Orem council votes 5-2 to have the mayor and council appoint Planning Commission and to create an Office of Legislative Counsel

Decisions at a glance

Agenda, item by item

1. City code

   Planning Commission appointment, removal and compensation (Orem City Code 2-15-4, 2-15-6, 2-15-10)

   Approved · 4-2

   Mayor Young said the city manager has appointed commission members until now and the ordinance shifts that to the mayor and council, with a council majority needed to appoint. Council Members Terry Peterson and LaNae Millett said the council would still vote and would seek diverse, qualified members; David Spencer said he felt the commission had recently been rude to residents. Lauret said she valued the commission's independence and the diversity of views under the current system, and Macdonald said he was comfortable with the current process, noting the council already approves appointees. City Attorney Heather Schriever presented amendments read into the record. Residents who spoke objected to reducing the commission's independence.

   • Amended on the record

   Moved by Council Member David Spencer, seconded by Council Member Terry Peterson. Vote: 5-2 including Mayor David Young; among council members 4-2. Council Members Debby Lauret and Tom Macdonald voted no.. Voting no: Council Member Debby Lauret, Council Member Tom Macdonald

2. Appointment

   Establish Office of Legislative Counsel and appoint a director

   Approved · 4-2

   Mayor Young said the position would give the mayor and council their own full-time legal adviser who attends meetings, in the interest of aligning residents, the council and management. Peterson and Millett said the city needs another legal perspective in the moratorium lawsuit and could not wait for a full hiring process; Spencer supported an additional legal opinion. Lauret said she would rather take the time for an open hiring process, and Council Member Jeff Lambson said he did not know the selected candidate, identified as Mr. Riddle, and did not want to hire him sight unseen, though he voted yes. Macdonald opposed but said the votes were already there. Mayor Young summarized the candidate's resume and called him well qualified. Speakers split: some said the appointment was not properly made and wasted money, others supported more voices for the council.

   • Amended on the record

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

3. Appointment

   Consent agenda: Beautification Committee appointment

   Approved · 6-0

   The council appointed Anne Stahmann to the Beautification Committee.

   Moved by Council Member Tom Macdonald, seconded by Council Member David Spencer. Vote: 6-0 among council members; Mayor David Young also voted aye

4. Roads and utilities

   Work session: Palisade Drive traffic calming

   Discussed · Palisade Drive

   City Engineer Sam Kelly said speed bumps installed about 20 years ago drew complaints, including from emergency crews, so the city proposed speed tables and raised crosswalks with choker islands after an open house. Residents differed: one asked the city to keep its pledge to maintain the original speed bumps, another said over 100 neighbors object to the choker islands as unsafe for cyclists, while accepting the speed tables. Spencer suggested keeping the white poles without the islands. The council decided on a broader door-to-door survey.

5. City code

   Work session: Utah Fit Premises Act; Wright Development lawsuit update

   Discussed

   Deputy City Manager Steven Downs repeated the November briefing on the state rental livability act for the new council, and Mayor Young worried landlords might raise rent on tenants who report problems. Deputy City Attorney Steve Earl said a judge had dismissed one of two claims Wright Development filed against the city and, for now, ruled in the city's favor.

   Follow State Street districts moratorium in the development tracker →

   Follow Wright Development Group site plan at former Meadow Gold Dairy in the development tracker →

What residents said

Planning Commission independenceHiring process for legislative counselHigh-density housingTraffic calming on Palisade Drive

Seven residents spoke. One said the city had gone in the wrong direction and opposed more high-density or low-income housing; another thanked the new council. Four objected to the Planning Commission change and the legislative counsel appointment, citing commission independence and how the candidate was selected. Two supported creating the legislative counsel office and said the city needs more voices and a focus on renewal over growth.