We Write the Regulations that Make Your Community’s Vision a Reality
The law is your most important tool for improving your community. If your local ordinances (or “code”) are a mess, your local government operations and development environment probably are too. We use our years of experience and unique ordinance-drafting process to create effective laws that bring order to your community.
Our team, headed by Mike Hansen, AICP, has over two decades of planning and code experience. We’ve completed over 100 code-writing projects in the last few years, from technical revisions to land use chapters to revising entire city code books. We also regularly produce ordinance training material in partnership with the Utah Office of the Private Property Rights Ombudsman.
What Makes Our Code Special
We write ordinances that:
- Follow your community’s General Plan (not the other way around)
- Are legal (because they comply with state and federal law)
- A normal person can understand (written in “plain language”)
- Are illustrated, where useful (with tables, charts, and graphics)
- Are internally consistent
- Reflect industry best-practices
- Cover all your bases
- Get adopted
And we achieve these outcomes quickly by following our unique drafting process (keep scrolling, it’s worth it):
Our Ordinance Drafting Process
When revising or drafting ordinances for a local government, we follow a four-step process:
- Audit existing ordinances. We review the current version of the ordinances and identify issues and omissions.
- Make material changes. We amend the ordinances to compliment the community’s General Plan and vision, bring the code into conformity with state and federal law, resolve inconsistencies, simplify processes, and correct any other substantive or procedural issues.
- Rewrite in plain language. We revise the ordinances so that a normal person can easily understand them. This typically involves eliminating legalese, consolidating and reorganizing content, and adding summary charts, tables, headings, and illustrations.
- Explain changes. Along with the proposed ordinance updates, we deliver a “Policy Discussion Catalog” identifying and explaining the changes we’ve made. This catalog helps the local legislative body review and adopt the code quickly and easily. We then present our work and answer any questions.
Code Experience
We have lots of code experience. Here are just a few of our recent projects.
Plain City, UT, Code Update (2025)
Focus: development agreements and building codes
Creation of a development agreement chapter with edits to the building code to create a framework for handling development proposals in a high-growth area.
North Logan, UT, Code Update (2025)
Focus: land use, conformity with the General Plan
Land use title revisions to comply with state statute and reflect policy changes in the City's new General Plan.
Fairview, UT, Code Overhaul (2025)
Focus: modernization, plain language, powers & duties, land use
Created a new city code book (13 titles) to replace the city's original code from 1970s and integrate other stand-alone ordinances. Special attention was given to increasing ordinance effectiveness while removing unnecessary regulation.
Alpine, UT, Code Update (2024)
Focus: subdivisions
Targeted ordinance update to revise the city's subdivision ordinances to comply with state law and streamline development while protecting the city's interests.
State-wide Subdivision Code Update for 86 Municipalities (2024)
With special funding from the State of Utah, we revised or replaced the subdivision titles of 86 municipalities in Utah (a third of the state) to comply with recent changes in state subdivision law.
Utah Ombudsman Subdivision Training Materials (2023-24)
Focus: Utah subdivision law
Commissioned by the Utah Ombudsman Office to create modules and other materials to train local government leaders in Utah on state subdivision law and best practices.
Ballard City, UT, Code Update (2023)
Focus: land use, plain language, state conformity
Land use code revisions to reflect innovative ordinances produced from the city's new General Plan and to prioritize user-friendliness and transparency.
Roosevelt City, UT, Code Update (2023)
Focus: local review convenience, subdivisions
Full codebook update, illustrated by "policy summary catalogs" to speed the review process. Notable emphases on tiny home subdivision policy and a unique approach to on-street parking regulation.
Honeyville City, UT, Code Update (2023)
Focus: land use, development, proactive regulation
Ordinance update to proactively respond to growing threat to the city's rural character caused by regional growth pressure.
Shoshoni Town, WY, Code Overhaul (2023)
Focus: land-use, state conformity
Comprehensive update of the town's land use regulations to align with the community's economic development and housing plan.
Richfield City, UT, Code Update (2023)
Focus: subdivision, land use, conditional use
Reworking land use and subdivision codes to respond to recent decline in community growth, with improved processes for conditional uses and an airport expansion.
Sanpete County, UT, Code Update (2021)
Focus: collaboration with the Planning Commission
Full codebook update, illustrated by "policy summary catalogs" to speed the review process. Notable emphases on tiny home subdivision policy and a unique approach to on-street parking regulation.
Monroe City, UT, Code Update (2022)
Focus: subdivisions, land-use, state compliance
Modernized the city's antiquated land use regulations, with a special emphasis on interactive mapping resources.
Box Elder City, SD, Code Update (2022)
Focus: land-use, military base, commercial zoning
Conducted to support the city's new General Plan. Project involved designing a consolidated land use / design standards table and to create special regulations related to noise and airspace issues.
Centerfield City, UT, Code Update (2022)
Focus: subdivision, building code, land use
Untangled the city's building, subdivision, and land use ordinances on an expedited timeline.
Hyde Park City, UT, Code Update (2022)
Focus: land use, plain language, mixed-use zoning
Substantial rewrites for “plain language” and clarity, adjustments to conform with state statutes, and drafts of new ordinances to implement zoning decisions made by the city throughout the planning process.