There was no quorum, but three trustees on the Stansbury Service Agency board held their regular meeting and took public comment Wednesday night.
During the meeting, the Jan. 8 legal opinion, which deemed Stansbury Lake public, was the centerpiece of most public comment. The legal opinion from Clyde Snow Attorneys at Law, written by Stansbury Park resident and water law expert Brent Rose, said the lake is government-owned and open to the general public.
Resident Gary Allen questioned how the service agency board would handle the management of the lake and if fishermen would be required to get state licenses. He also wondered if the state would begin stocking the lake with fish and how the board would handle changes brought on by the lake being regarded as public.
“I think we’re going to see some big changes in people coming in,” Allen said.
Service agency general manager Gary Jensen said the service agency is looking into what role the state may play with the lake and is currently working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Trustee Glenn Oscarson was unsure if the legal opinion on the lake’s public status would have a significant impact on the use of the lake.
“It’s been defacto public ever since it opened here,” Oscarson said. “So I don’t know if we expect a lot of difference, to be honest with you.”
In the legal opinion, Rose said the community amenities, including the lake, greenbelts and parks, have been open to the public — even when owned by developer Terracor. When Terracor filed for bankruptcy in 1983, the lake and other amenities were deeded over to the service agency, an interlocal government entity.
Trustee Aaron Spilker said the service agency board shared Allen’s concerns about the future handling of the lake.
“We, I think, have the same concerns that you do, Gary,” Spilker said. “There isn’t a member of this board that’s excited about … what was determined. And we’re still working through the details of it.”
The board is looking into hiring a private security firm during peak usage of the lake and will install signage stating the rules, according to Spilker.
Resident Margo Huddleston suggested gearing people toward using the Mill Pond for fishing to limit conflict between fishermen and people using the lake to swim, kayak or paddleboard. She also suggested an expanded view of the peak season when looking at enforcement or charging non-residents.
“If we’re going to be charging or policing or any of that, is there a possibility of extending the season from … maybe June to even past Labor Day?” Huddleston said.
Huddleston also asked about opportunities for residents to weigh in on the lake. Trustee Cassandra Arnell suggested the Friends of Stansbury Lake, a community group she helped establish, which meets the second Thursday of the month.
Lisa Rasmussen, a Stansbury Park resident, suggested including verbiage on any lake signage that forbids people from abandoning domestic ducks. She said there are ducks abandoned on the lake each year around Easter.
“Apparently there are people who do it every year,” Rasmussen said. “That’s why there are so many.”