Virgin council approves sheriff patrol contract, election services agreement, $3,000 regional contribution and new sign code; development agreement cleared

The Virgin Town Council on Feb. 18 approved several interlocal agreements, adopted a new sign code and cleared a site-specific development agreement while tabling one proposed code-enforcement contract.

Council members voted to renew an interlocal agreement with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for 6 hours of deputy coverage per week and authorized the town’s mayor to sign the contract. The council was told the town paid $15,000 last year; this year’s contract is $20,800 for the same six-hour weekly patrol level. The contract specifies the county will not bill for vehicle maintenance, supervision or clerical overhead and that deputies will respond to the town’s requests and provide periodic reports to the council.

The council also approved an interlocal agreement with Washington County for full municipal election services, subject to two conditions: (1) the contract wording be specialized to identify the Town of Virgin (not generic “municipality”) and (2) the town receive a formal cost estimate that does not exceed the town’s budget expectation. Council members instructed staff to seek a written cost estimate from the county before finalizing invoicing details.

Separately, the council voted to contribute $3,000 to the Zion Regional Collaborative to help fund a regional coordinator position. The contribution is a renewal of the town’s payment from the prior year; council members said the collaborative coordinates multi-jurisdiction projects addressing tourism impacts in the Zion area.

On land-use and local regulation, the council adopted Ordinance 2025-06, a rewritten sign ordinance that replaces chapter 52 of the town code and adds related definitions to chapter 2. The ordinance was approved by roll call vote.

The council also approved a development agreement and related zone change for a specific property, with one amendment: the council removed two sentences that would have attached a separate exhibit of additional lighting/noise restrictions (the council directed staff and the applicant to address lighting and noise compliance under the town’s ordinary permitting and building-permit review process rather than by inserting a separate exhibit into the development agreement). The approved development agreement also includes express land-use limits agreed by the property owner: the recorded covenant prohibits a hotel, automobile service station and food trucks on that parcel.

Council members tabled action on a proposed interlocal agreement to provide part-time code-enforcement services shared with Rockville, sending a revised draft to Rockville and asking for the towns’ counsel to review and return the item for the March meeting. The council also directed staff to place a property-line-adjustment deed and a resolution on the March agenda to convey a narrow strip of land near the new town hall to an adjacent property owner after a title review and deed preparation.

Votes at a glance (formal motions and outcomes recorded in the meeting minutes): - Interlocal agreement with Washington County Sheriff — approved; mayor authorized to sign; contract $20,800 for 6 hours/week (no vehicle/overhead charges). - Interlocal agreement with Washington County for election services — approved subject to town-specific contract language and a cost estimate not to exceed the town’s budget expectation. - Zion Regional Collaborative contribution ($3,000) — approved. - Ordinance 2025-06 (sign ordinance replacing chapter 52; amendments to chapter 2) — adopted by roll call. - Development agreement / zone change (site-specific restrictions: no hotel, no gas station, no food trucks) — approved with amendment removing exhibit of additional lighting/noise restrictions; council directed compliance with town ordinances at permit review. - Interlocal code-enforcement agreement with Rockville — tabled to March for counsel review and revisions.

The council noted several items will return at the March meeting, including the property-line adjustment (deed and resolution) and a finalized interlocal for shared code enforcement, and asked staff to secure written cost estimates for election services before final execution.

Ending: Council members said they will continue to review interlocal templates and standard resolution language so future agreements conform with the Utah Cooperative Interlocal Agreement Act and with the town’s procurement and recordation practices.