Oakley planning commission recommends City Council adopt state WUI code but delays map

The Oakley Planning Commission voted Jan. 8 to recommend that the City Council adopt the Utah Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code required by House Bill 48, while deferring approval of a local high-risk map until the city can resolve discrepancies raised by residents.

Staff told the commission the legislature requires municipalities to adopt the 2006 edition of the state WUI code in full and that the city must identify which parcels fall into the state-defined overlay. The staff presentation said the state will set the initial fee schedule for 2026 27 at about $20 to $100 per structure based on square footage, and that from 2028 fees will be tied to a triage assessment conducted by the state agency (Forest, Fire, and State Lands) to assign risk. The presentation added that fees will be collected by the county and appear on property tax bills; mitigation work on a property can reduce the assessed fee but not eliminate the charge.

"They passed what they thought was sufficient. It's turning out to be kind of a hot mess," a staff member said while describing the evolving state implementation and the commission's limited authority over fee-setting and collection.

During public comment, Kevin Barker, who identified his address as 612 East Weber Canyon, said he had reviewed the state maps and was surprised to find his home, located amid hay fields with few nearby structures, listed as high risk. "I was really surprised to see that a big portion of the area where my house is located ... is ranked as high risk," Barker said, urging the city to work with state officials to resolve apparent misclassifications.

Resident Paula Trader recommended the commission consider natural water features when planning mitigation, saying a short video she planned to share would "show how important beaver ponds are in mitigating fire danger."

After discussion about the city's already-adopted fire-hazard map and how it compares with the draft WUI overlay, Commissioner (speaker 4) moved that the Planning Commission recommend adoption of HB48 to the City Council "without a map." The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The commission emphasized the vote was a recommendation to the City Council on the code text, not a final local map approval. Staff said the city will continue to work with county and state fire officials, develop a parcel-overlay map to avoid partial-parcel designations, and seek public input before the council acts. The commission also discussed public education and mitigation steps residents can take to lower their property triage scores.

Next steps: staff will continue interagency coordination on mapping and public outreach; the recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.