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Show SPANISH FORK Covering what matters most A6 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009 New North Park: City considers budget proposal for FY 2010 -The pavilion will seat a long time coming, with 320 and will be equipped some "snags" along the with 10 roll-down doors in way, including wetlands isof the amenities that will case of inclement weather. sues with the Army Corps be available. The park will Robinson said it will have of Engineers, which have have a total acreage of 9.85 the largest seating capacity now been resolved. "Things have been very, acres with 4.7 acres being of any pavilion in the city. very slow — ultimately, we're . "It will probably turn out an open, grassy area. There will be 279 trees and 5,824 to be our most popular pa- moving forward now," he said. The mayor is also optishrubs — which the city vilion," he said. mistic about the commercial Robinson explained that would welcome volunteer help in planting. Ameni- the need for the ballfields• development of the former ties will include a water lost with the demolition North Park.^He said Home feature similar to the one at of the old North Park has Depot is scheduled to begin the Gateway, a sand volley- been met through the city's construction later this year ball pit, three covered play- new ballpark on Volunteer and that other stores are planning to come as well. grounds, a plaza with tiered Drive. Construction Manager Mayor Joe Thomas said seating, and a 5,300 square that this project has been Ryan Baum said that the foot pavilion. From PARK • A l not replacing some personnel. EDITOR He said the city still The main topic at Span- has the lowest property ish Fork's City Council tax rate in the county and meeting Tuesday, April that rates for sewer, water, 21, 2009 was the tenta- pressurized irrigation, gartive budget for Fiscal Year bage and storm drainage (FY) 2010. Kent Clark should remain the same or presented the basics of the decrease slightly. The council unaniproposed budget, which mously accepted the tencomes to $57,400,000 for tative budget. It will now the year. The numbers reflect be available to citizens the nation's economic on the city's website, situation. As business rev- www.spanishfork.org. enues and growth have de- Those without access to creased, so have the city's the internet can contact tax revenues. Clark showed the city to receive a hard a graph comparing sales copy of the budget. Pubtax revenues from 2007 lic comment will be acwith those from 2008. Of cepted now through June the various business cat- 2, 2009, when a public egories, car dealerships hearing for the FY 2010 and industrial suffered the budget will take place. In other business, Limost, with grocery stores and gas stations among the brary Director Pam Jackfew to show an increase. son reported that the liThe city's interest income, brary now has a Utah which stood at $461,615 State Parks annual day in 2007 is projected at pass. It can be checked out for one week at a time $150,000 for 2010. The good news is and provides free day use that past surpluses from or a $2 discount on campthe electrical fund — to ing at Utah State Parks. the tune of $5.8 million The library also has an — will help balance oth- earthquake exhibit, which er budget categories, $4 will be on display for two million of which will go weeks. to the construction of the The Council approved new North Park, which is a measure to accept Spanalready scheduled to move ish Trails streets as public, forward. given compliance with Clark said that cuts the measures set forth by the city is considering include: city engineer. They also no general fund projects, approved a one-year conno salary increases for FY tract with Cody Pugh to 2009 or FY 2010, delay in run concessions at the golf equipment purchases and . course. Namon Bills . l/of/tms o ft//am* . I/try iS}// tr//t/ <J/// V. \tJ/'/// . Utrm * i/r 7C/C/'{//M' . Ue/irorrtr/{Attt/t/tfttf . /'ri(/a// /Otrjjt. /o (SVK///. ' itr/r/rt/try <Jtr.////o //>.///. <j///*\'Jor . i/of/; (>(i/f/f/itt l 4v/ Eat better. Feel better. Shakes Smoothies Beverases Coffee C/>i; Yumnif of the week Meeting with County: From CRU • A l asked if there were plans to provide a bike path. And ultimately, he asked who will pay for all of this. "Everything about this zone change reeks to me of more taxes," Stewart said. Carter spoke about the value of agricultural lands as a non-renewable resource. She suggested that parceling agricultural areas would be detrimental to agricultural activity. Carter also cited statistics that Utah County was the topgrossing county in farming in the state in 2007. "Agriculture is a grow- ing and vibrant industry in its current location. Diana Neves presented Utah — it's not dead," she environmental arguments said. Carter warned that the regarding wetlands and waste treatment plants endangered species issues. would be a "cancerous cell" She and Dain both prothat could kill agriculture in posed alternative sites for the transfer station. Dain south Utah County. "When you kill agricul- suggested a site north of the ture, you kill your econo- county jail in Spanish Fork and Diana Neves said the my," she said. Chris Hermanson cited . vacant Suntana Raceway minutes from commission in Springville "looks like meetings on Sept. 16, 2008 it's lonely for a treatment and Nov. 18, 2008. In both plant." meetings, the Planning At the conclusion of the Commission recommended meeting. Commissioner disapproval for the pro-Larry Ellertson expressed posed zone change, stating appreciation for the points that the area was not com- that were made. He also patible with PF zoning and emphasized that much of that the transfer station had the power to decide what adequate room to expand in happens with the land in Your Choice $1.50 747 North Main, Spanish Fork SO I-798-3 185 I www.Jaxies.com Palmyra, Benjamin and Lake Shore is not in the hands of the county commissioners. "You folks that own the land control whether or not it will be developed — we do not," he said. Ellertson also said that no facility has been approved at this time and that the points made in this meeting would be taken into consideration. Following the meeting, Eldon Neves said he felt good about the way things went. "I feel the commissioners treated us better than could be expected," he said. "We accomplished what we wanted to." Rezone request: study with him and could not provide any specifics. As for the water, Southam -Mendenhall fecr^corrfident—-^said^ current"Benjamin and the residents were notified, Lake Shore residents may at least through the news- be affected in the short-term paper, which he says is the by changes in water levels only notification required as more people move in and by Utah state law. the new community increasThomas got 67 residents es its demand for water, but to sign a petition within a they should suffer no serious period of less than two days, long-term effects. and she said she's confident But the biggest issue at she would have gotten more stake for those currently signatures if there had been living in Benjamin or Lake more time. Shore who showed up to Residents at the meet- the meeting is the way this ing expressed a number new development will afof concerns about the pro- fect their rural way of life. posed development, which, "I moved here from if approved, would allow Salt Lake trying to get out Southam to build some 225 of this," said Gayle Baum. homes. Among the largest And she's not the only one. concerns residents had were "I worked 35 years and water and traffic issues. I retired from California Many residents expressed out of a big city to come concern about the roads be- and live in a rural country ing too narrow, and that the setting," said Kent Wetzel. amount of additional traf- "Now this is going through fic would cause problems — I'm moving. If it goes similar to those in the Eagle through, I'm gone." Mountain/Saratoga Springs "I'm really concerned area. Southam rebutted that the county's walking a that an independent firm slippery slope," said resident researched the roads and Hayden Dain. "I built my deemed them "adequate." home about a year-and-a-half though he didn't have the ago. When I built I was told From RURAL • A l Cary Robarge of Robarge Collision wants you to know the facts. "No insurance company can dictate which shop repairs your vehicle. The choice is yours. Secondly, shop owners like myself can negotiate with the insurance company and handle everything from start to finish." Try our new Scoops # Cherry Cheesecake • Brownie Sundae • Strawberry Shortcake • Caramel Praline overall cost of the project was estimated at $4.5 million, but thanks to the current economy and a drop in the price of materials, the city is hoping to save about 30 percent on the project as a whole. Following the press conference, the mayor and city councilmen broke ground — not with the typical golden shovels, but with excavation machinery. Apparently the city wanted to waste no time in getting started on the long-anticipated replacement to North Park. Thanks for shopping Ipcal. Lifetime Warranty on our work 99.78% Customer Satisfaction Rating Exceptional Care, Collision Repair 798-1967 • 570 SOUTH MAIN ST. • ROBARGECOLLISION.COM very clearly that the county this site." wasn't in the business of deThe planning commisvelopment, that that was for sion tabled discussion of the the cities, and the county-was-^ proposal until next month's to remain as an agricultural meeting, which will be, area. I was told that several Tuesday, May 19,2009 at 6 times." p.m. in the county commisResidents suggested sion chambers. Southam and other develLyle Hillier, planning opers should build around commission chair, was rethe cities rather than create luctant to give his opinion their own cities on county on Southairfs proposal land. specifically, but he did talk But Southam said devel- about development in the oping on county land away county generally. from a city is the only way "It's development; it's to provide affordable hous- inevitable ... there's no reaing. . son why it shouldn't hap"Growth is going to hap- pen," he said. pen in the state of Utah," He also added, "The said Southam. "Unless we laws are on the books ... all stop having kids, we're any entrepreneur who wants ... going to continue to to follow those laws and degrow." velop the land is free to do "This is the only way so." that we could find to buildBut Baum said Benjamin affordable housing," South- and Lake Shore residents am said. "It's everybody's won't go down without a dream and goal to have a fight. home ... We feel that by "We're not just old farmbuilding these here we can ers that are sitting back anybecome a really affordable more. There's a lot of us in community, which opens this development that want the door for more oppor- to keep it rural, that want to tunities for people to own keep it the way it is; and we homes, and that was our should have a say, because main reason for selecting we're living there." Security Insurance welcomes Denise Bohne has lived in Spanish Fork her whole life. She is very knowledgable about the insurance business, having done insurance since 1977. Denise has been with Security Insurance since January. She specializes in commercial property and casualty insurance. Clark Swenson and the rest of the staff at Security Insurance are excited to have her as part of their team. no ==\HRi If if II 290 N. Main |^^-E^^^.^_ = ===5555— = = — -= A«G«E«N«C*Y Spanish Fork 798-3500 |