The Heber City Council has a strategic retreat every January. It’s a chance for leaders to zoom out from day-to-day governance and instead focus on broader goals for the city.
At the council meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2, leaders will schedule their two-day retreat for mid-January 2026.
City manager Matt Brower said councilmembers will spend the time focusing on the biggest issues facing Heber, such as affordable housing.
“In a recent meeting, council asked to have more information, more study sessions on affordable housing, to make sure that they are knowledgeable about techniques and strategies, what other cities have done to be successful on that front,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Dec. 1.
Downtown revitalization and environmental protection are also likely to be on the retreat agenda.
“[Councilmember] Aaron Cheatwood asked that we place an agenda [item] on the retreat regarding dark skies and seeing if our policies are adequate to bring more compliance with that initiative,” he said.
Brower said some of the 2026 priorities will likely be the same as 2025, like Envision Heber 2050, the city’s plan for making downtown more attractive to visitors and small businesses.
“We’ve been successful at moving the needle on a number of items,” he said. “Most predominantly was phase 1 of our Main Street improvements, including the festival street conversion and the main bandshell.”
Other downtown plans are taking shape. Also Tuesday, councilmembers will vote on a contract for a company to design the next phase of the City Park improvements.
The Heber City Council meeting begins at 4 p.m. Dec. 2 with a work session. For the full agenda and a link to attend online, visit the city website.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
