Heber City Council members recently engaged in a heated discussion regarding the city's communications policy, which focuses on maintaining neutrality and factual reporting. Outgoing Councilor Scott Phillips proposed the policy to ensure that official communications prioritize education and information over persuasion. The first draft, created by public information officer Ryan Bunnell, insists that city resources should be used to inform rather than advocate. The policy also advises against using the Heber City logo in personal communications, though Councilor Aaron Cheatwood highlighted the challenge posed by automatic email signatures. The debate intensified as members discussed the boundaries of political speech in city communications. Phillips argued that the city should uphold a professional image to build public trust, while Mayor Heidi Franco expressed concern over the difficulty in separating political from professional messages. This discourse extended to the monthly city newsletter, which includes a segment called "Mayor's Minute". Councilor Mike Johnston raised objections about personal opinions being included in city-funded communications, whereas Councilor Yvonne Barney suggested that excluding officials' perspectives could render the newsletter uninteresting. Franco defended the inclusion of personal opinions as part of the public's evaluation of elected officials. The council later discussed the appropriateness of using city email for political events, referencing a business summit Franco had promoted in the past. Phillips criticized this action and reported it to the Lieutenant Governor's Office, which later concluded no state code violation had occurred. As discussions continued through a lengthy meeting, City Manager Matt Brower suggested tabling the policy discussion due to the extended duration of the meeting. Ultimately, the council voted 5-1 to postpone the topic until the next meeting on January 6, with Phillips being the sole dissenting vote. He will be succeeded by Morgan Murdock during that meeting, following his decision not to seek re-election this year.