City Council - February 4, 2025

Meeting Summary

The Lehi City Council held its annual budget retreat on February 4 at the Lehi Public Safety Building — a full-day working session where elected officials and city staff outlined priorities for the coming fiscal year before the formal FY2026 budget process begins. No votes were taken; the retreat is a planning and goal-setting exercise. The morning session featured presentations from department heads on the city's fiber broadband network, elections administration, power purchase adjustments, and a legislative session overview. In the afternoon, the council heard from a guest speaker on artificial intelligence in local government and reviewed the results of Lehi's recent citizen survey conducted by Y2 Analytics. Transportation emerged as a top priority for the mayor and council. Mayor Mark Johnson emphasized the need to coordinate with UDOT, state legislators, and neighboring cities on regional road improvements, specifically naming the North Shore freeway near Utah Lake as a key long-term project. Council members also pressed for light rail and TRAX service to Lehi, with Councilmember Paul Hancock noting that state officials had previously committed to extending TRAX to Lehi when Adobe relocated to the area. On parks, the council discussed advancing work at Family Park — including a possible ice rink — as well as Dry Creek Reservoir and Rhodes-Mellor Park, with Hancock noting that Rhodes-Mellor may require a bond given its scale. Several new initiatives were also discussed. Councilmember Heather Newall advocated for a dedicated performance arts facility, calling Lehi's current 100-seat children's theater insufficient for a city of its size. A Legacy Center expansion and improved library funding were also raised. On operational priorities, the council expressed interest in streaming meetings to YouTube, redesigning the city website with an AI-powered assistant, and improving the quality of resident interactions with city staff. Councilmember Michelle Stallings called for prioritizing deferred maintenance and sidewalk completion, citing resident feedback from the city survey. Affordable housing policy, emergency preparedness, downtown revitalization, station area plans, parental leave, and the PARC Tax were also discussed during the afternoon session. Staff were directed to return with more specific goals and budget proposals for the formal budget cycle later in the spring.