
Performance Guarantees
Performance guarantees are used to ensure or guarantee that construction, maintenance, or improvements are fulfilled as promised or expected.
Performance guarantees are used to ensure or guarantee that construction, maintenance, or improvements are fulfilled as promised or expected.
Annexation is the formal process of incorporating additional property, previously part of an unincorporated county, into a municipality’s jurisdictional boundaries. The incorporation of this property into the existing municipality makes the new territory subject to the municipality’s various plans, codes, and ordinances.
A development agreement is a contract between a local county or municipality and a private party (land owners or developer) that helps both parties work together throughout the development process for a specific development project. Land owners and developers like development agreements because they provide regulatory and political assurances during the development process that make projects more viable. These assurances pertain to development phasing, rules and regulations pertaining to the development of a specific property, critical infrastructure responsibilities and coordination, and more. Local counties and municipalities like development agreements because they are a way to incentivize development, promote economic growth, and ensure that proposed development is in compliance with adopted rules and regulations and the overall vision of the community.
Counties and municipalities can play an important role in water conservation through the ordinances they adopt. Water-wise ordinances and conservation plans are particularly vital for municipalities experiencing new development, those rooted in agriculture, and those facing periods of drought. Understanding federal and state water regulations is key to creating and implementing the right water-wise ordinances and conservation plans for your community.
Temporary land use regulations are used by municipalities and counties in times of emergency. (i.e. When the legislative body decides the normal public process is too slow to address a critically important situation.)
In 2022 the Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill 110 (S.B. 110), which modified the content requirements of general plans to address water as a required element. Specifically S.B. 110:
Electronic meetings are becoming a popular option to allow more people to participate in public meetings from a variety of locations and they are very useful and necessary during times of crisis.
A Planning Commission’s primary duty is to plan. The Planning Commission is a body, typically made up of volunteer members of the community, who are appointed by the Mayor to serve as an advisory group to the municipality’s legislative body on issues and policies related to planning, land use regulations, and community development. A Planning Commissioner generally serves a term lasting between 2-4 years, and can be reappointed for additional terms depending on the community.
The Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA) is intended to provide citizens the opportunity to witness the decisions made by their community’s elected/appointment officials, including the deliberations leading up to those decisions. An essential aspect to a free and democratic society is the ability of citizens to observe the inner workings of their government and impact citizens can have with their educated votes. Though the regulations of OPMA may seem very strict, they are important in preserving the balance between the people and their government.
The position of mayor in a municipality is a significant position and the person elected to this office often sets forth the direction of the community during their term(s). Being the mayor is being the face of your community as well as acting as its chief executive officer. To be efficient, effective, and successful in serving in the role, those running for the office of mayor or newly elected mayors should have a basic understanding as to what form of government their community currently operates under, as well as what sorts of expectations the community has for that position.