Town Council Meeting Recap

Zion National Park Update

• Park open but on skeleton crew due to federal funding lapse.
• Visitation strong (18–20K/day); Sept. down 6% from last year, YTD up 1.2%.
• Horse Pasture Plateau Fire: 30 acres, lightning-caused, largely contained.
• Only “life, health, safety” operations ongoing.
• Utah funding keeps Visitor Center open; park using existing fees but can’t collect new ones.
• Visitor numbers tracked by automated counters.

Property Access Issue

• No current agreement for public access from SR-9 to river entrance; prior MOU expired.

Town Council Reports

Fire Board & Taxes

• Fire dept. sales tax bill passed; replaces 2026 property tax increase.
• Armenta v. Fire Authority case continues in state Supreme Court; no EMS impact.
• EMS transports all potential medical cases—no diagnosis in field.

Renewable Energy Program

• Six solar, wind, or hydro projects sent to Rocky Mountain Power for review.
• One solar + battery bid revised to solar-only.
• Cost: ~$3–4/month; opt-out twice per year.
• Low-income customers exempt; outreach via Switchpoint.

Public Comment – Zion Outfitters

• Resident Suzanne Elger’s remarks to appear in next article.

Consent Agenda (Approved)

• Sept. purchasing report and minutes.
• October = Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
• Updated vacation carryover policy.
• Renewed prosecution services with Zachary Wyland.

Public Hearing – A-Frame Signs

• Allowed under set rules: off sidewalks, ≤50" tall, ≤6 sq. ft., wood/metal/plastic, town colors + black/white, removed nightly, 1 per 500+ sq. ft. business.
• Broad support from business owner Stan Smith, and Noel Benson.

America 250 Partnership

• Approved Resolution 2025-10 partnering with America 250 Utah for 250th anniversary celebrations.
• $1,500 MOU (Memorandum of Understanding -a formal, though generally nonbonding agreement) for local events (e.g., “Walk 250,” history lectures).

Invasive Tree Removal

• Expanded Summit Forest LLC contract to treat 34 more acres at no cost to town.

Liquor License Approval

• Granted full-service restaurant and banquet liquor license to Against the Grain Restaurant Group LLC (Anthera Restaurant, 281 Zion Park Blvd.).