Vermillion Cliffs SSD approves fire-response contract, removes new-growth fee; Kanab City to decide

The Vermillion Cliffs Special Service District voted unanimously June 10 to approve a structural fire-response service contract with Kanab City after striking a proposed ‘‘new-growth’’ fee that the district’s legal advisers said could be legally vulnerable.

The vote adopted the contract language the district board agreed it could defensibly commit to while removing the clause that would have charged each newly constructed residential or commercial unit a one-time fee payable to the city.

Board members said the change reflects legal advice that the district likely lacks a feasible and legally defensible mechanism to collect a one-time new-growth fee directly from developers or new residents. An interim board member summarized the district’s position: “We don't think it is plausible, feasible, and legally defensible to have that component of the contract.”

Why it matters: The new-growth fee was the primary sticking point between the district and Kanab City during months of negotiations. District officials said the contract otherwise includes a 6% annual contract increase and a method for calculating…