Ann Leppanen serves as the Mayor of Bluff, according to a midterm council vacancy notice issued on October 8, 2025. In this capacity, she has overseen several legislative developments aimed at managing the town's land use and noise levels. As of October 7, 2025, Leppanen was a signatory on Ordinance 2025-07-10, which addressed a municipal disconnection request. This ordinance, adopted by a majority of the Bluff Town Council on October 7, 2025, disconnected a 640-acre property known as Section 16, Township 40 South, Range 22 East (SLM) from the Town of Bluff municipal jurisdiction. This decision followed a period of litigation where the Town elected to grant the disconnection for the private acres owned by petitioners Kim E. Acton and Ida E. Acton, while maintaining jurisdiction over approximately 8,874 acres owned or managed by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Saint Christopher’s Episcopal Mission (St. Christophers).
Leppanen's role also involves the regulation of noise and aviation-related land use. A draft ordinance dated September 19, 2025, for an Airport Overlay Ordinance identifies Leppanen as the Mayor of Bluff, Utah. This proposed ordinance sought to create an Airport Overlay Zone covering all land within 5,000 feet of the Bluff Airport to comply with state law and prevent airplane-related hazards and nuisances. The draft provisions included a requirement for landowners within the zone to grant an avigation easement to the Town as a condition of receiving certain permits. Additionally, Leppanen was listed as a presiding official on a draft ordinance dated October 16, 2025, regarding the regulation of engine brake and dynamic braking devices. This ordinance aimed to regulate noise pollution to preserve the rural nature of the town, proposing that it would be unlawful for a driver to operate an engine brake within town limits, except during an emergency situation.
Administrative duties also include managing municipal vacancies. According to a notice published on October 8, 2025, the Town Council was seeking applications for a mid-term vacancy on the Bluff Town Council. This vacancy was created because Luanne Hook was serving a term that was set to end on the first Tuesday of January 2026. The notice directed interested candidates to submit applications to Mayor Ann Leppanen at ann@townofbluffutah.gov. For further information regarding this vacancy, the town directed inquiries to Leppanen via that email address or by telephone at 435-672-9990. The town's administrative processes, including the certification of ordinances, are managed by the Town Recorder, Linda Sosa.
What this means for Bluff
For Bluff residents, the work of Mayor Ann Leppanen involves managing complex land disputes and implementing ordinances to control noise. Her role includes overseeing the selection of new council members to fill vacancies and regulating how land near the airport is developed to ensure community safety and peace.
