Tremonton City
2024 State of the City
Lyle Holmgren, Mayor

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe 2023 has come and gone. For me, the new year represents an opportunity to make resolutions and set new goals. It is also a time to reflect on the year we just experienced and what was accomplished. My hope is as we grow, Tremonton will continue to be a place where neighbors feel connected to each other and enjoy life. Over the past year, we’ve come a long way in achieving that vision, and while there are still many challenges, I’m proud of what we have accomplished together to position Tremonton for a better future. Make no mistake, Tremonton is a vibrant and welcoming community.

As I reflect on 2023, I can’t help but think of all that was achieved. I am grateful for our employees and their accomplishments, for our city council and planning commission, and their vision, wisdom, and dedication to our city.

A few months ago, I shared some of the results from a 2022 survey conducted by Utah State University where citizens in Tremonton were asked to participate in the Utah Wellbeing Project. Respondents were asked where their moderate or major concerns were. Water supply led the list with 91% of respondents expressing moderate or major concerns, followed by roads (84%), affordable housing (79%), and public safety (77%). It has now been almost two years since that survey was conducted. I would like to report on what we have done to help alleviate these concerns.

Water

Water was the number one concern of survey respondents with 91 percent expressing moderate to major concerns over the availability of culinary water, especially as the city grows. These concerns are widespread and reasonable. For several years, annual residential and industrial demand for culinary water was increasing, then for about one week during the summers of 2017 and again in 2018, demand for culinary water exceeded the city-owned culinary water supply. There was sufficient supply in our storage tanks and from the Bear River Conservancy District to handle the increased demand, but it was still a cause for concern.

Secondary Water. Expansion of the City’s secondary water system has been key to Tremonton’s ongoing water use and preservation efforts. In 2017, the city started making plans for an ambitious secondary water project. The Bear River Canal system has three canals that pass through and around Tremonton providing the city with a stable source of secondary water. Developing the secondary water system would leverage our high-quality culinary water for commercial and indoor residential use.

In 2018, Tremonton City began purchasing water shares from willing sellers and requiring residential and commercial developers to provide the city with water shares equal to the ground that would be irrigated by homeowners or commercial businesses in their development.

The city has worked closely with the Bear River Canal Company to make sure that farmers who rely on the canal system for irrigation would not be negatively impacted by homeowners using secondary water. The plan is for the city to develop two equalization basins, or large reservoirs along the central and east canals. These basins are strategically located along the canal system so they can fill when secondary water demand is low, and then release the stored water into the canal system when demand is high, equalizing the flow in the canal system and providing a steady flow to farmers downstream. Our goal is to be good stewards of this natural resource, to be good neighbors with agriculture, and to conserve water wherever possible.

In 2023, Service Area 5 was completed, connecting 587 homes including North Park School, Library Park, North Park, and churches to our secondary water system. This winter and spring, Service Area 4 will be constructed, connecting an additional 493 homes, parks, churches, McKinley School, and the cemetery to secondary water. Service Area 4 will be entirely paid for by a $2 million grant from the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Board of Water Resources. By the close of 2024, much of Tremonton will have access to secondary water.

As new growth comes to Tremonton, the city will require all new residential and commercial developments to install secondary water infrastructure in their developments and provide the city with the associated water shares needed for the irrigation of lawns and gardens.

Our secondary water project is performing very well. Last year, Tremonton residents saved more than 130 million gallons of culinary water. These savings are not only from switching over to secondary water but through conservation practices. Many households are conserving water by putting landscape rock in their park strips or incorporating other local-scaping techniques to conserve water. As a result, even though the number of Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) has increased in the city, we are using less water per household, especially during peak summer months, increasing culinary water capacity in the city.

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ARS). What if we could store the city’s excess spring water during the winter months in an existing aquifer, and then, when water demand is high during the summer, pump the water from that aquifer to the city’s water system, increasing the city’s supply of culinary water? That makes sense, right?

One of our major year-round supplies of culinary water comes from the springs north of Deweyville. Through a process known as an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) system, the city can store excess water from city-owned springs in a city owned aquifer. Then when water demand is high, retrieve that water from the aquifer, providing an additional source of high-quality culinary water. The system will be installed in 2024 and will be paid for with grant funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO).

Roads

The upkeep of existing roads and the construction of important transportation corridors is a major part of the city’s responsibility. It is also the second most concern for our residents with 84 percent of survey respondents expressing moderate to major concerns.

Chip Seal. During the summer, crews laid a chip seal on many of the city’s streets followed by a flush coat of tacky oil. The chip seal and fog coat will help preserve the life expectancy of our surface and collector streets where the secondary water pipe was installed last year.

1000 West Street. Crews milled two inches from the surface of 1000 West from Main Street, along the fairgrounds to the railroad tracks to remove the potholes, cracks, and other deterioration followed by a 3-inch paving.

1000 North Street. The city is currently securing slope easements from property owners to improve and widen 1000 North Street from approximately 2100 West to approximately 2650 West. Construction will begin during the summer of 2024.

Police

Increase Community-Oriented Policing. As you know, the backbone of our community is our citizens. Our police department will continue to serve them with selflessness. The department has adopted the following motto/vision statement, “Standing together for a safer tomorrow”.

Their objective is to work cohesively with our public to improve public safety, reduce crime, and create an environment of trust. In the words of Sir Robert Peel, “The Police are the Public; the Public are the Police.” We are on the same team! We both want a community that is a safe place to raise our families and be with our friends.

Increase crime statistics! Yes, you read that correctly. We want to see our crime rate and statistical crime data increase! A major benefit of proper staffing is our newfound ability to shift from reactive to proactive policing.

As a result, we will not simply respond to crime. We will actively seek out crime, criminals, and those who prey on our community. We have started to scratch the surface of this objective. During the last year, we have arrested Box Elders’s most wanted, arrested multiple child sex offenders, and disrupted four narcotic distribution operations.

This proactive work will show an increased crime rate, which is a good thing! The long-term goal is to seek out crime, remove problems, and create lasting change in our communities.

Increasing and Retaining Officers. In 2023, Tremonton City Council proposed an increase to the city’s portion of the property tax assessment to help fund five new positions in our police department (one sergeant, three officers, and one civilian office staff). This funding also provides the necessary vehicles, personal gear, equipment, fuel, and building upgrades for these new officers to do their job.

The police profession has changed drastically over the past ten years and hiring and retention is a major issue in law enforcement today.

We will continue to work to keep our very best employees. Last year, officer wellness efforts, training, equipment, and recognition were all greatly improved, and the department is working to ensure that each person who works for the Tremonton Police Department feels valued and cared for.

The Retention rate of officers has improved in this incredibly competitive market. In 2024, the police department will focus on an employee mentorship program, increased leadership training, and working with our city leadership to stay competitive in this ever-evolving police market.

Fire/EMS

The Tremonton Fire Department is now a full-time, paid-per-call, volunteer fire/EMS department, increasing the on-duty staffing to four people per shift 24/7 365 days a year. We hired three very qualified captains in the department and a full-time fire chief.

The department takes very good care of their fire trucks, ambulances, and other vehicles but there comes a time when some need to be replaced because of age. This year, they plan to order a new fire engine and ambulance.

These changes have improved public safety with training, business inspections, and better response times. The impact of having full-time EMS personnel on duty was significant. Response times from dispatch to en route decreased from an average time of 6:01 minutes in 2021 to 3:32 minutes in 2023, a 41 percent decrease in response time, a critical improvement that can save lives.

Firefighters as well as our police officers take an oath to serve and protect our community. These public servants have demonstrated unparalleled heroism and selfless service throughout the year.

I can think of no better example of this service than what occurred last September.

In the early morning of September 30th, Cynthia was traveling near Thatcher when her vehicle left the road and rolled into the canal. She was trapped in her seat under the water for an unknown period. Through the efforts of an off-duty Tremonton Firefighter, the on-duty crew that day, law enforcement, and a neighboring agency, Cynthia was pulled from her submerged vehicle, resuscitated on the bank of the canal, and transported to Bear River Valley Hospital where she was later flown for a higher level of care. Since that time, Cynthia has fully recovered from the injuries that were sustained on that day and has returned home where she continues to spend time with her family and friends.

Their decisive action, and exemplary teamwork in the face of adversity, undoubtedly saved a precious life that day and stand as a testament to our fire and police departments and their unwavering dedication to public service.

Affordable Housing

“The single greatest threat to our future prosperity, the American Dream, and our strong communities is the price of housing. Our kids will never be able to call Utah home if we don’t start building starter homes again,” Governor Spencer Cox.

In 2022, Tremonton City began working on strategies for developing moderate-income housing. The city is required to report to the State of Utah on progress towards these strategies annually. The City has budgeted the funds that are restricted in the development of affordable housing necessary to implement these strategies.

A couple of the strategies being considered are:

· Invest in the rehabilitation or expansion of critical infrastructure that facilitates the construction of moderate-income housing.

· We adopted a zoning ordinance to create or allow for, and reduce regulations related to, internal or detached accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) in residential zones.

Recent increases in mortgage interest rates have caused the housing market to slow down throughout the state and here in Tremonton. The pause in housing is giving our planning commission and city council time to further develop effective strategies, test those strategies, and report them to the state. And more importantly, provide more affordable housing opportunities for our community.

Parks, Recreation and Youth Leadership

For Tremonton, participating in city recreation programs is positively related to overall personal wellbeing.

Tremonton’s Parks and Recreation department is one of the leading parks and recreation departments in the state for communities our size. Our parks and recreation director was nominated as executive of the year at the Utah Parks and Recreation state conference in March and currently serves on the state board as the 2025 conference chair. Our Recreation Coordinators are recognized by the Utah Jazz for their innovation and leadership in our Jr. Jazz basketball program and provide youth sports programs for nearly 3,000 youth in our community.

Large Community Events such as the Summer Kickoff Party, Farmers Market, HayDays and Tremonton Lights brought people together to share in our community pride while smaller events like the Daddy-Daughter Dance, Softball and Pickleball tournaments, Midland Square Chalk Affair, and the Turkey Trot all provide a sense of belonging for our community.

Tremonton’s arts program has gained statewide recognition for its murals. Once again, Tremonton won “Best of State” for our public arts collection. In 2023, the city commissioned a mural to honor Chief Sagwitch and the Northwestern Band of Shoshone Indians who inhabited this land for generations.

Our amazing Youth City Council gave hundreds of hours of service to better our community and make it safer for all of us, but especially for young people. The council participated in local and state-wide government activities and learned how they can make a difference as young leaders.

Our goal for the upcoming year is to continue promote a greater sense of Health and Wellness for the community, our families, and each of us as individuals.

Midland Square Plaza

Although Midland Square is situated in the heart of downtown Tremonton and is beautifully landscaped, the space does not have facilities to accommodate public events or programs and the gathering of people.

Tremonton City received a Rural Communities Opportunity Grant, RDA funding, and other grants to fund the needed facilities to accommodate the gathering of people in Midland Square. Specifically, the granted funds will be used to construct a permanent stage area, additional power pedestals for vendors, and public restrooms, transforming Midland Square from a public park to a public plaza where the City will program events and activities with the economic objective of attracting new small businesses to Tremonton, increasing retail sales, and ultimately increasing sales tax revenue.

The reconfiguration of Midland Square in downtown Tremonton will better serve our community as a gathering place for activities and events. The changes to Midland Square should be constructed in 2024.

As you can see, much was accomplished in 2023 and there will be lots to do in 2024. I couldn’t be prouder of our employees, city council, planning commission, and volunteers. None of these accomplishments would have happened without them. I am proud to be a part of this community and your neighbor.

No matter whether you are a long-time resident, or just moved here. Whether you are a business owner on Main Street, commute to work, work from home, or are a student, each of can have a role to play in our community.

Since we all have a role, we need to listen to one another and learn to work together to build a unified vision of our future. When we listen to each other, we can’t help but make Tremonton a better place for all of us.

I believe we can do all this without compromising what makes our city special. Tremonton is a vibrant, growing community centered on family and quality of life for all generations. It is much more than just a great location. The city is a fiscally sound and full-service community, providing everything from top-quality public safety and infrastructure to parks and recreation, the library, and senior services.

So, in the coming year, let’s honor the past, treasure the present, and responsibly shape Tremonton’s future.

Come, Connect with us!