City Council - Regular Meeting

to order. It's 5:30. Um we'll look um Councilman Golan is coming. He sent me a message. Oh, he just walked in the door. Grand entrance right on time. Um and uh Mr. Bitman will hopefully also be joining us. He took that statue that magically fell down that we don't know how he took it up north to the Oh, he didn't. We were just cuz I'll be going there on Friday. I was going to take it. He He's on his way back.

So, okay. So, and he will not speak. So, thank you for everybody for being here. We'll start uh our meeting today with a uh prayer by Paul Ericson. We appreciate you coming and doing it for us again today and then uh Councilman Phillips will lead us in the pledge.

Thank you. I do love to pray. Father in heaven, we are so grateful that we live in a community in a country where we get to be part of this process. We're blessed by that. And in that blessing, Father, I ask that you would be with the leaders of our community. that you bless them with insight into the things that this community needs and bless them with the ability to make hard decisions that may not be popular when the time arises. Watch over them, Father. Breath them, protect them, keep them safe. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Please rise and join me in the pledge to our flag. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Thank you, sir. Anything agenda wise we need to No, I was just checking on that. Mayor, I would move that we approve the agenda order for this action meeting on April 22nd. Second. Have a motion and a second. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? Great. Um, first one then we had last week, Councilman Wilkkey asked us to kind of put on to be able to talk about road closure um items. So, it's all you. No, it's just I mean it's I don't know if there's something that necessarily is going to have action at this point, but I just kind of wanted to start start the discussion. We've had the we've talked a little bit about this. Ken, my main concern is and what's kind of brought it up this time is we have that project. We've hired a company to do the project on Industrial Road, the widening, and it's been closed for two, three months. And so, I mean, it's just taking forever. And I understand weather and I mean there's a lot of things that can come into play in all that but I just want to know when we hire people I mean what's the teeth that we have and and not only on our projects but also probably even my bigger concern is when we have private developers that have to do it to do a road break to tie in or something. I mean I just struggle when we lose public roads for stuff like that. And so I don't know what our rules are, what our ordinance says if we have one or engineering. I don't even know where it would fall. But

yeah. So, one of the things that uh we need to do a better job of in my department when we put projects out to bid is to put uh provisions in the specifications on, you know, that limit what they can do in terms of road closures. I will tell you that at my last city, we we really minimized the amount of time they could do a full closure. Um, and there were times when if based on how busy the road was, they could only do that during the middle of the night or on Sunday when traffic volumes were low. They couldn't do it any other time. Um, we had in the cases where there were um closures that were, you know, multi-day closures, you know, around the clock closures that were allowed, they were very limited on how many days there could be. and there were um liquidated damages attached to exceeding that, right? So that there was a motivation to to to conform that there are some things we can do there that don't require any changes to our ordinance that can be built into the the uh contract provisions on our city projects. So, we'll we'll um work on that to make sure we do a better job of of getting appropriate provisions in our city contracts in terms of the uh um projects that are being done um that aren't city contracts where we don't have that contractual control. Yeah, that's something we need to look into. I'm not I haven't had a a a chance yet. I apologize. I had hoped to before today to to dig deeper into, you know, what we do have in our ordinances and in our engineering standards and what we can do to try to strengthen those. But I agree there need it. We can't just let something be closed for an extended period of time. You know, the the roadways are too important to the use of

the public. We need to get those. Um so, yeah, we can take a look at that. I we're certainly um you know open to any suggestions on on how restrictive we as a city from a policy standpoint want to be on that. Um you know so we can try to get um you know those things modified in a way that that you know meets kind of the expectations of of this whole group. Can I add a ask a clarifying question when you do add those greater restrictions? So for example, the city project on industrial if we would have said you need to keep it open so traffic can go through and still um use the road would have taken

how much does it add additional costs? It it certainly in many cases does add additional cost. So there's a plus to it and that's why we want to we we need to look at every project differently. you know, a road a project on industrial road isn't nearly as critical as a as a project on say Providence Center Drive would correct. And I agree with that.

And so, you know, yeah, we're not going to be as stringent um uh you know, on a project on a lesser traveled roadway, especially if there are good alternative routes that people can take, right? But anytime you have have a situation where even if the traffic volumes aren't really high, there just isn't a good alternative route, I think we need to be a little stricter than we would be in a different setting, right? Um and it's and it's um probably worth paying a little bit more to have the uh um you know the the use of the roadway um available to the citizens um in those cases. But where there's not a lot to to be gained by being really strict, there's then we don't really want to be really strict. But we still need to have some limits. Right now, we we as near as I can tell, we don't have limits anywhere in our in our standards or our ordinances. And and that's something we need to get in place.

Do we know the specifics of why that street was closed? Was it supply issues? I know that's been a huge issue in a lot of the contracting world. So, I know that uh I mean the reason for the closure is that we're basically rebuilding that road. We're putting in the the curb gutter curb and gutter on the south side, the property where we have the parking lot and the restroom and everything for the trail head. Um and uh rebuilding that that roadway. Um so that would have been the reason for the closure. I Jonathan, I don't know if you have delay, I guess,

but the delay I'm not I'm not uh I'm not sure. I and I have to admit I wasn't aware until today that we had such a lengthy situation going on out there. So another question and again I mean I grew up in Salt Lake a lot of people know that and I feel one thing I guess I've just never seen here and I don't know if this is even a solution or not but I've noticed I haven't noticed around here the use of a lot of plates. I feel like in Salt Lake you drive on more metal plates than you do actual asphalt and I don't know if that's something that but I mean I can't remember the last time. Sure. on road breaks, right?

Yeah. And so it's like why I mean can we maybe push for you know to developers say here's your timeline if you're going to go over this you got to bring in a metal plate and you can keep working on it but you've got to get the road back open. And I mean don't get me wrong it's annoying from a driver to have to funk funk and drive over a metal plate but I'd rather do that than detour all the way around somewhere else. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. that uh that can be something I've had projects in the past, you know, um elsewhere where yeah, all work was done at night during the daytime, they were plated and the traffic was 100% open because of the the need, right? You know, the with the as busy as the roads were. So, I can't remember in my lifetime a lane not being closed down on I-15 in the

feels that way. But I don't So, again, that's why I said there's no necessarily unless you can come up with something. It wasn't necessarily a specific action item. I just hope we can tighten it up somehow. And is part of it also like when we get asked as elected officials just an understanding of why. So like if if we choose to close the whole road down because it saves us 50 grand, then we could at least have that information. Tell our constituents, hey, we're we're trying to be fiscally responsible. It was a road that that we felt like was okay to close down and save the money. But if we don't know that, then we can't answer it. or if we only do it at at night, then it takes us four weeks instead of two to get the project done. What's what's the trade-off? What's the

trade-offs? I guess my bigger maybe my bigger concern is when developers do it for I mean it's for their gain. It's their project. I want to see those hopefully happen. I mean, I want the job done right. I don't want them to be working in conditions that can possibly be detrimental to the, you know, final product. But we can't just let them take as much time as they want because if they're not in a hurry, then who is? Yeah. Yeah. And and that's where, you know, night work has its disadvantages, right? Um no matter how many lights you put up, you can't see as well as you can during the day, especially as we get older. Yeah. You know, well, you get you get shadows from those from those light plants, right? Yeah.

And so, um Yeah. Can the finished product suffer when there's night work? It can. I I don't It doesn't necessarily need to, but it can. And is safety potentially compromised working at night? Um, yeah, there is that potential. And so we want to reserve those kinds of treatments for where, you know, closure during the daytime is just unpalatable because of the the traffic volumes, right? But uh but yeah, there are times when that needs to be the solution and we need to have in our city projects penalties attached if they don't Okay. meet those.

Phil, you had a comment? Yeah, I've had lots of road closures in my days. I do have I do have steel plates, by the way.

Good. Uh I like what Kent said, though. I think it's pretty important that we evaluate on an individual basis because we we can't just hardline and say one week, two weeks, because it all depends uh what you got to do. And to me, the biggest factor of a road closure, not necessarily to get the work done, but is the safety factor of the pedestrians or the cars going by. Uh so I I think that we're on the right track, but we look at each situation. We got to be a little flexible here based on what is happening. Uh you know, when we were digging 27 ft deep in the middle of the road, yeah, we had the road shut down, but there was no way for him to go around and there's no de there there was no detours uh very well. But I think we're on the right track. Just look at it individually. But not only from a cost money standpoint, but to me a bigger factor is a safety standpoint of not only the public but also of our workers.

Yeah, that's fair. Okay. Thanks, Ken. That was just add one thing on that, too. We the closest timeline we have as for your roadbreak ones. It's a 14-day road break. Um if they don't have it done and sealed back up in 14 days, we're supposed to give them notice. That gives them another 14 days. And then after that, they're supposed to have posted a cash bond that the city can then step in. But you can guess how much we love to step in and finish somebody else's work. Yeah. Um so some of that comes down to just enforcement and political will. By the time we find somebody to go step in to finish it, they would be done anyway. Was that the case on South Mountain? Because that road closed for months.

South South Mountain had a few more issues. It wasn't only just the contractor. There was a little mixup on some materials. There was some delays. There was some that was ordered that maybe wrong size was mentioned shouldn't have been. So South Mountain was not all the contractor responsible. But I think what I saw from South Mountain, I think we ended up with three different permits through that process because I think it ended up with a copy with all of them.

Brian Marshall, public works director. So uh the road closure permit is handled through a public works department. Um that is a closure that's more associated with a small project. It's not a big development. it's if they're um fixing a water line, a lateral or a sewer line. So, it usually doesn't take out the whole road.

Uh we make them put a traffic control plan in place when they uh submit for the project. Um it is a 14-day and then we'll extend that if they haven't started. They give us notice when they're going to start it and then they've got 14 days to finish it out. But we uh I've told my guys that uh if any of those road closure um uh maps come in and they're closing a complete road off and not having it that it needs to be flagged. So we try not to let them do that on the smaller projects like that. I think it's more so when you get into a development that has to cut all the way across the road to put some major infrastructure in that where we're seeing this. So you're I don't think you're seeing it so much when they're going through the road closure permit with us because that's usually smaller project. is more on these larger ones. And I think it's a good idea, like Kim was saying, is let's look at it and put it into uh their bonding or their their contract when you do it and then you do it on a case by case basis. So

that's fine. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it just seems to be bad. So yeah, we we do need to make improvements there. Agreed. Okay, good. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, Carter. Okay, next one. Iron West Park Update, Anthony, I think I brought this one up, too.

Sorry. Good evening, Anthony Pearson from uh Cedar City Parks. Um so questions on Iron West, right? Um I'll just give you a little bit of a background of what he's done this year. We've we've done spot seeding, he's fertilized, he's airrated, and then we just yesterday he put down quick release nitrogen. That soil out there is just pretty depleted. It was under layers and layers of nothing for years. Um but uh a lot of the clumping is just the root systems that haven't filled in. Uh since last year they've filled in a quite a bit. Um I'm pretty hopeful that this year we'll be able to have it relatively filled in. Um seems like the soil's darkening up in a lot of places and uh the guy that's on it is doing really well. He's doing what he can. I told him just start documenting everything you do. So we have a backlog. Um it's hard to get to right now because all the development out there have kind of blocked off access. So, we're

all the ditches you have to everything. Yeah, we're doing everything we can to get in there. Um it depends on the day how we're getting in there. So, uh but yeah, it seems like uh Ken and I were out there walking it this morning. Uh not a lot of weeds in there, if any at all, that we really saw. Um and if there are, we're going to be doing I'm going to take my herd of goats over there and let them go wild on all your weeds. Go for it. Go for it. Um as you can see, you can see some of the the patchiness. Uh but a lot of that we had some large open areas this time last year and that's filled in. It's looking a lot better.

And uh the bumpiness what it is is the the root system uh when it grows it expands and builds up and so as as those roots link they'll uh they'll puff back up in between it and and fill those areas. So um so a couple questions. We planted this in 24. Yeah. So 24 25 26. I mean to get it to the point of competition soccer play and yeah I mean you thinking next season? I'm I'm hopeful for that honestly. Uh walking it walking it today was was real uh really positive. When you say next year fall of next year. So fall of 27. I'm thinking possibly spring of next year depending on where I don't know when soccer's played. Isn't it a spring sport? It's both. It's both. It's both.

So I'm thinking it could possibly be. That's why it's so good. It brings in people. Hey I just almost the whole year. the one sport I would choose not to play and I pray my kids don't want to. Well, I'm thinking it it could be spring of next year. I don't want to put my foot in my mouth, but uh seeing how much growth came in just this last summer and seeing where it's at now. If uh we retain that, I think I think we'll be in Are you having to receat any of it? Um we're we're that's what we're essentially doing. We're he's already spot seated already this year and we'll probably disc seat it again this year. um just if anything to help fill in gaps but also to reinforce that grass structure. So,

and then the other question I had is I felt like we were in a big hurry to get that pond dug and we kind of did it and now we have a pond that also has been sitting there for two years and people are just four-wheeling in it and making mud and having fun. What where are we going with this pond? I don't have much on on the pond. I do know that there is no water inlet or water outlet that was put in when we built it. So, it's just stagnant mud. It's stagnant mud and no budget to do anything else beyond that right now. I don't Yeah, I don't believe there's anything in there right now. On the receding, are you using the same mixture that was originally designed to Yeah, it's a sports turf mixture. Yep. So, we're not just throwing down Kentucky blueg grass or something.

No, it's it's a it's a sports match rye and Kentucky blue and fiscu and everything. So, great. Yep. Okay. Any other questions there? Thank you. Thanks, Anthony. Three years to grow grass. Uh, mayor, I don't know. How much do you really want to? Well, more for the neighborhood. So, this I live here. And you are? I'm David Johnson. I'm I'm reporting as a citizen, not the economic development director. This park has been extremely confusing because there's no place to park. There's no When is all that happening in conjunction? Usually the grass is last.

I think you'll see that when we see budgets come up this year. Is that happening? I just have n you know working for the city people ask and I'm like I have no clue. And I in this case we didn't we didn't saw it. We seated it. So the grass went first because it takes a long time to grow. So that when you're asking and the reason why I'm asking this is more for like if public's listening, but like when you're talking about playing on it in the upcoming year or so, that's that's the question. We also have to have a parking lot. Exactly. Assuming that's what I wanted to acknowledge in the discussion in case people are listening. Sorry. They'll see some of that in the budget as long as everybody agrees that that needs to happen. Okay. Thanks. Sorry.

Thanks, David. You're good. Mayor, if I can, I just wanted to comment that is something that we we're well underway in the design of the parking lot, getting the restroom, all those things that need to happen to have that be playable. Yep. Mayor, can I uh just

Yep. The other day when when we had a uh the opening house up at the Diamond Z, the ribbon cutting, we noticed that uh one of the downspouts on the south west side was not connected. And anyway, it was it was flooding pretty bad. And I just want you to know, we talked with uh the public works and the next day they were out there, they dug it up, they had it fixed, they put another pipe on the other end and uh talking with Scott, he was very appreciative and he says, you know, he says, "We've been think we've been talking about this for two or three weeks and he says next day it was done." So he was very appreciative and it was fixed. And I just want to give a little shout out to the to the staff uh to our public works people. They stepped up and helped. There wasn't any fees associated that I know of and we got it done. We took care of a problem. We got it done and we just helped each other. So, I just want to say thanks. So, that was that was Phil's point of personal privilege and some shout outs right there. So,

thanks, Phil. Okay, next item um is our Cedar City Hospital presentation. Thanks for being here.

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. For the record, I am Jameson Robinette. I am uh the hospital president. I can no longer claim the new guy because I know where all the bathrooms are. But uh just on a personal note, I I think I shared when I came and presented last year how much my family loved moving into the community and the welcome and been the best. Well, it's almost 18 months been the best 18 months of our of our married life for my spouse and I and um it's the people. It's wholeheartedly the people and the support and um we've moved a lot. We've we've probably seen every corner of this country moving as a hospital administrator and I'm very happy to say that our moves are done because we just love this community so much as long as you'll have me and the hospital. But I think that we're doing good things. So I hope the story supports that. Um and I think I owe even some of the city council members a round of golf. So

you got to keep me at least for a while. Whoa, whoa, hold on. Just not all at once, but I'm in on that. Whatever that was. Um, am I allowed to say what goes on the minutes and not for this?

Okay. Well, I I'm going to go a little off script here. I do have these slides. I I think these slides honestly are I hope just a a resource you can all pull upon. Um, knowing what's going on, what's happened and what's going on at the last at the hospital for the last 12 months and and probably for the next 12 months to really five years actually for some of these things. Um, I'll highlight them and go to the slides off script, but um, first I I just have to and I'd be very remiss if I did not say this. Um, say a very sincere thank you and gosh um, thank you to our police force and to our amazing um, police chief, Chief Adams. Um, we see a lot in the hospital. I don't think people realize how much we see in the hospital and um these gentlemen and ladies, they bring residents of this community along with our EMS agencies, but um they bring residents of this community into our hospital with nothing but professionalism and care. And um when we have problems at the hospital, Cedar City is the one who responds. And today I had a nurse who was in a really bad spot and there was a patient who um unfortunately chose to not treat that nurse the way that that nurse deserved to be treated. I'm so sorry. Um and the fact that we can make a phone call and that I had six police vehicles in front of my hospital and that my nurse was protected. Um I can't thank you enough. I can't thank our our chief of police enough and the team that he's built. Um, it just means a lot and I I'm not going to say it's fitting that I'm here standing in front of you because uh today on the same day that this happened, but um because I would never wish anything upon any caregiver or anyone in that professional setting or home setting, but um just know that we are very well supported as a hospital from a safety perspective

because you have an amazing police chief and an amazing team that supports him. I'm I'm just very grateful as a citizen and as a representative of an organization that has a high degree of accountability for healing. So, um I I just would have been really remissed, especially today, to go without that. So,

Jameson, may I may I interrupt uh Mayor? Um, on the same vein, I had the privilege of uh going out on patrol uh a few weeks ago uh with our with our great police department and u had the opportunity, and I use that word loosely, to visit the hospital in the middle of the night with a homeless individual that needed to be seen before we took him to the jail. And I have said this to many people over and over and over. As impressed as I was with my ride and drive with the police, I was even more impressed with your staff at the emergency uh area. You had a couple of your security people there. The nurses with a very difficult circumstance were absolutely uh magical and calming this individual down. and then the physician that came over and went through the questions. It was it was uh it was almost magical how they deflated a very tense situation. So, as well as the police performs, and I'm going blue in the face telling uh chief that that they do the a tremendous job, your organization is spot on as well. So, I just wanted to let you know that.

Thank you. I'll share that with the team. I appreciate it and uh it's it's good that we're able to do that and that we're able to handle those situations because um they are increasing. I think high level probably what I would want all of you to know and like I said I am a little off script but I'll I'll jump around on things I'd want you to see. Um no the secrets out Iron County is growing and the need for healthcare is growing. We're we're double digits growth in about every service that we see. Our emergency department probably highlights that and that's why we were incredibly proud to celebrate our ribbon cutting on our emergency department expansion. Um we're we're actually about this far in the year um almost hit a thousand more visits than we did last year this time. um across the board medical, trauma, behavioral health, and um with the expansion, we're able to actually see patients in about 20% less time. And we're seeing our our satisfaction and our quality continue to stay positive with that. So, um we're we're grateful for the city and their partnership and allowing us to do that expansion because it's it's been fantastic for us. All right, I I will jump in and just share a couple things I want you to be aware of of the hospital. You're never going to see me give a presentation without seeing this slide. Um, and this will be uh really the northstar of our hospital. It has been and I'm just um I I have a story that goes along with it, but this is my own daughter. Um, our situation was up in Salt Lake, but where my daughter was uh existing in a NICU for the first 100 days of her life and the distance from where my my parents who we were staying with, um, it was 50 minutes. And if you go to Cedar City Hospital and Google Maps the distance to St. George Hospital, it's 50 minutes. Um, we know personally what that disruption brings to people's lives. Um, having to travel for health care services. We're very fortunate to have an amazing partner at Sister Hospital and and close friend in St. George Hospital that that is a

fantastic regional trauma center. But, um, to whatever degree that we can, we are going to keep people in this community. And that guides all of our strategies that that is based in our mission. and we are very proud for the work that we're doing to support that. Um we are a we are a busy hospital. We we sit Cedar City stands uniquely alone not even in Inter Mountain Health but in the state in regards to being in the size of a community it supports and the size of the hospital it is. We we have uh a university partnership that is very strong. We have great city partners. Um, but for us to be in this community with this population and to have the statistics we do and the services we offer, um, it's pretty remarkable. You can see there we see about 21,000. We're actually we're going to surpass 23,000 in 2026. ER visits. Um, surgeries are um roughly the same as as they've been about 3,000 a year, but we we see those go up. And then births, which is a really fun story because we have a great partnership with America 250 that Council Member Phillips has has been just fantastic in supporting. Um, in March, Cedar City Hospital delivered more babies than it delivered ever in its history. And that's a really exciting thing for a number of reasons. Um, I don't the I I'm just happy that I didn't have to tell Scott that I was anticipating that we were gonna have our busiest month delivered when he committed to give a America 250 quilt to every one of these new babies. But, um,

they're making quilts as fast as they can and we are grateful. Uh, April, I don't know if you want to hear this, but April, we're we're trending to not be very far behind March. So, um, you you said you wanted everyone to celebrate being an America 250, baby. And I think the quilts are starting to drive business. So, thanks for that.

Okay. Um, here here's our board, just so you're aware of of those community members to support us. We're we're very grateful for them. They are a fantastic group and they do a good job of holding the hospital accountable, not only to Cedar City, but to the other communities. uh a couple other board members who will be joining us this year. We just voted on them locally. Um Spencer Douglas from BZI if you know him. Um Miss Terry Hartley who who obviously um has had a role with the city and then Heidi Miller. So we we were losing Mike this year. He's turning out but we wanted to keep it in the family because they do so good for us and we're very grateful for them. Um, we see over 500 cancer patients, 500 new cancer patients in this community every every year. And so we're very excited, and I'll talk about this, we we're very excited to announce that we're expanding our cancer center. Um, we're a top five busiest cancer center in all of Inter Mountain Health, which you think about that, there's there's some big names that are included in there. And, um, Bryce Perkins, he's a homegrown Cedar City boy. Uh he's one of the busiest oncologist in all of Inter Mountain Health and um he has never once found a way to say no to anybody and we're very grateful to have him. We're we're really excited to share this and I wasn't even aware of this last year so I don't think I impressed this upon the group. Um, every year there's a group called the National Rural Health Association and they recognize very objectively based on metrics that you would want to be graded on by a hospital. Um, 20 hospitals in the country that are in small communities as high performers. We're very happy to announce that we're one of those 20 hospitals. That's out of a cohort of almost a thousand. We're even more proud and I I I really hope that the community feels this. Um, we're the only hospital in the entire country. There's over 2,000 hospitals in the entire country. We're the only one that has received this award as long as it's existed. So,

we've received it 11 times in a row and um we're the only hospital in the country. And uh that is a large part to the partnership we have with the community.

We're focused not on what just happens in the four walls of our hospital, but the community very much so. We just completed our every three-year community health needs assessment for us to have a nonprofit designation um which we do. One of the requirements is is that we complete a comprehensive community health needs assessment. And the outcomes for our Iron County Cedar City specific assessment focus on improving behavioral health, investing in social drivers of health, and increasing access to care. um as well as preventing childhood injury and illness which spans across all three of those. What we are doing specifically this year in conjunction with our board and with um awesome community partners in the police force, the chamber of commerce um even starting to now invite into the homebuilders association, the manufacturers association is raising mental health and suicide awareness for that specific contingent of workforce. Iron County has the highest prevalence of suicide in the state and a large driver of that is the cohort that is the workingaged male who categorizes into a bluecollar job. A lot of that you can associate with um stigma. You can associate that with maybe um resources. Um we have a lot of awesome board members who represent a lot of those organizations, represent the school district as well. So over the next eight months, we will be partnering, like I said, with the chamber, with the local associations to provide some really meaningful trainings. Um, Inner Mountain's got great resources. If the city is ever interested, we'd be happy to provide this for city staff as well. Just really good trainings around um suicide recognition, how to get support, how to deescalate, and and we're happy to be be supporting that. So that's our big community push this year. We continue to be involved in the in the community. Um, one of our biggest partnerships, which we continue

to grow, is with the summer games. We'll be a top tier partner for them with our athletic training partnerships and um providing athletic training and athletic trainer support to all of the athletes who are going to come into the community this year. Uh, outside of that, the only thing I would I'd want to share with you all and make you aware of is um Iron County is growing. You all know. Yeah. Big shock, right? um and and we need to invest in healthcare services for that. So, we completed a five-year comprehensive master plan for the facility. Um we're going to be just fine staying on our current campus. But to boil this down to high level, what what I'd want you all to know um one of our biggest challenges that we've faced um with bringing new providers into the community is just we don't have a lot of medical space. So, we um are kicking off this year the completion or building a about a 40,000 square foot medical office building where we'll be able to bring in new providers. Um we've acquired some land strategically and looking to acquire more land where at a future point we will be building community clinics. A lot of our our strategy would be to have clinics like you would see in Washington County, Washington Field, Sunset Clinic where people don't have to drive further than 10 minutes for healthcare services. That's that's our north star and um continuing to offload primary care on campus so we can grow specialty centers. Um we do have uh actively under the works that project, our cancer center project. We completed our ER project and then we will be building an ambulatory surgery center. One of the big points of feedback we get from the community is the cost of healthcare. surgery is probably the first and foremost one that comes up and that's a big reason not because we don't have the providers because we don't have the the um avenue or the location to provide that. So, we'll be building a surgery center. The big benefit there truthfully is cost. It's about a fifth of the cost of what

some a hospital surgery can cost at times. So, we're we're we're here. We're investing. We have um significant capital and construction that's going into the facility over the next five years. you'll you'll see either a bulldozer or a crane on campus because we'll be moving dirt, putting up steel and um continuing to grow much needed facilities. We invest heavily in technology, but there's certain services where a computer screen is just not going to cut it and we need to be here for the community and and we're going to do so. So, um that's really what I wanted to share with you all is is that we're going to grow. We're here for it. Um we are really trying to be strategic in our partnerships to support this community. We're working with with David Inland Port, all of the work there to say, hey, you can bring your business here and you're going to have fantastic healthcare services and we're we're just really proud to be here and kind of participate in the good work. So, um I'll stop there and just allow any questions for me and then if not wrap up with a quick little clip. So, one of the ones you shared with me that I always think is good to highlight in this that most citizens don't recognize is yes, sometimes the hospital's more expensive, but without the hospital, there was it showed on one of the slides and I can't remember the number, but millions of dollars of of care that the hospital gives without charging to that they they end up writing off, right? that uh without um a taxexempt hospital system that wouldn't exist. Anything to add to that?

Yeah. No, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um in in outright charity care, we have different buckets of the ways we account for this. An outright charity care, which is money that we did not bill for healthcare services. Last year, that surpassed $9 million. If you add in what we would consider to be bad debt, which is ultimately what that boils down to is we sent you a bill, but we wrote it off and we're not sending it to collections, that goes north of about $15 million. When you look at the whole community benefit, because as a nonprofit, our requirement is to provide more community benefit dollars than what our tax burden would be. Um because I do recognize that that could be revenue. Um we're about 4x that. We we surpassed $70 million in community benefit comprehensively in either free services, education, um write offs, and then we do a lot of work with the community health centers, four points and family healthcare as they see patients and if they need an MRI, then we're going to provide that at either a discount or free of of cost if someone's coming with a voucher.

Thanks for the question. So, I've said Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No, no, no. I had just a a comment and a question. Uh first of all the question is do you know structurally is the current hospital are you able to ever go up if you added more more hospital beds above I mean structurally can you do that so there there's a portion of the building that we can okay and so we would be able to do that and we we've got strategic thoughts around that it would it' probably be clinic space and then we would just continue to consolidate and free up room for more either imaging services or surgical services whatever the demand is

whatever the demand was. uh because the you have a beautiful campus there and I and I I appreciate the fact that you're enlarging and uh uh I'm very proud of our hospital and I think you've illuminated all the reasons why we should be proud of it. So, thank you for that. But I just wanted to make sure there's your ability to expand. Can we go up on some of these things? Yes, absolutely.

Thank you. You know, Jameson, I've said it before from uh from this microphone. My my family's best days of our lives happen in your hospital and our worst day also happened in your hospital. You know, we've we've had six children born and we've also had a child pass away at your hospital and um you know, which was obviously the hardest day of our life, but your staff is phenomenal, especially in your maternity. Luckily, that's I've spent more time on that side of the hospital than anywhere else. We have had one emergency surgery that went very well, but luckily all the uh all the other times have been on the other end of the hospital. So, I just hope you can pass that along to them that uh we've been very happy and we appreciate you guys being here.

Yeah, I appreciate that. We we love to hear it. Um we we do have the number one most engaged caregiver team in all of Inter Mountain Health for the hospitals. And a big reason is because they love their community and they want to do right by those who are here. When we actually when we knew we were going to lose our child, we had to go meet with Primary Children's and they said, "We recommend you not have your child in Cedar. We recommend you go to St. George or you come to up here to Salt Lake." And we said, "No, we want to work with our team in Cedar." And that was the decision we made and we're very grateful that we were able to be amongst our neighbors and our friends and they were there to support us and it was just the right place to have it happen. Yeah. Well, thanks for sharing that. Any other questions for me? Thank you so much for all you do.

Thank you, Jameson. Okay, there's there's a a good video in here. I'll forego it just because I I went a little long in my presentation, but it it's a really good tour and highlight of everything that's been added in the emergency department, but um we're here for you all. Please hold us accountable, especially with your constituents. Hold us accountable to being that top 20 hospital in the country because that's what we tout. That's what we we strive to deliver every day and that's what we hope the community will always expect from us. So, thank you. Thank you. Appreciate y'all. Okay, we move to uh next item, our consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion.

Mayor, I would move that we approve the consent agenda in front of us. Second. Have a motion and a second. All in favor? I I. Any opposed? Okay. Next one is uh to consider a donation to the Pioneer Day celebration. Um we have um Osmond team here with our our event staff team and and we will we'll just I got to meet earlier with Mr. Osben and um those that may not know he's just recently lost his older brother. Um and we're grateful for you to still be here with us tonight and express our condolences. Thank you. And what's Can you hear me? Okay.

Yeah. What uh I'd like to start off by saying this because you might have seen a lot of the press lately talking about the loss of my brother and sometimes you know you wonder I don't know how many people really know who the Osmans are but well I think but for me as one of the originals

you know for 65 years we have fought the battle of media the family values have been attacked as you all know and we're living in a world today that's getting worse. And so before he passed away two nights ago, he leaned up to me in my ear and he said, "Please keep fighting for family values."

That was his last words to me. And it's so apppropo because as I stand here, I'm just wanting to say to all of you, I'm impressed to begin with with the prayer that was said and the attitudes here. The hospital, my gosh, I've spent the last few days in hospitals. Thank goodness we have them. But I'm here to talk to you about the Pioneer Pageant.

Last time we did that, I don't know how many of you saw the pageant, but to me it was a massive success. Uh the kids that were involved in it have all gone home. They have, excuse me, told their parents and their loved ones and they all want to jump back in it again. It's been a little difficult now because prices have gone up double. Firework costs to uh everything's gone up and so it's been a battle obviously to to raise the budget which is 200,000. I'm pleased to say that we have been able to raise 190,000. So we're we're this close. Many of your community members have donated from Parowan to everybody else. So it's an amazing to see how all of this is coming together. We feel the Osman's feel that this event like the stadium of fire which we funded and other events can be known one day as the largest 24th of July celebration in the country. I think we're that close. We got tremendous amount of media. Now the in fact yesterday I was on the phone with Channel 4. They wanted to know all about what was going here and I told them what we're doing and they said, "Well, we want to be there to cover the whole thing." So, a lot of media attention is starting to come about and sponsors are coming about. We just need 10,000 more. And if you guys would please consider doing that, that would take us over the top and we can push the green button. the whole thing will be I believe a massive success for a lot of reasons especially bringing the pioneer spirit back to our kids and I think that our kids are losing that that knowledge of

what they sacrificed. So that's why I'm here just to say thank you and I'm a very old pioneer. I've been around a long time and I feel that if we don't do something, if we don't do things like this, patriotism, the values, if we don't all stand behind that, then we're going to lose our way in this country. So, with that, if you have any questions, I'd like to answer. I would just thank you for bringing that to the community and uh I hope that as you look at your fireworks and your storytelling and I love how you've rewritten the story to tell Cedar City and Iron County's story as well. Um that we acknowledge somehow America 250.

Absolutely. 250th birthday. It's already in there. Very good.

Thank you. That was my only comment. I um I just wanted to say I ever since I've been in this position which a lot of people entrusted me with uh with their vote to be here on this what do we call ourselves a steer group. Um you know we talk a lot about uh how our community is changing. We having we're having a lot of growth, a lot of people coming in and uh the more I've thought about how we can impact in a positive way the growth and the people that are coming in is by emphasizing the values that have brought us to where we are as a community. And I think that the more I've thought about it, I've wrestled with this. I've had conversations with the mayor, with uh Scott about how do we do this? I really want to do it. Um, to me it has become an imperative because it's part of what we need to continuously do in order to not just remind us of who we are but also educate the upcoming generation of where they come from and what they can be. So, I wanted to say that because I think it's important for us to um somehow support the program that you're about to embark on and make sure that our community is there in force, especially our youth.

Thank you. I just want to say one more thing and it might be somewhat staggering to hear this but as I mentioned the fight that we all are facing in these what I say last final days the uh the war is increasingly getting worse for our kids. Um, when my brother passed, the media, there's millions of hits out there about the Osman family for whatever reason. And this whole fight about family values is interesting because guess who called me last night at home? Donald Trump.

You know what he said? He said, "Thank you for keeping family values alive." the president of the country, Priscilla Presley, text me last night, "Thank you for keeping family values alive." So, as cynical as the industry can be, everybody knows, everybody down deep inside knows what you just said is the key to bringing families together.

I want you to know something. Um, I came to the United States as an immigrant in 1967 from Cuba, having gone through the communist and socialist experiment there. And um, as soon as we landed and were able to settle ourselves in, began to see, you know, American television and which we didn't get any of that. And uh you and your family were a big part of what we began to to see as a you know wholesome uh influence in our lives. Something that we hadn't had before. So this is just a very personal thing. I wanted you to know that that we have always I and my family have always admired you and what the legacy that you and your parents

have brought to our culture. So, hey Waldo, Phil said he'd give $1,000 if you would. Yeah. And then the development group will probably kick in and Tom and if you do, I will. And so we've raised part of it right there. No, he just got off just a little. He was going to match whatever we put in. Robert's going to match that to Brandon. So that that actually does get us to the next part of the discussion. Brandon, will you will you step up? Come on in. Thank you. So we now get to have the discussion. If you want to do this, how do you pay for it? Yeah.

I'm Brandon Burke, events director for Cedar City. Um, first I just want to say what a privilege it is to have the Osman's doing what they're doing in our community. Uh, as I've come to know them, I I I really feel privileged to be able to work with these guys, Marilyn, Justin. uh not just because of you know their their family legacy and who they are, but because who they are as people and who I've come to know them as in the short time that I've been working with them over the last couple years. Um but um I do know that there's a concern about where this money should come from and I just wanted to kind of address that Cedar City uh has a sinking fund that's been comprised of um money from the TRT, the transient room tax. Um, I know there's some money left in that account and it's uh I know it's ordinanced for events. Uh, and I also know it's out of ordinance as far as how much money is in it. And so we do have to spend some of that down. We've been doing that a little bit with my operational budget. Um, but I do think that we can avoid using taxpayer money and still give to this very deserving cause uh from that TRT fund. And I think there's a couple ways we could go about doing that. Um, one is we could just decide to make a one-time uh gift this year and then kind of see how we feel about it in future years. Or if we feel good about it now, we could um in July make uh add that 10,000. I have a programming budget that we give some money to USF and summer games every year from um that's just been allotted from that fund as well. If we wanted to add an additional $10,000 to that operational budget, we could just consider this an annual gift. Um, which would be my recommendation. Um, I know that the Osman's I've talked to Justin about this. Um, if a concern is finding the money this fiscal year, I know that they can make the event happen uh even if we wait until after July 1st to write that check. So, we can look at that as a

possibility. Um, but I do know that that that money is there and this is what it's for and I feel like there's I don't think there's many better causes than what these guys are bringing to our community than than what we have in front of us. So, um, those are my thoughts. Thank you, Brandon. So, you're just to reiterate, you have a you have funding to do the full 10,000.

Yeah. So, I mean, I don't currently in my operational budget, but we do have it in that sinking fund that we have occasionally pulled from and that we're also chipping away at for my operational budget right now because it's over ordinance. I think uh having run a nonprofit for a very long time, there's a lot of good sense um if we could see our way with the TRT to make this an ongoing kind of situation where it wouldn't have to come before a council every single year for this because you need to be able to plan. These events take a lot of effort and a lot of time and a lot of planning. And I know from the history of Stadium of Fire, there's no reason why this Pioneer Legacy celebration can't be known nationwide. And uh it would be my recommendation and my motion actually, I guess, is that we try and fund this 10,000, but we make it an ongoing gift as part of the ordinance for this TRT tax uh obligations that we have out of that fund. I

I'd second that if that's okay. We just have a motion and a second. Can we do that from a Do you I think for future purposes you'll have to get it through the budget before it becomes finalized. But what you're wanting to do today it sounds like the funding is there. It fits within what the T. So for this year we'd we'd use it out of the scing fund. Is that what I understood from the motion? That's my motion. But then I would ask and then you would ask us to get it on the budget for ongoing. I think that's a great So that's my motion. And uh yeah. Okay. Is that a clear enough motion? So, the sinking fund for this year and then we'll the motion is to have us get it in the budget ongoing. So, I have a motion and a second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay, motion passes.

You didn't have to Andy up. Don't worry about that. Brandon, thank you so much. Mel, thank you and our condolences to your entire family. Tomorrow, come talk to Terry. Just make sure we got everything lined up. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Of course. Okay. Um, next one. Consider entering addendum one to the water right contribution agreement between Cedar City and development team. This is the one. This is just the adding of more water rights. No, but this is the one that this is the one that's the surf the south and west field rights, right? The other one we

Oh, that's right. The other one we put on consent. So, this one is the southwest field. Tyler, that that microphone accidentally got turned off. Could you turn it on? There you go. Eric, can you hear me? Yep. So, the only thing that's changed from last week is just the number of shares. We finalized that at 99.7355 and you were allowed to bring a 100. So, well, you fell shortly. We don't have Mr. Rom. So, Oh, yeah. And of course, nothing has changed. This is all still contingent on it being certified and everything by the state, right? Correct. So, when the shares would come to the city, right? And then when we bring through a land development application, they're then converted at that time. And you're allowed to use a third of them. A third of what you have to bring can be the correct those.

Correct. Was was anybody on staff able to pull the numbers of how much we spend annually on fees to We talked about that last week. It' be nice to see the number of how much we spend annually between South and West and all the other companies. Yeah. He didn't have all the others. He had the Southwest one in the notes, but not all of them. Oh, okay. because I think it's about what 3,000 a year what it's going to cost us to add these additionals to add these. Correct. Well, if I remember correctly, the fees divided by it was like fractions of a penny or something per right. It's $30 gallons, right? Per thousand gallons. It's $30 per share per year. Yeah. So, okay. Well, does anybody else have any other questions? No.

Okay. Mayor, with that, I would move that we adopt or we enter to I don't know. Adopt the addendum. Approve the addendum number one. Thank you, Renon. To the water right contribution agreement between Cedar City and development team. Second. Have a motion and a second. All in favor? Roll call. Cox. Cox. Seconded. Oh, this. No. This. Yeah. So, just all in favor? Any opposed? No. No. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Number 11. consider adding the name Gapyong Way to 200 East. And uh I don't see Johnny, but he asked whether he needed to be here and none of us could tell him. So yeah, there's probably not a need. He at least talked to us. He didn't

It's really It's really on us to make Could you give us an example, Ken, to what you guys want it to look like? No, I added those in there. Those are just recent ones and obvious ones that we've done. Um are we thinking the name on top, number on bottom, or number on top, name on bottom? I think that's up to us. It is up to you. Paul had suggested in the last meeting the number first since that is the ordinance is stating to make sure that's still the official address. Yep. Um that's fine. That's what I would do too. So before before we I think so too. Um is it okay on our streets to have an American flag and a flag of Korea on that

sign? Space. I don't know if we have enough space, but it would certainly be more representative. I don't know how many people know what uh well, I don't know how many people would know what the flag of Korea is. Well, I guess the question is, do we put the Korean flag on it and not the like that, but it would be the Korean flag and not the American flag. I think it's in recognition of of the combined effort. So what if what along that that idea if if this is okay from a legal standpoint if we want to go through or approve the idea in general of of the gap young way you get us some renderings

that maybe we authorize somebody to to just look at the what that might look like informally run it past everybody without having to have it approved here in council. There is a signed um code I guess uh from the city that maybe we'd have to meet we can have uh Eric look at that so maybe make some renderings and run it past Eric because now that's what all street signs have to do is be approved from them. So we don't need it to stick way out. It needs Yeah. Just and really it's in us trying to honor the relationship and and our our goal of this is to do it at the on the second when they're here. be able to Yeah, for sure. We'll keep it within standards for this.

I think if we're trying to get something that could be unveiled on that day, we really need to move quickly because we're only talking a week away. Can Could you pull up the map real quick just so whoever makes the motion, we can get the address of from this street to this street. So, unless you know what those are by chance, who I know what they are. Oh, well then we'll let we'll let you do it. It's in the ordinance as well. So you can assuming I got it correct, I would move that we approve uh the renaming or the subnaming of 200 East from Paute Drive down to Center Street uh to uh Capyong Way along with the lettered number 200 East at the top of the sign. I'll second that. Motion in a second. All in favor?

I. Any opposed? Okay. Thank you. We'll uh Scott and I will get working on that right away. Yep. Because that's going to be our like tomorrow. Our Yep. Like tomorrow. Okay. Thank you. Um and hopefully the county will work with us and getting them getting it made quick. Okay. Uh number 12, consider changing the restriction of water vault um on L highway. North or South Korea? No. It's a legitimate question. I'm just Well, because because they have both south one and the other we were allies with. So, yeah, we'll figure it out.

Okay. Phil, do you want to take this one? Any other discussion you want? Can um I went out today. I told Matt I'd get him a parts list. So, uh I went out into both vaults, went through everything, reme-measured everything to make sure it would fit. gave Matt a parts Oh, gave Matt a parts list and uh some of the parts will be a few weeks out, but I think we can pull the lid. We'll have Well, we will be into the lane a little bit, so we'll need the street department to put up some signs that kind of help traffic. Yeah, just don't close it for three weeks.

Based on what Carter wants, we're going to do a little detour around and uh we'll be fine. And I don't think we have to close anything, but we are working at night. And uh I told Matt that I'd be more than happy to help him. So I think it's going to be uh uh us and Matt's crew team effort. Uh I really hope that it goes through. It changes the water volume by at least 4,000 gallons. And what Kent said last week, I I think was exactly right. Now it can or sorry, it does it will or it can change the flow. Oh, so with that kind of information, Councilman, what do you think we're talking about in the way of overall budgetary costs?

Uh, did but just some idea. You got you got we will have to do just a little bit of asphalt patch because we're we're into the road about 10 ft. But uh I think we should come in. Do you remember what the 12 inch Matt would you want to come up? I think we're going to be in the 67. We're missing the orange shoes tonight, Matt. Working out with the guys. Matt Baker Water Department. I think we about 60,000. Okay. And then and we're just keeping the 3-inch bypass. We're not changing the bypass. No, we are changing the bypass. Up to up that to four because that's what it recommends. Up to four. Up to four inch. Okay.

We're going to take out one whole piece and put in one piece. And this is not my world. So the bypass is the one piece they're putting in. If if you're already going through the work of putting in the bypass is only going one inch, does that make that big of a difference or should we do something bigger, John? So I'm not picking again. I'm not a flow on the one inch pipe and a 2 in pipe is only So the 4 in is for a low flow, the six the 16 or the 12 for a high flow. Okay. So in the winter time, your 4 in is going to run. The 12 in probably won't run unless you got um a fire or filling up a fire hydrant or something like that. Water truck. Uh this is whatever I can't suggest if you're in there do it right the first time is all I'm do it right is all I'm trying to say.

So we did another thing a quote on the 12 ines 8 to 10 weeks out now instead of the two. Oh wow. We can check with both suppliers. We wow. Jonathan, do you have anything you'd like to say to this or I can always pull it off of another job. I got a 12 inch. I think Jonathan wants to say something about He's right behind you. Pick me on it. Jonathan Jonathan status city engineering department. Yeah, the 4 in based on this chart. That's what's recommended for the bypass is the 4 in. Okay. Um I did look in the budget again on the 100 east project. We we have a we're under budget by about 55,000 right now.

So we're close. So we might have to take 5,000 from&m possibly, but um but we're very close. But we're close. We're close to the 60,000. Um, so we uh we could bring that through on the budget on a budget revision. Okay. In June, not to put either of you on the spot, but I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit. I feel like maybe there have been times where sometimes we make decisions and then afterwards staff sometimes goes, "Why'd you guys make that decision?" So, I just in your professional opinion, this is the best option for what we have to work with right now. And

this way and this way. Yes. Because we need the flow out there. There's no doubt. But we have also other parts of town that are underwater that don't make fireflow also. So yes sir would be you got you're taking rateayer money to fix something that I would say caused by the development out there that developers should pay for a long time ago.

And and the other piece that as I've talked to the staff is there's still that little bit of a apprehension of saying it's going to get fixed when we upgrade it all anyway. So, this is money still that you're that you're choosing to to focus here in this area rather than an area that that it would be the long-term fix for. You're spending money in this area when there's still other places that have the problem that it you're you rip it out anyway. So, so there's they don't want to in any way go against what council members feel strongly about doing, but but just that recognition that there's other places that this money could still be put to help problems that would be long-term fixes, and this is a short-term fix that would be fixed anyway. Having said that, it's a short-term uh issue that we need to address from what I understood in terms of the liabilities out there. And I just wanted to to thank Kent for his suggestion during the last meeting where uh it became a very practical and less expensive fix to what we had been discussing for several weeks before. So I think that I I I just if somebody would make a motion I think we can move on. I can't make the motions.

I guess that's what Why can't you make the motion? I can't. Is he the one who's doing it or he's helping? No, I'd be happy to make a motion. This needs to be done cuz you're When you say you're helping, you're you're just volunteering your help. Or are you going to get Yeah. What? I I told them I would put people out there, put a track out there. We'd help whatever we can at no charge. Okay. Well, I'll make the motion that we approve the the water vault upgrade as outlined. I have a motion second and a second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? I I couldn't get to the mic. Okay, so that was still in favor of It was still in favor. Okay. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. All right. Um, next one to consider modifications to city ordinance 264-5 pertaining to public improvement bond revisions. Um, I don't know if we need Yeah, that's right. Mr. Bitman, you're still hiding down there. He's just going to leave. He's leaving. HE'S LEAVING. HE DIDN'T EVEN SIGN. I thought he was going to the mic. He's out of here. No, nothing has changed on this one since last week. You have any questions? If nothing has changed on this, and Randall, if you're okay with this, I make a motion that this proceed forward. We have a motion. Okay. It just means more work for my office, so I'm debating that part. Oh, I'm really okay with this. Move this. Move this up.

But in the long run, won't this make it better for you in the future when other changes come along? This will be a massive benefit for the city. I don't know if I'll ever claim it's a massive benefit for me. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. So, we have a motion from I'll second and a second. All in fa Oh, this one we have to do roll call because it's an ordinance. So, starting with Councilman Phillips. I I I I motion passes unanimously. Um down to the next one. Consider modifications to city cedar city ordinance sections 236 23 26 and 32 revising numbering to match state code.

So the only change from last time is uh you weren't entirely sure where you wanted the definition for external accessory dwelling units to go. So, I've just made it so that it'll stay being interpreted the way it is now, referring to just the Utah Municipal Code, which doesn't entirely define that phrase, but it's close enough that we can continue using it. So, internal and external use the same definition. Yes. Except we say in external is like internal, but it's external, and that's about the only difference. There are some size differences elsewhere, but definition is basically the And then the plan is if planning commission wants to take it further from there and talk about other things, they can bring forward a different proposal and we'll work that through the process.

Good. And I assume Mr. Jet will push for that. Yeah, I will. Okay. I'll make a motion we adopt the ordinance section 23 26 and 32. We have a motion. Second and a second. Roll call starting with Councilman Cox. I I I I motion passes unanimously. Um item 15 to consider an amendment to Cedar City Ordinance 3510B to establish no parking zones in the vicinity of Northfield Road and 1045 North. Anything modified there? I did I did want to check and I see that the chief just walked out just walked out of the room.

Elvis has left the building. um he was going to get up with the neighbors and I wanted to make sure I don't want to make this big a change down there and not have some kind of a conversation with the people that live there. So I just want to make sure he had was going to reach out to him and I don't know if he's done that or not. I mean some kind of notice to them would be nice. I mean yeah prior to it being done. Yeah. So even if even if we agree it's the right thing to do, maybe you just make that in the motion that prior to implementation are painted red and there's new lines and so you can make in the motion prior to implementation that uh we contact them once we notice them. I think it better be we better notify more than just people who live there because there's a lot of people use that road. So this needs

they'll get notified by our public works or our public uh yeah it'd be a good thing for public relations office. They could put in the newsletter. Absolutely. Before it happens in the newsletter and have our officer and uh who's our from the police department who's their public relations person now. It's not LLO anymore. Level maybe he can do a video with somebody else and do a little social We can work on that. That'd look good. And can't the drawings all still work in terms of meeting the standards for the width of the roads and everything else? Correct. Yeah, we're good there. Okay. Okay. So, I'll entertain a motion. I would move that we adopt the amendment to city ordinance 35-10B to establish a no parking zone in the vicinity of Northfield Road in 1045 North. I have a motion.

Second and a second starting with Councilman Wilkkey. I I I I again passes unanimously. Next one. consider an ordinance modifying engineering state standards section one amending introductory language and and adapting the adopting the 2026 APWA Utah manual for standards any changes from last week Kent no okay mayor with that I would move that we adopt the ordinance modifying engineering standards section one uh as outlined have a motion I'll second that and a second starting with Councilman Schmidt I I I I

Oh, you Carter. Oh, I sorry. I I started it. So, I guess in my mind I just talked. You did make the motion. You just didn't vote yet. My bad. You're poking me. I'm like, what are you poking me for? You got to vote. You got to vote. Number 17 to consider an ordinance modifying engineering standard section 2.1 amending the general requirements for public improvements pertaining to installing system improvements to the boundary lines of developments. Can you remind me on this a little bit? Yeah, I think so. Infrastructure. This one's our challenge with people that are the border

moving in without finishing stuff. Well, this this one is uh the discussion that we had about having connectivity between neighborhoods as things develop. Connectivity was the word. Well, not just roads. This is the one that also says they have to take all the infrastructure. And it essentially it also specifies that engineer has the it's when topographical barriers as determined or by the engineer gives him some power to say yeah, yeah, you can get away from there's a ledge there. We're not going to go that city engineers. City engineer. Correct. Someone Louise, right? Well, this would be a great thing to connect the A lot of developers don't want to, but it's a real hindrance to the fire and the police. This

you'll get you'll get push back. You'll have people be grumpy at you that we approve this one. Yeah. But it's a good They lose lots and this is very powerful for safety. This is a big safety. Yep. So with that, the mayor, I would move that we adopt the ordinance modifying engineering standards section 2.1 as outlined. I have a motion. I'll second it. And a second starting with Councilman Wil or uh Golan I I I I I. Fantastic. Look, this see this is much faster than last last week's. Well, we've got a band concert to go to. That's right.

All right. Next. Then I better quit. Uh I just need to go. Consider an ordinance modifying engineering san standards 323 regarding culde-sac requirements. Kim, what did you decide on the 550 750 error? We got to leave it a little bit open. Where where are you at on this? So the I mean we have not changed that in what's presented but if um I would I I don't think we would have any objection if you wanted to just make it 750 for all um that that up to could be up to yeah that would be the max um yeah if you want to make

I don't think we want to go beyond 750 you can't for fire code right if if there were a need based on constraints to go longer than 750. That would be a a variance that would be in in consultation with the fire department and public works. Okay. To get concurrence on that. So, does that need to be part of the motion then in the language or is that please? No. Well, you Well, if they're modifying what you proposed. Yes. If you're if you want to change that to 750 for all culde-sacs as the maximum length that needs to be part of the

and really it's more of a discussion of you do you trust uh Kent to talk through that if there's a rational reason to have it go bigger than 5T longer than 550 or do you just want to give a carp launch for I think we should put the 750 in there then if they want to be less that's fine if they need to go more then that's like what he said it's an individual it's a conversation with the police the fire department and the engineer So, well, Councilman Smith, you're the one that seems to have the strongest thought on this. So,

Okay. Well, uh, I'll make a motion that we, uh, approve modifying engineering standards 3.2.3 2.3 regarding culde-sac requirements to a maximum of 750 ft unless there's a consideration needed that would have to be discussed with the city engineer, the city fire, and the city police department and a lot of that language is already in your Yeah. So, really, we're just changing the 550 to 750 and then everything else stays as proposed. Correct. Was that your motion? Yes. Okay, we have a motion. Second. Second here. Councilman Cox. Okay. And a second. Um, starting with Councilman Phillips. I I I I I

Okay. And then our last one might be the most fun one to talk about. Consider an indemnification agreement with the South and Westfield Irrigation Company. Oh, he came back for this one. He doesn't know where we belong, so we had to go back. So, uh, hi Paul Bitman with the Southwest Field Irrigation Company. Um, Mr. Wilkey called me Friday and asked me to pull the board members, uh, the question was, could we take the concrete out, make it back into a could we make them a nice canal and have them be happy? Yeah. The answer is basically um, if you indemnify,

they think that that would be fine, but they would still like the indemnification. They feel the damage is already done because of the Yeah. advertising it as a play feature up a tunnel. Yes, sir. Okay. Would would it would uh doing what he suggested decrease the chances of somebody getting hurt? So based on history, yeah, historically, yeah, the concrete's very slick and angled and angled. And that's that's probably where a lot of the slip and fall issues are happening.

So what does our liability insurance cover? Uh if we were to go this route, Cedar City's liability insurance uh is through Irma. Essentially, we're self-insured. Okay. Uh Irma will pay claims and defend us. Uh whatever costs they incur, uh we repay them over a fiveyear period. I remember that.

Um that's how our liability insurance works. So there's part of me that I agree with Carter's thought process on this. It had been like that. It had been like that for ever and the the there was no need to indemnify during that period. So if we don't advertise it as a water feature and we just put their canal back the way that it was. Well, and I even took as far as put up a we would put up signs that say this is not a play fe you know. Yeah. It's not a water feature. This is not a water feature. This is a canal used by aation. Yeah. They call they call that a u substance overflow. Oh, some type of uh hazard. It's not an attractive nuisance anymore after that. Well, it's still water, but it but it's been that way forever.

Oh, I I So, to me, I'm I'm okay to to to push that a little bit with our our the irrigation company and their board of directors to say it wasn't a problem forever. We're putting it back the way that it was and let it just go away as an issue. So is there anything that we can do that indemnifies the city from injury that happens there like signage similar to a pool? No lifeguard on duty. Yeah, signage helps from the city's perspective. Uh something to uh other options we've looked at with the concrete ditch is something to uh maybe pat it a little bit, make it not such a hard landing. Can't though. Um,

so if we pat it, doesn't that make it look as if we agree that it's a play feature? Yeah. Um, yeah. And I I know that's a good option. I'm just saying how can we get back to where people take the risk and uh wedemnify ourselves as well as the the ditch company. So, uh, I'm I'm having a little schizophrenia here switching hats back and forth. um you pipe it, you lose if you pipe it, you have and you cover it with grass, you have no liabilities, correct from the city's standpoint, right?

If you pipe that ditch, irrigation company's happy, your constituents probably aren't very happy. No. Uh but no, the mad mom's group is going to be really mad. That would eliminate your uh the city's liability. But but I would argue that the the open ditch is how it's always been and if we put it back the way that it was as an open ditch and the the irrigation company wants to eliminate its liability for having the open ditch, then they can be the ones to cover up their ditch. But otherwise, let's put it back the way it was. But we don't want a big chain link fence on the other side of it either because that's that's not going to be an attractive

But I I tend to agree with the mayor and that's why I the one that you know called Mr. I actually am in agreement with you. I think the sound and the the refreshing sense of hearing the water and watching the water is part of the ambiencece that makes that park special. So I I hate to do that. Um every kid needs to play in dirty ditch water. I mean that's right. Well, I mean I guess and I'm not trying to make a bigger deal out of this, but how is this any different now then? If if that's what we do and we signage, how is that any different? I don't see I don't know where the legal side of it lands, right? I mean, we have Cole Creek that runs right through the middle of our city. We have lots of things. It's like, how is this any different? And all the rest of the ditches in town that the water also runs through that people could

straight straight ditches get some of that protection. The question is, and Paul kind of already hit on it, which is if you've done something that's changed that situation, in this case, modified it and advertised it as a play place for children. How much can we undo that and how long does that take? Well, I would like to try. Well, I I definitely want the concrete out. Would it be okay after council gets done talking? I know um Sue Longston's here and she's been very involved with this uh project from the very beginning and I'd like her to be able to at least comment, but whenever that's appropriate. Kimberly might want to talk as well. So,

she's part of the Mad Mom's group. I I would note as well is even if you're going to change it back, there would be a transition period where it's not that. So your question is do you want the irrigation company stating that they're going to fence it if they don't get this indemnification? Are you okay with it being fenced until you get it modified back to where you think Well, I'll be honest. I think we should probably fence it if it's a construction site. If we're tearing out the concrete and putting in a ditch, we probably need to be I mean, as part of the project, it's going to be Well, once it's under the under construction, you're right. But do you want to go fence it tomorrow? Well, the I think everybody has stated their opinion that the fence shouldn't be there long term because it it just shouldn't be there. But

I'm going to turn this back on on you in terms of the timing of how long is reasonable for somebody to forget that we put cement and called it a a water slide or whatever it was. Um, and uh, and what kind of verbiage in signage would uh, make it so that people understand that they're getting into the what did you call it? The dirty creek water at their own risk. And yeah, we have some of that signage now. We could add additional signage. Here's your basic question. When it comes to any of these, if someone sues, they're suing all of us. And it's going to be a factual question.

Sure. Did we do enough to uninvite, I guess, would probably be the best way to do it. Um, and then I'm assuming they're also going to look to see if when we change it back, did we change it back precisely the way it was because if some rock gets loose, that's one of the arguments they're going to make. That's why I'm telling you, there's there's it's going to be a factual dispute that's going to take lawyers a lot of time to earn their keep.

Well, let me ask you this. uh like beaches. We don't have beaches around here, but in Florida, there's some beaches that from time to time or South Carolina where they have to put a there's a rip tide and no swimming allowed, blah blah blah. People go out and drown. How much of a liability do they have versus what we would have if it says this is not so oversimplification are this again oversimplification because courts always get more complicated. Yeah.

Is did we make the situation worse than what already existed? So that's why beaches as a general rule, the danger there is natural. Um but if you do something that makes it worse, please go out and swim today and then you know there's a riptide. That could be bad. You have a lifeguard and the lifeguard tells people don't go out and save him. I'll do it. And then he doesn't. Those are situations where the government has made it worse. Well, that's the argument right now from the irrigation companies. We've made what was a yes man modified but still a ditch. We've made it so that in their argument it's worse than it was. Can we get it all the way back? And how long does that take? What kind of signage? We'll do everything we can. I can't guarantee what a judge would say because more often than not, this is a factual question that gets decided by a jury at the end.

So, let me ask you this. If we had a piece of play equipment that we knew was faulty and we put signs up all around that play equipment and said this feature is closed, do not use, and somebody went and used it, would we still be liable? Would we still get sued? Yes. Would we be liable? That's what we're going to fight. And it's going to depend on the facts. So, I just while we're waiting, while we're figuring this out, why can't we just put signs up and down that canal that say this canal is closed. This feature is no longer in use. It's going to be taken out. We're going to redo it. I mean, how is that any different than having a faulty piece of playground equipment? So I Hey, mayor. So Paul. Yes, sir. I under I if I was in your position, I would definitely not want the liability. So

which position? The head of the southwestern field or the city manager? He's part of the irrigation field. Oh, we know. Yeah. So it's part of the irrigation. If I was in that position, I would not want this liability. And I understand where you're coming from. The the thing that I want to make sure of, we're talking about putting the ditch back, but I don't think we remembered if we put the ditch back, then you guys are going to put a fence down through there. And so they didn't for 30 years. And I would argue that they wouldn't, but I would still prefer to keep the ditch open and that's So if we put the ditch back and we don't endemnify you, are you going to put a fence there? That would be a decision for the board of directors to make,

which I would love to go to that meeting and try to persuade them not to, but if they choose to, then we're better off just to pipe it and be done with it and the liability goes away for both or or indemnify them. I would still prefer to have it there as it was and indemnify him than I would to cover it up. That's how I feel. I would rather take Well, I understand why they want it. So, yeah, that that's really the question. Do we do we identify them or do we do the damage?

There there is a risk by the way when we indemnify a another agency. They don't get some of the same immunities that we get as a government agency. So it can complicate how much we might have to pay and what arguments we can make because we're now essentially stepping into their shoes and the protections they get, which in some places they actually get better immunities than we do because it's an irrigation company, but in other ways they do not. So just be warned on that. It does complicate life a little bit. Um, so it might it sounds like I'm hearing that you guys want more information as to how hard they'll actually push and how hard we push. So, let me go down another road for a second. Y

what if we do put the rubber liner in it and say this is not a play feature, don't play in it. Um, because it makes it safer for those that disobey the signs and get in. Is Is there a road that way that is a good compromise? I think if you put the liner in it, you make it more of an attractive nuisance. And I thought we did. It makes it more of an attractive nuisance. Yeah. So, you're putting some cushion in there and we know you're going to use this. Still open for play. We know you're going to use it, but we're going to put up a sign that says don't use it. I don't know if that works. It's a good thought. Yep. Okay. Without any further discussion from council for a minute, if there are people that really this is why you're here to to talk about this and come on up.

Good evening. My name is Sue Longson and I'm with the Cedar City Rotary Club. And um I just want to share as everyone here knows because um we worked with the city and the South and West Irrigation Company on this project for uh almost nine years. Came to fruition last year. We had hundreds, and that's probably not an exaggeration, of meetings with the community and and the design of what we put in and how it uh would be beneficial to the children in our community because there was no water play place really like it and we wouldn't have to treat the water. Um the ditch that was there before um people got hurt in it every year. The year before we started construction, a lady my age fell and broke her leg. And um um city manager uh Paul uh said that they the city had never received any suits. And I know that since we've done the modifications, that's obviously not the case. I mean, it's such a great place. We had um lots of people who were incredibly upset with the Rotary Club for years over what they thought would be ruining the park. And once we've gotten all of the modifications in, those very same people

have come to me and said, "I hated what you proposed because I didn't understand it and I absolutely love it now. It's my favorite place, my grandkid's favorite place. It's the only place we go." And so I understand the liability issues, but I will say that our community has come to love that area. And I do know because we had several discussions over many meetings about the safety of what we were proposing to the surface issues. And I we worked with the contractors as well in the finish, the broom finish to get it where um it wouldn't be slippery, but it's slippery anyway, but it wouldn't cut people's feet if they were standing on I mean everything. We discussed everything. The slope that you talk about on the sides, we discussed the slope um everything. And then the grad gradient with the irrigation company is exactly the same as what um was originally designed by the irrigation company. So we were very very um protective of of what everyone wanted and I will say the community has come to to absolutely love it to where you can't even book any time in the park. Right, Ken? It's like booked forever. You can't get in there anymore. So, I understand why uh the issues being brought up. I don't think that if we put it back and that's 500 yards of concrete

we're talking about ripping out. That's going to take a while to Is it We were told last week it was only 340 feet or something. That's feet. Oh, not yards. Yards is a measurement of volume. volume. Oh, you're talking the volume of No, I thought you had about 500 yards of land. It's volume. The concrete in some places is like that thick. Yeah, that's going to take more than three weeks to to rip out and rebuild. It took us over a year to build it. So,

um and then what was in there, as everyone knows, because it's been there for what, 60 years or more, um it just it was just rip wrap. They threw boulders in there and poured concrete over the top of it. So, and it's going to be mossy and people are going to slip. And so, if we were to leave it, would the Rotary Club be willing to identify the city and South and Westfield Irrigation Company? Yeah. Well, I can't speak for Rotary, but no. So, just thinking, could we throw rip wrap back in the bottom of that and not have to tear it out? Will it wash out? Maybe even big stuff. I wouldn't do that. Can you anything you put in there? Well, as everybody knows, right? Everybody plays in creeks, played in creeks and played in ditches.

Everything is going to get mossy. Even even the spongy stuff that uh Paul Monroe showed us from the um Cedar Valley Conservancy District is that it's going to get mossy. It'll be spongy and it'll help their fall, but it's still going to be Yeah. That's why it's not a good fix because it's still going to be slippery. it'll still be slippery.

So, what what are your thoughts? Like what are you suggesting that we do recognizing that that the Rotary Club, the irrigation company, nor the city wants to take on the added liability because it is real. I mean, people are sitting there with video cameras posting them about how this is just a a fun thing for them to go do and observe because of the number of people that are falling in it. Yeah. It's like a boat ramp, right? You go out there with your six-ack of beer and sit there and watch boats. So, it's a real issue. So, what what do we do? What are you suggesting? I I I don't know. And then then I didn't realize that the city was basically self-insured. So, that's a lot of money.

Could be a lot of money. Could Yeah. Um, you know, so I just wanted to Well, we appreciate your perspective and Sue, we know how much work you and your team put behind this, but particularly you and I was there with a lot of those meetings with you and um I think we we missed a few steps. Not intentionally, we just made some mistakes, I think. Well, it's just it is sad, right? Like all of us were excited. It's something that all of us really No, I I 100% agree in your statement of where You know, there were a lot of people that were upset and I mean, I was there for the GR. My kids have loved it, but I've but I've slipped. I've seen it is a hazard and so it's just an unfortunate it's an unforeseen consequence that none of us thought about.

Yep. Sometimes I don't know if I'd call it a mistake. I'd just say, you know, sometimes it's a lesson learned. You no matter what you could have done, it'd be hard. Mother Nature always wins. So, I wouldn't say it was a mistake. It's a it's a little learning exercise. But now we all realize we have a huge liability problem and we got to do something about it. Yeah. Well, we have the risk all across the city. I mean, we do have a beach kind of hill and we don't monitor that. We and kids swim in it. We've accepted a certain amount of risk just by having stuff available. Sure.

We have swings that you can fall off of. We have everything else. And so the the other one that we haven't talked about is just accepting the risk. um and see where it goes. I you know I that's it's unfortunate that well I'm glad there wasn't any cameras recording what I did in the 80s but you but these days that's not the case. So yeah that's fair. I mean is it something that we value enough that we're willing to say people fall and hit their head and ends up killing somebody or has a a really big claim. Are we okay with that? Yeah, and we take that risk with the aquatic center, with the lake on the hill, with all the parks. Um the the the only comment I have uh in addition to that, Robert, is that uh before we didn't have the claims uh before we didn't have the uh the possibility of more serious injury with the cement that as we have now. So to me it just seems that uh we've made a a liability uh even greater by putting in the cement and not understanding how much the the risk was going to be there. So um in my mind we either tear it up, put it back the way it was or we put a pipe and grass over it and we have no water.

Okay. Kim,

my name's Kimberly Trrower. I think this is on. Um I rep represent a couple organizations, but I would like to say one thing. Um Cedar City, Enoch, Canerville, Peruin, we have very limited places for our children to play. Um, we held a event about a month ago where we brought just the fifth graders in and there was over a thousand fifth graders that attended our event. There are three big parks in Cedar City. This park, I take my kids to it all the time. We spend the entire day there. And yes, kids fall and they get hurt, but kids are going to fall off the swing sets. Kids are going to fall off the slides. the kids are going to fall off the trees. You put up a tree, they can fall out of that tree. I've spent 14 years in the military and we do deliberate risk assessments for every single thing that we do where we go and we look at it and we say, "How can we mitigate as much risk as possible understanding that you can't mitigate all risk and if we become too risk adverse then we tiptoe around and we don't do the job that we've been asked to do. So we have to find a balance between saying I don't want to accept any risk and saying what risk can I accept understanding that somebody could get hurt and they could come and talk to us and they could yell and they could be mad and they could sue. Some of the suggestions that some of the mothers and the members of the community suggested was posting first, we require you to wear um swim shoes with texture bottoms. Also, they suggested a gritty sealant to be put onto it. I think that

the brooming that they've done on it already creates the texture that you need and no matter what there's going to be moss and it's going to be slippery, but these are just a couple items to add to it. There's already signage up that asks people to swim or play at their own risk. I honestly believe and know for a fact I grew up in this area. My parents used to bring us over here. We'd go swimming and when we were not doing something in Cedar City, we were playing in that ditch before there was concrete there. And I promise you, I probably still have scars from that ditch. If we pull out the concrete, people will still play there and the liability is still going to be there. If you cover it up, there's places down the ditch. They're going to find those places and they're going to be there. It's part of our community. It's part of what's going to happen. So I ask that as we look at this and we look at the risk mitigation that we look at what risk can we accept as a community and what can't we accept and realize that there are only three main areas four if you include the uh I apologize I missed the uh reservoir up on top of the hill that there's a place there to play at. But you have thousands of children in this community and we need to remember that we need to have a place for them. And finally, in closing that most of the moms in our community are taking their kids down to St. George because there's not places for them to play here. There's not because there's too many kids and there's not enough places. Representing Eno City, we're working really hard on getting a big mega sports complex put in. But that's, as you guys know, years down the road,

we're doing everything we can to mitigate that and to build that. But that's the one thing that I hear the most from people my age. We have kids. We want them to play in our community and we just don't have the facilities for it and tearing out something that is there for our kids. Sue got to deal with the mad moms. I promise you there would be issues because the moms want it. And if you go out there, as soon as it's warm enough to be out there, they always always in that ditch. And if you fence it, they're going to climb it. If you cover it, they'll just go farther down. So, I don't think it fixes any of the issues.

Well, the one thing about Oh, sorry. The one I mean, I agree with the things that you're saying. The one thing is if they go down further down, then it's not our liability anymore because they're off our property. It doesn't take away any liability. They're still in the city limits. That park runs all the way. That ditch runs all the way. But is that true? If they anywhere, so that ditch is our responsibility no matter where it goes because it's in our park. I mean, arguably, well, I mean, again, the standard rule to everyone, right? So, the idea is the less that we have done anything as a city to modify and increase the risk or even arguably increase the risk, then our liability risk goes down. Yeah. Yeah. So if we Well, thank thank you for that.

Rip wrap. That's concrete as well. It's going to be mossy. Well, rip wrap's just kind of big rock, you know, rock. Well, and it has concrete in it, too, as well. So, that's what's further down. And that's what was further up. Yeah. And and I don't know that if we change it, it's going to change the latigious nature of the society we live in for the bad few that we have to tiptoe around for that that hurts the majority either. And so, well, were we ever sued before? Paul, in your experience, have we ever had a lawsuit from when it was the canal before the concrete? Not that I know of.

And how many are we facing right now? Yeah, I've I've seen we haven't been sued. Yeah, we haven't been sued. We've received documentation on a couple. Um, we got claims out and I'm not trying to go so far into the wording in claims just because they may or may not been full-fledged claims. They some cases they've simply just contacted us, asked us questions or submitted a letter just notifying us there may be an issue. So, this stage we have not been sued yet. And had did we have claims before this? like like people that would call in and ask. Yeah, I don't recall anything similar prior to this. Either me, I guess maybe Tyler would have had one that I wasn't aware of, but

and I'm not trying to go too far down in the sensitive information subject, but I mean, are these mostly claims from adults getting hurt or kids getting hurt? Uh, the two that I have directly talked to uh were kids. Okay. We did have that woman get hurt not too long. Yeah. I'm not saying there weren't other ones, but the ones that specifically talked to me involving Okay. Well, but well, that's our part of it. But we still have the irrigation company's part of this, too. But we can if we want to keep it, you just identify the irrigation company and yet we're going to take you got to decide then. Well, and that's what the issue is here tonight. It isn't really deciding

what we do with it. It's just deciding are we going to identify the southwest field? And that could be a temporary that could be I mean I'm assuming as written it's indefinite until we do how does that contract agreement yet? I don't suppose but well the president of the company will tell us scroll down to the bottom. There's a termination clause in there right? How could we get away from how can we get ourselves out of this? I guess either party terminates on 90 days written notice is what it says. So we could in the future put it back, convince the irrigation company that it's back the way it was and try to get them to cancel it.

Well, from what it sounds like, we could we could pull ourselves out of it and say we no longer admify you, but then they have the right to so there's a lot of ways it could play out. I mean, if you leave it concrete and you beef up some signage and those types of things, indemnify the irrigation company, a couple years down the road, if it's not an issue anymore, go back to the irrigation company and say it's not an issue anymore, we're going to terminate the agreement and then they could choose to fence it or then the irrigation company has a choice to make. Right. So, I actually like the idea of of that right now. I also like the idea of asking kids to wear a certain kind of footwear. That's a great idea.

So, we can keep having discussions of how to improve it. But at this stage, are we prepared to add to this um indemnification agreement a commitment? We're also going to rip it out tomorrow. If not, then we probably just need to move forward with the indemnification and then talk about it and decide for sure what we want to do from there. I think just one more thing. Um tomorrow is uh probably November because the water's on. We're not shutting it off. Yeah, we can't do anything with this all summer. Oh, as far as tearing it out, you mean? So, so really, we're getting through this season anyway. So, maybe we do theification, just let the season play out and see see if the risk factors really have gone up and if our liability is so great that we need to do something.

Well, before we vote on then, who's taking the lead to not forget about this? Because this seems like something that we're going to forget about. And well, I'd like to hear from our director of leisure services. Like I would like to be sooner than later. I would like to hear's how we would tear it out. That's what this is what this is what it would look like. That's not what this is about tonight though, right? But we don't forget about it is your point. Yeah. I don't want to forget about it. I think the if the lawsuits increase, we won't forget about it. If nothing happens, then maybe it's okay to forget about it. Well, we can put it on the agenda at a specific month and and bring it up again with a commitment to have an analysis of what has taken place. Um, but before that, Mr. Nelson, your thoughts?

Uh, Ken Nelson with Leisure Services. So, uh, Anthony and I won't forget about it. We get emails every week. Um, so what kind of emails, Kim? Uh, complaints of why it's slip slick and what we going to do about it? Can we put chemical in it? Can we you know the people that don't understand what the purpose of the ditch is for? You know, they they think we should put chemical in. They think we're they were think that we're circulating the water down through. Might go in a circle. Yeah. It's like the swimming pool. Well, maybe that's education. We need more of that as well on our part of the city.

Sign there. This is dirty ditch water. Play at your own risk. So, we've had signage up that warn of those risks and they're big and they're red and they're very visible. Um, but as Mr. Bentman said, that's this is going to play out all summer. Yeah, that that water's not going I mean, we're not turning that off tomorrow. Well, we might not have much by June. So, I'm I'm hoping that there's lots of rain and so it's off quite often. Do you think it's a valuable feature for our city to have? I think water play is um that's why I think the pad is important up above is we need to fix that pad above.

I think if there's water if there's water concept I think that's an important aspect to have. Um so that that's why I' we've been working with Rotary and that's going to be padded and they've got a nice table feature on there that the kids love. Um, they're working with the pivot thing. Yeah, that pivot thing I really doubt is going to ever work. Sorry. There can be water there can be water features up above on the pad.

Yeah. Ken, is there validity to the idea, and I guess it's a two-part question. I've seen people comment on social media that, you know, pressure, high pressure water is the way to remove the moss is the best option. And somebody even was like, well, why doesn't the fire department just go out there once every few weeks and blast it with high pressure and that will clean? I mean I mean something better than nothing. If it were to somehow be cleaned in that way, how quick does it remoss over? A day and a half. Okay. So it's just you'd have to be there every day doing it to make it. They turned that on and we got an email two days. I think two days after they had turned it on. So it's entirely possible once we get the p. Yeah. You go to the microphone, Mr. Bitman.

Sorry. It's conceivable that once we get the pour in play in place and the water feature set on that circular area that you might attract people out of the ditch. Yeah, it's conceivable. So, one one finishing one part of it might help problems in the other part. Yeah, I think especially those parents that have slipped or had kids fall, they're probably going to say, "Hey, go play over there and not go play over there." And do we have a target date for when that's going to happen or do we is it still in the the por and play goes in the porn and play goes in Monday. Monday. Okay. How's that for an answer? So that that might we're going to have to let the summer play out anyway. And so that might shift that might shift the concern or

so so with all this information and discussion um unless someone really feels strong about continuing it um I would entertain a motion to either approve or deny the indemnific indemnification agreement. Yep. Yep. Good evening Tom Jet. This is sad. This is really sad. That's a lose-lose situation. You know, we we when I moved to Cedar City, there was three dentists and I think four doctors and two lawyers.

Now there's one on every street corner as it relates to attorneys. We're going same applies to Utah in general. We're going to have lawsuits. If we run and from every lawsuit, we will eventually close down our aquatic center. We will eventually close down pretty much every every recreational activity there is in this in this community. I get it. I deal in liability. I've been sued. I I deal with attorneys. It sucks. But I didn't say Well, I did say attorney. Well, you do.

It sucks. He still says, you know, we just we we cannot run because of what someone's going to do. Things are going to happen and you know, Cedar City's grown threefold since I moved here with 9,700 people in ' 89. Uh, well, now we have probably sixfold if we go to the county. We're a more litigous society. That's just what it is. A lot of them are coming from different areas that have different values and everybody has a lawyer on speed dial. I think they might learn their lawyer's phone numbers before they learn 911 and and so that that's my thought. Thank you.

Let's not run. Let's fight. Show the message and and and go from there. Thank you. I agree running. That's why I like Hey Kim, just before you leave, so maybe uh help the mad moms put social pressure on social media for people to just go play and quit suing and to wear shoes and to wear shoes. So yeah, it could be. Thank you, Mayor. I Let's move this forward then. Um, I would consider making an a motion to indemnify the South and Westfield Irrigation Company on this. Yep. So, approve the the agreement.

I I would approve the agreement and then we relook at our own situation later in the summer. Okay. We have a motion to approve the agreement. I'll second it and a second. All in favor? I I I. Any opposed? Okay. I would uh move. No, we have public comments. So, if there's anybody who would like to speak on anything else, come on up. I forget. I've waited. Hey, I just wanted to say um Who are you?

Ann Clark. Thank you to the city. You know, it's hard to it's you're just really proud when you sit through a meeting like this of the place you live. But today, I wanted to say thanks to Ken. I was driving by the aquatic center and he was out there weeding. I had to swing in and say, "Oh, thank you so much because I know you have a lot to do and it's not on your job description." That means he had a rough day because that's what he does for stress relief. Stress relie. He was doing that. And I also wanted to thank the city as I see all of the cleanup going on because I know it's an expense for the city.

Now, I do want to say next week after planning commission yesterday that I do want to say one thing. I think we do still have one area in our city and I know like Robert and I were talking about it. He doesn't agree. But I think that we still have a problem with the developers running that part of our general plan. And that's what that's what I I just I just wish we could. We have a chance to do something really good. But if we don't have a general plan that we follow mostly, I realize that there's going to always be something that we didn't plan on and we have to change. But what what I've seen now for four and a half years is when a developer comes, they hop over here. I don't think they're ever concerned about what the zoning is. They're going to buy land and they're going to hop over here and get a zone change. It happened again. Well, you'll see when it comes. And I and I think you have to understand, I realize we need highdensity housing. And and that's where Robert and I agree. We do need it. But the problem is when we change the general plan now instead we're working instead of looking at the overview, we're doing little projects, little projects. And now what you what was planned out as a very even kind of growth with high density and single family homes. now becomes all high density. But the the underlying problem for that is that we let the developers run this city in that way. Um and not in other ways. I agree, but over and over again. And I think we've really got to change it. We've got to have the courage to do that and say, "Hey developers, you know what the zoning is. If you want to build that, buy buy that piece of land." Anyway, that's all I had to say, but mostly I wanted to thank K for the cleanup because that was wonderful. Thank you. Thank you.

Thanks, Ann. Anybody else have anything they'd like to to share? Okay, seeing none, I will now entertain that motion. I would move that we adjourn this meeting and go into close session. Second. We don't have a close session. We don't have a close session. We're just adjourned. I I Oh, good. I can make the cons. I move we adjourn this meeting. Second reading the confidential minutes. That's what I do.