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Council hears water constraints as decisive factor for new development; Jordan Park cited as example
Summary
City staff outlined North Ogden’s culinary and secondary water constraints, the city’s approach to issuing building permits, and questions about whether to relax or enforce secondary‑water requirements for subdivisions such as Jordan Park.
Staff and council members devoted a long portion of the meeting to water supply and policy questions tied to future development.
Scott (city planning staff) said North Ogden’s culinary water system is “self sufficient” but that much of the city’s supply depends on Rice Creek and other mountain sources that can vary. He told council the average household use figure the staff found is roughly 300 gallons per day and that the city is “about to finish” a comprehensive water impact fee study to guide future capacity and investments.
The larger policy question staff raised is how to treat secondary water (irrigation water) in new subdivisions. Scott described Jordan Park, where building permits were issued but the subdivision cannot receive certificates of occupancy until a secondary water supply is proved: “They cannot get certificates of occupancy until they have secondary water. That's a policy in the city.” He pointed out that water shares can cost $25,000–$40,000 per share and that some proposed developments do not come with transferable secondary‑water rights.
Fire Marshal Markham responded when asked about water rights: “Water rights, I don't know about. But, yeah, access is, for sure,” underscoring access and emergency water availability as a separate constraint from ownership of irrigation rights.
Council members and staff discussed enforcement mechanisms (tiered fees, meters, landscaping limits) and tradeoffs. Staff warned that if culinary water is used for irrigation, long‑term capacity for firefighting and system reliability could be threatened. One council member described some cities that meter and cut off customers who exceed allocations; another noted that stronger enforcement requires more code enforcement staff and budget. Scott said the city is required by the state to add a water‑use element to its general plan by the end of the calendar year and that staff will bring the secondary‑water providers into that process.
Ending: Staff asked the council to consider code changes and enforcement resources in coming policy packages; next steps include finalizing the water impact fee study and convening water providers and elected leaders for the required water‑use element work.
