Layton City Council members discussed My Hometown, a volunteer-driven neighborhood-revitalization and service program that pairs resident block captains, faith- and community-based partners and city staff to address property maintenance, minor home repairs and neighborhood cleanups.

City councilors and staff described the program as a mix of periodic large "days of service" and ongoing neighborhood-level coordination. Council members and staff said the program as implemented in other Utah cities has required significant city support for logistics: dumpsters and landfill passes, heavy equipment and city operators, staffing for planning and safety oversight, and volunteer support such as lunches and workers'comp coverage for incidents.

Why it matters: Council members saw potential benefits in civic engagement, reduced code-enforcement burden and neighborhood stabilization. Several councilors suggested starting small (one or two events) and building capacity over time rather than immediately establishing a full resource center or replicating Ogden's scale.

Resource commitments discussed: Staff shared details from Ogden's experience that were raised during the council's discussion: multi-day service events have needed about 15 dumpsters with free landfill passes, three backhoes and three dump trucks with city operators, and coordination meetings with city staff every two weeks. The council also heard that some host cities supply free volunteer lunches, personal protective equipment, and workers'comp coverage for volunteers. Ogden and other cities have used faith-based partners to supply volunteer labor and to help offset some costs.

Council direction and next steps: Council members asked for a formal presentation by a My Hometown organizer so the council can better understand the program model, resource commitments and how existing local programs (for example, Communities That Care, volunteer groups and local businesses) might be integrated. Council members expressed support for piloting small-scale events and coordinating with local partners such as home-improvement retailers and community groups before committing to staff-heavy operations or a new city-run resource center.

Ending: The council asked staff to schedule a presentation on My Hometown at a future meeting and to return with options for a phased pilot, potential city resource needs, and a summary of entities in the city that could partner on volunteer projects.