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Show PAGE 6 THE ZEPHYRSEPTEMBER 89 a candid conversation with commissioner David Knutson by Jim Stiles from there. From my view, and Ive only been here since 87; (as commisIn and got Into gear when Steve sioner), It looks to me like It really kicked Creamer got behind It Whatever Influence he has, thats when things really BOOM. Mineral lease monies are coming started happening. Two years later to the counties In the form of roads, because at the time we Mt that was the :r only way It could be Justified. been there for many years, had "The Idea to get the mineral lease money but what really kicked It In Is when we said, well give you a Job Iff you can find the money. Before, It had been counties trying to ambiguously, and this Is my opinion, trying to get the money; because If Itll come In we can do several things. And of course, It never came down. When we focused In on one It and went to the legislature, thing - roads, and all the counties got behind It focused on roads Is I reason . that's when It started to happen. And the think because of what Grand County did. Because we said, If we can get a road built, Steve Creamer, you can build the road. Well get. a road, Steve Creamer will get some money. People of Grand County will have a good: road, Itll stimulate the economy, tax money will flow back In, the proverbial win, win, win, situation, v "Now Uke I said,. I'm not saying this Is fact Im saying this Is how I perceive K. Somebody else might tell you they have Information that Is From an editorial standpoint, the Canvon Country Zeohvr has opposed the construction of a paved road over the Book CNffs, from Cisco to Vernal However, proponents of that road project are welcome to express a different In the May Issue, Jimmie Walker, the Special Service District opinion. Administrator, spoke at length about the S.S.D. and the road project In this Issue, County Commissioner David Knutson speaks candidly about those same Issues. What follows are for the most part, unedited quotes by Knutson, from a taped conversation that we had on August 12. The tape was made with David Knutsons permission, and for the record : .... To begin with, and youve had this conversation with Jimmie Walker, felt that mineral lease monies were not coming back counties the basically . tg the counties. The counties could go and beg for loans from the CIB (for; Instance), but the monies never really came back the way we thought they ' should. This had been going on for the past 15 years or so, and the counties had always been trying to find ways to get It back. "Dutch and Jimmie and I were talking. We felt that the most pressing need was roads roads are what you use to get everywhere. In fact, through a Association of of Counties, roads were marked number one with all the survey the counties. We had talked about Oils road from Grand County to Vernal, because the facts are, Grand County has been supported by the tax base generated from the northern end of the county through oil & gas and a tittle bit of mining In the Yellow Cat area. We looked at the road as a way of stimulating a revenue base. But we didnt have any money to do K. We knew there were monies available; we Just couldnt get to them. What were they? They were the very monies that were being produced by the oil & gas companies. "In 87, maybe Dutch and Jimmie had done previous footwork that I dont know about, but Steve Creamer, an engineer, has a real ability to be able to get money out of the legislature for projects. And so we went to Steve this Is what we want to do. Creamer, had him come over here, and said look We want to build a road. At that time we looked at two roads. He flew over here and we got In my Blazer and drove down Trough Springs and we looked at that. Wed love to extend this road, and that has since been picked up by the . different. - . V . , "And then later, we hopped In Steves plane and flew up Hay Canyon." And we said, we want to build a road that comes, at the time, from the West Cisco Exit up Danish Flats and over to Vernal. We explained the reasons we wanted It, but we said, we don't have any money. 'Basically, we told him that If he could find the money for Grand County to do this project, he could do the engineering on IL It wasnt any type of a binding contract; It was more of a gentleman's agreement , We Just left It . ; ; ' : "In Bear Lake almost a year ago, we met . BLM. ' ? . at the Commissioners Fall Workshop. The main emphasis at Bear Lake was the road districts, how to set them up. Everybody said the Intent was to go to roads, because It was. .1 think what happened Is, we busted through that wall focusing on roads, and once the wall started to crumble then It widened out, and Its, still, widening out to allow those monies to be used for other things. ; Theres been a lot of confusion because the commissioners, generally speaking, said the Intent Is roads. I think Dave Adams said that, yet as this wall began to crumble, other places began to see they could break off from roads and. get something. , But the Intent was roads, and the reason was because Steve Creamer was right there.: He knew If he could get funding for It, he could get H" 4 Question: If there was a gentlemans agreement to hire Creamer and to do the engineering work, why was the Job advertised for other bidders?, Noble , was opposed Of course, Im not a member of the Board, I expressed my feelings to members of the board. I made my thoughts known to my dad (road board member, Ollle Knutson) that In my opinion, they shouldnt even put out bids, because It had been pretty much said who It was going to go to. I didnt think they were legally bound, and maybe Im stepping out on a limb, Iminot sure ... they might have been legally ound toi put out for bids, but I told them what I, would recommend Is that they tell everybody right off the "I . ' .'.A' Chip's Guarantee: No Square Tires. ART o FASHION 35 N. Main ? " i.' . j; , - : ' '.s Hammocks from Nicaragua ling of 100 Handwoven Cotton By Mayan Indians of Guatamala Including Shawls & Scarves V Paper Mache Clowns and Masks Afro Trade Beads & Jewelry Panama Hats . tires-shocks-struts-br- alignment ake state inspection GRAND TIRE 300 No. Main 259-790- 7 8AM-- 6 8AM-Noo- n PM ; M-- Fr Sat VISA, MASTERCARD, PHILLIPS 66. TEXACO fi r |