02 14 2023 COUNCIL MEETING

- The council unanimously approved the amended agenda and the January 24, 2023 minutes, with one abstention from a member who was absent at that meeting. - Bart Esplin reported that FEMA denied grant funding for a backup generator at the Event Center because the project did not meet the cost-benefit threshold. The council asked him to gather more engineering and cost information and bring the item back during a future budget opening. - The council set a public hearing for March 28, 2023 on Ordinance 2023-07, which concerns vacating a portion of county road right-of-way along 8200 South Street. - For Ordinance 2023-02, the council initially discussed changing density calculations so right-of-way would not count toward developable acreage, but members raised concerns about applying it to RU-2 and RU-5 zones. Staff was asked to revise the language to apply only to A-10 zoning, and the ordinance was later approved with that narrower scope. - The Hot Iron Storage rezone (Ordinance 2023-04) was approved after a public hearing. The parcel south and west of Smithfield was rezoned from A-10 to industrial to allow expansion of self-storage uses, with no opposition from Smithfield City. - The comprehensive general plan amendment (Ordinance 2023-05) generated significant discussion about how the plan should relate to municipalities, annexation boundary agreements, and whether the plan could be used to drive future zoning decisions. The council decided to delay final action until the next meeting so staff could incorporate redlines and additional clarifications. - Public comments on the general plan emphasized that county planning should support cities and taxpayers more directly, and another speaker asked whether annexation boundary agreements could be linked into the plan’s maps or supporting documents to avoid future confusion. - The council approved Resolution 2023-03 updating the moderate income housing plan, but several members expressed concern about the impact of accessory dwelling units, road capacity, water rights, and municipal annexation issues. Staff and council agreed more study and workshops are needed, even though the state reporting deadline required action. - Sheriff Jensen outlined planned use of ARPA and other funding for public safety and jail infrastructure, including portable pole cameras through LETPA, a major rooftop HVAC replacement at the jail, and an upgrade to the jail security/locking system. The council also noted the animal shelter project is nearly ready for temporary occupancy and opening. - In member reports, councilors mentioned jail tours, ride-alongs, redistricting work, the county waste consortium, and a request for a workshop with planning and zoning to better understand the growing number of land-use and housing issues.