Hewlett declined to resign when asked to do so in a letter from Heber Mayor Heidi Franco, prompting the council’s vote Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The council’s decision comes about a month after Hewlett allegedly impersonated a local business owner to spread false information about downtown redevelopment plans.
Hewlett had told Winston Lee the city was going to tear down his building, Lee Music, to put in a pedestrian alleyway. The music store sits just off Heber’s Main Street.
City leaders reassured him the rumor wasn’t true. But later, Hewlett sent out an email signed with Lee’s name and posted it on social media, asking locals to protest plans for downtown revitalization.
During the meeting, Councilmember Yvonne Barney read aloud a letter from Lee about the controversy.
“My opinion is that she used my building and my name to push her own agenda. Although I’m not angry with her, I think her actions were careless, thoughtless and reckless," he wrote. "I didn’t press charges because I don’t want to hurt her. I think that in her mind, she was doing what she felt was best for the community, while not considering how it could hurt me.”
Barney said reading his letter made her feel it was important to go through with removing Hewlett from the planning commission.
Councilmember Aaron Cheatwood said he wanted to delay the vote until after the general election and he was “somewhat disappointed” the council discussed it the day of the election.
“I did not want anything to interfere with an election that could cause confusion or that could cause momentum in either direction,” he said.
He also said he wished Hewlett’s role hadn’t come to a vote.
“I didn’t want to have to vote to remove this person,” he said. “I had hoped that, given what happened, that we would have seen a resignation instead.”
Hewlett posted a copy of Franco’s letter to social media Monday with the comment, “You’ll see me being removed from the planning commission, but they can’t silence me from fighting for what’s just!”
The council voted 4-1 to remove Hewlett from the Heber planning commission. Cheatwood was the sole “no” vote.
Hewlett was an alternate on the commission, meaning she voted if other members were absent. Franco appointed Hewlett in February 2024.
She was also a Libertarian candidate for a Wasatch County Council seat representing Heber residents. Preliminary results show she earned 154 votes, or just under 11% of ballots cast in the race.
Hewlett did not respond to KPCW’s requests for comment Tuesday.
