Show Serving Utah’s Great Pahvant Valley USPS CopySQc 349-- 5 2Q Vol 81 No 27 January 24 1591 Gas fee fixed: options eyed by Ken Rand Millard County officials have been told they may tap the Kem Rrver gas pipeline but they’ll get no deal on the gas price The Kem River Gas Transmission Co is building a pipeline to transport natural gas from southwestern Wyoming to southern California Gas delivery is expected to start by June 1992 A segment of the line will run through eastern Millard County Local officials are seeking the best way to tap it to get gas to county residents Options include contracting with Mountain Fuel Supply Co or with Central Utah Natural Gas Co for a delivery system Fillmore City Council is considering a municipal system among other options and the county could also build its own system The pipeline is tappablc “(Kem River) did indicate there 'd be no problem at all” County Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Leon Smith said at a P&Z meeting in Delta Monday Jan P&Z still 14 “We could have all the hookups we wanted for about $8000 a hookup depending on where it was at" The problem is the gas price which may be more than local government can afford “That’s a very limiting factor" Smith said County officials had hoped Kem River could be talked into cutting the locally tapped gas price but they learned at a recent meeting with Kem River that the price is set for all customers “If they let (gas) out for one person at one price" Smith said “then everybody else along the line had the right to have it at that price" Smith said the cost "puts us way over the price of competing counties around us so as far as attracting any businesses goes it’s not going to help at all It appears that we're going to be the only county in the state that doesn’t have access to gas” About 700 million cubic feet of gas will move through the line a day One estimate is that Millard County residents would use about 500000 cubic feet of gas a year "You can see why (Kem River) is not real interested" County Engineer Jerry Reagan said At present it's not known if Mountain Fuel or Central Utah can profitably tap Kem River to deliver gas locally "Whether they can do this or if they have enough clout or however they can do it that's going to be something for them to work out" Reagan said MFSC and CUG have expressed interest m delivering gas locally Central Utah has a non exclusive franchise with Delta City There are no gas delivery experts in local government but local gas delivery is a priority which is why the Fillmore City Council is considering hiring a company to conduct a feasibility study Energy Strategies Inc an energy lancing consulting and development firm will charge $3500 for a study Mayor Keith Gillins said Fillmore- - based Sunrise Engineering has offered to conduct "basically the same type of service" for $3000 he said Since the study will also benefit county residents as well as Fillmore city residents Gillins asked County Commissioners at a meeting Tuesday Jan 15 to share the cosl Mountain Fuel officials said last year they may do their own study at their cost If a study proved it would be profitable for the company to build a system in Millard County they would do so officials said “If (Mountain Fuel) can't make it work" County Commissioner Frank Baker said “I don't see how we can make it work If it'll work they'll want it" Commissioners asked Gillins to ask the city council to delay acuon on a study until after a meeting with Mountain Fuel could be arranged to determine Gillins intentions the company's agreed A meeting was tentatively set for Wednesday Jan 30 An Kern River use permit recommended by P&Z considering corridor concept by Ken Rand Millard County officials may decide that utility corridors fixed by law are not such a good idea after all The County Planning and Zoning Commission voted last month to recommend the County Commission declare a moratorium on issuing conditional use permits for "transmission the through systems" conveyance county while they studied the corridor concept The County Commission has not yet acted Draft of an ordinance for their consideration has been delayed in die transition of personnel in the office of newly elected County Attorney LeRay Jackson P&Z wants time to address concerns about such systems and determine whether or not corridors should be established for them "We just don’t want new powerhnes or new gas lines running across the county” one P&Z member said The county has several lines through it but no comdor ordinance Two new lines proposed to pass through the county prompted P&Z tention to the matter Kem River Gas Transmission Co wants to build a natural gas pipeline through east Millard County and a powerline is being proposed to run from Ely Nevada to the Intermountain Power Plant near Delta Kem River has applied for a conditional use permit The powerline builders have not At a meeting in Delta Monday Jan 14 P&Z members said the concept may not be such a good idea after all though it still needs to be explored P&Z Chairman Leon Smith said the county would have to assume all liabilcomdor The ity for a county would be responsible for all easements in the corridor he said cluding surveying and purchase if needed "In other words we're piling up a bunch of problems that I don't think the county wants to get into" Smith said The county would also be responsible for any environmental statements involved in use of its utility comdor Smith said “We've got some problems if we decide to start making corridors" he said Clark County Nevada has utility corridors Jackson said he will contact them find out how they make the concept work and report back to P&Z “The mam thing is to make sure we get that ordinance to the county commissioners to put a moratorium on any t transmission line construction for at least a six month penod of time" P&Z Rex Stanworth said commissioner "Maybe we don't want to touch it with a need to look at it” Millard by Ken Rand The Millard County Planning and has recomZoning Commission mended a conditional use permit be granted to Kem River Gas T Co to build a natural g as pipeline through the county P&Z met in Delta Monday Jan 14 to review the permit drafted by County Engineer Jerry Reagan After suggesung some changes the body voted to recommend the County Commission grant it The County Commission u expected to act 'accordingly within the next few weeks The interstate pipeline will be regulated by the Federal Energy Builders Regulatory Commission must comply with federal state and local laws including getting conditional use permits issued by the jurisdictions through which the line adjusts assessments passes The long pipeline most in diameter will transof it port natural gas from southwestern California southern to Wyoming where it will be used primarily to enhance oil recovery The line will move about 700 million cubic feet of gas a day Construction is underway near St George Crews are scheduled to begin working north from Milford May The segment through eastern Millard County should be finished in two or three months A compressor station win be built near Fillmore Sanitation at construction workers' temporary housing or travel trailer camps was of concern to P&Z For the first time in four years the Utah StateTax Commission has ordered local county assessors in eight counties to adjust assessment levels for specific classes of property According to the January 1991 issue of Utah Taxpayer the monthly newsletter of the Utah Taxpayers Association Millard County was one of them The others were Duchesne Piute Uintah Garfield Kane San Juan and Washington The adjustments are based on the 1990 sales ratio study conducted by the The study is conTax Commission ducted annually "The law requires us to tax at market value” Millard County Assessor Jim assessTalbot said If the ment level falls below 90 percent or exceeds 110 percent of statutory levels Some a county is ordered to "factor" counties were ordered to cut assessments including Millard and others were ordered to increase assessments (See chart) Preliminary 1991 Orders Factoring Utah State Tax Commission inspector at Napa Pipe Corp Napa Calif inspects sections of diameter pipe some of which will end up in Millard County "I really don't think we’ll have much of a problem until they get out in the Black Rock country" Reagan sad “If we run across a site problem we can take care of it through the zoning ordinance” County Attorney LeRay Jackor said the permit requires compliance with exisung ordinances but PA Chairman Leon Smith suggested the laws on recreational vehicles be repeated in the permit "If they’re going to have RV’s”he said“kt's require (Kem River) to have a campsile and maintain it" Up to 400 workers will lay the pipe - to in segments Impactallevia lion part icul arl y on county roads was also discussed at our services we “If use length you want you to pay for it” Reagan said summarizing the P&Z philosophy cm the issue Smith said Kem River officials are “very open" to bending for impact Amount lifetime and alleviation other bonding details if one is imposed should be negotiated by the county commission P&Z decided Bonding would remain in effect long after the conditional use permit expires June 30 1992 the date by which Kem River officials expect gas delivery to be underway Property taxation was discussed even though it's not under P&Z jurisdiction P&Z noted the need to consult with County Assessor Jim Talbot to ensure Kem River and its employees pay whatever taxes are required by law Brush Wellman Inc safety record Brush Wellman Inc Utah operations reached a milestone in safety on January 22 1991 Employees of the Delta mine mill complex reached one million manhours or work without incurring a lost time accident With a staff of one hundred employees this represents an average of ten thousand safe manhours for each employee or approximately five years per employee without a lost time accident Brush Wellman's mine in Juab County and mill in Millard County are the free world’s only facilities for the mining and extraction of feed material for the fabrication of Beryllium metal alloys and ceramics Donald J McMillan Director of Utah Operations expressed his appreciation to all mine and mill employees on their efforts and dedication in accomplishing this goal It is a great achievement when individuals are so well trained and work so well together that they can achieve such a significant safety record Refreshments were served to all employees to celebrate this event Safety awards are being selected by each individual and will be presented at a lateT date Hunt named new public defender Lawrence H Hunt has been awarded contract to serve as public defender for Millard County The County Commission confirmed in a meeting in the appointment Fillmore Tuesday Jan 15 County Attorney LeRay Jackson was public defender until his election Jackson said he followed established practice in considering several candi dates and making a recommendation to the commission "I wrote letters soliciting bids from six or seven attorneys" Jackson said a Rev Warren Fikejs rang the bell for five minutes before joining others already waiting inside the Pres- byterian Church to pray for peace and the safe return hours of soldiers to their familes Twenty-ninafter the vigil started here the war started there “Prayers for Peace” vigil held y Kea Rand Heavy wet snow started falling linutea before noon Tuesday Jan 5 when Rev Wanrn Fikejs started inging the bell at the Delta Continuity Presbyterian Church where he is linister Fikejs rang the bell in front s f the historic church for five before joining those already lathered inside Last month a United Nations eaolution empowered allies to use orce to end the Iraqi oc cupation of Kuwait if Saddam Hussein would not agreed to leave on his own War was expected at any time after midnight EST on Tuesday Last minute preparations for war were made throughout the world Diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solutions were stepped up Demonstrations for and against an allied attack increased In a small church in Delta 31 clergymen lay leaden and people of several faiths gathered to pray for peace and a safe return of their loved ones on the eve of war Prayers were offered by Fikejs LDS Stake Presidents Mitch Myers and Waldo Wamkk Father Walter Ricndeau of St John Bosco Catholic Church Rev Jim Gregg of Living and lay leader Word Fellowship Alvie Hostetler of the Church of Christ Exactly 29 hours after the vigil began aenal attacks on Iraqi military installations started Talbot said 1991 tax notices will reflect a drop of 5 percent compared to last year in valuation for houses in the west county area and a drop of 15 percent for land and residential buildings in east Millard County Those notices will be mailed in late summer “If there is any property that we adjusted at Board of Equalization" he said "we will not take those down because we feel they’ve already received it" The factoring orders are preliminary the Utah Taxpayer said and counties may appeal the orders to the Tax Commission In carrying out the orders counties are not required to apply the factor to all properties uniformly It is intended that the overaD assessment level be adjusted by the factor using whatever means the asses- I t sor deems most appropriate Talbot said he didn't think the factoring would greatly impact 1992 county budget decisions since at present less than 15 percent of county revenue is assessed through his office About 85 percent of the county's budget is counted for by the Intermountain Power Project which is assessed directly by the State Tax Commission “Larry was the only one who submitted a bid I had a lot of interest by telephone but nobody (else) actually submitted a bid" Hunt's contract is for $3500 a month Jackson said Hunt is highly qualified for the job “Larry is a former police officer" he said “He has been involved as defense counsel in several homicide type cases He does a very good job The courts all recommend him highly No question" When the court determines that a defendant in a Millard County cate is cannot afford hts own attor indigent Hunt will be appointed by the ney court to represent that defendant “Where the penalty might be jail" Jackson said “the law requires us to furnish competent counsel " Hunt was a police officer in North Carolina and for the state of Utah before he became an attorney He practiced law tn Salt Lake City from 1983 to 1987 He now practices in Richfield |