Council tables ordinance restricting landscaping in easements and near fire hydrants for clearer definitions

Mayor Jeff Jensen presented Ordinance 697 on second reading, an ordinance framed to prohibit landscaping and other obstructions in town easements and access areas to fire hydrants and infrastructure.

Council members engaged in a lengthy discussion focused on definitional clarity — distinguishing right-of-way from easement, permitting for landscaping and driveways, drainage and stormwater management, and liability related to removal of materials placed in the right-of-way. After discussion, Council Member Dirk Hillyard moved to table Ordinance 697 for further definition work; Council Member Scott Griffith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Mayor Jensen instructed Mr. Brandon Taylor to clarify the definitions of right-of-way and easement, outline the permitting process for landscaping and driveways within those areas, and address drainage, stormwater management and liability considerations. The ordinance remains on the agenda for future action once those clarifications are returned to the council.

The council did not adopt substantive changes at this meeting; tabling preserves the second-reading status while staff prepare clarified language for future consideration.