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Council hears survey results favoring a common regional drought plan; parks and golf courses noted as contentious
Summary
Doug Bennett presented a district survey showing strong support among elected officials and technical staff for a common regional drought contingency plan (consensus ~8.7) and for many measures to be implemented at Stage 2; councilors expressed concern about restricting parks and golf courses and noted the AAC will review the draft April 23.
Doug Bennett, the water‑district representative, summarized a two‑phase consensus survey at the Ivins City Council work meeting on April 3 that polled technical professionals and elected officials across the district's eight partner communities.
Bennett said respondents generally favored implementing many drought measures by Stage 2, ranked limiting building permits in Stage 3 and reserving hand‑watering for Stage 4, and expressed strong support for a single, coordinated regional plan. "Most people said 10...the consensus average was an 8.7," he said about adopting equivalent measures across cities.
Bennett stressed the hydrologic context motivating the work: the Santa Clara River was projected at about 20% of average flow, the Virgin River at about 33%, and he reported the Santa Clara Basin snowpack at zero on April 1, an unprecedented reading in the record he cited.
Council members welcomed a common plan for clarity and public messaging but flagged areas of disagreement the survey exposed. Several council members and Bennett said citizens view drying parks as a visible sign of government action; others warned that protecting parks and athletic fields ahead of decorative lawns would be politically sensitive. Golf courses were singled out as very large water users that may require tailored reduction targets rather than the same schedule applied to homeowners or commercial landscaping.
Bennett clarified that the district lacks regulatory authority over facilities with independent water supplies and that the district's role would be to provide guidance; cities would need to adopt local codes or policies to carry out enforcement, set fees or change permit rules. He invited councilors to attend the AAC (Administrative Advisory Committee) meeting on April 23 (noon–2 p.m.) where the draft drought contingency plan will be presented.
No formal drought plan was adopted at the meeting; councilors instructed staff to continue coordination with the district and indicated interest in refining local landscape and irrigation standards. A motion to adjourn was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote at the close of the work session.
