Show Wednesday November 24 2004 Sanpete Fairview council follows resident wishes tables annexation for now By here it is providing services without even holding a public hearing Besides the water and power it is ation territory the proposed area generally took in all of Fairview Heights Seeley Lane up to the ter- now providing the city was planning to extend its new sewer system to adjacent unincoiporated areas Since the vote against annexation some plans for sewer extension have been pulled back says minus of the sewer system w Publisher in Fairview Heights and other areas proposed for annexation didn’t want to be appended to Fairview the city council wouldn’t force it on them At a city council meeting Tuesday Nov 16 the council held to that promise With the majority who submitted comment sheets opposing the move and facing a cloudy picture of how the obligation to provide services ranging from street lighting to road maintenance would affect the city budget the council tabled the annexunanimously ation But council members agreed the proposal wouldn’t remain on hold forever With Fairview Heights an upscale area containand ing a mix of homes and Fairview City growing toward each other and given that Fairview City already provides electricity and water to the areas council members agreed that the communities would inevitably be combined at some point in the future In fact state law gives a city prima fascia right to annex areas town where some of the sewer is located including Osmund Lane the sewer lift station the Mower barn and the Jacobs property The issue was aired extensively at a public hearing Nov 9 which was attended by about 70 attendees turned people in comment forms On the forms 31 said they opposed annexation 16 favored it and four were undecided “I firmly believe annexation is the best thing to do in the interests of the city” Worley said at the hearing “Somebody someday is water ownership is installing issues The city a microfiltration plant that will filter water almost to a pure state sewage The city plans to sell the water for and use irrigation proceeds from the sales to help fund the sewer system However under law the city cannot claim or sell water originating outside its boundaries So as things now stand the city can’t sell water from any sewer connections in Fairview Heights or other unincorporated locations In backing away from the annexation the city council agreed that water was still a concern But council members said they would look into strategies other than annexation to get rights to the water While the city hadn’t yet published a precise map of the annex- - SanpeteW '‘H going to have to annex” Residents currently pay a service fee to the county for road maintenance and other services along with county property tax If their properties were annexed the service fee would be dropped and they would pay city property tax instead Worley said various analyses showed that the service fee and city property tax would be about the same For most residents the change would be practically he said The city on the other hand could initially lose money as it took on service responsibilities “But as property values increase and with more people moving in the balance will be in favor of the city” Worley said The city could use the additional cash for projects to improve quality of life such as a youth center or city library Even if the city wasn’t able to divert money to new projects having a bigger population would help it qualify for big- - ' — Opinion MoRr Home Lifestyle Education Joto Business & McArthur plead Agriculture ger grants Worley explained Opponents expressed fears that annexation would change their rural lifestyle and restrict their freedom by imposing city ordinances on them They also said they an pdft to Bar of Ephraim fraud Sanpete Events Calendar Statement of Ownership Management ticipated that the city would permit higher density development than the county allows That could raise their property values and thus their taxes they said “Your taxes are going to go up” said Jim Hadfield “If you start to develop some of the land as city lots rather than 5 acres (as required under county zoning) it will raise the values of surrounding lands We could become a bedroom community for Provo so fast we’ll never know why we moved here” “I bought in the county because I like my acreage I love Milbum Road up to the last house receiving city power Canyon Road and some properties west of city administrator Nancy Jane Woodside In fact one factor that triggered the annexation proposal was the sewer development and related Just a click away from home New Snow students charged with burglary assault College being charged with internal possession Throndsen was investigated as an alleged perpetrator of the rape and submitted criminal to By John Hales Staff writer Suzanne Dean FAIRVIEW— Mayor Don Worley said all along that if people 1 All Valley Edition Messenger-Gunnlso- n people but I want my space have my animals I have my horses I don’t interfere with my neighbors and I do not want to be annexed to into the city” Some participants wanted a map of the annexation territory hard figures on how their taxes would be affected and details on how city ordinances would affect their agricultural activities "Opinion and hearsay are not the way to make a decision” said Jim Larsen “Let’s get the facts get documentation and go with that” But officials said it was impossible to define all of the consequences of an annexation in advance Annexation supporters said the sooner the city took charge of developing territoiy the better it could plan the development pattern “We have to plan for the changes that are going to come” said Branch Cox “I hate to see the planning process put on the shelf as a result of this meeting” Becky James owner of a Main Street business whose home is just outside the city noted that Sanpete County raised property taxes significantly last year "If you think that living in the county’s better than living in the city you’re wrong” she said “If you’re part of die city you have a lot more say What I want to see is unity in die community We need to look to the future because Fairview is growing and there’s no way to stop that” MANTI — Seven Snow students are facing charges related to a rape allegation questionable and a case of mistaken identity Harrison Harris Wesley Potter Danny Suesue Mark and Hoskins Hinckley Vaisigano have'each been charged with felony burglary and Class B misdemeanor assault An additional student a minor will face charges in juvenile court Two other students Steve Throndsen and Jordan Dentc are facing felony charges for internal possession of controlled substances in a lated case Snow College Dean of Students Lynn Schiffman has placed all of the students on disciplinary probation Shiftman says the action is standard procedure in such cases However this case is anything but standard According to Ephraim City police officer Stan Anderson on Oct 25 Dente contacted police claiming she had been raped at a party the night before However Dente herself had no recollection of the event and based her claim on a statement from someone else who was at the same party However Anderson says that person has since denied ever making the statement Anderson says Sanpete County Attorney Ross Blackham says that there is little other evidence to substantiate the rape allegation since a tests conducted on Dente came back negative for rape However Anderson says that a videotape of the incident was made and is being analyzed by the state crime lab As part of the' investigation into the rape Dente submitted to a blood test which tested positive for cocaine barbituand amrates benzodiazapine which led to her phetamine a urine analysis which tested positive for cocaine The burglary and assault charges stem from an Oct 27 assault on Throndsen that occurred apparently in retaliation to an assault on Potter the previous night However Potter claims that the assault on him was intended for another person a friend of Dente’s who was concerned about the rape According to Potter Throndsen showed up at Potter’s apartment with several told his people Throndsen crew to “get the big guy” Potter says that both he and his friend are large in stature and the group mistakenly Potter attacked Potter wasn’t badly injured but he says the incident greatly angered him The following day he and several of his friends confronted Throndsen When they showed up at Throndsen’s apartment they broke the door down and accosted him According to a report from Ephraim police officer Jared Hansen two members of Potters group hit Throndsen repeatedly before challenging him and his friends to a brawl “so we can squash this” The police were called shortly afterward Except for the pending leThrondsen gal ramifications says the whole affair has blown over and that he and Potter are “fine with each other” Throndsen has even requested that prosecutors drop the burglary and assault charges but deputy attorney Brody Keiscl responds that he is not inclined to do so Preliminary hearings in Sixth District Court are scheduled for Dec and 3 for all involved (except the minor who will be dealt with by the juvenile justice system) and Circulation Presents Proud To Ov wia Christmas 11242004 Issue Date: S’ With Bob McCau! fel Cta if IfcCaJ 2 New Albums By Local Talent Bob McCaul Available At These Locations Ace Hardware Top Stop Kent's Market Simmons Anderson Drug Jensen’s Manti Telephone Company Publication: M0¥EE GUIDE T ADULTS: MOVIES SUBJECT CLOSED Signature and Title of 11242004 Editor Publisher Business Manager or Owner Date Owner ?1 11242004 $350 NIGHTS $ 350 ItxctPJ Publication of statement ownership on: $550 CHILDREN & SENIORS: MATINEES moRf 6 PM) AND TUE TO CHANGE SUNDAYS |