Orem council seats new members, appoints Millett to Utah Lake Authority and hears station-area plan options
January 9, 2024, 3:00 p.m. · City Council Chambers, 56 North State Street, Orem
At its first meeting of 2024 with newly seated members Chris Killpack and Jenn Gale, the Orem City Council voted 7-0 to appoint Council Member LaNae Millett to the Utah Lake Authority, replacing former Council Member Terry Peterson. The work session covered annual open-meetings and ethics training and three scenarios for the Orem station-area plan near FrontRunner and UVU. The council also met with two state representatives about housing and land-use bills.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item Consent · Appointment
Consent: minutes and commission appointments
Approved · 6-0
Approved minutes of Dec. 5, 12 and 29 and appointments to the Beautification Advisory Commission (Pam Ogden), Recreation Advisory Commission (Erin Allen) and Orem Neighborhood Commission (six members).
Item Sched. · Appointment
Resolution appointing Council Member LaNae Millett to the Utah Lake Authority
Approved · 6-0
City Attorney Steve Earl said Terry Peterson had held Orem's seat on the Utah Lake Authority, which includes cities bordering or near the lake, and Millett would replace him.
Other
Discussion with state legislators on housing, taxes and local control
Discussed · 6-0
Representatives Marsha Judkins (by Zoom) and Keven Stratton met the council. Mayor Young raised concerns about unfunded mandates and the emphasis on real estate development. Council Member David Spencer said bus rapid transit in Orem is almost 95 percent built out and worried that replacing commercial land with housing would hurt city funds; Council Member LaNae Millett raised concerns about how the regional planning group interprets HB 462 and SB 174 and about other mayors deciding Orem land use. City Manager Brenn Bybee summarized that the representatives were open to hearing unintended consequences of the two bills. The council voted 7-0 to skip a planned closed session and have the city attorney send privileged information on legal issues instead.
General plan
Orem station area plan update (work session)
Discussed
Consultants and staff presented three scenarios for the area around the Orem FrontRunner station and UVU: Mixed Use Village, UVU Mixed Use Village and Neighborhood Infill, each with the same amount of housing. In public feedback 43 percent chose the Mixed Use Village, 41 percent the UVU version and 17 percent Neighborhood Infill. Residents wanted to preserve existing neighborhoods, add green space and trails and have UVU student housing and parking structures. A public hearing was tentatively set for the end of February, and Bybee said the next step is a hybrid plan. Millett asked how housing would stay affordable; staff said that would come through zoning and planning.
Presentation
Open Meetings Act and ethics training (work session)
Discussed
City Attorney Steve Earl gave the annual training on Utah's Open and Public Meetings Act, closed sessions and the state ethics act, including that Orem City Code 2-6-8 requires disclosure of and possible recusal for a financial or personal interest. He said he wanted to leave ethics enforcement to the state.
Other
Strategies and Innovation projects and employee engagement survey (work session)
Discussed
Division Manager Jennica Jones described 2024 plans for the new division, including centralizing grants, and phase one responses to the employee survey: recognition, development, onboarding and communication with leaders.
Presentation
Utah League of Cities and Towns legislative priorities
Discussed
Karson Eilers of the league said there is no state surplus this year and described the league's tests for bills and its principles on housing. He mentioned bills on the transportation utility fee and broadband.
What residents said
State housing mandatesStation area plan
One resident thanked the council and gave each member a book.