Orangeville council accepts county funding for pickleball, ratifies routine expenses and leases a water share; several service requests remain under discussion

Orangeville City Council voted on a package of routine approvals and several project-specific items during its council meeting on May 8, 2025, including acceptance of county funds for pickleball courts and a one-year lease of a city water share to a private property owner.

The council accepted approximately $62,000 in county funding for pickleball courts and approved a series of ratifications for previously incurred expenses, including a $5,269 purchase of playground wood chips, a $3,383.09 backhoe repair, a $170.06 annual Zoom subscription and a $1,122.53 reimbursement for an employee’s conference hotel. Council also approved a business license for Britney Richards contingent on health-department sign-off and approved a water connection for a Sean and Chris (applicants’ full names not specified in the record). Separately, the council approved leasing one water share to Mike Madsen for one year to allow him to begin construction while he secures a second share.

Why it matters: The funding acceptance will pay for a local recreation facility project, and the leased water share and water-connection approvals affect property development and building timelines. The ratifications put previously spent funds on the record and authorize routine municipal operations.

Most consequential votes and actions

- Acceptance of county funding for pickleball courts: council moved and approved acceptance of the county grant (council motion passed; vote recorded as aye by multiple council members). - Lease of one water share to Mike Madsen for one year: council approved a one-year lease to allow building to proceed while Madsen seeks a second share (motion passed with three ayes recorded). - Water connection for Sean and Chris: council approved the culinary water connection request (motion passed). - Business license for Britney Richards: council approved the license contingent on health-department sign-off (motion passed). - Multiple ratifications/administrative approvals: wood chips for playground ($5,269), backhoe repair ($3,383.09), Zoom subscription ($170.06), reimbursement to Amanda Lake ($1,122.53), and a $100 senior graduation donation were all ratified.

Discussion items with no formal action

Council discussed an EMS funding request being circulated at a recent Council of Governments meeting that would propose increased per-town contributions to boost EMT on-call pay; that request was presented for discussion only and was not approved by the council at this meeting. Councilmembers also discussed resident complaints about deer damaging fruit trees and whether the city or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources holds responsibility; no regulatory change or formal city action was adopted. Several water-connection inquiries — including a request by Joe Humphrey for water service to multiple parcels — were discussed but not decided.

Quotes from the meeting

Tracy (council member) moved to approve the water connection for Sean and Chris, saying, “I make a motion we approve the water connected for Sean and Chris now.”

On water-share leasing, a council member summarized the suggested limit: “The irrigation company has suggested to start limiting these to one year,” an explanation offered during discussion of Mike Madsen’s request.

Votes at a glance

- Approve bills and warrants: motion passed (ayes recorded). Mover: Tracy (council member). Second: Kevin (council member). Vote: recorded ayes by Kevin, Carrie and Tracy in the transcript. - Approve minutes (04/10/2025 public hearing and regular session): both motions passed. Movers and seconds recorded in the minutes (motions moved by Tracy or Carrie and seconded by colleagues; motion language present in transcript). - Approve culinary water connection for Sean and Chris: motion passed. Mover: Tracy. Second: Kevin. Vote: recorded ayes and motion passes. - Business license for Britney Richards (contingent on health department sign-off): motion passed. Mover: Carrie. Second: Tracy. - Table decision on changing Andy Thompson from part-time to full-time pending budget review: motion to table passed. - Accept county funds for pickleball courts (approx. $62k): motion passed. Mover: Tracy. Second: Carrie. - Ratify wood chips purchase for park play areas ($5,269): motion passed. Mover: Kevin. Second: Tracy. - Ratify $100 senior graduation donation: motion passed. - Reimburse Amanda Lake for conference hotel ($1,122.53): motion passed. Mover: Tracy. Second: Kevin. - Ratify backhoe repair ($3,383.09): motion passed. Mover: Kevin. Second: Carrie. - Ratify Zoom subscription ($170.06): motion passed. - Lease one city water share to Mike Madsen for one year: motion passed (mover: Tracy; second: Carrie; transcript records three ayes and motion passes).

Discussion and staff reports

City staff reported on administrative items including animal-control citation books, Airbnb license follow-ups, website migration to a .gov domain, and a reported scam web listing using an Orangeville address. Parks staff reported new concrete pours at the park and plans for spring planting; festival planning for an upcoming community event was discussed at length in staff reports but is handled as staff/volunteer logistics rather than formal council policy changes.

What the record does not show

The transcript records votes and motions for the items listed above; where the transcript did not provide full names, addresses or certain numerical details (for example the exact ordinance numbers, the precise clerk/employee full names, or the definitive finalized county grant amount), the minutes and motion language in this article reflect the council record and otherwise mark missing specifics as not specified.

Looking ahead

Items likely to return to a future council agenda include the tabled staffing change for Andy Thompson pending a budget review; potential formal action on EMS contributions if the Council of Governments proposal advances; and follow-up on several water-connection and water-share matters contingent on confirmations from the canal company and the city’s water-share inventory.