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Levan council weighs buying irrigation water shares with impact fees amid aquifer-recharge discussion
Summary
Councilors discussed using impact-fee funds to buy irrigation water shares, uncertainties about conversion and pricing, and alternative strategies such as aquifer recharge; members asked staff to consult the utilities manager and research options rather than immediately commit funds.
The Levan Town Council spent substantial time discussing whether to buy irrigation water shares with accumulated impact-fee funds, and whether aquifer recharge or re‑plumbing for irrigation would better meet town needs.
Chair (S1) proposed using impact-fee money to buy water shares while they are available: “I would suggest that we take that impact fee money and buy at least 2 shares of water while it’s still there and available,” he said. Council members recorded differing price estimates and cautioned that conversion rules can vary: at one point a speaker estimated shares were selling for “10 to $12,000 per share,” while later the Chair said, “They’re 30,000,” reflecting inconsistent figures discussed on the record.
Committee member (S6) said he opposed selling any town water shares and favored pursuing the town’s aquifer-recharge project to reduce future purchases. Shay (S5) recommended consulting the state engineer’s office and an ag‑park director (Sean Kerr) for technical detail and noted the vendor’s tiers and negotiability for larger purchases.
Council members also reported the water portion of the impact-fee account at about $53,904 and said an additional check for roughly $13,000 was pending; members observed that two shares would provide roughly 650,000 gallons (an amount equated on the record to the town’s per‑household allotment over a year). The group agreed to gather more information from the utilities manager and to continue research before authorizing any purchase.
Why it matters: water shares and aquifer projects directly affect the town’s long-term water security and budget. The council treated the discussion as exploratory and did not take a binding purchase action.
Next steps: staff will consult the utilities manager, contact the state engineer’s office for conversion/pricing details, and return with precise costs, tiered‑pricing information and legal/administrative constraints before any purchase decision.
