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Levan council denies outside-water request and discusses park irrigation, water purchases and July 24 plans
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Summary
Levan’s council denied a petition requesting water service outside municipal boundaries and discussed using irrigation shares at the park, possible aquifer recharge and water purchases; the council also set a $12,000 budget for the July 24 celebration and discussed recreation grant opportunities.
Levan, Utah — The Levan Town Council on Feb. 12 unanimously denied a petition asking the town to provide culinary water to a proposed 12-lot subdivision outside town limits, citing legal and operational concerns, and discussed multiple local water-planning options and community events.
Council members considered a proposal from applicants identified in the packet as B. Gurr and J. Huggard to serve a 12-lot subdivision on Crooked Lane in exchange for 18 acre-feet of underground water rights (listed in the application materials with a valuation of $540,000). The applicants were not present for discussion. Council members raised concerns about liability for infrastructure outside municipal boundaries, ongoing maintenance responsibilities, the inability to assess impact fees on out-of-town service, and potential peak-flow capacity limits. Ray Evans moved to deny the application and confirm a policy of not providing water outside the town’s municipal boundaries; the motion passed unanimously.
Separately, Mayor Tyler Shepherd asked the council to consider using the town’s nine shares of irrigation water to supply the park lawns rather than using culinary water. Shepherd suggested tapping an existing 24-inch irrigation line that runs through the park, while leaving high-contact features such as the splash pad and restrooms on culinary water; the change would require a meter from the irrigation company and new connections. Council members directed staff to investigate costs and feasibility.
Shay Morrison recommended the town solicit an engineering presentation from Jones & DeMille on options including aquifer recharge projects and water purchases, and to identify potential funding through Community Impact Board (CIB) grants or low-interest loans to support larger projects.
On community events and recreation, the council set a $12,000 budget for the July 24 celebration after hearing that last year’s gross expenses were about $26,000 but that fundraising reduced the town’s net cost to just over $10,000. The council discussed event components — a community breakfast, a 5K run, dinner (noted to operate at a loss), a professional concert held last year, and a possible ranch rodeo run by volunteer Jared Crump with proposed limits (about 50 entries and a 10 p.m. end time). The council also received updates that Outback Fencing has nearly completed the ballfield backstop and that the pickleball-court project will require a preconstruction meeting with the engineer and CIB grant staff before funds can be released; Jerry Spencer noted DNR grant deadlines including the CPR grant closing March 13.
Visitors introduced themselves after the meeting: Drake Underwood said he is running for sheriff; David Fletcher said he is running for county commissioner and voiced support for law-enforcement pay raises and a proposed new county jail estimated at $55–60 million to replace a non-ADA-compliant facility. No public comments were made during the designated comment time earlier in the meeting.
The council adjourned at 8:25 p.m.