Orem council hears school district split feasibility study, rezones vacant lot on South 350 West

Decisions at a glance

Agenda, item by item

1. Public safety

   Residential parking permits for the Springwater neighborhood (work session)

   Discussed · Springwater neighborhood

   Lt. Paraskeva told the council that residents of the Springwater neighborhood had gathered more than 150 signatures on a petition asking for a residential parking permit program, and that a traffic study and recent parking citations had been provided to the council. He reviewed Orem City Code 19-5-5 on designating residential parking areas, the streets where permits would apply and how nearby residents are notified. Discussion touched on UVU parking; City Manager Jamie Davidson said the Axis development had recently contracted with UVU for extra parking. The council agreed by general consensus to move the item forward, with a resolution to come to an upcoming meeting.

   • Presented by: Lt. Paraskeva, Police Department
   • Petition: more than 150 signatures

2. Public safety

   Annual gang loitering report (work session)

   Discussed

   Police Chief Joshua Adams gave the annual report on the city's gang loitering code. He said the issue has been managed effectively with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, school resource officers and after-school programs, and that city park maintenance helps deter loitering. He said police do not believe most graffiti in the city is gang-related and that gang culture has shifted from pop culture toward social media.

3. Appointment

   Appointments to the Planning Commission, CDBG Commission and Public Works Advisory Commission

   Approved · 6-0

   The council approved appointments to three boards in separate votes. James Hawkes was appointed to the Planning Commission; Kenneth Ransom, Tanya Harmon and Giovana Alisa were reappointed to the CDBG Commission; and Brent Tobler, Joseph Gordon, Robert Moore and Gary Morley were appointed to the Public Works Advisory Commission. Each vote was unanimous.

   • Planning Commission: James Hawkes
   • CDBG Commission: Kenneth Ransom, Tanya Harmon, Giovana Alisa (reappointments)
   • Public Works Advisory Commission: Brent Tobler, Joseph Gordon, Robert Moore, Gary Morley

   Planning Commission: Moved by Mayor David A. Young, seconded by Council Member David Spencer. CDBG: Moved by Council Member LaNae Millett, seconded by Council Member Tom Macdonald. Public Works Advisory: Moved by Council Member LaNae Millett, seconded by Council Member Debby Lauret. Vote: 6-0 among council members; the mayor also voted yes on each

4. Zoning

   Rezone of vacant lot at about 659 South 350 West from R8 to R6

   Approved · 6-0 · Approximately 659 South 350 West

   The owners of a vacant residential lot and the lot next to it asked to rezone the northern parcel from R8 to R6 so it can be split into two lots for two of their children's families to build on. The lot is too small to divide under R8, but under R6 it could be split into lots of 7,464 and 7,555 square feet, one of them a deep (flag) lot reached by a 20-foot paved perpetual access easement. Council Member Tom Macdonald asked about neighborhood support; the owner said they had it. Council Member David Spencer asked about fire safety, and staff said the street length meets code and does not require a turnaround. No one spoke at the public hearing, which opened at 6:55 p.m.

   • Applicant: property owners
   • Current zone → proposed: R8 → R6
   • R6 minimum lot size: 6,000 sq ft; flag lots 7,500 sq ft
   • Proposed lots: 7,464 and 7,555 sq ft
   • Requirement: 20-foot paved perpetual access easement to the deep lot

   Moved by Council Member Terry Peterson, seconded by Council Member Tom Macdonald. Vote: 6-0 among council members; the mayor also voted yes

   Follow 659 South 350 West rezone (R8 to R6) in the development tracker →

5. Contract

   Renewal of contract for the Office of Legislative Counsel to the Mayor and City Council

   Approved · 4-2

   The council renewed the contract for its legislative counsel office for a six-month term, as Council Member David Spencer clarified. The amount was not stated in the minutes. Council Members Tom Macdonald and Debby Lauret voted no; Mayor Young voted yes.

   • ContractAmount not given to Office of Legislative Counsel Six-month renewal of legislative counsel services to the mayor and council. Renewal
   • Term: six months

   Moved by Council Member LaNae Millett, seconded by Mayor David A. Young. Vote: 5-2 including the mayor (4-2 among council members); Council Members Tom Macdonald and Debby Lauret voted no. Voting no: Council Member Tom Macdonald, Council Member Debby Lauret

6. Presentation

   School district split feasibility study presentation

   Discussed

   Consultants Mr. McCarty and Michael Wankier of Discover Education Consultants presented a feasibility study on creating an Orem school district separate from Alpine School District. Mr. Wankier said a new district is feasible and could maintain the status quo without significant tax changes; the study modeled four baseline scenarios, including a no-split case with a $595 million Alpine bond (about $116 million, or 19.44%, borne by Orem taxpayers over 20 years) and scenarios in which Orem taxes rise 4.2% to 17.9%. The consultants said Orem taxpayers paid roughly 28% of past bond debt but received about 13.3% of allocations from 2002 to 2021, and that Orem high school and junior high test scores declined from 2017 to 2019 while Alpine and state averages moved differently. They cited 12 Orem schools with seismic issues, estimated startup costs of $3 to $6 million and about $25 million to carry over teacher compensation. Council Members Macdonald, Lauret, Millett, Peterson, Lambson and Spencer asked about tax effects, bonds, class size, buses, assets and subsidies. Mayor Young announced public meetings at the library on July 13, 19 and 28 and a council meeting on August 2 at 6 p.m. to vote on the findings and direction.

   • Consultants: Discover Education Consultants (Mr. McCarty, Michael Wankier)
   • Startup cost estimate: $3 million to $6 million
   • Estimated cost to carry over teacher benefits: about $25 million

What residents said

Orem school district splitTeacher pay and benefitsSchool seismic safetyProperty taxes and bondsSpecial-needs programs

Fourteen speakers addressed the proposed school district split. Speakers who said they preferred staying in Alpine School District included residents and Orem teachers who cited a survey of school employees, Alpine's bond rating and shared funding, support for special-needs programs and concern about teacher pay and benefits. Speakers who favored a split or a public vote cited local control, district size, spending priorities and school building seismic safety. One speaker asked for assurance that a new district would fund schools at current levels, and another urged the council to wait for the study before deciding.