Orem council denies 442 North 300 West rezone, adopts tentative FY2025 budget of $160.1 million
May 14, 2024, 6:00 p.m. · City Council Chambers, 56 North State Street, Orem
The Orem City Council voted 3-2 among council members, with the mayor also in favor of denial, to deny a request to rezone 442 North 300 West from R7.5 to R6.5 so a lot could be divided. It adopted tentative FY2025 budgets for the city ($160,124,695), the Redevelopment Agency and the Special Service Lighting District, and members stated their positions on a school district interlocal agreement. In the work session the council opened the Hillcrest Park splash pad, reviewed CARE grants and heard the final MGT efficiency study findings.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Hillcrest Park phase 2 opening | Discussed |
| CARE grant deliberations | Discussed |
| Senior recreation fees and school district interlocal | Discussed |
| Consent items: appointments and construction standards | Approved · 5-0 |
| Rezone of 442 North 300 West from R7.5 to R6.5 | Denied · 3-2 |
| Tentative FY2025 city budget | Approved · 5-0 |
| Council discussion of school district reconfiguration | Discussed |
| Tentative FY2025 Redevelopment Agency budget | Approved · 5-0 |
| Tentative FY2025 Special Service Lighting District budget | Approved · 5-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item Work session · Parks
Hillcrest Park phase 2 opening
Discussed
The council marked the Phase 2 opening of Hillcrest Park, an extension of the Recreation Center funded by the CARE tax, by turning on the splash pad. Project manager Lane Gray listed the design and construction firms involved.
Item Work session · Budget
CARE grant deliberations
Discussed
Finance Director Brandon Nelson said 31 applications were received and 29 heard. The committee awarded 19 mini grants totaling $56,503 and 8 mid-major grants totaling $61,497, and major grants of $941,758 to SCERA and $25,000 to Utah Metropolitan Ballet. The recreation portion includes $50,000 for co-sponsored groups and about $1,635,000 for projects such as bike trails phase III, court lighting at Northridge and Windsor parks, community gardens and City Center Park restrooms. A resolution will follow.
- Grant$941,758 to SCERA
- Grant$25,000 to Utah Metropolitan Ballet
- Grant$118,000
Item Work session · Presentation
MGT study: Justice Court, Fire, IT and Development Services
Discussed
MGT found the fire cost allocation does not fully recover the cost of serving contract cities Lindon and Vineyard and recommended negotiating new interlocal agreements with a hybrid allocation method. It found Development Services timely and largely efficient and advised against cutting staff now; recommended no added IT staff or 24/7 help desk but a buy-or-build analysis before major internal software projects; and found the Justice Court more productive than peers.
Item Mayor's report · Presentation
Annual judicial report and recognitions
Discussed
Judge Reed Parkin reported the Orem Justice Court handled 11,340 cases last year, including 9,811 traffic, 993 criminal and 536 small claims cases. The council also recognized National Police Week, National Public Works Week, Building Safety Month, a Utah Valley Chamber Business of the Month award to the city and the police department's renewed state accreditation.
Item Personal appearance · Other
Senior recreation fees and school district interlocal
Discussed
John DePalma asked the city to reconsider changes to senior citizen recreation fees. Karen Adamson said she supported keeping the school district small and supported an interlocal agreement on reconfiguration.
Item Consent · Appointment
Consent items: appointments and construction standards
Approved · 5-0
The council approved Recreation Advisory Commission appointments (Mike Jones, Reed Payne and Doug Gardine), a resolution adopting construction standards and specifications, and earlier minutes.
Item Scheduled · Zoning
Rezone of 442 North 300 West from R7.5 to R6.5
Denied · 3-2
Assistant Development Services Director Jason Bench presented an applicant's request to rezone the property so it could be divided into two residential lots, with the front lot holding access and an easement serving the back lot. Council Member LaNae Millett opposed building a home behind another home and said she preferred improving neighborhoods without increasing density. Council Member Jenn Gale said it could allow homeownership for more families. Mayor David Young also voiced concerns. Bench said neighbors' concerns were about street parking. No one spoke at the public hearing. The council voted to deny.
- Current zone → proposed: R7.5 → R6.5
- Purpose: divide into two residential lots
Item Scheduled · Budget
Tentative FY2025 city budget
Approved · 5-0
Finance Director Brandon Nelson presented a $160,124,695 tentative budget, with revenues up $7,779,834 from the current year mainly from franchise taxes, ambulance fees, water and water reclamation fees and interest. It funds step and merit pay and market adjustments, has no health insurance increase, includes $3,475,500 for fleet and $17,139,261 for capital projects, and anticipates a sales tax bond for a new fire training facility. General fund sales tax is about $32 million, property tax about $7.8 million and franchise tax about $9 million. Greg Duerden said raising fees is a form of taxation. A final budget vote is scheduled for June.
- Budget$160.1 million
Other
Council discussion of school district reconfiguration
Discussed
Council Member Jenn Gale read a statement from absent Council Member Tom Macdonald, who opposed signing an interlocal agreement given the other cities' decisions and favored the two-way split (option three) on the ballot. Gale also said now is not the time for an interlocal, citing political support, financial viability and rushed timing. Council Member Jeff Lambson favored a larger district and option three, a two-district split. Mayor David Young favored an interlocal among Orem, Vineyard, Lindon and possibly Pleasant Grove to explore forming separate districts, citing representation, fiscal management and growth. Council Member David Spencer favored studying a four-city district and said an interlocal does not commit the city. Council Member Chris Killpack favored a two-way split but was open to a four-city interlocal only with unanimous support from all four cities. Council Member LaNae Millett favored an interlocal to allow time to study finances and questioned survey accuracy, saying it does not signal a preference for a three-way split. No vote was taken.
Item RDA · Budget
Tentative FY2025 Redevelopment Agency budget
Approved · 5-0
Nelson said the mall (University Place) community development area is the only active area for FY2025, with $1,390,000 in revenues. No one spoke at the hearing.
- Budget$1.39 million
Item SSLD · Budget
Tentative FY2025 Special Service Lighting District budget
Approved · 5-0
Nelson said district revenues are $1,278,500, spent on operations, power and an energy savings lease, and the street lighting rate would rise from $2.61 to $3.16 to complete the street lighting project. No one spoke at the hearing.
- Budget$1.28 million
What residents said
Senior recreation feesSchool district reconfigurationDensityFees as taxation
John DePalma raised senior recreation fees; Karen Adamson supported an interlocal for school district reconfiguration; Greg Duerden said raising fees is a form of taxation; no one spoke on the rezone.