Clifton, Franklin and Weston discuss new 2024 'area of impact' boundaries; cities plan public hearings

Representatives from three municipalities met with Franklin County commissioners on Aug. 12 to review proposed Area of Impact boundaries under a new 2024 law intended to align impact areas with areas cities are likely to annex within five years.

At the evening session, Clifton Council Member Della Hughes and Mayor Duke Mumford discussed options to follow natural lines or roads, suggested bringing the north boundary out a quarter-mile and extending east to Twin Lakes Road, and emphasized well-head protection areas. Commissioners said the next step is a public hearing at a Clifton City meeting.

Franklin Council Members Stuart Parkinson and Kevin Beck asked GIS to start with a two-mile Area of Impact and recommended the impact follow natural lines or roads; commissioners stressed including well-head protection areas and noted the option to review the map annually or on a five-year cycle. The next step is a public hearing at a Franklin City meeting.

Weston Mayor Greg Garner said he expects growth toward the south and north, recommended quarter-mile extensions in several directions and a two-mile extension to the east to follow roads and natural lines, and urged a pragmatic approach consistent with the statute. Commissioners did not set county-level boundaries at the meeting; they recorded the cities’ preferences and directed the municipal public hearings as the next procedural step.