Trails and Parks, Open Space Preservation, and Other Committees

Midway Boards, Commissions, and Committees Duties

by Robin M Johnson

Running a city is time consuming and hard work. Most people elected to office already hold full time jobs and their service to the city is done after their employment obligations are fulfilled. Connie Tatton, former mayor (Jan 2006 – Jan 2014), was an exception. Tatton was able to spend more than full time hours working on behalf of the city. Colleen Bonner, mayor, owns her business and sets her own part time working hours. Bonner also works significant hours for Midway City.

Responsibility for ordinances, resolutions, budgets, the general plan, the city code, land use, building and infrastructure requirements, infrastructure maintenance (roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, parks, trails), culinary water distribution, secondary water as a share holder in Midway Irrigation Company, sewer connections through the Midway Sanitation Special Service District, and police and fire protection fall on the council’s shoulders. Many boards, commissions, and committees are formed to help the city carry out its duties. Members are appointed by the council. Boards, commissions, and committees are generally recommending bodies and serve in an advisory capacity to the city council. Exceptions are The Board of Adjustments which has power to review administrative actions on land use issues made by the city council and the Building Code Board of Appeals which has power to review decisions made by the City Building Official.

STATE MANDATED BOARDS AND COMMISSION

Three city bodies in addition to the City Council are state mandated; including The Planning Commission, The Board of Adjustments, and The Building Code Board of Appeals. The form each body takes and the tasks assigned to it are outlined in the Utah State code.

The Planning Commission

While the city council serves as the city’s land use authority, the planning commission is the city’s advisory committee on land use issues. All land use issues go through the planning commission before they are seen by the city council. Responsible for review of residential and commercial development, review of zoning code, development code, and all city ordinances relating to land use.

The planning commission generally meets once a month, but is scheduled twice a month. They schedule a second meeting as business requires. The 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays at 7:00 pm are set aside for the planning commission. Members serve three year terms with an option to serve a second term. The planning commission has seven members and two nonvoting alternates, members are Steven Nichols, chairman, James Kohler, co-chairman, Stuart Waldrip, Natalie Streator, William Ream, Nancy O’Toole, Jeff Nicholas, Shauna Kohler, alternate, and Kevin Payne, alternate.

Board of Adjustments

The Board of Adjustments makes binding and final decisions; it acts on appeals regarding land use issues in four areas: review claims of administrative error, grant variances, review the approval of conditional use permits, or determine the existence of nonconforming uses. The Board of Adjustments meets once per month, as business requires, on the first Wednesday of the month. The two board members and one alternate serve five year terms with the option to serve a second term. Members are Judith Griffin, Elizabeth Crittenden, and Rick Tatton as alternate.

Building Code Board of Appeals

The Building Code Board of Appeals also makes binding and final decisions; it acts on appeals regarding city building code orders, determinations, or decisions made by the City Building Official. This board has three members and one alternate who serve five year terms with no limit to the amount of terms served. Members are Garrett Strong, chairman, Robert McDonald, Brent Merrill, and Robert Bouwhuis as alternate.

CITY ENACTED BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

According to Brad Wilson, city recorder, cities may form other committees and boards as needs arise. These bodies can be ad hoc or permanent. Ad hoc committees are temporary committees; members serve on an ‘as needed’ basis. No ordinance is required; committee members serve only as long as it takes to complete their assigned tasks. Wilson said last year, during the general plan revision, ad hoc committees were formed for each of the eleven chapters of the general plan. The committees made advisory recommendations; the final decisions on the general plan were made by the city council.

Wilson said, “Ad hoc committees may meet only a handful of times. Some of the committees on the general plan met more times than others. The committees were made up of two or three residents and representative council members.” Those committees were no longer needed once recommendations for revision of the general plan were passed to the city council.

Permanent committees are intended to function on a regular basis. As such they become part of the city code as an ordinance is enacted to form the committee and assign specific tasks. Appointed members serve one term with the option to serve a second. Length of service is decided by the city council, and the specific number of members is also determined by the city council. A chairman or facilitator and one or two council members are sometimes assigned as nonvoting members.

Midway currently has several permanent advisory committees and boards that help the council carry out its work. Wilson said The Midway Trails Advisory Committee (MTAC) was formed in April, 2002. This committee functioned well for about eight years, and then faded. The Visual and Architectural Committee (VAC), and the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC), were both formed in August, 2006. The Midway Water Advisory Board (MWAB) was formed jointly by Midway City and the Midway Irrigation Company (MIC). The Midway Sanitation District Board (MSDB) is another body that handles Midway City sewer infrastructure.

Each of these committees and boards is briefly outlined below, with the exception of the newly formed Trails and Parks committee and the newly proposed committee on Open Space Preservation. Both of these committees also include an update on current progress toward becoming functional.

Midway Trails and Parks Advisory Committee (June, 2017)
(formerly MTAC, April, 2002)

MTAC was established during the tenure of Bill Probst, former mayor. The council decided earlier this year to reorganize the non functioning MTAC with a new name, Midway Trails and Parks Advisory Committee (MTPAC), and additional tasks in an updated ordinance adopted June 28. 

During their regular meeting, held Wednesday, July 26, the council approved seven of twelve applicants to the newly formed MTPAC on their consent agenda. Seven members, half will serve two year terms and the other half will serve four year terms, all will have the option to serve a second four year term.

Members are, in alphabetical order by last name, Kris Beer, Kristen Bellows, Rob Bouwhuis, Jennifer Clayton, Clint Coleman, Ken Fakler, and Nancy O’Toole. O’Toole is currently serving a four year term on the Midway Planning Commission. In previous meetings recommendations were made for three additional non-voting members. Mayor Bonner previously asked Dennis Poppinga to facilitate the committee. Lisa Christian and Ken Van Wagoner, city council members, will also sit on the committee.

This committee has not held its first meeting. Christian said the day and time are still to be determined. She said the mayor will attend the initial meeting to set the committee up, but after that the mayor will not be involved on the committee. At their first meeting the committee will decide which members will serve two year terms and which will serve four year terms.

Tasks immediately assigned to the committee are to review the city’s master trails plan, make recommendations to the city council regarding development or redevelopment of trails and construction standards for various types of trails, create a Park’s Plan Assessment, review the city’s master parks plan and each individual park’s master plan, review park facilities site conditions, review potential additions to each park master plan, hold charettes and open houses for public comment on park planning, operation, and facilities. Any recommended changes would go to city council and a public hearing would be held before approval or denial of the committee’s recommendation.

Proposed Committee on Open Space Preservation

The question of whether to form an open space committee or not was on the same meeting agenda. The council waited to discuss the matter until after Steve Farrell and Mike Nelson presented Wasatch County’s Inter-local agreement to create the Wasatch Open Lands (WOL) board. Following the county’s presentation the council decided both to participate in the Inter-local agreement by choosing one representative from Midway to sit on the seven member WOL board, and to form their own committee on Open Space Preservation.

Colleen Bonner, mayor, said, “Two weeks ago … we talked about whether or not we wanted to form a committee. I think the suggestion (was to) put out requests for applications.” The council agreed. Bonner said the application to serve on the open space committee will be similar to the recent application for the trails and parks committee.  (Applications are currently available online or in the city offices.  OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE APPLICATION: ( http://www.midwaycityut.org/  )

Van Wagoner asked, “How many members are we looking at? How many councilmen will be on that?” Bonner suggested five or seven members with two non-voting council members. Christian said, “I think that’s important.” Van Wagoner agreed, “I do, too. I think it’s crucial on both committees that we have two council men, so we know somebody’s there, if one can’t be there, somebody’s there.”

Bonner asked, “What do you think, five or seven members?” Karl Dodge, council member, said, “I’d go with seven.”    Council members Kent Kohler and Bob Probst agreed.  Christian said, “Especially to start with because you are going to have people that come and go, and it doesn’t work for them, and so then you can build it back up.” Van Wagoner said, “Not everybody can be present every time either.”

Brad Wilson, city recorder, asked, “Will this be an ad hoc or a permanent committee?” Van Wagoner said, “I’d say permanent if we are going to be tied in with the county.”  Mayor Bonner agreed. Wilson pointed out an ordinance will need to be adopted creating the committee. Bonner said the same thing was done for MTPAC.

Duties for committee members will be determined by the council and included in the proposed ordinance to create the committee. Examples of items discussed as potential tasks are to assess tools available to preserve open space, define criteria for open space preservation, determine how to use resources collected through grants, bonds, and other means, and identify open space for preservation. The deadline for application to the committee for Open Space Preservation is Friday, September 8, at 12:00 pm (Noon).

Visual and Architectural Committee (August, 2006)

 VAC was established during the tenure of Connie Tatton, former mayor. Five members sit on the committee and serve four year terms, limited to two consecutive terms. Committee members include Connie Tatton, chairman, Elizabeth Crittenden, Natalie Streator, Bob Adams, and Bob Bouwhuis.  This committee is scheduled to meet the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of each month. Wilson said “They generally meet once per month when things are busy. They hold meetings as business requires.”

Wilson said, “This is a very significant committee because they review most of the items that have a ‘Visual Impact’ on Midway, things that give a rural or European or Swiss feel. They review commercial landscape plans, development landscape plans, they determine how buildings and signs will look, and whether a development or project meets the city’s vision as outlined in the general plan.”

VAC determines if a proposed development of six lots or more complies with the city’s Vision Statement, the Swiss-European density bonus, or other architectural requirements; or if a proposed Commercial development complies with the city’s Vision Statement, or other architectural requirements. VAC also oversees approval of sign permits anywhere within the city, and design element guidelines for all projects.

Historic Preservation Committee (August, 2006)

HPC was also established during Tatton’s tenure. This committee formed as a direct result of a local barn being removed. Public outcry led to the city forming a committee that could provide a way for historic buildings to be saved through inclusion in a new project, restoration, or relocation.  Seven members sit on this committee, James Kohler, chairman, Carl Jones, Kim Kimber, Scott Burbaker, Hilma Bellessa, Elizabeth Crittenden, and Athina Koumarela who is at the end of her first term with an option to serve a second. Meetings of the HPC are held on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month.

Wilson said, “This committee is very faithful. They hold every meeting. Carl Jones, former chairman, is very good at obtaining grants. They participate in many projects. They recently put out a booklet on the Historic Review of Homes in Midway. They also assist in relocation, modification, or alteration of historic buildings. They are helping The Hardy Foundation restore the Bonner Barn.”

HPC tasks include issuance of Certificate of Appropriateness for work to be done on any historic building, structure, object, or site; review of standards for historic Rehabilitation and Design; maintain the Midway Historic Register; establish criteria for buildings , structures, objects, or sites to qualify as historic; recommend and facilitate nominations to the local and the National Historic Register; provide information to the public on historic resources and historic events; and review historic buildings, structures, objects, or sites, before demolishing, dismantling, relocating, modifying, or altering.

The Midway Water Advisory Board

While MIC owns the secondary water delivery system, Midway City makes the final determination on the amount of secondary (or outside) water required to support commercial and residential uses. Wilson said both entities decided it was in the city’s best interest for the city and MIC to work together and they jointly created the Midway Water Advisory Board.

MWAB board members include three MIC members: Steve Farrell, Brent Kelly, Grant Kohler; and five Midway City members: Colleen Bonner, mayor, Karl Dodge and Kenny Van Wagoner, city council members, Michael Henke, city planner, and Jennifer Sweat, treasurer/MWAB Secretary. MWAB meets monthly, as needed.

Midway Sanitation District Board (Midway Sanitation Special Service District, 1966)

Responsible for Midway’s sewer infrastructure, MSSSD was established in 1966 and charged with the planning and organization of a sewer collection system for the residents of Midway. The board consists of three members, two elected and one appointed. Don Huggard was elected chairman, Clair Provost was elected vice chairman, and Colleen Bonner was appointed trustee as a representative from city council. The MSD board meets the 1^st Tuesday of every month at 5:30 pm in the Midway City Office building.

Wilson said MSD contracts with Midway City for management, inspections, and maintenance. Three city employees spend part of their time working for MSD. Becky Wood is the District Manager, Jason Standifur does most of the inspections on new construction and oversees maintenance of the system, and Cory Lot helps on an as needed basis.

In addition to these boards and committees, council members are assigned to sit on other boards and committees within the city or county.  The Community Development and Renewal Agency, Heber Light and Power Board, the Wasatch County Inter-local Board, and potentially the soon to be formed Wastach Open Lands Board are examples.