Water dominated this meeting. With snowpack in the San Pitch River Basin sitting at roughly 13 percent of average as of March 22, the Mount Pleasant City Council spent significant time on drought planning, splash pad operations, and a looming question that nobody in the room had a comfortable answer for: what happens if the wells can’t keep up this summer? The council also approved a new UAMPS power pooling agreement, set rec center rental rates, tabled a right-of-way ordinance for revisions, and heard that the city’s $129,000 hydroelectric gearbox rebuild was botched so badly that legal action is on the table. The council met at 115 West Main Street at 6:30 PM with three members present.
What Happened
Who Was There
Mayor Michael Olsen presided. Council members Jakob Howcroft, Cade Beck, and Rondy Black were present. City Recorder Natalie Crosby conducted the roll call. Two council members were absent.
Consent Agenda
The council approved the claims register covering March 7 through March 20, 2026, totaling $454,933.87. Crosby noted a typo on the printed agenda (the first digit read $453,933 instead of $454,933) and asked the council to approve the corrected figure. The transaction register showed a negative $184.33. Minutes from the March 10 regular city council meeting were also approved.
Approved unanimously.
Requisition: $3,511 to Utility Transformer Brokers for Substation Transformer Repair
Power Director Shane explained that a transformer at the city’s substation had been leaking oil from the transformer tap for about a year. SC Myers flagged the issue during routine oil testing. Utility Transformer Brokers came in, tightened the tap, and topped off the regulators with oil while they were on site. Shane noted the purchase order had been issued roughly three months earlier but needed formal council approval. He acknowledged the repair turned out to be simpler than expected.
Approved unanimously.
Requisition: $34,290 to Bell Lumber and Pole Company for Utility Poles
This order covers 30 Class 2, 40-foot fully treated poles. Approximately 26 of those are pass-through for the Hope Mountain Ranch power line project (the $200,000 prepayment discussed at the March 10 meeting). The remaining poles restock the city’s inventory. Shane noted the city now standardizes on Class 2 poles across the board as a cost-effective way to strengthen the system. The order was placed directly with Bell Lumber rather than through the city’s usual distributor because the markup was, in Shane’s words, outrageous. He acknowledged the direct shipment might require hand-unloading depending on the delivery truck.
Another pole order is planned for the next budget year.
Approved unanimously.
Resolution 2026-04: UAMPS Power Pooling Agreement (Approved)
The council approved an updated power pooling agreement with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. The resolution replaces a framework that dates back to at least 1987, the oldest version staff could locate in the files.
The update is driven by PacifiCorp’s participation in CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market, which launches May 1, 2026. PacifiCorp handles all transmission in Utah, and its entry into EDAM changes how municipal utilities schedule and purchase power. Under the old system, Shane could build the city’s power schedule by looking at historical data and hydro production. Under the new framework, load must be served through day-ahead market scheduling, and UAMPS will take a more active role in forecasting and bulk power purchasing on behalf of member cities.
Shane said the arrangement benefits Mount Pleasant because the city does not have dedicated staff for buying and selling power the way larger utilities do. UAMPS handles that function. He also noted he expects to bring more power-related updates to the council going forward as the market transition unfolds.
One discussion point: the draft agreement listed Shane and another staff member by name as the city’s UAMPS representatives. Council Member Beck raised the concern that names create problems if personnel change. Crosby confirmed with the UAMPS attorney that representative appointments are set by separate resolution, which would supersede the names in the pooling agreement. The council approved the resolution with a preference that titles replace names if possible, and Shane agreed to follow up.
The UAMPS Toolkit conference is scheduled for April, and Shane encouraged council members to attend. The city has training budget allocated for hotel rooms at the conference location.
Approved unanimously.
Resolution 2026-05: Rec Center Rental Rates (Approved)
The council formalized the rec center pricing structure first discussed at the March 10 meeting. The resolution distinguishes between standard rentals and long-term rentals, sets a $250 refundable deposit (reduced from the $500 originally proposed), and establishes rates for different room configurations.
Long-term renters who provide proof of insurance may have the deposit requirement waived or rolled over. For context, the council confirmed that the rec center costs approximately $5 per hour just in utilities, calculated across every hour of every day of the year.
The council’s main addition at this meeting was defining “long-term.” After discussion about whether weekly users, monthly users, or annual returning renters should qualify, the council settled on a threshold: any individual or group using the facility more than 12 times in a year qualifies as a long-term renter. Mayor Olsen noted that the council retains the right to waive fees or deposits for approved fundraisers on a case-by-case basis without codifying that into the resolution.
Council Member Beck noted that nobody who uses the facility fewer than 12 times per year would qualify for the long-term rate, which effectively separates regular tenants (the archery club, dance studio, homeschool program) from occasional renters.
Approved unanimously.
Ordinance 2026-06: Right-of-Way Regulations (Tabled)
The proposed ordinance would have amended Mount Pleasant’s municipal code to regulate vehicles, trailers, materials, and obstacles within public rights-of-way. It included a 72-hour limit for vehicles and prohibited placing construction materials, gravel, soil, or dumpsters in the right-of-way.
The council identified two issues. First, a clerical error: the phrase “now therefore be it ordained” appeared twice. Second, and more substantive: the ordinance had no provision for temporary exceptions. Council Member Beck asked what happens when a resident doing a legitimate construction project needs a dumpster in the right-of-way for two weeks. As written, the ordinance would make that a violation with no path to compliance.
Discussion went back and forth on how to handle variances. The police chief cautioned against over-complicating the ordinance, noting that enforcement discretion currently handles most situations informally. A staff member suggested adding a brief section directing residents to contact City Hall for temporary exceptions, keeping the administrative procedure separate from the codified ordinance. Another suggestion was requiring written pre-approval from Public Works.
Ultimately, the council decided the variance language needed to be drafted properly rather than improvised at the meeting. Mayor Olsen noted the ordinance could return as soon as the next council meeting.
Tabled unanimously.
Council Reports
Beck (Library and Facilities): The library exterior has significant paint peeling under the eaves and needs attention before water damage sets in. Beck described it as a scaffolding job, too high for standard ladder work. Staff will get a bid for the painting. Beck also reported that people have been parking bikes behind the library’s air conditioning unit and recommended installing a simple rail fence or bollards around the unit for protection. The property line is tight (the adjacent church property sits close), but the AC unit is on city property and the city bears the cost if it gets damaged. Staff will look at options.
Beck also confirmed the concert scheduled for Saturday has an opening act booked. A Facebook post looking for openers generated enough response to build a list for future events.
Black (Roads and Water): Black reported the road improvement project discussed at the March 10 meeting needs to move forward this year regardless of whether oil prices affect the scope. He indicated the project may need to scale back rather than be postponed.
Black then raised the snowpack situation. As of March 22, the San Pitch River Basin was measuring at roughly 13 percent of average snowpack. (Statewide data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service showed the broader San Pitch basin at 28 percent of median as of late March, with conditions continuing to deteriorate across central and southern Utah.)
Howcroft (No formal report): Howcroft did not have separate council items but participated actively in water discussions.
Water Conservation: The Big Discussion
What started as a council report turned into the most substantive conversation of the night. Staff, the mayor, and all three council members spent more than 20 minutes working through what the city’s water response looks like if conditions don’t improve.
Key points from the discussion:
The city is planning a public town hall meeting on April 8 to educate residents about water systems, irrigation rights, and conservation expectations. Both irrigation company water masters have confirmed attendance. The school district has also been invited. The plan is to use maps and visual aids to explain how culinary water, irrigation water, and the city’s hydro system all interact.
Under the Cox Decree (a state/federal water rights ruling governing irrigation in the San Pitch watershed), irrigation cannot begin until April 15 each year. Culinary water has informally followed the same guideline for outdoor use. Staff noted that many residents don’t understand why they can’t water yet, and the town hall is partly designed to explain these legal constraints.
If irrigation water is restricted or unavailable this summer, culinary water demand will spike. The council discussed establishing clear triggers: if well levels drop to certain thresholds, outdoor watering gets cut. The city may need to prioritize which public spaces get water and which go brown.
City properties currently watered with culinary water include the park, the cemetery (which takes 12 hours to run through its full irrigation cycle), the admin building lawn, the area behind the stores on Main Street, the splash pad grounds, the equestrian center ponds, and the truck fill station. Mayor Olsen indicated some of those may not get watered at all this year, with the area behind the stores being the first likely cut.
Staff referenced Lehi City’s water conservation webpage as a model for public communication, noting Lehi has published watering schedules, cemetery exceptions, and explanations for why the city waters at night.
Council Member Beck emphasized that the city needs to audit its own water meters (particularly on non-metered city properties) and lead by example before asking residents to conserve. Some existing water usage reports contain inaccurate readings that could create public backlash if obtained through records requests.
Staff member Coulter asked the council to think about whether to continue selling bulk water to outside contractors and the subdivision development on the mountain, and at what point those sales get cut off to protect residential supply.
Splash Pad Decision
Recreation staff member Brittany presented splash pad water usage data. Last year, the splash pad used 460,170 gallons (including the sprinkler system and five tank drain-and-refill cycles). For comparison, the pool used approximately 188,500 gallons, though staff noted that pool figure may not be fully accurate.
The city is applying for a $5,000 grant to make the splash pad free for the entire summer. The idea: if residents can’t water their yards, give families a free place to cool off that uses recycled water. The splash pad system recirculates, which makes it more efficient than residential sprinklers.
The discussion turned to the grass surrounding the splash pad. Options included letting it die completely (which means bare dirt and complaints), keeping it alive enough to prevent grass cuts on bare skin (which requires some watering), installing sand (drainage and cleanliness concerns on a slope), or artificial turf (gets dangerously hot when wet). No solution was ideal. No budget exists for hardscaping this year.
Council Member Black supported keeping the splash pad open and suggested PR messaging in the city newsletter explaining that the splash pad recirculates water. The consensus was to revisit the decision closer to Memorial Day based on conditions, but the general direction leaned toward keeping it open.
Hydroelectric Gearbox: $129,000 Rebuild Gone Wrong
Shane delivered a pointed report on the city’s hydroelectric gearbox situation. The city paid $129,000 to have a gearbox rebuilt, and an independent inspection report from I-Motion revealed the work was done so poorly that the unit cannot operate safely.
The inspection findings: several parts were installed incorrectly or backwards. The low-speed coupling was improperly installed and damaged. The low-speed shaft showed visible lateral runout. The high-speed shaft bearing fits had been spray-welded, but the welding is now flaking off. High-speed pinion gear teeth are worn and pitted, requiring full replacement. Low-speed gear teeth are worn (the inspector noted the gear could be flipped to use the opposite side, but Shane pointed out those should have been brand-new gears). One bearing bucket is undersized and fits loosely. A housing alignment dowel is missing. Shaft seals were installed backwards, causing heavy oil leaks. The high-speed bearing was also installed backwards. Retaining compound was found on all bearings, and an unpolished seal sleeve was used on the low-speed shaft, wearing down the shaft underneath it.
Shane said he plans to pursue legal action against the company that performed the rebuild. He intends to assemble a cost package including the original $129,000, shipping, and lost power generation. He noted he has contacted other utilities and learned they have had similar problems with the same company. He will present the full package to the council at the next meeting after consulting with the mayor and city attorney.
In the meantime, the city can run limited water (up to 25-30 cubic feet per second) through the hydro without the gearbox and generator, but going higher risks damaging the unit. There is no functional bypass; the existing bypass drains the pond and floods the highway (a design flaw Shane had hoped to address through the irrigation improvement project). The mayor noted that water running through the hydro saves the irrigation company significant losses, as roughly half the creek water is lost through the open ditch system.
On the other hydro units: Unit 3’s replacement actuator is expected in June (Shane is trying to accelerate delivery), and Unit 1 is waiting on Basler control parts with long lead times.
North Valley Police Department Expansion
Mayor Olsen announced the North Valley Police Department has signed an interlocal agreement with an additional city and will begin patrolling there on April 1. (The city name was unclear in the meeting audio.) The county had been providing coverage to that city but ended its arrangement three months ahead of schedule, accelerating the transition. Active discussions continue with Fountain Green.
The police chief said the expansion would mean two officers on day shift and two on night shift once fully staffed, improving coverage across the north end of the county. The geographic spread means the farthest backup for any officer would be Fairview rather than having to wait for county response.
911 Dispatch Controversy
Mayor Olsen briefed the council on a developing disagreement between the county and its cities over 911 dispatch. The county is proposing to replace the current CAD system with Spillman, a more capable platform. The issue: the county’s proposed funding model would charge cities on a per-capita basis while exempting county residents from the cost. Nearly every mayor in the county opposes this structure, arguing that if cities are assessed, unincorporated county residents should contribute as well. The mayors are exploring alternative options. The county has indicated it wants to present to each city council individually.
The police chief confirmed the upgrade is ultimately necessary. State law requires all dispatch systems to be interoperable by 2029. The disagreement is about who pays, not whether the upgrade should happen.
Other Items
The city received notification of a grant award to pipe the cemetery ditch on the east side. The project is believed to be a 50/50 match. Mayor Olsen signed the award contract but had not yet reviewed the full terms.
Staff confirmed that electronic locks can be installed on the rec center’s new front doors (the ones approved at the March 10 meeting). The doors have the required E1 rating. This would allow Recreation Director Stephanie to lock and unlock the building remotely or set timed schedules, eliminating the current key management headaches.
The meeting adjourned with a unanimous voice vote.
Why It Matters
Water is the story. The San Pitch Basin snowpack numbers are bad, and staff isn’t sugarcoating it. When a council member says the city used 94 million gallons of culinary water last year and then the discussion turns to whether the wells can sustain that load without irrigation water to offset outdoor use, the math gets uncomfortable fast. The April 8 town hall is the city’s attempt to get ahead of a summer that could require telling residents there is no outdoor watering, period.
The decisions the council will face in the next few meetings (what public spaces get watered, whether to cut off bulk water sales, how to communicate restrictions) will affect every resident and business in town. The fact that the school district is being brought into the conversation signals that even the football field isn’t sacred if it comes down to it.
The gearbox situation compounds the water problem. Mount Pleasant’s hydroelectric system isn’t just about power generation. Running water through the hydro keeps water in the irrigation system rather than losing it to the open creek. With two of three hydro units down and the gearbox on the remaining unit in pieces, the city has lost a tool for managing both power and water at exactly the wrong moment. Shane’s plan to pursue legal action against the rebuild company is justified given the inspection findings. Shaft seals installed backwards, bearings installed backwards, spray welds on components running at 1,200 RPM. That is not a quality control issue. That is a rebuild that should never have left the shop.
The UAMPS power pooling agreement is the kind of administrative item that sounds dry but has real consequences. EDAM launches May 1, and every municipal utility in PacifiCorp’s territory needs to be ready. The old pooling agreement lasted nearly 40 years. The new one positions Mount Pleasant for a fundamentally different energy market where day-ahead scheduling replaces the informal approach Shane has been managing with limited staff.
The police expansion continues to build. Another city added, Fountain Green in active talks. Each new interlocal agreement spreads costs and improves response coverage across the north end of the county.
What Comes Next
The public town hall meeting on water conservation is scheduled for April 8 at Mount Pleasant City Hall. Both irrigation company water masters, city staff, and the school district are expected to participate. Residents with questions about water restrictions, irrigation rights, or the city’s conservation plans should attend.
The right-of-way ordinance (2026-06) will return at a future council meeting with cleaned-up language and a variance provision.
Shane will present a full cost package on the gearbox situation at the next meeting, including the original $129,000 rebuild cost, shipping, and lost generation revenue.
The EDAM market launches May 1, 2026. Mount Pleasant is now authorized to participate through the updated UAMPS pooling agreement.
The splash pad decision will be revisited closer to Memorial Day. Staff is awaiting the grant application outcome.
The cemetery ditch piping project terms need to be reviewed. Mayor Olsen signed the award but the match requirements have not been confirmed publicly.
The next regular Mount Pleasant City Council meeting is Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 6:30 PM, at 115 West Main Street, Mount Pleasant. The meeting is open to the public. Check Utah Public Meeting Notice (pmn.utah.gov) for the agenda when it posts.
Sourcing: This recap is based on an AI-assisted transcript of the March 24, 2026 Mount Pleasant City Council meeting audio, verified against the published meeting schedule, the March 10, 2026 Mount Pleasant City Council recap published by Sanpete Serves, the Ephraim City Council April 1, 2026 recap (for UAMPS agreement context), CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market documentation and launch timeline, USDA NRCS SNOTEL snowpack data for the San Pitch basin, and Mount Pleasant City Council member and mayor listings from prior verified coverage. Official minutes were not yet available at time of publication. Dollar amounts, vote counts, and specific details are subject to official minutes confirmation. Some names and figures in the AI transcript may contain transcription errors. For corrections, email info@sanpeteserves.com.
