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Show March 15 03.qxd 12/7/2021 3:44 PM Page 1 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS March 15, 2003 Your Community Newspaper PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Legislature Passes House Bill 122 By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News House Bill 122, aimed at streamlining the sale of public lands, passed the legislature after being amended. While the bill was still in committee, Representative Joe Murray, R-Ogden, changed the initial 24-hour notice requirement to a 14-day notice and a public hearing by the legislative body before disposing of significant parcels of property. The new legislation takes away the requirement that public land sale proposals first be heard by planning commissions. American Flag stands at Spring Mountain no matter what the weather. Photo courtesy of David Tanner of Eden. Continued Road Restrictions Expected for Pinveview Dam The current road restrictions across Pineview Dam may possibly be extended in a last push effort to install new radial gates at the dam’s spillway before spring runoff begins. The current road restrictions are from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The proposed restrictions will also possibly include similar weekend limited access beginning March 15 through the end of March. March and April are when snow in the higher elevations becomes meltwater, and begins to increase stream flows and reservoir levels. The gates need to be installed and operational before large flows begin being released into the Ogden River. The contractor, CM Concrete, is working with UDOT and Reclamation engineers to complete the installation as soon as possible. Two cranes will be used to set the gates in place, while one crane will be used to raise and lower them, and to install rubber seals along the edges of the gates. The cranes will be positioned on the road while the work is completed. Although the contractor and Reclamation aren’t certain the road will need to be closed, the agency wants to alert the public to this possibility. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the March. For more information, contact Don Merrill at the Bureau of Reclamation, or Andy Neff with UDOT at (801) 620-1641. HB 122 was initiated to counter the Utah Supreme Court’s recent decision voiding the Wolf Creek Park land sale to former NFL player Rulon Jones of Liberty when County Commissioners failed to follow due process by requiring that the proposed sale first be heard by planning commissioners where adequate public notice was given. The bill was amended on the house floor to include Murray’s changes, and passed 69-4. The bill then passed the Senate unanimously. Murray is quoted as saying, “I think it’s good legislation at this point. It’s been a statewide problem. If this bill had been in effect before the Rulon Jones sale, that would have never happened, and we wouldn’t have the $140,000 bill for attorney’s fees, and all the hard feelings.” Disputed Dr. Seuss Celebrates in Ogden Valley Ogden Valley land appraised Value twice that paid by Jones to Weber County By CATHY McKITRICK Standard-Examiner staff OGDEN — When the Utah Supreme Court voided the sale of 160 acres of mountainside land last October to former NFL linebacker Rulon Jones, the 5-0 ruling spurred Weber County to initiate an appraisal of the property. The 50-page document, produced by Logan appraiser Lenard Owens, valued the property at $65,000, or about $400 an acre. Owens has been in business since 1978 and has experience appraising mountainside property. Robert Fuller, one of five plaintiffs in Toone vs. Weber County, had one question: “Why didn’t they get the appraisal in the first place?” On March 11, 1997, Weber County sold the land to Jones for $32,000 $200 an acre without an appraisal or adequate public notice and hearing. The quitclaim deed was signed the same day. David Wilson, an attorney for Weber County, said one of the reasons for having the land appraised now was to educate the Supreme Court, which he feels was swayed DISPUTED LAND cont. on page 3 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . Page 2 Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Historical Article . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Valley Elementary students enjoyed assemblies at the Ogden Valley Library in Huntsvilles with storytellers Bill Higley, Virginia Rasmussen, and Nanci Byers, who entertained the students with their Dr. Seuss tales. See article on page 4. |