SITLA presses for talks on proposed solar project, warns of fiduciary duty as Bluff council enters closed session

Andy Bedingfield, managing director of energy and minerals at the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), told the Bluff Town Council on Oct. 7 that SITLA is concerned about “communications between members of the town regarding the litigation” that he said are “exaggerated or incorrect.” Bedingfield read a statement for the public record and urged residents and the town to reach out to SITLA for settlement information.

Bedingfield said SITLA has known since 2018 of an intent to develop a commercial solar electric generation facility on the bench about a mile north of Bluff and that SITLA had previously asked the town to consider ordinances to allow solar on the bench or otherwise to address the use of trust lands. “Sitla has become aware of communications between members of the town regarding the litigation between Sitla and the town that are exaggerated or incorrect,” he said.

He told the council the agency engaged in several rounds of settlement discussions and that the most recent offer came from SITLA in May, which he said included leaving roughly half the originally requested area within the town boundaries; he said the town had not engaged further since that offer. Bedingfield also emphasized SITLA’s legal obligations, saying the agency “is required by law to manage trust lands for the support of its beneficiaries” and can be held liable for breaching its fiduciary duties by foregoing revenue opportunities.

Bedingfield addressed local water concerns, saying SITLA is sensitive to protecting water resources and noting that Utah’s water is managed by the state engineer and the Utah Division of Water Quality, whose jurisdiction “is not affected by town boundaries.” He invited residents to contact Brian Torgerson or town staff for copies of settlement offers and other materials SITLA is willing to share.

After the public comment period closed the council moved on to unfinished business and a council member made a motion to convene a closed session “pursuant to Utah Code 52-4-205” for a strategy session regarding pending or reasonably imminent litigation. The motion was seconded and members voted unanimously to enter closed session; the chair said the recorder would be turned off at 4:10 p.m.

Votes at a glance • Approval of Bluff Town Council special meeting minutes of 09/09/2025 — motion made and seconded; approved unanimously (individual votes not recorded in transcript). • Approval of Bluff Town Council emergency meeting minutes of 09/15/2025 — motion made and seconded; approved unanimously (individual votes not recorded in transcript). • Approval of Bluff Town Council regular meeting minutes of 09/16/2025 — motion made and seconded; approved unanimously (individual votes not recorded in transcript). • Approval of Bluff Town Council public hearing minutes of 09/25/2025 — motion made and seconded; approved unanimously (individual votes not recorded in transcript). • Motion to enter closed session under Utah Code 52-4-205 for litigation strategy — motion made and seconded; approved unanimously.

What’s next The council moved into a closed session to discuss litigation and did not take further public action at the Oct. 7 meeting. SITLA offered to provide settlement offers and related materials to the town or residents on request; the transcript records no council response to that invitation during the public portion of the meeting.