October 11, 2023 | General Meeting 

Voting

• 5-0 approving the Consent Agenda, which includes the following:
• Three purchase agreements for right-of-way acquisition
• Amendments to City Code regarding public property encroachments
• Amendment to policy for charging impact fees
• Two purchase agreements for water rights
• August 2023 monthly financial summary
• City Council meeting minutes for August 9th and 23rd
• Adoption of the City's Strategic Plan
• Agreement with Salt Lake County for use of Community Development Block Grant funds for 2024-2026
• 5-0 approving enactment of a new City Code section (§7-14) for dedication of public property
• 5-0 approving the Broadband Task Force's proposal for a citywide municipal fiber network in a public-private partnership (note: mechanisms for administering and financing the fiber network utility are still being finalized)

General Meeting

City Council comments

The Council recognized City staff members and vendors for putting on a successful Herriman Howl event on October 9, commended the recent NICA high school mountain bike race, expressed gratitude for living in a safe place in the context of recent world events, and noted the recent 5-year anniversary of the Herriman Police Department and its award ceremony.

City Council board and committee reports

• Councilmember Ohrn, representing the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District board, noted that water usage throughout the year has been on track with last year's reduced usage. She credited good conservation habits and a good year of precipitation. She encouraged residents to not just be drought-minded but more permanently conservation-minded.

Fiber network

Councilmember Shields presented an overview of the Broadband Task Force's efforts to research options for bringing high-quality internet service throughout the city, which will ultimately lead to the construction of a citywide open-access fiber network. Current full details of the network can be found on www.herriman.org/fiber-internet.

Important notes:

• Tax money will not be used to fund the network. It will be paid for with a bond and the bond will be repaid by monthly utility fees and subscriber fees. More clearly, even with conservative projections, if the project fails, it will not be up to the City's taxpayers to pay the debt.
• The City is partnering with Strata Networks to design and construct the system and allow multiple internet companies to use the system to provide internet services.
• Residents will pay a $15 monthly utility connection fee (which they can choose to opt out of), which comes with a basic 10 megabit-per-second internet speed.
• If they choose, residents may upgrade their service to a higher speed for a higher price that is expected to be comparable to current market prices.

The Council heard several public comments both in favor of and against the network. Concerns regarded the monthly fee, preferring government not become involved in such an effort, and worries about hidden costs. Comments in favor of the project noted the benefit of covering 100% of properties in the City and inviting multiple options for high-speed internet connections.

The Council approved the plan and directed the City's staff to work on the mechanisms and final details to administer and finance the project. Final votes for financing and creating the entities to administer the utility will happen in coming weeks or months. The City will publish information about the project as it unfolds and will give every property owner a chance to understand the project and opt out if they choose.

Work Meeting

Blackridge Reservoir

The Council continued its discussion of Blackridge Reservoir and issues that stem from heavy reservoir use during peak summer times. Because the reservoir is in a residential area, serves as a major trailhead, and is a popular place for summer recreation, every potential solution comes with drawbacks. The Council decided to move forward a universal fee (perhaps $15) paid for an all-day parking pass and hiring a parking company to enforce entry. Additionally, the Council intends to significantly raise the parking ticket fee for the surrounding area to deter drivers from parking in the nearby neighborhood. Additionally, the Council wishes to expand the existing residential parking permit area but make the passes free rather than making residents pay. 

Panorama development

The development company DAI is proposing a large development on the south side of Herriman, mostly on the southern (uphill) side of Mountain View Corridor. It will include absorbing remaining parts of the existing Rosecrest and Wasatch South Hills developments that were approved long ago and are mostly built out. The plan includes commercial space along major roadways and intersections as well as housing of various densities. A portion of the proposed residential units are already entitled in one form or another, while other residential units are new proposals. DAI wishes to work with the City on updating their proposals and submitting a formal application. The Council suggested a few items it would like to see as the parties begin discussions in a special work meeting in a few weeks.

Herriman Highway renaming

The Council discussed a proposal to rename Herriman Highway/13100 South/U-111 roadway west of 5600 West/Rosecrest Road all to Main Street. It's known by many as Main Street or Herriman Highway, but different portions of the road have different names. The Council agreed it's an inconvenience for residents to change their addresses but that it's best to have consistency for a single roadway to have one name. 

Secondary water infrastructure planning

The City Council has been reviewing how to best provide secondary water (non-drinking irrigation water) while managing the high costs of doing so. They discussed several scenarios—everything from providing secondary water lines throughout most of the city to abandoning all water lines that are installed but not used (dry lines). The Council decided to plan on serving all existing dry lines but not installing any more. The City's staff will work on creating/revising the secondary water plan to eventually serve all the dry lines with water. 

Water line reimbursement agreement

The City needs a new water transmission line along 6400 West, south of Herriman Boulevard (12600 South). The pipeline would run through the Olympia development but will not serve Olympia. The Olympia developer proposed that they would install the pipe if the City will reimburse the cost over the next few years. The City Council agreed to the idea. 

Request for a Religious Freedom Day proclamation

The City has been asked to make a proclamation about Religious Freedom Day. It's been the City's practice to not to proclamations at all, especially for items that aren't relevant to the City's function. Though the Council supports religious freedom granted in the Constitution, it decided to continue its practice of not making proclamations.

Meeting video

• Work meeting
• General meeting