City, conservancy district step back from cofferdam plan; council to form community steering committee for reservoir recreation

Residents press council on Westfield Road access as Firelight developer discusses funding and timing

Council approves several land-use items, accepts developer payment in lieu for trail