The Cedar City Council moved several items toward formal votes during its Oct. 21 work meeting, according to a report published Oct. 31. The discussed items included a 500,000-cubic-yard gravel lease amendment, the city's first formal budget policy, and a security camera contract for the airport terminal.
The proposed budget policy serves as the city's first formal written framework for managing its annual budget alongside requirements from the Utah Fiscal Procedures Act. According to the Finance Director's staff report, the policy aims to promote long-term sustainability, encourage conservative revenue forecasts, and clarify the roles of the mayor, council, city manager, finance director, and department directors. The draft specifies that the city will not use one-time revenue for ongoing expenditures unless deemed appropriate and sustainable, and it requires a review at least every three years.
Regarding the airport, staff recommended awarding a terminal camera expansion contract to DSI National for a base bid of $51,548.73. This bid was lower than a $101,170 bid from HEI Security LLC and fell under a $60,000 budgeted estimate. The project, which involves migrating 13 existing cameras, installing 15 new cameras, and converting access control on 10 doors, requires completion by Dec. 4. Additionally, staff requested approval to negotiate a five-year agreement with Ardurra, which ranked first in a qualifications-based scoring process for a planning consultant position.
The council also reviewed an amendment for a gravel-mining lease with Coal Creek, LLC. The company currently leases about 16.14 acres of city land west of Bulldog Road and south of the old wastewater treatment plant. While the original 20-year lease capped mining at 500,000 cubic yards, staff reported that approximately 466,000 cubic yards have been mined so far. The company has requested to mine an additional 500,000 cubic yards. However, the council asked the city manager to negotiate a higher royalty rate than the current 80 cents per cubic yard before the item returns to the action agenda, noting that royalties currently run roughly $1 to $1.25 per cubic yard.
During the meeting, residents of the Cedar Ridge area expressed concerns regarding off-road vehicle traffic and wildfire risk. The council agreed to coordinate with the fire and police departments to bring mitigation options to a future action agenda.
