by lynda Williams

The September 4 city council meeting had several items on the agenda. Here are some highlights:

confluence Park

Photo taken today by Lori Cole

Mike, the Ash Creek Special Services District Representative, reported that the Confluence Park project is coming along. There are 450 yards of concrete being dumped every week. Mike said if you haven’t been there in awhile you should come take a look. They are a little behind schedule, looking at a late 2025 completion. Mike assures us that it will be beautiful as it continues to be a popular walking area. All the funding is in place for this project with money coming from grants through the state.

9/11 Memorial

The Eternal Question: What’s up with the bypass road?

Bob Lamoreaux, Stanley Construction, reports that they are still working on ideas. I heard words like: steepening the slope, keep the power pole where it is, pocket of sugar sand, and they should have ideas for a direction by…tomorrow…next week…end of the month?

If you're worried about safety and afraid to look closely as you drive by, which you should be, here's pictures of the bypass taken today by Lori

Public safety

Our Public Safety Director Jason Leavitt is hard at work checking bushes, shrubs, trees that may be obstructing sidewalks or streets causing traffic or other hazards for citizens. He may be knocking on your door someday! He complimented the people of Toquerville on being friendly and cooperative.

He is also the dog catcher. There was a vicious dog incident in town recently that is yet to be fully resolved. Jason is asking for more equipment and training for this part of his job.

The question was then asked, how are 911 calls currently handled? They go directly to the sheriff’s office and will be handled by that entity.

water

Public Works Director Jadee Adams reported that the recent water, lead, and copper report was good. No lines needed to be replaced. Disinfectant byproduct samples were good.

There have been several water leaks around town.

Jadee recommended getting the Toquerville City Mobile App. EyeOnWater allows you to see your latest water usage, understand how much water you use, detect leaks, and discover trends for when you use the most water.

Learning and Recovering

Toquerville’s new City Manager, Ben Billingsley, is hard at work getting his feet under him and learning about his new town. He remarked that there is quite a bit going on here for a city of this size. I think most of us would agree, whether we like it or not.

Councilman Todd Sands joined the meeting via zoom as he is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Speedy recovery Todd! (corrected: see the comments on this).

Public Forum

Lynn Williams brought up the signs found on both sides of town that say, “Engine Brakes Restricted Next 3 Miles.”
He asked what these signs mean, who enforces them, and are they enforceable?

He wondered if “engine brakes prohibited” might be more understandable, if that’s the intent of the signs.
No one on the city council, the city attorney or the safety director knew. The council will look into it.

Public Hearing and Business Items

Most of the business items involved Firelight, including a public hearing on a preliminary plat application for Firelight, phase 3. It was approved, along with all the items on this part of agenda.

The council also approved the Constitution Week Application. Each year the city leaders reaffirm that Toquerville City will uphold the Constitution. Yay City! Mayor Sip commented that we are a Constitutional Republic not a Democracy. Good reminder! Hope everyone knows the difference. Here’s a video on the topic.

Calendar of Events

1. Miss Toquerville Pageant, Saturday Sept. 7, 2024 at Hurricane High School, 6:30 PM

2. Community Readiness Meeting – Thursday Sept. 12 2024 at City Hall 7:00 PM. Thank you to all these knowledgeable people that present such valuable information. Don’t miss it! Be part of the solution not part of the problem.

council, bypass & other updates