Resident says town complaint portal left two reports waiting six weeks; duplex ordinance author urges faster action

At the Virgin Town Council's July 15 meeting a resident and a local property advocate used public comment to press the town on two separate issues: a perceived lack of follow-up to resident complaints filed through newly installed software, and delays in drafting an ordinance to allow long-term duplex rentals in commercial zones.

Cindy, who identified herself as a resident of the Desert Gardens neighborhood, told the council she and her husband submitted two code complaints through the town's new portal on June 8. She said one complaint was resolved within about a week; the other remained listed as "being reviewed" six weeks later with no further updates.

"Six weeks later, it's still sitting there and nothing has been done from my perspective," Cindy said, urging the town to make the reporting system a "two-way street" so residents can see who is handling a case and receive status updates.

Mayor Jean and staff acknowledged the concern during council comments and noted the importance of ensuring staff respond to resident reports. The council directed staff to follow up on the specific complaint timeline and to consider whether the new software meets the town's needs for two-way communication.

Separately, Tom (speaking as the author of a duplex proposal) told the council his duplex plan was well received at a presentation about 11 months earlier and said he was surprised by recent comments that suggested the ordinance was stalled. He said Planning & Zoning now has two draft ordinances: one described by him as "a convoluted mess" and a second alternative prepared by a planning commission member.

"My question is, basically, what can be done with a time limit on this?" Tom asked, urging the council to set a timeline so the proposal would not sit indefinitely on planning agendas.

Council members and planning staff acknowledged multiple drafts exist and said the council and Planning & Zoning should decide whether the live-work/duplex approach should be a conditional-use permit that runs with the land or a permit/license subject to periodic review. After discussion the council voted to table the draft live-work ordinance for one month so staff can return with clarified options for permit type, enforcement and conditions.

The council did not adopt any policy during public comment; staff were tasked to report back with options and to follow up on Cindy's outstanding complaint record.