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Show rnriTTaiHpgntjpgigp Ha0pawpMipPpgp)vpMjtE$iSf.pW4pp The Voice of Sanpete County Volume Ninety-Si- MT. PLEASANT, UTAH x 84647 - January 11, 1989 Number Two fikaSOt Funding for prison given top priority MT. ; of the ing Regional Prison at Gunnison has been given top priority by the state building board and is the number one project on the states bonding list being studied by the Utah Legislature that convened Monday. According to Rep. Ray Nielsen, funding $17,773 million for PLEASANT-Fund- the remainder of the regional prisons first phase building project is at the top of Governor Norman Bangerters $50 million bonding list. County officials sworn in during the Jan. 3 county commissioners meeting include from left. Com- - Even if the remainder of the states building projects are not approved, because of its priority, Rep. Nielsen said he felt the prison funding would be approved. Buchanan, and Commissioner Robert Bessey. County Clerk Wanda Bartholomew, who administered the oath of office, had been sworn in previously. missioner Leonard Blackham, Sheriff Wallace Other state building projects include renovation or construction at Utah State University, University of Utah, College of Eastern Utah, and Weber College, a public safety radio shop, Ogden; the Sandy Circuit Court Building; Hill Air Force Base Museum, senior citizen group home, a building for the Liquor Division, public safety building, at Richfield, and $1 million in im- provements at the State Fairgrounds. Although bonding is not popular, Rep. Nielsen commented that the $50 million bonding package being submitted to the legislature as part fiscal budget, will of the 1989-9- 0 about equal the amount of state bonding being retired this year. Other items that are expected to occupy lawmakers during this years legislative session are recommendations that will cut an estimated $19 million from taxes. Of these measures, HB 45 that begins to ' remove sales tax from food, is being by Rep. Nielsen. People should not be taxed on survival items, he said noting he favored such things as medicine and food necessary for human survival be exempt from sales tax. Even though HB 45 will not completely eliminate the sales tax it is a beginning, he said. Rep. Nielsen said he also supports Pictured from left are Frank Cook, Moroni; Ann Deuel and Elna McKay, both Mt. Pleasant. New members of the North Sanpete School Board were sworn in Jan. 3 by Darin Johansen, board clerk. County commissioners take oaths, begin assignments MANTI Newly elected county officials were officially sworn in at the Jan. 2 County Commission meeting. Among those taking the oath of office were Sanpete County commissioners Robert E. Bessey, four-yecommissioner, who is beginning his second term, and Leonard ar M. comBlackham, missioner beginning his initial two-ye- ar commission assignment. J. Keller Christenson was elected commission chairman. Other county officials taking the oath of office included Wanda Bartholomew, clerk, and Wallace Buchanan, sheriff. The new county commission approved the following individual assignments. Commissioner Robert D. Bessey will be in charge of public and mental health, the northeast county road district, state dept of highways, the county fair, courthouse and grounds, Sanpete County Landfill Cooperative, parks and recreation, and will be a member of the Six County Organization. Leonard M. will oversee the nor- Commissioner Blackham thwest county road district, taxation, county indigents and public welfare, public relations, will be the liason for Sanpete County and Commissioners Mayors Organization, planning and zoning, county library (Bookmobile), Panoramaland, fire control, federal programs, educational and other TV (booster stations), and will be a member of the Six County Organization. Commission Chairman J. Keller Christensons assignments will include: weeds and pests, USU Extension water Service, developments, south county road district, civil defense, law en- - Hearing set Thursday on county landfill There is still time for written public comments prior to a public hearing this week on the sanitary landfill. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. January 12 by Brent C. MANTI Bradford, Executive Secretary, Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Committee, P.O. Box 16690, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116-069A public hearing for a permit application to construct Sanpetes Sanitary Landfill is scheduled for tomorrow, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners Room, Second Floor, Sanpete County Courthouse. Those interested may attend the hearing which is being held in connection with the countys permit from the state board of health. Although the permit application is to construct the landfill, the facility is already built just off Highway 89 near Pigeon Hollow, but has not been operational because the county failed to obtain the construction 0. ; ! permit. The permit will satisfy health and operational standards only. Another public hearing to review a request for zoning has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 15. Both written and oral comments will be reviewed before the construction permit is approved, a process expected to take from two to three weeks following the hearing this week. Once the permit is approved, Sanpetes Sanitary Landfill Cooperative will make available to the Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste, a list of communities participating in the landfill as well as those not participating. All communities will then be notified of procedures to close their open dumps. Yet to be made public are landfill operation currently and under fee schedules review by the Landfill Cooperative Association responsible for the maintenance and operation of the facility. Property for the landfill was purchased through a Community Development Block Grant and the facility was constructed early in 1988 after it was determined Sanpetes open municipal dumps did not meet state health standards. A private landfill is currently being operated adjacent to the countys facility. forcement, forest service liason, economic development for both the Six County Organization and Sanpete County Economic Development; will be a Six County executive, and chairman of the Sanpete County Special Service District Gail Rasmussen, The commission took under advisement a request by Wane Workman for a zoning change to put a discount grocery store north of Manti Cemetery. During the proceedings of a public hearing the patrons ex- pressing objections to the zoning change from A-agricultural, to commercial and subsequent store construction. One party was concerned that a Continued on page 2 these special allocations and transfers, the state still had an unallocated balance of $9.7 million remaining at the end of the year. Governor Bangerter has proposed a state operating budget of fiscal $2,555,237,800 for the 1989-9- 0 year. This represents an increase of $75.4 million, or three percent over the amount authorized during the fiscal year. The current (1988-89- ) proposed operating budget would allow a general salary increase of three percent for state and education employees and still permit a $19 million tax cut. In addition to the regular operating budget, the Governor recommended $312.6 million for capital outlay and $64.7 million for debt service. Thus, the total budget suggested by the Governor is frugal. Although total state spending for is projected to exceed $2.9 billion, the Foundation study indicates that a substantial part of 1989-9- 0 these expenditures will come from restricted funds (federal aid, departmental collections, local property tax for the minimum school program, other taxes and fees earmarked poses, etc.). for special pur- activities are Utahs financed mainly from general fund and uniform school fund free revenue receipts. The Governors fiscal year budget for the 1989-9- 0 calls for general fund and uniform school fund appropriations totaling $1,479.6 million. This would include regular operating appropriations of $1,407.6 million, debt service of $61.3 million, and capital outlay of $10.7 million. items, according to the Foundation report. The Governor also recommended the new $50 million bond issue, that includes the Gunnison prison. The general fund, uniform school fund spending program for 1989-9- 0 would be financed from projected general fund revenues of $801.8 million, estimated school fund revenues of $692 million, and a transfer of $12.8 million from Utahs surplus rainy day fund. These three revenue sources total $1,505.6 million, or about $27 million Foundation analysts indicate that even though the tax initiatives were rejected by the Utah voters last year, they served to focus attention on the need to restrainfurther tax increases by seeking greater economy in state and local government operations. When the Governor presented his 1989-9- 0 state budget, he indicated that he heard and understands the message sent by the tax limitation school fund general regular appropriations. It was suggested that these excess funds be used to finance a $19 million tax reduction program, a circuit $1 million addition to the breaker program which provides tax relief to elderly individuals and families, and $7 million to speed up the scheduled transfer of sales tax revenue from the state to local units of $2,932,535,300. This total budget is only about $20.7 million more than total but the authorizations for 1988-8- 9 1988-8- 9 e budget included appropriations to settle the thrift one-tim- crises and other nonrecurring movement. more than the recommended fund-unifor- m low-inco- Frozen pipe blamed for water damage to NS gym A heating MT. PLEASANT pump failure at North Sanpete High School is blamed for flooding that caused damage to the gymnasium floor over the Christmas vacation. According to Principal Jim Thornton, most of the water resulting from the incident was contained in the recessed commons area where two inches of water reportedly collected before the damage was discovered. Water also collected in the west end of the gymnasium where it seeped through the hardwood composition floor. Extent of that damage, according to Thornton, may not be realized until spring, but a temporary repair of the floor has been made and the gym is currently functionable. While a damage estimate has not been made, costs to repair or replace areas damaged by the water will be covered by the schools state insurance, Risk Management. There is a $1000 deductible and repair costs will exceed that amount, Thornton said. North Sanpetes high school is hot water equipped with a coal-fire- d heating system that circulates hot water through a series of pumps. It was the failure of one of those heating system pumps and the resulting freezing of the water that caused the pump to break and the water to be released into the gymnasium hallway. About a third of the ceiling tiles in the hallway were damaged, the hallway carpet saturated, and water seeking its lowest level either collected in the commons area or the gymnasium. county emergency manager, was given the commissioners confirmation of his appointed position for the coming year. Rasmussen, who asked about first aid equipment and food and water for EOC room in the basement of the county courthouse, was authorized to check out costs and amounts. Also approved was the Bailiff Contractual Agreement, authorizing chairman Christenson to approve Kennard Anderson as county bailiff for the coming year at an hourly wage. one-tim- He noted that even though the we initiatives were defeated, should not interpret it as a mandate to spend, but rather we should interpret it as a mandate to be Heat pump fails 1. In other matters the commission took no action on an agreement with Utah Power and Light to maintain lights at the Junction of US 6 and 89. The agreement, presented by Kimball Rasmussen UP&L district manager was to be signed by commissioners who didnt feel maintenance of the lights, located in Utah County, was the countys responsibility. The commissioners did, however, previously agree to pay an annual utility fee for the lights at Thistle. The commissioners agreed to check further into the matter before taking any action on the UP&L contract. A public hearing was scheduled Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. for applications for a zoning change and a conditional use permit for the Sanpete County Landfill. The request was presented by Doug Neeley, new chairman of the county zoning and planning commission. Property owners of land adjacent to the county facility will receive a detailed planning map of site prior to the hearing. a measure that will increase the amount of circuit breaker benefits. According to the Utah Foundation, a private tax research organization, Utah ended the 1987-8- 8 fiscal year with a total surplus of $109.6 million, but most of these funds were e income tax allocated for a refund totaling $77 million and a $22.9 million transfer to Utahs rainy day fund. After surplus Winners listed in Ftn. Green lighting contest by Jessie Oldroyd GREE- N- Alex and Peggy Johnson and family were named the first place winners in the holiday lighting contest held here recently. The Johnsons, and their children Casey, Travis, Melanie, Justin and Jared, worked together to decorate their home at 520 North Main. Second place winners were Ronald L. and Mary Ivory family on 656 West 100 North. The Ivorys three sons, Michael, Jerime and Brian helped with the project. Two families tied for third place. They were Lewis and Alta Lynne Rasmussen, and children, Joshua and Hallie, at 278 West 500 North, and the Clark and Diane Walker family, Malinda, Cory and Dustin, FOUNTAIN at 316 South State. Thornton credited the recessed commons area with preventing more extensive damage to the gymnasium. That area is equipped with a ceramic tile floor covering requiring only that the standing water be pumped out. The gymnasium was another matter, however. Even though water only invaded about six or seven feet of the west end of the gymnasium, it was more difficult to remove because of the composition flooring. The concrete sub floor lies two inches below the hardwood gym floor collecting the moisture. The finish has been taken off the floor to allow the moisture to evaporate and the floor has been sanded to remove sharp edges, but it will be some time before the extent of the water damage could surface. Thornton explained that damage could be compression warpage caused by the trapped water that would cause the floor to swell and bulge. The damaged portion would then need to be replaced. If replacing any portion of the floor is necessary it would be just underneath the basket and the out of bounds area affected by the water. The remainder of the floor was not iiffected and the entire surface is functionable, Thornton Nothing was expected until after basketball over, he said. said. to be done season was Some minor damage to the hall carpet could also be realized. The carpet is glued directly to the cement floor, and where the water collected and ran across the floor the carpet was loosened. As the carpet dried it laid back down, but its possible it, too, may have to be replaced or at best reglued. Thornton said he had no idea how much it would cost to replace the damaged heating coil which has been temporarily welded or when it would be done. He said he wouldnt trust it indefinitely in its present condition. Moroni man uninjured in accident A Moroni man escaped WALES injury when his pickup overturned at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5. According to investigating officer Sanpete Sheriffs Deputy Jerry Jorgensen, Vernon Dyches lost control of his 78 pickup when he hit a patch of ice. The vehicle struck a snow bank before overturning. It was totalled. Dyches was cited with failure to report the Jorgensen said. accident. Deputy |