Gunnison plans land trade, appoints Brian Nielson to council

GUNNISON — The Gunnison City Council voted to declare city-owned land near Peacock Springs as surplus, appointed a new councilmember, reviewed police activity from 2025, and received updates on major infrastructure funding during its Jan. 7 meeting at City Hall.
The council unanimously declared approximately 29 acres of city-owned land near Peacock Springs surplus following a public hearing and approved a related land-for-services transaction with Lyle Young Welding intended to provide the city with a new public works storage building.
City Administrator Dennis Marker told the council the city owns 32.86 acres near Peacock Springs, which was once improved as a municipal drinking water source but is now used only for secondary irrigation due to water quality concerns. The land was originally acquired to protect the city’s interest in the spring and associated infrastructure.
Marker said the city will retain three acres surrounding the spring, fenced facilities, and access points, along with permanent easements for vehicle access, pipelines and overflow drainage. The remaining acreage consists largely of steep and highly wooded slopes that lie outside city limits under Sanpete County RA-1 zoning, which does not meet frontage requirements for residential development.
County records list the 2025 assessed value of the entire parcel at $23,278, or about $708 per acre.
“The value of this ground to the city is really making sure we can protect our water source. Beyond that, it has very minimal asset value to the city,” Marker said.
Under the approved transaction, Gunnison City will convey the surplus acreage and provide a city water service connection to Lyle Young Welding, which owns adjacent property east of town. In exchange, Lyle Young Welding will construct a 40-by-60-foot public works storage building for the city at 350 South 100 East.
Marker said the estimated value of the building exceeds $80,000, not including the water connection, which staff estimated at approximately $10,000. The agreement requires the adjacent landowner to grant permanent easements and rights-of-way necessary for city access, maintenance, and potential future expansion of water infrastructure.
No public comments were submitted during the hearing. The council authorized Mayor Mike Wanner to execute the necessary property conveyance and construction agreements.
The meeting also included interviews to fill a mid-term vacancy on the city council that was created when Wanner resigned from his council seat after being sworn in as mayor.
The council interviewed Brian Nielson, Joshua Flake, Steven Saulter and Shawn Crane, asking each candidate the same set of questions related to water infrastructure, economic development, housing, zoning, and council decision-making. After two rounds of voting, the council unanimously appointed Nielson, and City Recorder Valerie Andersen administered the oath of office.
Earlier in the meeting, Gunnison Valley Police Chief Jason Adamson presented department activity statistics for 2024, reporting 1,159 calls for service during the year. Adamson came on board at the department in October 2024.
“About 32 percent of all our citations in 2024 came in the last two months after I took over,” Adamson told the council.
Adamson said traffic enforcement focused on Main Street, school zones and residential areas in Gunnison and Centerfield.
“I call this correct policing,” Adamson said. “We’re out there enforcing the law, but we’re also issuing a lot of warnings, and I haven’t had anybody complain they were treated unfairly.”
Adamson announced the department received a $15,000 DUI grant to purchase new in-car camera systems that integrate with body cameras and radar equipment.
He also reported the department received four licenses for Tranquility AI investigative software, an investigative tool used for scouring and processing huge amounts of video, audio and digital data in very little time through the power of artificial intelligence. The AI software licenses were purchased for the department by an outside benefactor, resulting in no cost for GVPD.
During staff reports, Marker updated the council on several major infrastructure funding awards and pending projects.
Marker said the city received more than $444,000 from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to match Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration funding for business park infrastructure. The funds will support road improvements and utility extensions east of the cemetery road.
Marker also reported the city is working through requirements for a $5 million federal Community Project Funding grant, which requires a 25% local match, and is coordinating with federal agencies to clarify eligible matching sources.
In addition, Marker told the council the Community Impact Board was scheduled to finalize authorization of a $2.7 million loan at 1% interest over 30 years for the Tarr Canyon Water Project. He said the city plans to minimize use of the loan by leveraging available grant funding where possible.
The council later entered executive session to discuss pending litigation and real property matters.