THE STATE OF UTAH
COUNTY OF SEVIER
CITY OF RICHFIELD
At the City Council
In and For Said City
January 27, 2026
Minutes of the Richfield City Council meeting held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Richfield City office building located at 75 East Center, Richfield, Utah. Mayor Bryan L. Burrows presiding.
- OPENING REMARKS
- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
- ROLL CALL
- CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
- MINUTES
- CONFLICT OF INTEREST
- BUSINESS
a. Tree removal request
b. UDOT property sale
c. Back flow at Nielson Park
d. Bike Path project
e. Parking area
f. Annexation ordinance - OTHER BUSINESS
- EXECUTIVE SESSION
- RECONVENE & ADJOURN
- OPENING REMARKS were offered by Dave Anderson.
- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Mayor.
- ROLL CALL. Roll Call.
Present: Bryan Burrows (Not voting), Brayden Gardner, Kip Hansen, Kendrick Thomas, Andrew Chappell, Kevin Arrington, Michele Jolley (Not voting), Rob Jenson (Not voting).
Also, in attendance Edward Nielson, Ken Freeby, Tyson Barber, Jim Glecker, Elizabeth Steele, Carson DeMille, Christ Riet, Bryan Hoffman, Lincoln Reed, Brett Butler, Tom Denisety, Trent Lloyd, Keith Mogan, Brady Edwards and David Anderson. - CONFLICT. Councilmember Thomas declared conflicts on items D and E
- MINUTES APPROVED. The Council reviewed the minutes of the meeting held on January 13, 2026. Motion: Approve the Minutes of the January 13, 2026 meeting, Action: Approve, Moved by Kip Hansen, Seconded by Kevin Arrington.
- BUSINESS
a. Bryan Hoffman to request the removal of a tree in front of the old Sportkeeper building on Main Street.
Mr. Hoffman stated that the tree would block the signs a future client may want to put on the front of the building. He has put a lot of time and effort into it. He said he doesn’t believe it would set a precedent to have it removed. He said the trees have caused some problems including blocking signs, breaking the irrigation system for them and creating a maintenance issue.
Councilmember Arrington asked if any of the other trees have been removed. They have not.
Councilmember Chappell asked why Mr. Hoffman doesn’t think this would set a precedent. Mr. Hoffman said as he understands it, the trees were part of a beautification project. He said he thinks the trees got bigger than intended and are not serving the owners along Main Street.
Councilmember Hansen said the irony of that is the project was a gift to those merchants along Main Street. The irrigation system was put in place to get the trees established, but now the system doesn’t work and the trees are self-sustaining. While a couple of other merchants have complained, you have to go back to the original reason as to why the trees were placed originally.
Mr. Hoffman said he wants to be able to show off the work he’s done on the building.
Mayor Burrows said as he understood it, the trees were supposed to form a canopy above where the signage was. Carson DeMille confirmed that they were selected because they were supposed to grow above the signs over time. Where it’s working or not is a question.
City Administrator Jolley said the trees were supposed to grow tall and quick, but haven’t reached that point.
City Public Works Director Keith Mogan said there are approximately 30 trees.
Mayor Burrows said InfoWest has requested the same thing.
Councilmember Thomas said there is a maintenance issue, some of the business owners don’t like them and they’re not doing what they were intended to do.
Councilmember Hansen said in ways the trees are doing what they were intended to do. They provide shade, especially during times like the annual Independence Day Parade, which was one of the objectives. Richfield City is also a Tree City USA. He said he is not ready to be responsible for taking the first one down. It will take some more thought or consideration.
Mayor Burrows said they should talk to the downtown merchants.
Councilmember Chappell said he doesn’t believe the downtown merchants are the right folks to talk to. The community at large may like the greenery they provide along Main Street. A sad thing is driving through these towns in rural Utah that have given up. We already have this wide Main Street going through town that makes it a little more spaced out than we’d like. It may be better for the Mr. Hoffman, but it may be worse for the community as a whole.
Councilmember Hansen said Richfield has a very appealing Main Street due in part to the trees, and there may be offsetting penalties by removing them. Hansen said one of the first things the pioneers did was start planting trees.
A suggestion was made to have a certified arborist evaluate the trees and access the value of them.
Councilmember Arrington wondered if there is a balance that could be achieved by taking them out and replacing them with something a little shorter? Also, how much is spent on damage from the trees?
City Administrator Jolley said it would be very difficult to remove the trees. Currently the City is paying nothing for damage because the irrigation has been shut off to the bulb outs.
Public Works Director Keith Mogan said at the time the irrigation was shut off, there were three leaks that needed to be repaired. However, even if you cut the trees down and had someone grind them, you’re not going to be able to pull them out without breaking up the sidewalk and curbing. The trees also cause issues when the banners are placed for events in Richfield. He said a company that knows what it’s doing could help trim them and keep them from interfering with the banners.
Councilmember Hansen said when you see a healthy tree, whatever the size of the crown is, the root system is about the same size. This type of tree could shoot up a lot of suckers, it would be a complicated ongoing process. Trees sometimes don’t do well this time of year, so it may not be an issue.
Mr. Hoffman said from his perspective, the trees are only trimmed twice a year, maybe they could be trimmed more than that to preserve sign visibility. He said he doesn’t see the trees ever reaching the height they were intended.
Councilmember Thomas said it would make sense to have someone who knows what they are doing to evaluate the trees and their value. It is important to evaluate them wisely. Councilmember Hansen suggested reaching out to the USU Extension and have its arborists help. The Forest Service also has an arborist who can help evaluate the trees for free.
Mr. Hoffman said if feels like the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few when it comes to the aesthetic.
Mayor Burrows said the next step is to look into and have the trees evaluated.
Councilmember Hansen said since the evaluations may not cost the City any money, it may be good to have them looked at by two arborists before committing to any action. The trees may have been improperly trimmed, which resulted in them growing out instead of growing upward.
b. Consider adopting Resolution 2026-1 supporting the potential sale of UDOT property to Rocky Mountain Power, subject to further UDOT review and approval.
RMP’s representatives showed some examples of what they are proposing the proposed substation will look like. It would include a 12-foot tall precast concrete wall, as well as landscaping that will be drought tolerant. There would be two transformers eventually. The access would have to come off of the Airport Road and not 1300 South.
Mayor Burrows asked if they were aware that there is an irrigation easement that needs to be maintained in the area. It doesn’t appear to be a problem, but it would be considered.
Councilmember Hansen stated the wall is not only for aesthetics, but also to prevent vandalism. It also serves to protect people from entering and possibly being injured by the equipment. 26:00
More recent projects have relied on drought resistant shrubs.
Carson Demille suggested checking with the airport to see if there are height restrictions that could affect it. There is a zone that surrounds the airport that determine the height restrictions.
The closer a structure is to the airspace, the more restrictive the structure height is, City Administrator Jolley said. It may still require an 7460-1 form from the FAA.
Councilmember Chappell asked about other locations and he identified other areas where they had considered putting the substation. RMP’s representatives said they’ve been working to find a location for a year and half. Property owners Richard Luekenga and Donavan Allen of adjacent properties offered their land if the UDOT parcel doesn’t work out.
By using the UDOT property, it will add additional land onto the tax rolls of Richfield City, which is a win, according to Councilmember Hansen. Motion: Adopt Resolution 2026-1 supporting the potential sale of UDOT property to Rocky Mountain Power, Action: Approve, Moved by Kip Hansen, Seconded by Kendrick Thomas. Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 6). Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kendrick Thomas, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen.
c. Consider approving the funds to complete a project to install a back-flow prevention valve, and upgrades to piping the Nielson Park to comply with State requirements and correct volume issues.
Recreation Director Brady Edwards addressed the council. It has become apparent that the City needs to meet state mandates for backflow preventers, water meters and other regulations. Also, the irrigation system at the park hasn’t worked as well as the City would like it to. The parks crew has worked every angle they could think of and concluded that the park needs to have its system upgraded with new back-flows and larger everything. Edwards is asking the council to allow the expenditure of up to $27,000 with the hope that the project can actually be completed for $22,000. About the only thing that would be reused in the upgrade would be the sprinkler heads. It really needs the upgrade to keep the grass in the new park healthy so it can be used.
Parks Superintendent Brett Butler said the dry spots can be seen. The City is watering all night just to try and keep enough water on the grass to keep it alive, which isn’t wise. That’s 16 different stations running all night. The upgrade will help put more water on the park faster, allowing for greater reach, but also allowing for more time between watering shifts. This would be a completely new system for $22,000.
Peterson Plumbing will supply the parts. They were also consulted when it came to the design of the new system.
Mayor Burrows said there will need to be backflows installed at the other parks. Edwards said that is correct.
Butler said the backflows will be installed after the meters, so the street pipe should be insulated from the installations.
Public Works Director Keith Mogan said each back-flow system will cost between $3,000 to $5,000. This will be the first one completed, with the other to be addressed as possible.
Motion: Approving the funds to complete a project to install a back-flow prevention valve, and upgrades to piping the Nielson Park to comply with State requirements and correct volume issues, Action: Approve, Moved by Kendrick Thomas, Seconded by Andrew Chappell. Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 6). Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kendrick Thomas, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen.
d. Consider approving a project to maintain the bike path from Main Street to 300 West an any possible grants that may be available as discussed by Carson DeMille.
DeMille said an evaluation of the bike path from 300 West to Main Street and found that the north lane is coming apart and is becoming very uneven. This was originally just a double chip seal and has likely at the end of its lifespan – installed around 2007. DeMille provided some estimates showing what it may cost to asphalt it three inches thick. This is what most of the double chip seal paths are going to. That would cost approximately $62,000. The other option would be to grade it out and then clean it up with gravel and redo the double chip seal, which would be approximately $28,500. If the City applies for and receives a recreation grant, the City’s would have a 30 percent match and a responsibility for $21,000 for the asphalt or $8,500 for the double chip seal.
Councilmember Hansen asked about the lifespan of the double chip seal. Would it last another 20 years? DeMille said it could be extended if it got a new layer of oil every five years. However, there will still be issues with weeds, grass and even anthills coming up through the path and damaging the finish. It’s really beyond its useful life. Councilmember Hansen asked what the life of the asphalt path would be. DeMille explained with a seal coat every five years, it could last indefinitely if the top coat is kept up on. It will last a lot longer than the double-chip. Both would work.
Councilmember Thomas asked if this area is susceptible to the bank erosion, which was repaired west of this area. It doesn’t appear to be, as the bank isn’t being cut into like it was near the pool.
Administrator Jolley suggested the City apply for the grant for the asphalt, and if it doesn’t receive it, revisit the issue at that point.
DeMille said the funds could be available in May, and the City would have up to two years to spend it. This falls under a restoration grant from the state, which is the same grant used to pave the other piece of the path.
Councilmember Chappell asked why this piece of path. This piece is falling apart, DeMille said. This is the last strip of double chip on the whole system.
Councilmember Chappell asked about the proposal to put in sidewalk that was going to be with grant money, but the cost tripled and the City was no longer able to complete the project. Is there confidence in this cost estimate, and second does spending this money here preclude sidewalk somewhere else being built.
Administrator Jolley said the sidewalk project near the golf course dealt with federal money, which always costs more due to the overburden of federal requirements. Also, the state administers the federal grant, for which it charges an administration fee. Those costs keep increasing. This grant comes from the state directly to the City and works more like a reimbursement. The City spends the money and then is reimbursed. Also, the City has a recreation tax, the funds from that have to be specifically targeted to recreation projects. However, using it to build a sidewalk would be a stretch.
DeMille said these are the estimates. You get the funding, then you get the bid.
Councilmember Hansen said the City does have an obligation to maintain what it has already built. It could also become a liability. Motion: Approve pursuing a grant for a project to maintain the bike path from Main Street to 300 West, Action: Approve, Moved by Kip Hansen, Seconded by Kevin Arrington. Vote: Motion passed (summary: Yes = 5, No = 0, Abstain = 1).
Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen, Abstain: Kendrick Thomas.
e. Consider applying for a grant to create a parking area west of I-70, off 300 North, below the water tank, as discussed by Carson DeMille.
DeMille said they are conducting a study as part of their application for more bike trails west of town. In that process they identified and area that would make for a good parking area for the mountain biking community to use. The current parking lot east of I-70 was originally constructed with four-wheelers in mind, but has been taken over by the bikes. Additional parking would help address needs, especially for trailer access. This parking would be graveled, perhaps with some lodgepole fencing. It would also allow for the area to be cleaned up and the drainage structure to be cleaned up and preserved.
The area is where the old Field of Stars used to be. It could also be a place for picnic area. There are other events and user groups that could benefit from it, such as the trials bike event and the archery course that are both in that general area. The shuttle loading zone could also be moved there to lower the traffic load on the parking lot near the Lions Park.
Councilmember Hansen said these types of amenities are consistent with the area branding of Trail Country.
This is a state grant, UWORK, for new infrastructure for recreation. The Forest Service is moving forward slowly on allowing more trails to be built. This parking lot would serve that expansion of the trails. Water and sewer connections may be a challenge to put into the facility. Sevier County would also be a good partner to pursue in matching the funds for the grant. The County has helped fund other projects to a significant degree. The grant is open right now.
There is a culvert to the east, and it is in a flood basin, so in a major flood event, water could go into the parking lot, which is why DeMille is not recommending it to be paved. It would allow for the channel to be cleaned up and better defined.
Councilmember Hansen said there is no way to make any of the parking single purpose.
DeMille said there are a lot of users who would utilize the parking area beyond the bike riders.
Councilmember Arrington asked if the City should approve the required 30 percent match tonight, or wait until it hears back from the county. Administrator Jolley said tonight’s decision is just to approve pursuing the grant, not the actual funding of it.
DeMille said he would approach the county prior to submitting the grant to find out if there is a possibility of funding it.
Motion: Approve applying for a grant to create a parking area west of I-70, off 300 North, below the water tank, Action: Approve, Moved by Kevin Arrington, Seconded by Kip Hansen. Vote: Motion passed (summary: Yes = 5, No = 0, Abstain = 1). Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen. Abstain: Kendrick Thomas.
f. Consider readopting Ordinance 2025-7 annexing property for Larsens and Jepsons as required by the Lt. Governor’s office to complete the filing of the annexation. This has to be reapproved due to a deadline that passed due to the plat review taking longer than expected. Motion: Readopt Ordinance 2025-7 annexing property for Larsens and Jepsons as required by the Lt. Governor’s office to complete the filing of the annexation, Action: Approve, Moved by Kip Hansen, Seconded by Kendrick Thomas. Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 6). Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kendrick Thomas, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen.
- OTHER BUSINESS. Police Chief Lloyd discussed stats for the police department. The stats are pretty much flat from the previous year. Traffic accidents are slightly up this year, as well as vandalism. The department was down two officers almost all year until September, which is why tickets and warnings are down. Year over year, things haven’t changed much in the past decade. There was a jump a few years ago due to a population jump caused by the apartments.
There is also a new signal at 500 North that is designed to help pedestrians cross Main Street. Originally it was just yellow, but the new one turns it into a red light as well. It can be used all year by anyone wanting to cross, not just school children. GRAMA requests are also account for a significant portion of time. Technology to address it is currently too expensive and doesn’t justify itself yet.
Councilmember Arrington stated that the committee for the fourth of July will be meeting beginning in March. The fish grab fish are on track. The theme will likely be tied into the 250th celebration theme. Looking at making the 3rd of July solely for the kids. - MEETING ADJOURNED. Motion: Adjourn the meeting, Action: Adjourn, Moved by Kendrick Thomas, Seconded by Kip Hansen.
Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 6).
Yes: Andrew Chappell, Brayden Gardner, Kendrick Thomas, Kevin Arrington, Kip Hansen.
PASSED and APPROVED this 10 day of February 2026.
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Recorder