Levan hires Larson to finish its delinquent audit and weighs a CIB water package

The Levan Town Council voted on Sept. 10 to hire the firm Larson to complete the town's delinquent 2025 audit, according to approved minutes. Councilmember Jerry Spencer, who presided in the absence of Mayor Tyler Shepherd, said repeated attempts to get an update from the current auditor, Gilbert and Spencer, had gone unanswered. Staff said the town was nearly two years behind and that the state was withholding tax revenue from the town's Public Treasurers' Investment Fund account until the audit is released. The minutes say the motion carried without recording a vote count. ^[1]

Councilmember Brady Taylor said the other bidder, Kimball and Roberts, would save about $34,000 a year, roughly $170,000 over five years, and that Larson scored slightly higher on the evaluation points, 9.1 to 9.0. The clerk said Kimball and Roberts indicated catching up the backlog would not be a priority, and outgoing Clerk Christine Carrigan said Larson's higher price reflects extra services, including staff training. Taylor said Larson indicated the work could be returned around November. The matter of getting records from the current auditor, whose engagement was signed in December, was referred to the town attorney. ^[1]

The council took no action on the Community Impact Board's funding offer for its Water Purchase and Recharge Project. The town had asked for a 75% grant and 25% loan, and the board first proposed 80% loan and 20% grant at 2.5% interest. The resulting package, according to the minutes, is a 40% grant and 60% loan over 30 years at 1.5%, about $398,000 in grants and $597,000 in loans, covering 70 water rights and the recharge project. An engineer from Jones & DeMille recommended taking no action that night, noting the board's funding meeting was Oct. 1, and said the town does not have to spend all of the money, and put the loan payment at about $25,000 a year. He said impact fees on new water connections could help recoup it and recommended updating them within six to 12 months. ^[1]

The council adopted a resolution updating the people authorized to transact on the town's PTIF accounts, removing the outgoing clerk, and Chelsi Oliver was sworn in as town clerk and Chelsea Carle as treasurer. The Planning Commission held a hearing on a short-term rental ordinance that would require a business license after a building inspector verifies habitability; commissioners wanted wording changes, so it will return for another hearing. The town's new pickleball court was being finished, with lights on a timer that shuts them off at 10 or 11 p.m. ^[1]