State offers landscape retrofit incentives; Garden City to consider ordinance changes to qualify

Madison Martini of the Utah Division of Water Resources presented a landscape retrofit incentive program to the Garden City Town Council on March 12, 2026 and said the town must adopt qualifying ordinances before residents can enroll.

"The program would require ordinances such as no lawn in park strips, limiting grass to no more than 50% of front and side yards for new residential development, and a 20% total landscape area cap for commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family sites," Madison Martini said. She told the council the Division will review draft ordinances, help the town become eligible for the program and assist with program outreach if Garden City adopts the local rules and enforces them.

During public comment, resident Dana Hudrlik asked how the town will manage water during droughts and whether new large homes are being regulated to limit landscaping. Mayor Michael Leonhardt and council members noted that tiered water rates are a current tool and that further local ordinance language would be needed to make the town eligible for state incentives.

Mayor Leonhardt asked staff to review draft ordinance language that the Division will send and to speak with other Utah towns participating in the program before returning recommendations to the council.

No ordinances were adopted on March 12 to implement the state program; council members expressed concern about enforcement workload and asked for simplified ordinance options and marketing materials to accompany any new rules.