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Levan council adopts 2006 WUI model code, approves cooperative wildfire agreement
Summary
Levan officials voted to approve a cooperative wildfire service agreement and adopt an ordinance incorporating the 2006 Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) model code and state map after a state-linked presenter urged adoption to limit municipal exposure to wildfire costs.
Levan Town Council voted Feb. 12 to adopt an ordinance that incorporates the 2006 Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) model code and to approve a Cooperative Wildfire Service (CWS) agreement with state authorities.
The council heard a presentation explaining that the WUI model code is intended to reduce wildfire risk in communities by identifying high- and low-risk areas on an attached state map. The presenter advised the town to adopt the code and sign the CWS agreement so the town and its residents would not face potential additional assessments or municipal liability if a high-risk designation applied to town property. “From my understanding, I would recommend that you adopt it,” the presenter said.
Council discussion focused on what the attached state map shows for Levan (the presenter said the map shows only low-risk areas within the town boundaries) and on the practical effects of adopting the model code. The presenter noted many communities were evaluating the same model code and that draft legislation in the state legislature could later require adoption of a newer model (the presenter said there is a bill under consideration that would require adoption of the 2024 WUI model code if passed).
Council members asked whether adopting the code would alter residents’ insurance costs and whether the ordinance would repeal conflicting town ordinances. A council member said he did not see a downside and moved to approve the cooperative agreement; another member seconded and the motion passed on a voice vote. A separate motion to adopt the ordinance (listed in the packet as ordinance 02122026-O3) also passed on a voice vote.
The council did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes; the session record shows the motions carried by voice vote. The presenter advised the town may consult legal counsel before finalizing implementation details and, if the state later requires a newer WUI model code, the council would revisit the ordinance to adopt the updated model.
The ordinance and the CWS agreement now move into the town’s administrative records; any subsequent implementation steps (map-based assessments, code enforcement, or homeowner notifications) would depend on the town’s review and any future state action.
