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Show Volume XXV Issue XIV The Ogden Valley news Page 3 August 15, 2019 Letters to the Editor New County Subdivision Ordinance Needs Developers to Prove Availability of “Wet” Water After the pain of the “gravel pit” challenge, I know it would be nice to just enjoy the beautiful valley that we live in, but unfortunately there remains a need to focus and protect our homes, ranches and water assets. I am writing this letter as a resident, and not representing the policy of any organization. County Legislative Proposal ZTA 2019-04 is likely a case of unintended consequences. The proposed legislative change is to “amend the land use code related to culinary and secondary water requirements for subdivision lots,” which is currently being pushed through the legislative process. (Details are on the county’s “Miradi” website; search for “water.”) It was rejected, as currently drafted, by the Ogden Valley Planning Commission, and again by the County Commissioners, but a rewrite is occurring on a 60-day timeframe. We must watch and comment on it to prevent unintended consequences that devalue the property rights and water assets of our landowners, residents, and water companies. As currently written, it would allow a developer to assert that s/he will create a “new secondary water provider” for a new subdivision, without any requirement to actually show that s/he has: 1. Ownership of water shares or 2. Confirmed “wet” sources, nor 3. Any specific requirement of irrigation water quantity to be available to the developed area. An additional secondary water supply for each new home connection is the requirement of many of our culinary systems, such as Eden Water Works. Without reliable secondary supply for outdoor use and irrigation, new homes built in these subdivisions will rapidly exhaust the precious culinary supplies of our valley. The three points above are critical for effectiveness. Irrigation supply has been established for decades by Division of Water Rights as an amount of 3 acre-feet per irrigated acre, and is the basis of the water rights and shares across thousands of acres in Ogden Valley. Because of pressure to develop, there is a functioning economic market, which allows the orderly transfer of water shares from agriculture to residential development. This market must be allowed to function without government meddling or bending of the rules. Establishing an ordinance that allows only an “assertion” that a source or paper water rights exists is essentially “inventing” water, which will devalue the real shares and “wet” sources held by landowners, residents, irrigation cooperatives, and water companies. Potentially, it will lead to dry subdivisions, where unsuspecting buyers are left with unbuildable lots, as has happened in other Utah regions. This will devalue the land holdings of all of us—if Ogden Valley becomes a place where the water integrity of a lot cannot be relied upon. Please comment to the planning commissioners and the county commissioners, and demand that developers show they have an adequate quantity of water rights or shares, and real wet supply (e.g. functioning well) to back it up before a subdivision is platted. It may cost the developers more, but it will protect buyers, our property rights, and all of the Valley’s water. Sincerely, Miranda Menzies, Wolf Creek/Eden If something is “Technically” Illegal . . . It’s ILLEGAL! Including short-term rentals in Valley neighborhoods I just read with bewilderment the letter to be documented (looks like the Hart’s primary the OVN Editor from the Harts, owners of the residence is in SLC and so they were breakillegal rental in Eden where the recent shootings ing the law here by, apparently, getting a 45% occurred. The owners seemed to justify their ille- property tax exemption??? What’s wrong with gal activity on the basis that “everyone is doing that picture!). This lack of oversight is costing it” and that their rental proceeds were funding a the County tens, if not hundreds of thousands nonprofit. A little disingenuous I would say. of dollars in lost tax revenue. Yet, as we know, Let’s cut to the chase—if something is the County Commissioners have not been shy “technically” illegal it is ILLEGAL! It doesn’t in the past about jacking up our property taxes matter if the proceeds are supposedly going to to shore up their shortcomings. a nonprofit, or not. (The Hart nonprofit’s pubHopefully, with new Ogden Valley represenlished stated mission, by the way, is “To secure tation on the County Commission, some of these funding for a study conducted by the University issues can be looked at a little more closely. of Connecticut, [a] comprehensive study to In the meantime, I hope that gravity has a explore ideas about how gravity impacts human positive impact on your behavior. behavior. In 2017, the last year for which an IRS 990 filing is available, they netted $1,880 Tim Hutter, after they took out their “professional fees” Huntsville and expenses). Inasmuch, I’m not quite sure how illegally pimping out a rental property on Airbnb benefits Ogden Valley and its residents in any significant way. And, thank goodness, no neighbors were shot or injured in this melee. There are plenty of legitimate, well-managed inns and rental properties in the Valley to meet current demand, and as that demand changes, there are planning bodies in place to make appropriate zoning adjustments. Which brings me to a bigger question: While I understand that Weber County may have limited resources to police all the illegal short-term rentals in the Valley, they are easily identifiable on the various vacation rental websites. And the County is giving a lot of these second homes and rental properties, including apparently the shooting site in Eden, the 45% primary residence property tax exemption! These homes are clearly not primary resi- Thank you to Alan Wheelwright who repaired dences, and with very little research, this can this portion of the pathway in Eden. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE HUNTSVILLE TOWN PLANNING COMMISSION, AUGUST 22, 2019 Public notice is hereby given that the Huntsville Town Planning Commission, Weber County, Utah, will hold a Public Hearing Thursday, August 22, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Huntsville Town Hall located at 7309 E. 200 S. Huntsville, Utah. A Public Hearing will be held on the following items: • Proposed amendments to Title 4 – Land Use Permits • Proposed amendments to Title 15.5 – Appeals Board • Proposed amendments to Title 15.6.4 – Frontage Requirements with regards to corner lots. The ordinance will be available for viewing on http://huntsvilletown.com under Government/ Planning Commission Minutes and Agendas tab. All interested parties are invited to attend. Dated this 26th of July, 2019. _______________________________ Beckki Endicott, Recorder Posted: Town Hall Post Office huntsvilletown.com pmn.utah.gov In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing assistance with attendance to these meetings should call Beckki Endicott @ 745-3420, giving at least a 48 hour advance notice. Huntsville Town Wishing Well Equipping Project Phase 1 - ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS - Sealed Bids for the construction of the Wishing Well Equipping Project Phase 1 will be received, by Huntsville Town, at the Kaysville offices of J-U-B Engineers, Inc. (address below) until 2:00 p.m. local time, August 20, 2019, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The Project consists of constructing a new well house, connecting to an existing water line, and mechanical piping. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is J-U-B Engineers, 466 North 900 West, Kaysville, Utah 84037. The contact person for the project is Brandon Nielsen, PE, bnielsen@jub.com or Phone: 801547-0393. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. beginning August 1, and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below. Electronic copies of the Bidding Documents may be obtained from the Utah Public Procurement Place website at no charge or from the Issuing Office for a non-refundable fee of $15.00 made payable to “J-U-B Engineers as portable document format (PDF) files during the hours indicated above. Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including Addenda if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office. A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on August 6th 2019, at the Huntsville Town Offices, 7309 East 200 South, Huntsville, Utah. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Owner: Huntsville Town By: Jim Truett Title: Mayor Date: August 1, 2019 It’s Back to School Night! Weber High: August 15, 3:00 - 7:30 p.m. Snowcrest Jr.: August 19, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Valley Elementary: August 19, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. While Visiting Ogden Valley Come Have Dinner With Us Tuesday - Saturday: 5:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. 508 Ogden Canyon www.grayclifflodge.com 801-392-6775 |