Ivins City Council Oct. 15: Mojave Village Approved

This is a summary of the Ivins City Council's regular meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2026, based on the official meeting minutes posted in the city's meeting archive. Approval of the October 15 minutes was listed on the consent agenda for the November 5, 2026 Council meeting. The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. with all five Council Members present; Mayor Kevin Smith arrived at 5:53 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m. You can watch it on the Ivins Meetings page.

Mojave Village: Land Use/Zone Amendment Approved (Option B, 312 Units)

Agenda items: "Continued discussion to consider approval of Ordinance No. 2026-24, an Ordinance of Ivins City, Utah, approving a Concurrent Land Use/Zone Amendment" and "Continued discussion of a Conditional Use Permit/Development Agreement for Mojave Village, located at approximately Guy Lane and Fitness Way." The minutes say the Council addressed the two items jointly.

According to the minutes, the Mayor and Council reviewed revised Mojave Village layouts, including Options A and B. Discussion addressed residential lot sizes, the location of Resort Commercial units, buffers, affordability and first-time homebuyer opportunities, owner-occupancy restrictions, building sizes, traffic, infrastructure, wildland-urban-interface requirements and proposed Development Agreement amendments. The minutes state that Option B was supported, with 312 total units including an amenity unit, and affordable housing measures applicable to 23 homes. Those measures include a maximum average home size of 1,300 square feet, an initial 90-day marketing period for first-time homebuyers, a subsequent 90-day period for primary-residence buyers, and a two-year owner-occupancy requirement.

The minutes also record the City Attorney's explanation that four approvals are involved: a Zone Change with an Ordinance, a Land Use Change, a Development Agreement and a Conditional Use Permit, all conditioned upon each other.

Outcome: The Council approved Ordinance No. 2026-24 "based on Option B which would total 312 units, subject to approval of the Conditional Use Permit/Development Agreement," including the Summary of Affordable Housing Conditions with the average home size changed from 1,400 to 1,300 square feet, the changes proposed in Council Member Mike Scott's October 14 memo, and the two-year requirement. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote, 5-0.

Documents: Ordinance - Draft - Updated Oct 15 2026, Mojave Village - Option B - Lot Layout Plan, Concurrent Land Use Zoning Amendment Application, Land Use Plan Map 09.28.2026, CUP/Development Agreement (updated with all attachments), Proposed Changes to Mojave Village Development Agreement Oct 14 2026, Encouraging Smaller Homes and First Time Homeownership, Developer Response to Summary of Affordable Housing Provisions. All other Mojave Village exhibits are on the meeting documents page.

Four Code Updates Tied to State Law

The Council held four public hearings on Planning Commission recommendations. The minutes note no comments at the first three hearings; at the fourth, a resident asked about the process for reporting potential conflicts and seeking removal of a member, and the procedures were explained. Each ordinance passed unanimously on a roll call vote, 5-0:

Ordinance No. 2026-15, "updating references in Ivins City Code to the Utah Municipal Land Use, Development and Management Act." Approved as presented. (Ordinance draft, hearing notice)
Ordinance No. 2026-19, "amending the definition of a 'Model Home' to ensure model home is regulated the same as a residential use." The minutes say this responds to Senate Bill 284. Approved with two changes: adopting the State's definition of a model home and eliminating model homes from the Table of Uses. (Ordinance draft, hearing notice)
Ordinance No. 2026-20, "establishing a process to evaluate a Proposed Use that is not included on the Table of Uses in Title 16, Chapter 33 of the Ivins City Code." Approved with one word in Section 16.11.105(3)(b) changed from "for" to "will allow." (Ordinance draft, hearing notice)
Ordinance No. 2026-21, "amending the regulations governing the Ivins City Planning Commission to describe the causes for which a Member may be removed and to provide requirements for recusal." Approved as presented. (Ordinance draft, hearing notice)

Spending and Property Items

SCADA system upgrade: The minutes describe the upgrade as replacing outdated monitoring and notification software for the City's water and wastewater systems. Approved unanimously for $38,707, including a 10% contingency and monthly licensing and cellular service. (Staff report)
300 South right-of-way: "Discuss and consider approval of right-of-way dedication for City-owned property along 300 South and authorization for the Mayor to execute the necessary documents." Approved unanimously. (Staff report)
Trail Gap Fill project: About 460 feet of trail along the south side of Snow Canyon Parkway between Black Desert Resort North Village and Docena Drive. The Council awarded the construction contract to Suncore Construction for $45,900 plus $4,590 contingency, a total authorization of $50,490. Approved unanimously. (Staff report)
Community Garden MOU: A Memorandum of Understanding for the City's use of privately owned property behind the Main Street Mojave Estates Park for a community garden. Approved unanimously, with the motion stating the project would use RAP tax funds if it goes forward this year, or otherwise be placed on the 2028 budget. (Staff report, MOU)

Employee Core Benefits

Agenda item: "Discuss and consider approval of Resolution No. 2026-16R, a Resolution of Ivins City, Utah, approving Employee Core Benefits." The minutes report that the City budgeted a 6% increase in medical benefit costs and the actual increase was 4.9%. Changes listed include a $500 monthly health insurance opt-out incentive for eligible employees with other group coverage, an additional $100 HSA match for Employee +1 and Family high-deductible plans, and a benefits consolidation application replacing existing employee assistance and telehealth platforms at no additional cost. Outcome: Approved unanimously on a roll call vote, 5-0. (Updated Resolution 2026-16R, Memo)

Other Business

Fire station remodel and expansion: The minutes say the project "remains in a holding pattern." No vote.
Land Use Plan Map: Work continues on a presentation for the Planning Commission, anticipated for its November 17 meeting. No vote.
Reports: Youth City Council report, an Arts Commission Featured Student Artist presentation, department reports (Building, Public Works, Engineering, Finance) and a Planning Commission report. The minutes note the City Manager stated that the Anasazi Commons annexation was not on the agenda and would not be discussed.
Consent agenda: Approved unanimously, including the October 1, 2026 City Council minutes.

Sources

Related: Ivins City Council: Oct. 1 Actions & Nov. 5 Hearings and Ivins City Council Nov. 5 Agenda: Audit & 2027 Schedule. Thinking about living here? See Ivins homes for sale or go back to the homepage.

These documents are copies of the City of Ivins records. For the authoritative version, check the official City of Ivins records at ivins.granicus.com and ivinsutah.gov.