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Mayor, city staff clarify pause on leasing secondary water shares; city says leases not banned
Summary
City staff told the council the city has temporarily paused leasing some secondary water shares while awaiting a state application about directing water to the Great Salt Lake, and said social-media reports that the city had "prohibited" leasing were incorrect.
Mayor Dawn Ramsey and city staff sought to correct what they called "misinformation" about South Jordan's handling of secondary water shares at the Feb. 17 council study meeting.
A staff member explained the city owns multiple secondary water shares and has put a temporary pause on leasing some of them while the city awaits a state-level application that could allow shares to be leased to benefit the Great Salt Lake. "The misinformation is is that we have prohibited anyone from leasing any shares. That is not true," the staff member said, emphasizing that residents can still lease or buy shares from other owners.
Ramsey told the council she had received texts from residents who were "pretty whipped up" and angry after seeing the inaccurate reports. She said a council member was working to contact residents and that staff would decide whether to make a clarifying public statement before the regular meeting.
Council members pressed for concrete details. The staff member said the city's secondary shares are located across several canals and that staff would need to pull records to provide an exact count. The staff member added the city has previously leased shares to individuals and can do so again if its application is not approved.
Staff also said water brokers and private owners provide an existing market for residents seeking shares; the city has worked to match residents to available shares this year and has nearly exhausted options in most canals except one.
What it means: The city's pause is a temporary administrative step tied to a pending state request about directing water to the Great Salt Lake, not a new prohibition on private leasing. Staff committed to supplying clearer, public information before an anticipated public-comment period so residents can make informed choices.
Next steps: Staff will pull share-count records and continue outreach to residents, and the council will address related public comment during the regular meeting.
