City Council · 2019-10-29

 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.1)                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
CITY OF OREM 
CITY COUNCIL MEETING 
56 North State Street Orem, Utah 
October 29, 2019 
 
 
 
3:00 P.M. WORK SESSION – CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM 
 
CONDUCTING 
Mayor Richard F. Brunst  
 
ELECTED OFFICIALS 
Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, Tom Macdonald, Mark 
Seastrand, David Spencer, and Brent Sumner 
 
APPOINTED STAFF 
Jamie Davidson, City Manager; Brenn Bybee, Assistant 
City Manager; Steven Downs, Deputy City Manager; Greg 
Stephens, City Attorney; Scott Gurney, Fire Chief; Gary 
Giles, Police Chief; Ryan Clark, Development Services 
Director; Charlene Crozier, Library Director; Reed Price, 
Public Works Maintenance Division Manager; Brandon 
Nelson, Finance Department Manager; Jason Bench, 
Planning Division Manager; Steve Earl, Deputy City 
Attorney; Sam Kelly, City Engineer; and Jackie Lambert, 
Deputy City Recorder  
 
 
  
NEW EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTIONS 
 
This was an opportunity for department heads and division managers to introduce new 
employees to the Mayor and Council. Mr. Nelson introduced Nicole Lareau who was hired as the 
City’s Budget Officer. Ms. Lareau provided some background information and answered 
questions from the Mayor and Council. 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION – Voter Participation Area Maps  
 
Mrs. Bates said House Bill 119, passed during the 2019 State Legislative Session, made certain 
changes to the processes of local referenda and initiatives. A new part of the process was the 
establishing eight Voter Participation Areas (VPAs) within the city that followed existing 
precinct lines and were of equal population size as practicably as possible. The VPAs were used 
to determine if a petition for a referendum or initiative had sufficient signatures according to the 
signature percentage requirement. 
 
Discussion ensued regarding the process by which the map was created, the two options 
presented, and how that correlated with voter registration throughout the City. The general 
consensus was to move forward with VPA Map Option #2. 
 
 



DRAFT 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.2)                                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
DISCUSSION – University Place Update  
 
Mr. Clark said it had been five years since the Council had approved the Community 
Development Area (CDA) plan for University Place, and he reviewed some of the changes in the 
development area over that time. He outlined his presentation and reminded them of the 
increment financing structure of the CDA. Benchmark 1 had been met, and progress was being 
made in Benchmark 2. Mr. Clark detailed some of the events as well as changes and 
improvements at University Place. Mr. Davidson said the current Marriot hotel in Provo on 
Bulldog Boulevard was being converted to a Best Western, and the hotel to be built at University 
Place was going to be a Marriot.  
 
Mr. Clark said the homes purchased by the Hale Center Theater organization had been 
demolished and the land was gravel ready to move forward; currently the land was used for 
staging other projects. He said Hale was in the fundraising stage for their new theater location, 
and donors were needing to see support from the City for this project. A proposed show of 
support was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and Hale, which Mr. 
Clark said would likely come before the Council for consideration before the end of the year. 
The MOU would not bind the City but would give momentum to the fundraising process. More 
specific support would be determined in the future. 
 
Jeff Fisher, Director of Hale Center Theater Orem, said potential donors like the Ashtons and the 
Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation had voiced interest in donating and wanted to 
know the City was supportive of the project. 
 
Discussion continued regarding how donations were made, what would happen if the project did 
or did not come forward, and the impact of the project in the city. Mr. Davidson indicated that 
this discussion was to reinforce the decisions made five years ago to invest in University Place. 
The outcomes of the CDA were exactly what was anticipated, and it was good for the economic 
development efforts in the city.  
 
General discussion continued as to the impact and increase in economic development that Orem 
had seen throughout the community. Past and future tenants of University Place and Orem in 
general were discussed, and it was discussed how those acted as a catalyst for others looking to 
relocate. Further discussion on financing and possible ways the City could assist ensued. 
 
 
UPDATE – UVU Area Transportation Study   
 
Eric Rasband with UDOT gave background on the process of meeting with surrounding cities 
and entities like UTA and MAG to develop the UVU Area Plan. He shared maps and reviewed 
the information from the study. He identified some of the issues they had uncovered, including 
underutilized hawk signals for pedestrian crossings and jaywalking, as well as congestion at 
major intersections like Sandhill Road and from I-15 on and off ramps at University Parkway 
and Center Street.  
 
Mr. Rasband shared statistical information regarding population growth in Utah County and 
enrollment growth at UVU. He spoke of the increased ridership of UVX for students and for 
commuters. One important issue was finding alternative access to Provo between University 



 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.3)                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
Avenue and Provo Center Street; another was addressing the issue of parking for students. He 
reviewed some of the solutions they were exploring. Mr. Rasband said this study had not been 
incorporated in MAG’s long-range plan. The goal was to get all the groups involved to sit down 
and set priorities. 
 
General discussion ensued regarding the study. Mr. Davidson added that the City’s next step was 
to work with UTA and UDOT to identify priorities and get them on the MAG Plan. The State 
Transportation Commission made funding decisions on projects based on that plan, and funding 
was limited so priorities needed to be clear.  
 
 
DISCUSSION – HB-411 with Natural Resources Stewardship Committee 
 
Sarah Bateman, Chair of the City’s Natural Resources Stewardship Committee, invited Michael 
Lang with Rocky Mountain Power to present information regarding House Bill 411. Mr. Lang 
provided the background information of the origins of HB411. He said it was the Community 
Renewable Energy Act that allowed Utah municipalities served by Rocky Mountain Power 
(RMP) to develop of Community Renewable Energy Program to achieve a net-100% renewable 
resource energy goal for all customers within the community by 2030. Mr. Lang said “renewable 
resource” was defined as wind, solar, hydroelectric, or other technology now becoming viable. 
He reviewed the key provisions of HB411 and the step-by-step process of the program for a 
municipality, and provided more details regarding available RMP programs available to cities. 
 
Discussion continued regarding sustainability opportunities in Orem. Ms. Bateman reviewed a 
survey the Natural Resources Stewardship Committee had conducted regarding renewable 
energy, as well as next steps for the city in implementing programs to work toward the goal of 
net-100% renewable energy. Mr. Lang described the legislative steps the City Council could take 
to achieve that goal, and addressed further Council questions. 
 
 
Agenda Review & Preview of Upcoming Agenda Items 
 
The City Council briefly reviewed items that would be coming before the Council in future 
meetings. The Council also discussed upcoming items at future meetings and related issues of 
concern. 
 
 
6:00 P.M. REGULAR SESSION – COUNCIL CHAMBERS 
 
 
CONDUCTING 
Mayor Richard F. Brunst  
 
ELECTED OFFICIALS 
Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, Tom Macdonald, Mark 
Seastrand, David Spencer, and Brent Sumner 
 
APPOINTED STAFF 
Jamie Davidson, City Manager; Brenn Bybee, Assistant 
City Manager; Steven Downs, Deputy City Manager; Greg 
Stephens, City Attorney; Scott Gurney, Fire Chief; Gary 



DRAFT 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.4)                                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
Giles, Police Chief; Ryan Clark, Development Services 
Director; Charlene Crozier, Library Director; Public Works 
Director; Brandon Nelson, Finance Division Manager; 
Jason Bench, Planning Division Manager; Steve Earl, 
Deputy City Attorney; Stephen Cannon, Assistant IT 
Division Manager, and Jackie Lambert, Deputy City 
Recorder 
 
 
INVOCATION /  
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT  
Jim Lauret  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 
Debby Lauret 
 
 
MAYOR’S REPORT/ITEMS REFERRED BY COUNCIL 
 
UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
Mayor Brunst reviewed the upcoming events, as listed in the agenda packet. He reminded 
everyone to vote in the Municipal General Election. 
 
RECOGNITION – Waste Management Think Green Grant Award  
 
Blake Leonelli with Waste Management said with China no longer accepting American recycled 
materials, it was increasingly difficult but important to recycle properly. He worked closely with 
Orem staff to handle the City’s recycling program, and said Orem was even in the running for 
national recognition as a recycler of the year. He presented a check for the Think Green Grant 
that would go toward those efforts going forward. 
 
 
RECOGNITION – Orem Parade Float 2019 Awards   
 
Miss Orem Glory Thomas said Orem participated in 10 parades this summer, and the Miss Orem 
program was grateful for the support from the City with the float. She said Modern Display 
designed a beautiful float for the City’s Centennial, and the float won the following awards: 
• Lindon Days – Royalty’s Choice 
• Strawberry Days – Mayor’s Choice 
• Orem Summerfest – Best of Parade 
 
Mayor Brunst expressed appreciation to the Orem royalty for representing the City so well. 
 
REPORT – Recreation Advisory Commission 
 
Mr. Hirst said Orem had taken over youth sports programs in 1979 so they were celebrating 40 
years of city recreation. He turned time over to Chelsea Jolley from the Recreation Advisory 
Commission (RAC). Ms. Jolley said after the bond was approved for the new Fitness Center, the 
RAC gathered additional input from the public. The Senior Center was working well as a 
temporary location for Fitness Center patrons, and the Scera outdoor pool had been able to stay 
open longer to accommodate swimmers. Ms. Jolley reviewed some of the highlights from the 



 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.5)                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
past year including: new Futsal Courts at Geneva Park which were sponsored by Orem, Real Salt 
Lake, and IHC; park renovations at Geneva, Bonneville, and Windsor parks; and additional 
shade structures and field improvements. She said she had been a member of the RAC for nearly 
six years, and a major concern of the commission was parking and lights at Lakeside Park. She 
hoped this could be a priority once the Fitness Center was completed, if not sooner. 
 
 
PERSONAL APPEARANCES 
 
Time was allotted for the public to express their ideas, concerns, and comments on items not 
scheduled as public hearings on the agenda. Those wishing to speak should have signed in prior 
to the meeting, and comments were limited to three minutes or less. 
 
Phil Murphy thanked the Mayor for the reminder to vote, as he felt voting in local elections was 
much more important that national elections because local leaders had a more direct impact in 
day to day life. He mentioned that he had been coming to Council meetings since May to address 
issues within the City. He spoke of an employee survey conducted by the City in 2016, and said 
he was disappointed to learn that the Council knew of the survey based on some specific 
employee comments. He shared several comments, and said the problems identified had not been 
addressed since 2016. Mr. Murphy said he felt this information needed to be available to the 
public.   
 
Christian Clark said his concern was regarding housing in general, but specifically the cost of 
housing. It was too high for lower-income residents, and he had coworkers who had to move out 
of Orem because of the rising costs. He knew this was not a problem specific to Orem, but he felt 
the Council and the community needed to come together to address housing affordability in order 
to help the City thrive and survive. He did not want the feeling within Orem to be that it was 
“Family City USA… unless you were poor”. 
 
Richard Hickman said he was a landlord in Orem and had concerns regarding the proposal to 
require that utilities be in the landlord’s name. He said there was a claim by the city that the 
majority of the utility bill was to pay for necessary infrastructure to service the property. In 
looking at an old bill, he found only 20% was for base cost and 80% was for usage. He suggested 
introducing an application fee that would cover the cost of a credit check for renters, which 
would help avoid renters that failed to pay utility bills. Mr. Hickman felt additional research 
needed to be done before moving forward with a new program, and because he was not an Orem 
resident he felt this was his only way to have his voice heard on the issue. He added that police 
officers he spoke to had never had issues contacting landlords for property issues, so he did not 
see that as a compelling reason to make a change. 
 
Miriam Murphy said she was appalled that this city survey had been swept under the rug and not 
addressed since 2016. She had been coming to Council meetings with her husband for months to 
raise her concerns regarding first responders, and she had been publicly disrespected by the City 
for doing so. The most important commodity the City had was first responders, and the Council’s 
job to protect residents of Orem was being neglected; more needed to be done. She felt it was not 
right for the City Manager to live outside of Orem boundaries. Mrs. Murphy acknowledged that 
all first responders had to start somewhere, but the experience and mentorship was lacking in 



DRAFT 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.6)                                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
Orem and her biggest concern was what would happen during an emergency. She said she would 
gladly respond to any of the “half-truths” she was accused of stating. 
 
Eric Wilkey said he was frustrated with the culture of the Orem Fire Department, and that 
nothing seemed to be changing. He spoke of a recent incident where Orem FD responded to help 
with a structure fire. The Provo FD Chief was there alongside his employees and showed interest 
in their actions, meanwhile there was no Orem FD chief onsite. Mr. Wilkey shared other stories 
of fire fighters, and he commended them on their professionalism. He said Orem had lost his son 
as a fire fighter, and it was because of leadership issues. 
 
 
CONSENT ITEMS 
 
• Approval of October 8, 2019 City Council Meeting Minutes  
• Appointment of Thomas Cook and Reappointment of Brad Prescott to the Heritage 
Advisory Commission.  
• City Manager’s appointment of Michael Sroufe to Board of Building and Fire Code 
Appeals 
• RESOLUTION – Approval of agreement to transfer Orem’s ownership of the 1600 
North right-of-way to UDOT from I-15 to State Street   
 
Mayor Brunst moved to approve the Consent Agenda as listed. Mr. Seastrand seconded the 
motion. Those voting aye: Richard Brunst, Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, Tom Macdonald, Mark 
Seastrand, David Spencer, and Brent Sumner. The motion passed. 
 
 
SCHEDULES ITEMS 
 
 
CONTINUED ITEMS  
ORDINANCE – Rezoning property located at 355 West University Parkway from the R8 
zone to the PD-5 zone  
 
Mr. Bench stated the Wright Development Group (applicant) requests that this item be continued 
to a 2020 City Council Meeting to be determined. 
 
Mayor Brunst moved, the City Council continue the item to rezone the property located at 355 
West University Parkway from the R8 zone to the PD-5 zone to a later date to be determined.  
Mr. Lentz seconded the motion. Those voting aye: Richard Brunst, Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, 
Tom Macdonald, Mark Seastrand, David Spencer and Brent Sumner. The motion passed.  
 
 
 
PUBLIC HEARING 
ORDINANCE – Amending current Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Budget 
 
Mr. Nelson said the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 City of Orem budget had many adjustments that 
occurred throughout the fiscal year. These adjustments included grants received from Federal, 
State, and other governmental or private entities or organizations; funds being held for Utopia 



 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.7)                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
operations being transferred to the Capital Projects Fund; interest earnings on unspent 2019 G.O. 
Bond funds; and adjusting the Community & Neighborhood Services Fund budget to the 
approved CDBG budget. Mr. Nelson reviewed the grants the City had been awarded. He 
specifically noted an adjustment within the Police Department eliminating one FTE dispatch 
position from the FY-2019-2020 budgeted positions. 
 
Mrs. Lauret inquired as to why that position was being eliminated. It was her understanding that 
dispatch was overworked and needed more help. Mr. Davidson said they were in the process of 
hiring new dispatchers and had filled all but one position. As new dispatchers were trained, 
current dispatchers were picking up additional shifts and accruing overtime. That would not be 
the case once the new hires were in place, and in consultation with Chief Giles it was determined 
that the dollars for an additional position could instead be redistributed to address salary for 
existing employees. Mr. Davidson noted that it was not an across the board adjustment, but 
targeted adjustments were made to serve as an incentive to retain employees and to address 
concerns of compensation. 
 
Mayor Brunst opened the public hearing. No one came forward to speak, so the Mayor closed the 
public hearing. 
 
Mayor Brunst moved, by ordinance, to amend the current fiscal year 2019-2020 budget.  Mr. 
Macdonald seconded the motion. Those voting aye: Richard Brunst, Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, 
Tom Macdonald, and Mark Seastrand, David Spencer, and Brent Sumner. The motion passed.  
 
In response to Mrs. Lauret’s question, Mr. Davidson said the adjustments for dispatchers was 
anywhere from 4-6% in addition to the 4% adjustment they received July 1, 2019. 
 
 
 
RESOLUTION – Request for the Utah Judicial Council to Recertify the Orem Justice 
Court and Commitment by the City Council to Continue Complying with the Operational 
Standard for Maintaining a Justice Court.  
 
Mr. Stephens stated Orem had successfully operated a Justice Court since September 1, 2010. 
The Utah Judicial Council last recertified Orem's Justice Court in January 2016. State law 
required municipal justice courts to be recertified every four years. The Orem Justice Court's 
current certification expired in February 2020. To extend the Orem Justice Court's certification, 
the City must submit a recertification application to the Administrative Office of the Courts no 
later than November 8, 2019. 
 
The City must submit the following three documents as part of the recertification request: 
 
1. An opinion letter from the City Attorney to the City Council outlining the requirements 
for operating a justice court and giving an opinion regarding the feasibility of maintaining 
a justice court. 
 
2. A Court Certification Affidavit from the Justice Court judge stating that the Orem Justice 
Court meets specified statutory and regulatory requirements. 
 



DRAFT 
 
City Council Minutes – October 29, 2019 (p.8)                                      A complete video of the meeting can be found at www.orem.org/meetings 
3. A Resolution from the City Council requesting recertification of the Justice Court and 
agreeing to continue complying with the justice court operational standards for the term 
of recertification (four years). 
 
Documents 1 and 2 had been completed and submitted to the City Council for review. The 
proposed resolution satisfied the requirements for Document 3. 
 
Mr. Seastrand thanked the Legal Services office and Judge Parkin and his staff for the work they 
did in the court. Mayor Brunst added his thanks as well. 
 
Mayor Brunst moved, by resolution, to recertify the Orem Justice Court and commit to 
continue complying with the operational standard for maintaining a Justice Court.  Mr. Spencer 
seconded the motion. Those voting aye: Richard Brunst, Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, Tom 
Macdonald, Mark Seastrand, David Spencer, and Brent Sumner. The motion passed.  
 
 
COMMUNICATION ITEMS 
 
The Monthly Financial Summary for September 2019 was included as part of the agenda packet. 
 
 
CITY MANAGER INFORMATION ITEMS 
 
Mr. Davidson said had no additional information to share. 
 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
 
Mr. Spencer moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Macdonald seconded the motion. Those 
voting aye: Richard F. Brunst, Debby Lauret, Sam Lentz, Tom Macdonald, Mark Seastrand, 
David Spencer, and Brent Sumner. The motion passed.  
 
 
The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
JoD’Ann Bates, City Recorder 
Approved: November 19, 2019