Orem council picks Killpack and Millett for judge-selection panel and debates detached ADU setbacks
August 11, 2026, 3:30 p.m. · 56 North State Street, Orem (work session in Council Conference Room; regular session at 6:00 p.m.)
The council appointed Council Members Chris Killpack and LaNae Millett to the commission that will screen candidates for a new Justice Court judge, 6-0. In the work session members split on rear setbacks and size limits for detached accessory dwelling units, which the state requires the city to allow by Oct. 1. Council Member Quinn Mecham attended by Zoom.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Justice Court Nominating Commission | Discussed |
| Detached ADU setbacks and sizes | Discussed |
| Community Development code clean-up | Discussed |
| Fire department life-saving recognitions | Discussed |
| Public Works Advisory Commission annual report | Discussed |
| Consent: 2026 City Council meeting schedule update | Approved · 6-0 |
| Resolution: appoint two members to the Justice Court Nominating Commission | Approved · 6-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item WS · Appointment
Justice Court Nominating Commission
Discussed
City Attorney Steve Earl said Justice Court Judge Reed Parkin retires at the end of December. A five-member nominating commission (two appointed by the Orem council, one each by the county commission, county bar and county mayors) will send at least three names to the city manager, who selects a judge for council ratification. Council Members Chris Killpack and LaNae Millett volunteered.
Item WS · City code
Detached ADU setbacks and sizes
Discussed
Planning Director Jared Hall showed lot mockups and proposed a 6-foot separation from the main house, 10-foot interior side setbacks, a 25-foot rear setback and a 30-foot buffer from a neighbor's buildable area; heights of 12 to 16 feet (flat) and 14 to 18 feet (pitched); and sizes of 650 to 850 square feet. He cited counts from other Utah jurisdictions, such as 73 units in South Salt Lake and 27 in Bountiful. Community Development Director Gary McGinn advised against setbacks under 10 feet and promised to revisit the ordinance after 6 to 9 months; City Manager Brenn Bybee proposed sampling about 5,000 eligible lots to see how many would be excluded. Council Member LaNae Millett wanted rear setbacks of 20 to 25 feet measured from the property line, not a neighbor's house. Council Member Jenn Gale called 25 feet plus a 30-foot buffer an outlier and questioned the flat-roof height cap. Mayor Karen McCandless worried the city could be seen as making ADUs unreasonably difficult to place. Council Member Quinn Mecham favored a 15 to 20-foot rear setback and an 800-square-foot cap. Council Member Crystal Muhlestein favored about 20 feet and starting strict. Council Members Jeff Lambson and Chris Killpack favored a 20-foot rear setback and a 10-foot side setback. The council has two September meetings to adopt it before the Oct. 1 state deadline.
Item WS · City code
Community Development code clean-up
Discussed
McGinn previewed over 400 edits to rename 'Development Services' to 'Community Development' in the city code, to be shown in redline and reviewed first by the Planning Commission.
Item 3.1 · Public safety
Fire department life-saving recognitions
Discussed
Fire Chief Marc Sanderson recognized crews for quarterly life-saving work, including a child's cardiac arrest in which a bystander began CPR, a complex extrication after a crash on Geneva Road, and a staff member's 20 years of service.
Item 3.2 · Roads and utilities
Public Works Advisory Commission annual report
Discussed
Public Works Executive Director Chris Tschirki and commission chair Mike Whimpey reported completion of the Orem Water Reuse Facility, a 10-million-gallon water tank, nearly $1 million in northeast stormwater drainage work and Bike Skills Park Phase 3, and substantial completion of the dissolution of the Provo Bench and North Union canal companies. Upcoming work includes a water reuse feasibility study with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Well #10 and a booster station at 400 South 400 West, and, with fall bonding, a replacement for Well #1, overhaul of Well #5 and drilling Well #11 at 4th West 16th North.
- Contract$1.00 million
Item 5.1 · Other
Consent: 2026 City Council meeting schedule update
Approved · 6-0
The council approved an updated 2026 meeting schedule on the consent calendar.
Item 6.1 · Appointment
Resolution: appoint two members to the Justice Court Nominating Commission
Approved · 6-0
The council appointed Council Members Chris Killpack and LaNae Millett as its two members of the commission that will screen candidates to replace the retiring Justice Court judge.
What residents said
Detached ADU setbacks and privacyImmigration enforcement and city resourcesFlock license plate camerasNonprofit access to city events
Teo Buckingham, Allie Asay and Judy Christensen asked the council to bar use of city property and resources for federal immigration enforcement and to require judicial warrants for detainers. Ethan Stauffer urged the city to cancel its Flock license plate camera contracts. Cathy Ambrose of Hope for Orem asked for a memorandum of understanding to place her suicide prevention nonprofit alongside public safety at city events after it was excluded from Oremfest as a vendor. A resident thanked city paramedics and public works for fast responses.