Ephraim’s shortest city council meeting in recent memory clocked in at under 18 minutes. With Mayor Larsen absent and two council members excused, Mayor Pro Tem Dennis Nordfelt ran a tight agenda: four action items, no public comment, no presentations, no study items. The council approved an annual wastewater survey, the long-awaited UAMPS power pooling agreement, a private street standards update, and one more duplex at the Sage Manor development. Then they went home.
Who Was There
Mayor Pro Tem Dennis Nordfelt presided. Council members Troy Birch and Jack Dalene were present in chambers. Loren Steck participated via Zoom. Mayor Chris Larsen and Council Member Anthony Beal were absent. The meeting opened with a prayer from Council Member Dalene and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Cameron Nelson.
No one signed up for public comment.
Consent Items (Approved)
The council approved the warrant register and March 18 meeting minutes without discussion. Birch moved, Dalene seconded. Unanimous, with Steck confirming via Zoom.
Resolution 26-06: Municipal Wastewater Planning Program Survey (Approved)
Public Works Director Jeff Jensen presented an annual survey required by the Utah Division of Water Quality. The 28-page document evaluates the technical operation and financial condition of Ephraim’s municipal sewer system. Jensen described it as straightforward and routine. The council caught a typo in the resolution text (a misspelling of “municipal wastewater”) before voting. Dalene moved, Birch seconded. Approved unanimously.
Resolution 26-07: Amended UAMPS Power Pooling Agreement (Approved)
This item had been on the study agenda at the March 18 meeting. Power Director Cory Daniels brought it back for a vote. The resolution authorizes Ephraim to enter the Amended and Restated Power Pooling Agreement with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, replacing a framework that has been in place since 1980.
The update is driven by the Extended Day-Ahead Market launching May 1, 2026. Under the new agreement, Ephraim commits to using UAMPS for all market-based power purchases, provides required operational and forecast data, and can assign non-generated resources to UAMPS for scheduling. Daniels provided an executive summary of eight key enhancements but the council, having discussed the details at the prior meeting, did not need a full review.
Birch moved, Dalene seconded. Approved unanimously.
Ordinance 26-05: Private Street Width and Sidewalk Requirements (Approved)
City Planner Megan Spurling presented amendments to Ephraim’s development code addressing two issues. First, the minimum asphalt width for private roads serving developments increases from 24 feet to 26 feet, aligning with International Fire Code requirements for emergency vehicle access. Second, the ordinance now clearly states that sidewalks are required along private roads serving developments with multiple dwelling units.
Spurling noted that sidewalks have generally been required in practice but the code did not spell it out. The large lot exception remains in place for properties on the outskirts of town meeting certain size and proximity criteria.
Dalene moved, Birch seconded. Approved unanimously.
Conditional Use Permit: Cook Duplex at Sage Manor PUD (Approved)
Spurling also presented a conditional use permit for Brian Cook to add one additional duplex to the Sage Manor PUD at 130 East 480 South, near the middle school. Cook was not present. The planning commission recommended approval unanimously.
The key condition: when Cook originally received approval for the PUD, he was required to provide green space and amenities for tenants. That has not been done yet. The planning commission added a condition that no occupancy will be granted for the new duplex until those amenities are in place. This is the last structure the site can accommodate given the green space requirement.
Birch moved, Dalene seconded. Approved unanimously.
No City Manager Report
The city manager was traveling and did not present a report. Nordfelt joked that ending the meeting quickly would beat former council member Margie Anderson’s record for shortest meeting. The council obliged.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:17 PM.
Why It Matters
This was a cleanup meeting. The four action items were either routine (the wastewater survey), previously discussed (the UAMPS agreement), or procedural (the street standards and duplex permit). None of them were controversial. All four passed unanimously.
The UAMPS power pooling agreement is the most consequential item on the agenda, even though it got the least discussion. That is because the council did the work at the March 18 meeting, where Daniels walked through the details. The agreement locks Ephraim into the new market framework effective May 1 and makes each member city individually responsible for covering any power shortfall at market rates. As covered in the March 18 recap, Ephraim currently covers about 80% of its peak load capacity, with energy demand growing at roughly 8% per year.
The private street ordinance update is a small but practical change. Requiring 26-foot asphalt widths on private roads and codifying the sidewalk requirement removes ambiguity for developers and ensures emergency vehicles can access every development in the city.
What Comes Next
The UAMPS Extended Day-Ahead Market launches May 1, 2026. Ephraim is now authorized to participate.
The fire inspection ordinance that was tabled at the March 18 meeting did not appear on this agenda and is expected to return at a future meeting after the city attorney resolves the drafting issue.
Water and sewer rate adjustments, discussed at length during the March 18 meeting, remain under consideration. No action has been taken. Those conversations will continue.
The next regular Ephraim City Council meeting is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Ephraim City Council Chambers, 5 South Main, Ephraim. The meeting is open to the public. Ephraim City Council meetings are live streamed on YouTube (@EphraimCityUtah). 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 April 1, 2026 Ephraim City Council meeting recording, streamed on YouTube (@EphraimCityUtah). Resolution and ordinance details were cross-referenced with the official agenda packet posted on Utah Public Meeting Notice (pmn.utah.gov), including the full text of ECR 26-06, ECR 26-07, ECO 26-05, and the Cook Duplex staff report. The approved minutes from the March 18, 2026 meeting were also referenced. Council member names and contact information were verified against Utah PMN’s public body listing for Ephraim City Council. For corrections, email info@sanpeteserves.com.
