Ivins planning commission sets Feb. 4 public hearing for draft annexation policy plan

The Ivins Planning Commission reviewed its draft annexation policy plan at the Jan. 14, 2025 meeting and set a public hearing for Feb. 4, 2025 to receive public comment before forwarding the commission's recommended plan to the city council.

The chair introduced the item and read the commission's duties under the annexation plan procedure, noting the commission must prepare a proposed plan, hold a public hearing and submit a recommendation to the city council. Planning staff member Mr. Haycock summarized changes made to the draft and said the document had been available for commissioners to review for four weeks.

Commissioners discussed language in Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 about the standards that should guide municipal boundary changes. Several commissioners said Chapter 3's criteria — which address finances, municipal services and other considerations — fulfill the statute's requirement for standards and recommended cross-referencing Chapter 3 where the draft currently refers to "specific standards." One commissioner suggested replacing the word "specific" with a direct reference to Chapter 3 to avoid confusion.

Members debated whether provisions in Chapter 3 should use "shall" or "may." One commissioner noted that state guidance calls for annexation policy plans to "include a statement of the specific criteria that will guide the municipality's decision," and argued that using "shall" better ensures the criteria are considered during decisions. Other commissioners warned "shall" can create a mandatory obligation; staff and commissioners acknowledged a balance between ensuring thorough consideration and preserving discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Planning staff said the city expects potential annexation requests in the near future, specifically referencing a SITLA request-for-proposal area east of Indigo that could produce an annexation application within about a year.

After discussion, the commission agreed to set a public hearing date. Staff recommended two weeks for posting; the commission set the public hearing for Feb. 4, 2025 for the draft Ivins City annexation policy plan. The chair thanked staff and Chuck Gillette for their work on the draft and directed staff to post notice and prepare materials for the hearing.

No formal vote on the content of the draft plan was recorded at the meeting; the commission set the hearing date to gather public comment and to meet statutory hearing requirements before forwarding a recommendation to the city council.