Willard Council approves new garbage policy, expands city manager authority and updates zoning; Perry boundary decision tabled for interlocal talks

The Willard City Council on Feb. 12 adopted multiple ordinance changes and set a course for further negotiation with neighboring Perry City.

Council approved an amendment to Chapter 12 (garbage and litter), Ordinance 26 0 1, after a public hearing and brief comment from residents. Under the measure the city will own replacement garbage cans provided after a resident requests a replacement; new move-ins will pay a $135 start-up charge to cover initial service setup. During public comment Diana Baker, a resident who said she lives at 276 West Center Street, said the change was welcome: “I'm just glad that we got this taken care of because I probably could use a new can eventually here.” The ordinance passed on a roll-call vote following a motion and second.

Council also approved Ordinance 26 0 5 to clarify and streamline the city manager's responsibilities in Chapter 2.08 of the municipal code. The amendments remove a prior exception that left annual performance evaluations for some appointed officials to the mayor and explicitly confirm the city manager's supervisory authority over employees and volunteers. Several residents used the hearing to ask procedural questions about whom to call for concerns; one commenter said, “thank you, Jeremy,” in reference to the city manager, and the council adopted the ordinance by roll call.

On zoning, members voted to approve Ordinance 26 0 2, which updates area-coverage, setback and height provisions and adds an option to accept agricultural conservation easements in lieu of some open-space requirements. The most contested point was the height limit language for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and accessory buildings; councilors agreed to correct the ordinance to retain a 25-foot maximum for accessory structures and to clarify that ADUs cannot exceed the height of the principal dwelling where applicable. Council discussed nuisance and maintenance issues tied to agricultural easements (spraying, buffers, and long-term maintenance). The corrected zoning ordinance passed on a roll-call vote.

Other formal actions taken during the meeting included approval of recommended bids for the 2026 Lord City irrigation water project and adoption of Resolution 2026-02 authorizing Willard's involvement with the Box Elder communication center for emergency dispatch services. The council also ratified an internal planning commission chair change.

Boundary adjustment with Perry City: tabled, interlocal option requested

A lengthy and fractious discussion focused on a proposed municipal boundary adjustment with Perry City, an item that had been continued from a prior meeting. Landowners and developers argued that annexation or a boundary adjustment would allow them to obtain sewer and water service and move forward with development. Developer and property owner Pat Burns said the project has substantial sunk costs and was explicit about the financial stakes: “I just spent $1,100,000 on sewer,” he said, describing infrastructure he installed to prepare his property. Landowner Chad Rager said he had given significant easements and investments on his property and urged a pragmatic solution.

Opponents and some council members warned that transferring territory or services could shift impact fees and tax revenue to Perry and create long-term fiscal pressure for Willard residents. One council member summarized the concern with local revenue: “...you're approaching 1,000,000 dollars,” referring to the combined impact fees and taxes projected from the development. No second was offered on a motion to approve the boundary adjustment and that motion died. Later, the council voted to table the boundary-adjustment decision and directed staff to pursue an interlocal agreement with Perry City covering sewer and water service, to negotiate revenue-sharing or impact-fee arrangements as appropriate, and to return with draft documents for council review.

What happens next

Council instructed staff to set a meeting with Perry City staff and their attorney, circulate draft interlocal-agreement language (sewer and water) and return the item to the next council agenda. Staff said an interlocal agreement and any changes to Willard's capital facilities plan would affect whether the city could collect impact fees for sewer or water serving that area.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 26 0 1 (garbage and litter): Approved (motion carries; roll-call recorded). Key provision: $135 start-up fee for new move-ins; city ownership of replacement cans thereafter. - Ordinance 26 0 5 (city manager powers): Approved (roll-call). Key provision: clarifies manager authority over employees and volunteers; removes the mayor-only performance-evaluation exception. - Ordinance 26 0 2 (zoning amendments, ADU/accessory height correction): Approved with amendment to clarify accessory building/ADU height limits (25-foot accessory maximum) (roll-call). - 2026 Lord City irrigation water bids: Recommended bids approved. - Resolution 2026-02 (Box Elder communication center participation): Approved (roll-call). - Planning commission chair ratification (Chandler/Sid Bodley): Approved. - Boundary adjustment with Perry City (Ordinance labeled 26 0 1 in packet): Motion to approve died for lack of second; later motion to table and explore interlocal agreements carried; item is pending further negotiation. - Motion to enter closed session for personnel and potential litigation: Approved (roll-call).

Who spoke (selected attributions taken from the transcript)

- Mayor (Unidentified), mayoral remarks and chaired the meeting. - Jeremy (city manager), referenced during public comment and staff discussion. - Amy (staff), involved in drafting and explaining the garbage and personnel materials. - Diana Baker (resident), public comment in the garbage-can hearing: supportive. - Pat Burns (property owner/developer), spoke in favor of boundary adjustment and described investments in sewer. - Chad Rager (landowner), spoke in favor of adjustments and described easements and existing utilities. - Councilmembers who spoke in the record by first name: Jake, Rod, Mike, Rex, Jordan (motions and roll calls were recorded by first name).

Context and notable details

- Garbage policy: staff described the city taking ownership of replacement cans when the city replaces a resident's existing can; $135 is the fee identified for new move-ins as the startup charge (staff summary). - Pump-station / sewer operational risk: staff estimated running costs of a pump station at roughly $4,000 per year in electricity, but noted operational risk and replacement costs for pumps are significant factors in engineering and long-term maintenance planning. - Impact fees and scale: council discussion cited a rough estimate of approximately $800,000 in sewer and water impact fees for an illustrative build-out and said total fees plus taxes could approach $1,000,000, a central point in opposition to giving up revenue via boundary change.

The council scheduled follow-up work: staff will seek draft interlocal-agreement language from Perry City, circulate it to the council and stakeholders, and return the matter to the next regular meeting for further action.