Garden City Council Meeting

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  October 11, 2018.  Vacasa LLC, requested a license to conduct a short-term rental business in Garden City.  This short-term rental company was purchased from Mark Hislop by Max Longfield.   Longfield has hired Terry Bennett to be the local administrator and Samantha Peart to be the senior housekeeper.  Motion was made and passed to grant this license.

Le N Em Construction requested a license which will allow this construction company to build in Garden City.  This company is owned by Lehi Carlisle who lives on Sweetwater Hill.  It was noted by the Council that he should obtain a County License since he lives in the County.  However, the motion was made and passed that he could obtain a Garden City License to also be able to work in Garden City.

The meeting agenda includes an item that allows people in the audience to ask questions and discuss with the Council items of interest.

Barbara Turnbow noted that accidents like the one impacting Darrin Pugmire should not happen. She said that there needs to be some ramps or places where trucks can be slowed down by pulling off the road.  There should be several such ramps when coming down from the top of Logan Canyon.

Signage is also important.  There are signs that could be placed at various spots along the road.  Some could specifically be for truck drivers. Speed signs could note whether just for trucks or for all vehicles.

Vicky Mercer had a list of items that she wanted to discuss with the Council.  She made several suggestions.  She thought a monthly bulletin giving the various activities being held in the town would be nice.  Kathy noted the City has a web site that includes those kinds of announcements.  Mercer asked if there wasn’t telephone number besides 911 that could be used to notify the Sheriff’s Department when there are animals that have gotten out of a field or when other incident that occur that wouldn’t be considered emergencies.

Mercer noted that there were a lot of willows along the roads in Sweetwater Subdivision and asked who to call to get them cut down.  The Council told her to call the County because Sweetwater is in the County and not in the Garden City Town Limits. 

She also asked where people should park when they shop at Nifty Gifts.  She felt parking along Logan Road was not a good idea.  She was told that there is parking in the back of Nifty Gifts.  It was suggested that a sign be put in front of the store or even in the store window indicating that there is parking behind the building.

She asked why the roads on Sweetwater Hill all are dirt and gravel.  They are narrow, and sometimes almost impossible to drive in a car.  She was told that all the roads on Sweetwater Hill are private, and the various Home Owners Associations oversee the roads.  The County does take care of a couple of the roads near the bottom of the hill.  All the rest are the subdivisions’ responsibility.

The Council made some changes to the administrative code enforcement ordinance.  In the past, a court was held each month to take care of individuals who wanted to appeal a ticket.  Some months no one comes to court.  The monthly court will no longer be automatically held.  Instead, if an individual wants to appeal a ticket, the individuals will need to go to the City office, request a date for court, and pay a filing fee.  Court will then be held on the determined date.

The Mayor noted that a work meeting needed to be held to discuss short-term rental issues.   All the managers of short-term rentals will be invited to the meeting.  Right now, the City is looking at November 15, a Thursday night, at 6:00 p.m.  The public meeting will be posted so any interested individuals may attend.

Parking at Harbor Village is being contested.  Several of the condo owners feel that they should be allowed three parking spots instead of the two granted by the City.  It was noted that there is public parking at the bottom of the hill where an additional parking spot could be used.  The Mayor noted that this is not a City issue, but an issue for the Home Owner’s Association.  It is up to their Association to determine if there is enough parking at the bottom of the hill to accommodate an extra parking spot for every condominium up on the hillside.  The owners need to work that out with their Association.