Lehi council hears Thanksgiving Point transit-oriented plan and reviews $181.2 million fiscal 2021 budget

Decisions at a glance

Agenda, item by item

1. Item 2.a · General plan

   Thanksgiving Point Area Plan amendment presentation

   Discussed

   Nathan Ricks, speaking for the Greer Company, Thanksgiving Point and Stack Development, presented a proposed 40-year transit-oriented plan starting on the east side, with 77 acres of public open space and more trails including a Riverwalk. He cited a new state law requiring a station area plan within a half mile of the FrontRunner station, and said a Hales Engineering study found 2,000 east-side units can be handled with I-15 completion alone. Thanksgiving Point's Mike Washburn said commercial development would fund its mission, no money exists for a road across the golf course, and a golf course probably would not survive a road through it. Council Member Chris Condie warned residents would be concerned about losing the golf course; Council Member Mike Southwick asked for a resident open house; Council Member Katie Koivisto asked for a clearer map legend because the plan's 'low density' is not what residents consider low and asked whether the developer would build roads; Council Member Paul Hancock asked for traffic studies without the Clubhouse Drive extension and without a neighborhood grocer; Council Member Paige Albrecht was concerned about west-side density and wanted more traffic solutions. Ricks agreed to a more detailed traffic study.

   Vote: null

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2. Item 2.b · Parks

   Motorized vehicles on Traverse Mountain trails

   Discussed · Traverse Mountain trail system

   Hancock raised erosion, injury and emergency access concerns. Police Chief Darren Paul said officers can cite state-law violations, the council could adopt its own ordinance, more bike patrols are possible, and part of the trail is on private property so enforcement would be coordinated with Micron.

3. Item 2.c · Other

   Employee parental leave

   Discussed

   Human Resources Director David Kitchen described options such as 3 weeks of parental leave and 6 weeks for a birth mother. Albrecht said retention matters and wanted comparisons with other cities.

4. Item 2.d · Budget

   Fiscal year 2021 budget work session

   Discussed

   Finance Director Dean Lundell said total expenditures are $181,197,237, the Police Department is the largest general fund budget, financial policies now call for reviewing property tax rates every two years for inflation, and storm drain and water rates rise July 1 under earlier approval. Options for COVID-19 uncertainty include a smaller or delayed pay increase. Lundell sought direction on a $117,000 GBS program called NICE giving employees free home access to a physician assistant; Koivisto asked about expected use and HR offered an employee survey. The Justice Court is shifting $60,000 to the Police Department for campus security. Other items: a new outdoor pool cover, a Literacy Center bathroom remodel, a search for a fourth fire station site, new pipelines for the Main Street project, possible declines in Class C road funds, cycle track savings put toward pedestrian bridges, unfunded fiber cost estimates, and combining several requested analyst positions into one.

   • Purchase$117,000 to GBS NICE employee in-home physician assistant access program (direction sought)
   • Budget$181.2 million Total proposed FY2021 expenditures
   • Budget$60,000 Justice Court transfer to Police Department for campus security. Paid from Justice Court budget

What residents said

Thanksgiving Point density and trafficLoss of the golf courseMotorized vehicles on trails