Midway adopts local WUI building code and map after debate with fire officials

Midway City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2026-06, establishing a local Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code and a Midway WUI boundary to define where enhanced building and vegetation-management requirements will apply.

City staff said the change implements state House Bill 48 and references the Utah WUI code and the state Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) high-risk map. Katie Giddens, presenting for the city, warned that a prior version of a state bill would have required municipalities to charge a statewide fee; she said a substitute bill retains some fee mechanics but allows local funds to remain with municipalities. "This is like a tax that they're not calling a tax," a councilmember said during discussion. Giddens said the state map (red areas) designates properties subject to FFSL assessments while the city map (yellow line) identifies where Midway will enforce the higher WUI building standards.

County and fire officials urged adoption. Troy Morgan, Wasatch County fire warden, noted the state-produced high-risk map was required by HB48 and that cities must set WUI boundaries; he clarified the state map itself is produced by FFSL and a city is asked to adopt its own WUI boundary. "You do not have to adopt this map," Morgan said of the state map, "but you are required to set your wildland urban interface boundary." Midway Fire Chief Eric Hales said the state guidance uses a "structure exposure" score; he recommended including areas with a score of 5 or higher and emphasized that the WUI code would reduce risk by requiring ignition-resistant construction and defensible-space measures.

Councilmembers debated the precise line for Midway's boundary. Some councilmembers cited local observations about vegetation and lot density in areas such as Cascades at Soldier Hollow and Dutch Fields; fire officials countered that the state mapping incorporates slope, vegetation, structure density and fire history. After discussion the council voted to adopt the Midway WUI map with a modified northern boundary (moving the line across Bergie/Cary lanes as proposed in the staff motion) and to adopt the WUI code language in the ordinance.

The ordinance adopts the Utah WUI code by reference, directs that the Midway WUI map be the local boundary for enforcement, and calls for annual review and updates tied to annexations or changes in conditions. The council also noted that FFSL may assess fees on properties that fall within the state's high-risk (red) map; those assessments would be set and administered by state authorities, not by the city.

The ordinance passed on a council vote after amendments to staff findings and map placement. The city will review and adjust the WUI map periodically as conditions or state guidance change.