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Tooele City staff propose clarifications to payment-in-lieu water-rights policy; council requests more time
Summary
City Engineer Paul Hansen proposed updates to Tooele City's payment-in-lieu water-rights policy: allow duplexes on existing parcels to acquire credits based on calculated demand, state the council-established $35,000 per credit in policy language, and add an explicit nontransferability/nonrefundable clause; council asked for more time and may consider a resolution at the next meeting.
City Engineer Paul Hansen presented three proposed changes to Tooele City's payment-in-lieu water-right conveyance policy (Title 7, Chapter 26) during the Dec. 3 work session.
Hansen said the policy (in place since 1998 and amended several times) previously allowed owners of existing single-family parcels of record to acquire water-right credits under a payment-in-lieu option. He proposed clarifying that owners may construct a two-unit duplex on an existing parcel (instead of subdividing) and acquire credits based on calculated water-demand rather than a flat per-parcel fee. "It's based on the anticipated demand there," he said.
Second, Hansen recommended updating the policy text so the fee reflects the council-established rate of $35,000 per credit (or "as currently established by the city council") to prevent discrepancies if the council later adjusts the rate. Third, he proposed adding a paragraph making credits remain on the subject property, nonrefundable and nontransferable; he cited a prior case in which a business that used a large amount of water closed and a subsequent owner sought a refund.
Councilmembers asked whether the change would be limited to mapped infill zones (Hansen said the proposal would apply citywide, though the existing infill incentives would remain an option). Several members requested more time and questions; the administration said it would prepare a resolution for the next available city council meeting if the council supports the changes. No formal action was taken at the work session.
