By Jennelle Zajac, For Iron County Today
Action Agenda
Sweet Pea Farm and Orchard Liquor License – The council approved a single-event liquor license for Sweet Pea Farm and Orchard’s Farm to Table event on September 20, 2025.
Fiscal Year 2026 Fee Schedule Resolution – The council discussed and modified the fiscal year 2026 fee schedule. City Treasurer Jerry Ross presented the proposed changes, highlighting adjustments to business license fees, cemetery fees, and library fees.
Business Licenses: Clarified the late fee structure with specific dates.
Cemetery Fees: Increased the administration fee for Connie to $50 to better cover the time spent on these tasks.
Library Fees: Introduced a $55 non-resident library card fee, sparking discussion about defining “resident”.
- Councilmember discussed whether residency should be defined by zip code (84761), city limits, or Iron County.
- The council considered that the library receives property tax from Brian Head, Paragonah, and Summit.
Pool Rental: Modified the wording to specify a two-hour rental period and a $50 per hour fee after the first two hours.
Baseball and Softball Fields: Implemented a $25 per field per day charge for Little League organizations outside of Parowan and $100 per field for non-profit groups.
- The council clarified that Parowan residents can use the fields for free when league play is not scheduled.
Youth Sports: Standardized the registration fee for all youth sports at $35.
Pickleball: Added a $20 seven-day pickleball registration fee and clarified that the $150 ten-month program fee is per person.
- The council specified that the pickleball league play fee applies to indoor courts only.
Police Services: Updated rates for body cam and in-car camera requests and removed the police service fee.
DNA Collection Fee: Added a DNA collection fee at the state-allowed limit.
Utility Fees: Removed the utility history fee and fees for line inspections and power turn-on/turn-off.
Bucket Truck: Simplified bucket truck fees to $65 per hour with a two-hour minimum.
Solar Fees: Updated the fee for reviewing solar plans.
Pedestal Costs: Increased temporary pedestal costs from $150 to $200.
Trash Cans: Added a $4 per month per can fee for second trash cans to align with county requirements.
- The council noted that residents with second cans need to be informed of this county fee.
Damaged Trash Cans: Clarified the process for replacing damaged trash cans, with homeowners responsible for replacement costs due to neglect.
Inspection and Road Break Fees: Set inspection and road break fees at the cost of service at the time of need.
Equipment Rental: Established rates for equipment rental when billing customers for property damage.
Water Meter Log Printout: Removed the water meter log printout fee.
Suspend Service Fee: Initially considered removing the suspend service turn-on-turn-off fee, but ultimately decided to keep it at $25 per occurrence.
- Council members discussed whether to offer one free turn-on/turn-off per year, but ultimately decided against it.
Hydrant Meters: Discussed hydrant meter deposits and usage fees, deciding to remove the first 5,000 free gallons from the rental fee.
- The council discussed the water loading station rate and decided to table the fee schedule until the rate could be determined.
Damaged Meter Fee: Established a $1250 fee for damaged hydrant meters, with the deposit covering the replacement cost.
Business License Fees: Clarified that the $60 and $100 fees after March 1st and April 1st, respectively, apply to renewals.
Volunteer Coaches: Approved waiving one youth sports registration fee per household for volunteer coaches.
Pool Pass: Clarified that the 15-day pool pass is a punch pass with 15 punches.
- The council decided to postpone discussions about senior discounts and employee discounts for the pool.
The council approved the fee schedule with the discussed modifications, contingent upon resolving the water loading station rate.
Cedar City Hospital –
Jameson Robinett, the new president of the Intermountain Cedar City Hospital, provided updates on the hospital’s services, community benefits, and future plans.
Mission: The hospital’s mission is “helping people live the healthiest lives possible”.
Services: The hospital offers a wide range of services, including surgical services, full-service imaging, and a cancer center.
Community Benefit: The hospital provides approximately $67 million in annual gifts to Iron County through charity care, capital investments, and community benefits.
Expansion: The hospital is expanding its emergency department, cancer services, and medical office building.
Parowan Clinic: The new intermountain Parowan clinic is on the short list for 2026 projects.
Medicaid: Mr. Robinett urged the council to stay informed about the impacts of Medicaid changes on rural health.
Prime West LLC Annexation Agreement – The council discussed the finalized terms for the Prime West LLC annexation agreement. Dan Jessen, the City Manager, outlined three key changes proposed by the developer:
1. Changing the section detail from A9 to A2 with no curb.
2. Increasing the allowable number of homes before requiring a second access from 30 to 80.
3. Allowing a gravel road for the second access within the on-site development.
Dallas Buckner, representing Prime West LLC, elaborated on the reasons for these requests, citing fire code considerations and cost savings.
- Council members expressed concerns about deviating from the fire code and the impact of 80 homes with only one access.
- The council agreed to maintain the 30-home limit before requiring a second access.
- The council discussed the specifications for the temporary gravel trail, ultimately deciding on a five-foot road base graded trail
The council agreed to bring the revised annexation agreement back for a vote at the next meeting, with the map added as an exhibit.
Potential Ordinance to Minimize Turf Use – Councilmember Downey initiated a discussion about a potential ordinance to minimize turf use and grass square footage in new construction.
- Council members expressed concerns about water scarcity and the need to be good stewards of water resources.
- The council discussed various approaches, including setting a maximum square footage for grass, incentivizing water-wise landscaping, and adjusting water rates.
- The council acknowledged the importance of balancing water conservation with property rights.
- The council did not act on this issue and stated they may examine it in the future or ask the water board to consider this issue for new construction.
Procurement Policy Discussion – The council discussed a proposed new procurement policy. The City Manager presented the draft policy, highlighting updated thresholds and best practices for public entities in Utah.
- The policy aims to establish uniform purchasing procedures, ensure fair competition, comply with Utah law, and promote fiscal accountability.
- The policy includes procurement thresholds for small purchases, informal competitive quotes, and formal bidding.
- The policy includes a local bidder preference, allowing a local bidder to be awarded a contract even if their bid is up to 3% higher than the lowest non-local bid.
- The policy includes ethics and conflicts of interest provisions to ensure transparency and accountability.
- The council reviewed exceptions to the procurement thresholds, such as emergency procurement, single-source procurement, and cooperative purchasing.
The council agreed to review the proposed policy and provide feedback at a later date.
Other Business
- The council scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday at 4:00 PM to approve the new auditor.
- Council members provided updates on various committees and projects, including the Shade Tree Committee, fairground master plan, and America 250 celebration.
- The City Manager provided updates on construction projects and the Transportation Expo.
- The council discussed the library’s ongoing maintenance issues and the possibility of building a new library.
Closed Session – The council moved into a closed session to discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual.
Residents are encouraged to attend City Council Meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Parowan City Council Chambers. Alternatively, the meetings can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@parowancity2030