Bountiful leaders reject 4,000-signature petition for vote on City Hall rebuild

BOUNTIFUL — The Bountiful City Council last week rejected a 4,126-signature petition to put a $16 million plan to build a new City Hall and plaza before voters.

Now petitioners are accusing city leaders of ignoring their constituents and threatening legal action against the city to force the ballot initiative.

But city leaders say their rejection of the petition is on strong legal footing since the decision was "administrative, not legislative," and they argue that disagreeing with a large group of residents doesn't mean they aren't listening.

The City Council set the plan for a new City Hall into motion in October, despite a council chamber packed with residents expressing strong opposition.

Residents — at times shouting from their seats — complained that the project was expensive and unneeded. City leaders countered that it would help bring business to Bountiful's downtown and flush the city with about $18 million in new Redevelopment Agency funds.

The plan entails demolishing the historic Stoker Elementary School, 75 E. 200 South, and a soccer field for the relocated City Hall and new plaza.

The petition called for the City Council's vote in October to proceed with the City Hall plans and enter into a contract with Hogan Construction to be referred to voters in the 2017 November election.

To Bountiful resident and petitioner Bret Hutchings, the council's unanimous vote Jan. 27 to reject the petition was a slap in the face to the voters who elected them.

"It's just so disheartening," Hutchings said. "It's very evident that they have their own agenda, and they don't really care what their residents want. They think they're doing what's right, but the point is at the end of the day — on a topic this big and expensive — the voters should have a say."

He said he and other petitioners worry the city's plan is unnecessary and too costly, pointing out that a recent city study on Bountiful's current City Hall stated it would need $6.5 million in renovations to make the building structurally sound for the next 40 years.

But City Manager Gary Hill said the council has not ignored their constituents, noting that their decision was preceded by extensive study. He said not only does the city have a building that was "falling into disrepair" with a leaky roof and structural issues, but the city also needed to renew its Redevelopment Agency area and demonstrate to taxing entities that the city had a viable plan in place to "redevelop itself."

Related:

Bountiful City Council OKs plans for new City Hall

Despite strong opposition from some residents, the Bountiful City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to move forward with plans to construct a new City Hall and plaza with an estimated price tag of $13 million to $14 million.

That could be accomplished through the relocation of City Hall to revitalize Bountiful's downtown with an outdoor plaza, Hill said. The building would cost $13 million and the plaza is estimated to cost $3 million.

"So in exchange for another $6.5 million, we're going to receive $18 million in returns from the Redevelopment Agency," he said. "That's why city leaders think this is a good idea."

Hill added: "The council has definitely listened. They just don't agree with those that are opposed. There's a distinction between listening and agreeing."

Additionally, regardless of whether the council approved or rejected it, the petition would not be referable to voters because the council's October vote to enter into a contract with a construction company was determined by city attorneys to be an "administrative" decision, which isn't subject to a referendum, Hill said.

Petitioner Bryan Anderson called the City Council's rejection "disappointing," arguing that city leaders shouldn't ignore 4,000-plus signatures on a "technicality."

"Heaven forbid the residents have some input on how their taxpayer money is spent," he said.

In a prepared statement, Bountiful Mayor Randy Lewis said the decision was "not just some technicality."

"If residents could refer every decision they disagree with, it would cripple a city's ability to provide services efficiently," Lewis said. "We have city councils for a reason. We elect our neighbors to take the time to study issues in detail and make informed decisions in the best interest of all of Bountiful. Not everyone will agree with every decision, but representative government works."

Councilwoman Kendalyn Harris said she couldn't speak for the rest of the council, but personally she is "disappointed" that the referendum wasn't referable to voters. However, Harris noted that while she wasn't in full support of a new City Hall, she still voted to advance the plans because of what it would mean for the city's downtown and RDA funds.

"There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle," she said. "But I do think its important to listen to these thousands of residents — it isn't something that should be taken lightly," she said.

Harris said she hopes city leaders will work with petitioners to reach a "compromise."

Petitioner Dean Collingwood said he and other co-sponsors of the petition plan to file a writ with the 2nd District Court in Farmington, asking a judge to determine the legal definition of the city's master plan and whether the council's vote on the City Hall plan would be referable to voters.

Hutchings, however, said it shouldn't take legal action to get city leaders to listen to their constituents.

"Let's avoid the court cost," he said. "Let's avoid that and do what's right."

Construction for the new City Hall and plaza is slated for spring.

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