By Lori Cole
Fall Colors by Lori Cole
At the October 21, 2026 council meeting, the council reviewed community wellbeing findings and considered two Firelight development requests. The council discussed proposed donations and sponsorships policy, as well as a draft code enforcement policy. The council also approved the October 7 meeting minutes and September city expenditures. No public comments were recorded during the public forum.
Community Wellbeing and Growth
Toquerville’s first Utah Wellbeing Survey drew only 127 responses from the over 2000 residents, just over 6%. Keep that in mind while skimming the results.
Among respondents, 84% reported high or very high personal wellbeing, 68% rated community wellbeing positively, and 38% reported a strong community connection. Water supply and quality, traffic, and recreation were prominent concerns. About 72% said population growth was too fast. Discussion focused on using the findings to guide strategic planning, improve infrastructure communication, and strengthen community engagement.
Firelight Development Requests
· Multifamily housing location: The council approved the proposed transfer of the multifamily permitted use from Commercial Planning Area 7 to Area 4, away from existing single-family homes to the area near a planned five-acre park. The change was considered a nonmaterial change and conditioned on recording an amendment to the development plan. The proposal does not increase overall approved density or the development area while other commercial uses remain in place.
· Sign standards: The council classified Firelight’s proposed signage package as a material change because some signs exceed existing city standards. Staff was directed to process the application through further review including a Planning Commission public hearing, before a final council decision. The signage itself was not approved.
Donations, Sponsorships, and Remaining Business
The council discussed a draft policy intended to help donations and sponsorships offset community-event costs. Questions included approval authority, written documentation, and rules for accepting or declining sponsor signage. Legal counsel recommended postponing adoption while refining provisions related to First Amendment rights. The final disposition needs verification. Hopefully, the city's leadership will consider what other local cities have done to successfully allow event sponsorships. Taxpayers expect action on this policy.
Code Enforcement Policy Adoption
City Manager Billingsley told the council that his committee has drafted a code enforcement policy, adding that a few questions have come up since completing the draft:
1) They need formal direction on effective flow of communications between the city and the complainant.
2) Will the City accept anonymous complaints? It will be impossible to take legal action without a named complainant, but it provides more leeway for citizens to request assistance without exposing themselves to their neighbors as the complaining party.
A resident might casually observe how long the process of adopting a code enforcement policy has taken thus far and think the city has been engaged in death by committee. I am sure I am not alone in hoping that someone finally decides and implements a code enforcement policy. Again, most cities have these types of policies, so it is not as if we must write policies from scratch.
Perhaps the reason the city is dragging it’s feet as stated by the city manager is because nuisance complaints are not a priority. Sadly, they are a priority to many residents who live here. They must deal with nuisances on their own. The City Manager often refers to improving community engagement. So responding to the concerns of citizens would be an improvement. After about 25 minutes of discussion, the council tabled the consideration of the code enforcement policy. (see video 55:18 – 1:21:10)
Arbor Day Designation
City Manager Billingsley asked that the council designate this coming Friday, October 23rd, as Arbor Day in Toquerville. The designation passed and then a council member pointed out that the Toquerville budget has 10k budgeted for Arbor Day which was used for tree replacement.
There was additional discussion on the city’s communication software and municipal-code hosting.
Community Events
Trunk Or Treat – BE SURE TO SIGN UP! The event will be held Saturday, October 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Center Street Park. Sign up for trunk or treat can be found on the city website and socials.
Veterans Day cinnamon rolls: Wednesday, November 11th from 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at the Toquerville City offices.
Christmas tree lighting: Monday, November 30th at 7:00 p.m. at the Toquerville City Hall.
Hearings on Solara Annexation
While this was not on the agenda, based on this post, there will be more hearings on the Solara annexation. These are tentative dates which we will confirm when they become known for sure. Please mark your calendar in anticipation of those.
November 10, Tuesday, Planning Commission Hearing 6 pm
November 18, Wednesday, City Council Public Hearing 6 pm