Bluff council approves transfer of Copper Cliffs roads and adopts updated state roads manifest

The Bluff Town Council on May 12 voted to accept ownership of several subdivision streets and to send an updated roads manifest to the Utah Department of Transportation to secure Class C road funding.

The council approved a resolution transferring Copper Cliffs (Phase 1) roads, North Mesa View Lane, South Mesa View Lane, Quick Repair Lane and an 8th West alley segment to the town. After a brief review of deeds, parcel numbers and surveys, the chair called for a roll call vote and announced five yes votes, approving the transfer.

Town manager Aaron Nelson said the work to formalize the transfers had begun about a year ago and was delayed while formal surveys and deed preparations were completed. "This had started probably a year ... the big delay was trying to get everything formally surveyed," Nelson said, noting staff separated the parcels into two deeds because of multiple interest holders and coordinated with property owners and the county recorder to ensure accurate parcel numbers and deed language.

Nelson told the council the deeds reference the names residents use for addressing — including what staff described as Prickly Pear Place, North Mesa View Lane and South Mesa View Lane — and said the combined parcel referenced in the resolution is a single tax parcel totaling roughly 2.8 acres. He also said signage for town roads was expected to be delivered the next day and that staff would coordinate installation with maintenance contractors.

Owners who spoke at the meeting — one identifying himself in his remarks as Steve Simpson — said they had graveled portions of the alley and wanted to preserve local access without encouraging misuse by off-road vehicles. "We own the property and... the local people [should] be able to access [the lane] without going over private property," Simpson said, adding he could "write a check today" to cover the owners' share of a survey invoice.

Council members discussed whether the narrow 10-foot alley portion would qualify for Class C funding; staff said some short access segments may not meet Class C criteria but that the overall transfer and subsequent manifest updates were the correct administrative steps to secure funding for the qualifying roads. "If the purpose and long term use is not going to be as a Class C road but just an access point, then we would want to take that minute rounding error off the road manifest," Nelson said.

The council also voted to adopt an updated roads manifest for submission to the Utah Department of Transportation. A council member asked for clarification about ownership of Bluff Bench Road sections and staff confirmed the town retained ownership of the paved section, with other northern roads remaining outside the paved area. The chair then called for a voice vote on the manifest; the council approved the submission unanimously.

Votes at a glance - Resolution transferring Copper Cliffs and listed roads to the town: approved by roll call, 5–0. - Adoption of updated roads manifest for submission to the Utah Department of Transportation: approved by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps Staff said they planned to record the deeds as early as the next day and would provide electronic copies to the property owners. The town will install road signage and submit the updated manifest to UDOT to align the town's Class C road funding records.

All quoted attributions in this report are taken from council meeting remarks transcribed at the May 12 special meeting.