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Council reviews subdivision ordinance, water‑share requirements and annexation policy ahead of moratorium expiration
Summary
Council members reviewed a proposed annexation policy and a draft subdivision ordinance that would require evidence of culinary water availability (via shares or a fee-in-lieu), discussed a moratorium that expires July 20, and asked staff and RCAC for impact analysis before finalizing in-lieu fees or tier changes.
Manti’s council spent substantial time on June 17 reviewing a proposed annexation policy and a draft subdivision ordinance that would tighten requirements around water for new subdivisions.
The chair reminded the council the moratorium on certain annexations expires July 20 and described the policy document as the second-to-last review; council members asked for edits and for staff to return any recommended changes. City Manager Jason Brown explained state requirements related to water exactions — including a five‑year rolling average calculation for certain water-use conversions — and said staff will follow state guidance.
Council discussion focused on how to ensure new subdivisions have culinary water: options debated included requiring developers to bring water shares, allowing a fee-in-lieu, or the city purchasing bulk water. The existing lot load-share charge (previously $1,000) has been raised to $2,500 in prior years; members discussed setting a new in-lieu figure (numbers discussed in the meeting included $12,500 as a placeholder) or leaving the fee “to be determined” until RCAC completes an impact study.
Several council members noted the practical trade-offs: high in-lieu fees can inflate the water-share market and disadvantage local buyers, while low fees risk being insufficient to purchase water rights. The council left the ordinance open for further edits, asked staff to obtain RCAC’s study data, and signaled intent to return to the policy for final action after the moratorium deadline.
