City staff report library outreach, parks lighting, compliance and a proposed $300,000-a-year theater sponsorship

City staff used Tuesday’s work session to brief the council on multiple operational items: the library’s new email newsletter and arts outreach; a new lighting system at Discovery Park; routine public-works repairs and budgeting; a state compliance notice tied to housing strategies; and a proposed sponsorship agreement with the Health Center Theater that staff plan to discuss in the regular council meeting.

Sherry from the library said the library’s newsletter and a separate Arts Commission newsletter were sent using the library’s subscription service and that about 4,500 opened emails showed initial reach for the combined mailings. She cited recent programs including a jigsaw-puzzle competition and an interactive screening of The Princess Bride; an upcoming charcuterie class offered by the Arts Commission, she said, is already full.

Parks staff reported Musco Lighting at Discovery had gone live and described downward-directed fixtures and programmable in-pole lighting intended to limit light spill into surrounding neighborhoods; staff said the system includes motion/ball tracking lights for specific field events and will be controllable by rec department staff.

Public works described recent maintenance including cleaning the Walker tank (secondary tank) and responding to a water leak; staff said they are reconciling budgets and preparing a list of about 20 projects and will present detailed capital project requests in March.

Chief England (fire) reported regional training with neighboring departments and said the department will host a recruit class with partner agencies in coming weeks. The police department said it is rolling out new marked Ford Explorer vehicles with updated striping.

Daniel (Community Development) told the council the city received a state letter confirming compliance with required strategies tied to a housing reporting process (staff submitted five strategies in July to ensure compliance and the state recorded the city as meeting three strategies); Daniel said the next report to the state is due in July.

Scott (City Administrator) previewed agenda items for the council meeting, including surplus of approximately 11 police vehicles and a proposed sponsorship agreement with Health Center Theater. Scott said the sponsorship would provide the city with four impact-club memberships, 20 tickets per show to distribute to staff, and three uses per year of theater meeting spaces; he said the city’s contribution would be $300,000 annually. Scott said staff propose funding the sponsorship entirely from the city’s CARE tax rather than the general fund going forward. He described the draft as a five-year agreement with an automatic renewal provision that effectively could stretch the commitment to 20 years unless either party gives one year’s notice to end the agreement. Scott said the theater and its proponents used an economic-impact study when seeking a $5,000,000 TRCC county grant and that staff will provide council members copies of impact data for review; he referenced a study figure sent to council showing a $714,100,000 total estimated economic impact (2023–date range cited in the memo) with an estimated $42,000,000 fiscal impact to Pleasant Grove City for the same period.

Scott also reminded council of calendar items: a budget-and-planning meeting Friday at 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ruth at the Hill Center Theater lounge and boardroom, and mayoral interviews for a new municipal judge scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m.

Council members asked staff to provide the economic-impact analysis and related materials at the full council meeting so the public can review the numbers tied to the sponsorship request. Several council members said they expect staff to bring capital project lists in March when budget recommendations will be discussed.

No formal action on the sponsorship or vehicle surplus was taken during the work session; both items are on the council agenda for the upcoming regular meeting.