Alpine residents who planned to speak at the July 28 public hearing on staff compensation won't get that chance yet. The city has postponed the hearing with no new date announced.

City Recorder DeAnn Parry posted a formal notice on Thursday, July 23, stating that the public hearing scheduled for July 28 at 6:00 p.m. at Alpine City Hall regarding a budget amendment has been postponed. The notice did not give a reason for the delay.

"An official notice will be posted when it is rescheduled," Parry wrote.

The July 28 council meeting itself will still proceed. Its agenda includes a separate action item on executive officer compensation, a site plan approval for Long Range Shooters of Utah, and presentations on the Parks Master Plan, a sculpture garden, and a revenue overview.

What the hearing was about

The postponed hearing was the next step in a months-long process to adjust city employee pay. On June 23, the council voted 4-1 to adopt the FY2027 final budget with all compensation increases excluded, requiring staff raises to come back through a budget amendment and public hearing. Council member Chrissy Hannemann cast the lone dissenting vote on tabling the executive pay ordinance that night.

A work session on the compensation study, market comparisons, and long-term fiscal impacts followed on June 30.

On July 14, the council voted 4-0 (Brent Rummler excused) to approve a 4 percent raise for staff, split between a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for every employee and a 2 percent equity allocation at management discretion, effective July 1. The package also includes a 1 percent performance bonus upon completion of an annual review. Council member Chrissy Hannemann noted the total cost of the 4 percent staff raise across all employees was approximately $38,000.

The council also voted 4-0 that night to approve a 2 percent COLA and 1 percent retention bonus for executive officers City Administrator Shane Sorensen and Assistant City Administrator/City Planner Caden Lyon, effective September 1.

Under Utah Code Section 10-3-818, Alpine City must hold a public hearing with at least seven days' notice before executive officers can receive a compensation increase. That legal requirement is why the budget amendment hearing was scheduled in the first place.

What's next

No rescheduled date has been announced. Residents can monitor alpineut.gov or contact the City Recorder's office at 801-756-6347, ext. 3, for updates on when the hearing will be rescheduled.