Castle Dale council tables short-term rental changes, buys fire equipment

The Castle Dale City Council voted on Sept. 10 to table proposed changes to its short-term vacation rental ordinance and to approve fire department equipment purchases with money the city received for its Black Canyon Fire response, according to draft minutes posted with the council's Oct. 8 meeting notice. ^[1]

Land Use Administrator Kerry Lake raised concerns about the ordinance's 29-day rental limit, taxes, licensing, parking and enforcement. Mayor Danny Van Wagoner disagreed with automatically revoking a business license after 29 days, saying the state's definition of a short-term rental does not provide for revocation, and said transient room tax is not required after 29 days. The proposed changes include a provision that three or more violations within 12 months could result in revocation of a business license. ^[1]

Council Member Glen Gerber asked that the matter go to a public hearing and moved to table it. Council Member Joel Dorsch seconded. The minutes record all five members in favor and say Council Member Bradley Giles recused himself from the discussion to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. ^[1]

Fire Chief Ignacio Arrien reported that about $35,616 remained from funds received for the Black Canyon Fire response after payroll. He said the department's radios must operate on federal frequencies and are outdated, and it needs three wildland radios, quoted at $9,366, along with fire shelters at about $700 and a portable pump of about $3,000 for flood emergencies. The total for the critical equipment was estimated at $21,761.66. ^[1]

Dorsch moved to approve the purchases and to keep the remaining fire money with the fire department rather than moving it to the general fund. Gerber seconded, and the vote was 5-0. In his report, Mayor Van Wagoner said the city received a $14,000 payment for the fire response. ^[1]

The council also approved a contract with Precision Concrete Cutting for sidewalk grinding and repairs, for which $35,000 has been budgeted, and waived a $50 fee for a fall fundraiser. It swore in Angelina Austin as the new city recorder, added her to the bank account and the Utah Public Treasurers' Investment Fund and took the previous recorder off. It raised Treasurer Rebecca Norton's credit card limit to $10,000. All of the recorded votes were 5-0. ^[1]

In the monthly reports, Norton said August sales tax revenue was $39,836.24, compared with $41,801.93 in August 2025. Emergency medical service staffing for the Castle Dale and Orangeville stations was reported at about 25 percent fully staffed, 31 percent partially staffed and 42.95 percent unstaffed. The minutes say Emery County recently approved a $2-per-hour retention increase for EMS personnel. ^[1]

Gerber said he attended an open house for a new facility that will manufacture fuel for a reactor, and that he has some concern about its expected water use. Mayor Van Wagoner said construction on the All-Abilities Park was expected to begin the following week. ^[1]