Rumor Has it


and hot topics

Rumor Has It

Welcome to the Rumor Has It page for Herriman City. This page is dedicated to clarifying information or dispelling any false rumors that may be floating around in the community. If you have a suggestion or a question you'd like addressed, you can submit a request by clicking "Submit a Rumor" below and filling out the form.




City Business

The rumor is true

The intersections of Bangerter Highway and 9800 South, 13400 South and 2700 West will be constructed into traditional interchanges as part of the Bangerter South project. For more information and updates visit udot.utah.gov/bangerter13400south/#/

For other construction updates within Herriman, visit the Construction Projects page. 


The rumor is false

At this point in time, the City does not have plans to run adult sports leagues. Youth leagues in Herriman are run by private organizations and any advertised adult leagues would also be independent and facilitated by a private organization who rents field space from the City.


The rumor is false

The City administration has had multiple conversations with the postmaster over the years about the need for a Herriman post office. At this time, with the decrease of traditional mail, the United States Postal Service does not have plans to construct additional post offices. 

For further clarification or understanding of the matter, please reach out to the local postmaster at (801)254-0367.


This rumor is true

All drone flights have a specific City or Police Department purpose. The City has purchased another drone with the intent to expand our use and take advantage of the technological advances that make our work more efficient at a lower cost.

The following are the ways in which the drones will be utilized:

  • Observe traffic patterns
  • Video areas for Planning and Development
  • Surface analysis and contours for Engineering, GIS, Parks, and Water
  • Search and rescue
  • Accident reconstruction
  • Aerial photogrammetry of developing areas
  • Analysis of drainages
  • Aerial photography for City marketing

Additionally, all of our pilots are properly licensed through the FAA which requires them to keep flight logs and submit flight plans to the FAA before they use the drones. These logs track when and where the drones fly, as well as the purpose of the flight.

This rumor is false

The City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and City Attorney are all members of the Administrative Branch and are not voting members on the Council.

The City Manager administers the daily operations of the City ensuring that the direction set by City Council is carried out.The City Council is the Legislative Branch, made up of 4 council members and 1 mayor. The Legislative Branch makes the laws and policy decisions for the City Manager to carry out.Herriman City is a Council/Manager form of Government. This form of government combines the strong political leadership of Elected Officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed City Manager. The Council/Manager form of government was created to combat corruption and unethical behavior by fostering professionalism, transparency, responsiveness and accountability.

This rumor is true

When finalizing the 2023 City event calendar, the City Council and City staff took a closer look at the financial aspects of each event the City hosts. It was determined that as much as the Enduro and MotoX dirt bike race events have been enjoyed over the years by the community, it was time to eliminate the City's significant financial support for the event in hopes to shift those funds to various other events throughout the year. Our longtime partner, Edge Powersports, is considering hosting the event with the City providing support in a very small capacity with much less financial obligation. Additional details will be released at a later date if it is determined that the event will once again take place.

This rumor is true

Herriman City has several pickleball courts planned for future park builds. However, these parks are not scheduled to be built for several years unless an outside source of funding becomes available. 

This rumor is true

Herriman City is working on a final plat map for the County to record before opening cemetery plots in section F of the Herriman Cemetery. This will be finalized early 2024. 




Development

The rumor is true

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is working on a phased development of Mountain View Corridor, where the current roadways will serve as frontage roads and the vacant space in the middle will become a full freeway.

In January 2024, UDOT started doing geotechnical work to observe soil conditions as part of the freeway design process. The first phase of freeway construction is expected to begin in late 2026. Full information about the Mountain View Corridor project can be found on UDOT's website.

The rumor is false

Though feedback was gathered on the conceptual design of Jackson Park, located at 11983 S Butte County Drive, in 2021, construction on the park will not begin until 2028 when funding has been planned for the project. 

The rumor is false

Here are the numbers from our GIS database:

Apartments - 2,316 built with 219 under construction

Multi-Family - 4,901 built with 252 under construction

Single Family - 10,360 built with 253 under construction

This means there are currently 17,577 total units in Herriman with 10,360, or 59%, single-family units.

*Data as of April 2022

The rumor is true

The City is working to address fiber-optic internet needs throughout the city. Currently, the City has a high speed internet task force made up of City staff and City Councilmembers who have been studying and weighing out various options.

The rumor is true

The Juniper Canyon Recreation Area is being built in phases. Phase one of the project was completed in the fall of 2022 with more phases to come as funding becomes available. Learn more.

The rumor is true

The completion of the intersection is development driven. As the properties adjacent to the roadway are completed, so too will the road be completed by the developer. It was once anticipated this road and intersection would be completed by 2019; however, changes to the development team associated with the property leave the City unsure at this moment when this property, road, and intersection will be completed. The developer is currently grading the area but at this point in time there is no solid timeline for the finished projects.

The rumor is false

A community swimming pool has been included in the Parks Master Plan but this amenity has not been funded at this moment in time.

This rumor is false

Every piece of property within city limits has designated zoning conditions. Property owners may choose to develop their land, as long as that development complies with current approved zoning and city land development code. If a property owner wishes to develop in a way that doesn’t comply with the property’s current zone, the owner may petition the City Council for a re-zone. The City Council is responsible for ensuring that re-zone aligns with the City’s adopted General Plan.

How businesses establish a presence:

  1. Property owner is willing to have a commercially zoned area developed
  2. Property owner connects with potential business owner
  3. Business owner becomes interested in the land
  4. Business may commence building process if it meets the requirements of zoning and City Land Development Code

It’s ultimately up to the property owner to connect with potential businesses to fill commercial zones, as the City cannot force a landowner to develop their property. The City has an economic development team on staff who encourage businesses and property owners to collaborate on potential commercial projects (essentially, the economic development team can help serve as matchmakers).


This rumor is false

The construction of a TRAX train line (or any type of mass transit) in Herriman is ultimately up to the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and their funding capability. Herriman City is currently preserving a corridor through the city in case mass transit eventually makes its way into Herriman, but neither UTA nor the City can confirm if or when it will happen.

The Wasatch Front Regional Council has developed and adopted a long-range (RTP) and short-range (TIP) transportation improvement program. The RTP is updated every four years and the TIP is updated annually. These long-range plans are continually analyzed and can change over time.


This rumor is true

The City is working with a development partner to create an auto mall along Mountain View Corridor between Midas Creek and Herriman Boulevard (12600 South). The project is years in the making and is expected to generate a much-needed increase in sales tax revenue for the City. Learn more.


This rumor is false

To understand the building process for schools, from site selection all the way through to the first day of classes, you must first understand who actually determines the location for each new school to be built on. While the Jordan School District (JSD) and Herriman City have a great working relationship, the City does not have any type of final say in where schools will be placed, as a school district or charter school is a permitted use in every zone, based on requirements in the state statute.

However, this in no way means that schools aren’t carefully planned and strategically placed or that the district does whatever it wants without regard for other parties input. On the contrary, during the site selection process JSD works closely with landowners, Davis Demographics, and Herriman City to determine the needs of the area according to population growth and projections in prospective locations.

The next step in the process is the consideration of aspects such the cost of land, budget limits, main areas of large population growth, available locations, and the best way to ease burdens on existing schools. After this is complete, JSD then weighs the best overall options and vigilantly continues forward in planning the appropriate number of schools, infrastructure, and other needs in the most effective areas while taking into account the City’s General Plan.

After the site has been selected, JSD holds a public board meeting about the property and the proposed new school site. You can find the agendas for JSD meetings at on their website.

Once the land is secured and the go-ahead is given, the plans for the school itself begin. Throughout this whole process, the decisions lie with the district, not with the City. That being said, JSD continues to work closely with Herriman regarding traffic studies, potential community impacts, and other planning items such as the look and feel of the building and surrounding school grounds even though they are not required to do so. Both parties make a great effort to make sure that the concerns of the surrounding communities and their residents are always kept in focus and have their long-term best interests in mind.

Building schools is important to our community and our children’s future. Rather than playing catch up, JSD is attempting to be proactive and have the proper facilities ready and available beforehand as our corner of the valley continues to grow at an astounding rate.


This rumor is false

At this point in time, there are no plans to leave the Jordan School District as the taxing education provider for Herriman.





Fees and Money

This rumor is true

On weekends (Saturday and Sunday - not weekdays) and holidays between May 1-September 7, a $15 all-day parking fee will be charged for vehicles accessing Blackridge Reservoir. This fee, administered on-site by a contracted service, Diamond Parking, aims to reduce peak-time crowds, distribute visitors more evenly throughout the week, and help generate revenue to partially support reservoir operations. (City Council approved this on February 28, 2024.)

This rumor is true

The previous parking fine of $25 throughout the city has not proven sufficient to deter improperly parked cars nor come close to covering the costs of issuing and processing the fines. The Council has adopted an increased standard fine of $100 with a maximum of $200. Though the issue of illegal parking is concentrated at and near Blackridge Reservoir during peak summer times, it happens throughout the city. Parking regulations are in place to promote safety, including emergency access and clear driver views. (City Council approved this on March 13, 2024.)

This rumor is false

Aside from the temporary one-year increase specific to fire service funding, Herriman City has never raised its property tax rate since it incorporated in 1999. All increases in property taxes paid since that time have been due either to 1) other entities (school district, county, etc.) raising their rates or 2) an increase in property values.

Learn More

This rumor is true

Why does the City charge a $200.00 security deposit?

The deposit serves as a security for payment of service. Deposits reduce the amount of bad debt expense and establishes a good credit standing with the City, which in turn, saves customers money by helping to keep utility rates down.

How long will the deposit be held?

The deposit will be held for two years if the resident can demonstrate no more than two past due balances in that time frame. If the account is closed before the two-year period, the deposit will be applied to the termination billing and any remaining balance will be refunded in a check to the resident.

How will I receive my refund?

Once the resident has demonstrated the two-year period with no more than two past due balances, a check will be mailed to the resident.

Can I be exempt from the deposit?

Yes, a resident can be exempt from the $200.00 security deposit if you provide verification of no more than two past due balances in two years from the most recent previous water account holder. It can be a simple email, letter or statements reflecting your payment history.

How can I submit my previous water account history?

You can send it via email to water@herriman.org or you are welcome to bring it in to City Hall.

What if I already have history with Herriman City?

Please let us know of your previous water account with us so we can verify your history before we charge the $200.00 security deposit.

How soon do I have to turn in my previous water account history?

To avoid the $200.00 security deposit from showing up on your bill we suggest that you turn in your water account history within two weeks after we have received your water application. The due date that is reflecting on your first bill will be the very last day we will accept your previous water account history to waive the $200.00 deposit. We will not accept any account history after the due date on your first bill.

Is there any other payment history that would qualify for the exemption of the $200.00 security deposit?

We will accept a payment history from other cities/water companies, HOAs or landlords.

Do I have to pay the $200.00 security deposit up front?

No, if we do not receive verification of your history with a previous water account holder, we will attach the $200.00 security deposit to your first bill. If the $200.00 security deposit is not paid by the due date stated on the bill you may be subject to having your water shut off.




Health and Safety

This rumor is true

Every year, residents are allowed to light off fireworks for a space of eight days. Visit our Fireworks webpage for details on dates, times, restricted areas, and safety tips.

This rumor is false

The City owns and operates five wells and one spring, which supply approximately 50% of the City’s drinking water. The remaining portion is supplied by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District.

Over the many years that Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine has been operating, contamination of a portion of the groundwater aquifer in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley has occurred due to their operations. City-owned water resources are quite a distance from the contaminated water source and are routinely monitored for contamination constituents.

In the late 1990’s, Kennecott, along with the Utah Division of Environmental Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, have been working together to determine a strategy to clean up the contaminated aquifer. The effort is the Southwest Groundwater Remediation Plan. The communities most effected by the contamination are West Jordan, South Jordan, Herriman, and Riverton. These communities are impacted by the inability to produce groundwater for their communities in the area of the contaminated plume, as groundwater wells cannot be placed in the contaminated area.

The aquifer contamination plume consists of an acidic core with low pH water and elevated metal concentrations surrounded by a partially to fully neutralized zone of elevated sulfate concentrations.

Compliance and Extraction Well Monitoring Parameters

  • pH
  • Arsenic (D)
  • Barium (D)
  • Cadmium (D)
  • Copper (D)
  • Fluoride
  • Lead (D)
  • Nickel (D)
  • Selenium (D)
  • Sulfate
  • *(D) dissolved

The main goal of the remediation effort is to contain the contaminated aquifer and in the end, reduce the size of the contaminated area. This effort is being accomplished by pumping water at controlled rates through a series of underground wells in the area of the contamination. The water is mainly used in mining operations, but a portion of the water is extracted and treated using reverse osmosis and distributed to communities through an agreement with Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. The water that is treated is pumped from areas in the aquifer that have lower levels of contamination.

So far, the remediation efforts seem to be working. The plume does look to be shrinking and the contamination levels are reducing as well. The Southwest Groundwater Remediation Plan is in place for 40 years, at which time studies will be completed to determine if remediation has been effective and goals have been met, or if operations need to be modified and continue the effort.

While Herriman does indeed receive water that has gone through a filtration process by Kennecott, it has also gone through the distribution process of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. A link to the latest annual water quality report is below.

Kennecott Environmental Information

Herriman City’s Annual Consumer Confidence Report

It depends

Backyard fire pits and barbecues require a building permit if they are gas fed and a new gas line is being installed (see Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing information).

Wood/other fire pits do not require a permit. However, please see this Unified Fire Authority handout on burning for clearances.

Residential open burning is not allowed in Herriman. Agricultural open burning is allowed only in Agricultural zones (contact the Planning/Zoning Department to determine your zone at 801-446-5323 or planning@herriman.org. The UFA handout also addresses open burning requirements.



City Services

This rumor is true

The City temporarily drained Blackridge reservoir toward the end of March/early April as part of a dredging and maintenance process. While it is empty, crews are surveying the reservoir to calculate how much silt and other soil needs to be removed from the bottom of the water. The reservoir will be re-filled in coming weeks to prepare for the irrigation season (Blackridge is mainly a source for secondary water).

Next winter/spring, the reservoir will be drained again and the calculated silt/soil will be removed before re-filling for the 2024 irrigation season.

The City Council assembled a task force consisting of City staff and an industry professional to explore options of bringing high speed internet via a fiber optic broadband network to Herriman. The task force performed their research and prepared a report that was presented to the City Council. 

The City Council directed staff to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to further study the feasibility of an opt-out utility model, per the recommendation in the task force report. There were several responses to the RFP, with STRATA Networks selected as the winning proposer. There are three phases to the process: 1) Pre-Design, 2) Final Design, and 3) Construction. The parties are currently working through the pre-design phase by preparing a preliminary design of the city-wide network, creating a project cost estimate, and determining the best way to finance the design and construction of the project. It is anticipated that the project would take 18-24 months to complete (once City Council determines if it's in the city's best interest to move forward) and would provide all residents who do not opt-out of the project with a connection to high-speed fiber internet. 

Herriman City staff are currently working with Strata in the middle of the pre-design step. The scope of this phase is to determine the footprint of the system and the associated cost. When completed, the results will be presented to City Council (approx. the end of Aug., 2023) for a decision on joining a private/public partnership with Strata. 


Contact Us

Hours

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Monday - Friday

Phone

801-446-5323

Email

info@herriman.org