Midway council approves multi-million-dollar change orders, TAP awards and budgets; tightens care-home language

Midway City Council approved a package of consent items that includes five construction change orders that staff said add roughly $4.18 million to an ongoing Main/Center Street infrastructure contract, approved local TAP (transient-accommodations) grants and rule changes for the TAP program, adopted a fiscal-year 2025 budget amendment and a tentative FY2026 budget, and moved to clarify city code to cap certain residential treatment facilities at eight residents.

The five change orders to a single contractor were the meeting’s longest discussion. City staff told the council that additional underground power work, added water lines and Midway Sanitation District (MSD) sewer work were requested while crews were mobilized and that honoring unit prices in the original bid made adding the items on this schedule cheaper than rebidding. Staff provided a breakdown showing an added change-order total of about $4,175,606 and said that including other project costs and pass-through charges (notably a roughly $289,663 charge from Heber Light & Power) brings the contract close to the $5.75 million range. Staff also said portions of the added cost will be passed through to Midway Sanitation District and that some work will be billed in the FY2026 budget because construction spans the fiscal-year boundary.

Council members pressed staff on purchasing rules and fairness to other bidders. One councilmember said approving a change order that more than doubles the originally advertised scope felt “very uncomfortable” and recommended the city review its purchasing and bidding policy to set clearer limits on cumulative change orders before rebidding. Staff acknowledged the concern and told the council the city’s current purchasing policy does not set a numeric limit for change orders and recommended a future policy review. After discussion, the motion to approve the consent agenda items A through I (with item E removed) and to include change orders 1–5 passed; one councilmember recorded a dissent specific to the change-orders item and asked that the council consider amending the purchasing policy.

The council also approved TAP (transient-accommodations or “tourism” tax) awards and a pair of amendments to the TAP policy. The council agreed to fund a portable sound system up to $7,500 (city to purchase tax-free through its accounts), to buy town-hall risers and to acquire a trailer to store staging and equipment; the council agreed the trailer purchase can be reconciled with next year’s CIP where appropriate. Councilors discussed staging and storage logistics and how TAP-funded capital requests should be treated if equipment becomes city property; staff confirmed TAP awards will not be used to buy privately held capital equipment and that city-owned items will be controlled by the city for public use.

On finance matters, the council held public hearings and approved a FY2025 budget amendment (the formal resolution was adopted after a noticed hearing). The council then adopted the tentative FY2026 budget with a number of edits requested at the meeting. During budget discussion council members and staff agreed to include a part-time code-enforcement position in the FY2026 budget; staff presented comparable salaries from nearby jurisdictions and the council directed that a part-time enforcement line be added at roughly $35,000–45,000 and settled on an estimate of about $40,000 for planning purposes. Finance staff reminded the council that some project costs will span fiscal years and that the final accounting will allocate expenses to the year in which the work is done.

The Wasatch County Board of Health presented its annual report. Sarah Simonson, vice chair of the Wasatch County Board of Health, and Jonelle Fitzgerald, health department director, summarized services and program highlights including expanded WIC (Women, Infants and Children) virtual appointments and a senior produce voucher program coordinated with a Utah County grower. The health department reported 428 disease investigations in 2024 with 234 confirmed cases; staff said hospitalized influenza and COVID hospitalizations are down from prior years while chlamydia, syphilis and salmonella case counts have risen relative to a five-year average. The board and staff also emphasized the health department’s reliance on grant funding (more than half of revenue), said the department lost COVID-specific funding and noted concern about potential federal funding reductions going forward. Jay Eckersley, past board chair, urged council members to help the department by ensuring the public’s image of the health department is accurate and visible and by publicizing available services.

On land-use and code items, the council approved a plat amendment for The Meadows at Dutch Canyon that removes an old note prohibiting driveway access to Dutch Canyon Road and allows the property owner to construct a circular driveway. The council applied conditions to ensure compliance with driveway-spacing rules near intersections and directed that driveway placement meet the city’s established setback from the intersection (the council used a 40-foot clearance from the north intersection point as the practical limit in discussion). The council also adopted an ordinance amending section 16.270.20 of the municipal code to clarify definitions and explicitly state the city’s longstanding interpretation that residential treatment facilities and certain elder-care residences are limited to no more than eight residents.

During the meeting Midway Police reported a rise in visitor-related calls consistent with the seasonal increase in tourism, noted officers’ participation at a recent valley protest that staff described as calm and cooperative, and said a newly acquired mobile command vehicle and additional weekend coverage would be deployed. The police update also noted no charge for Midway officers attending local booster events and support for community parades, subject to staffing needs.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (items A–I except E) including Change Order I (change orders 1–5): approved; one dissent on change-order item; council requested a future review of the purchasing/bidding policy (motion passed). (Change orders were debated in detail; staff said the five change orders add roughly $4.18 million to the project and increase the contract toward a $5.75 million total when pass-through charges are included.) - TAP tax awards and TAP policy amendments (portable speaker system increased to $7,500; purchase of risers and a trailer for staging/storage): approved (motion passed; roll call in transcript recorded multiple ayes). - Resolution adopting FY2025 budget amendment (Res. 2025-19): approved after public hearing (motion passed). - Tentative FY2026 budget (resolution or motion adopting tentative budget as amended): approved with direction to staff to incorporate the adjustments discussed, including a part-time code-enforcement line (~$40,000 estimate). - Plat amendment: Meadows at Dutch Canyon (Lots 1 and 2 / Lot 1) — plat note changed to allow driveway access with spacing condition (40-foot clearance from intersection area discussed); approved. - Ordinance 2025-11 — code amendment clarifying definitions for residential treatment and related facilities, limiting occupancy to not more than eight individuals: adopted.

What happened next / next steps - Staff will incorporate the budget changes into the finalized FY2026 documents and include the code-enforcement line for further refinement. Staff also committed to prepare an item to revisit the city’s purchasing policy and to clarify limits and rebidding thresholds for future council consideration. - Planning and public-works staff will finalize the change-order accounting and confirm which costs are pass-through to Midway Sanitation District and which will be charged to the city budget years as work is completed.

Meeting context and turnout The council’s discussion on the change orders was the meeting’s main substantive debate and drew the most questions from members about procurement policy, budgeting across fiscal years and fairness to other bidders. Several councilmembers explicitly asked staff to bring a purchasing-policy amendment back for review. The board of health presentation was informational and drew no formal council action beyond acknowledgement and thanks.

Ending note Council members reminded residents that some actions require coordination with external agencies (for example the tax commission’s certified property tax rate) and that staff will notify the council should scheduling or timing issues require special meetings. The council adjourned to a subsequent CDRA (redevelopment) item with minutes and a zeroed FY2026 CDRA budget approved as presented.