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Show By GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL By a split vote of 3-2, Bountiful c'ty Council Wednesday night upheld a previous Vision to maintain a two-tier (non-resident) recreation recrea-tion fee for its city-owned golf course and recreation complex. ALSO, THE council by another split vote refused a compromise proposal to a recommenda-Jon recommenda-Jon that a uniform fee of $2.75 be charged all golfers for nine holes of golf. The present rate is $2.50 for Bountiful residents and $3 for non-residents. . COUNCILWOMAN Phyllis Southwick and Coun-Cl'men Coun-Cl'men Bob Linnell and Jay Bingham voted to main-the main-the non-resident recreation and golf fee. Councilmen Steve Studdert and Paul Allen voted t0 ""eject the two-tier proposal that had been proved by a split vote of the council a couple of Months ago. MAYOR ELMER W. Barlow did not have a vote Jnthe matter, but he did strongly object to the two-system two-system and urged that it be changed so that the same recreation fee is charged everyone. Councilwoman Southwick suggested that the program of a two-tier recreation fee be tried for a few months. "Then if we are proved wrong, we will admit our mistake and have it changed at that time," she said. . MEANWHILE, THE council did unanimously approve discontinuation of the ID card required of Bountiful residents to prove their residency. The question came up but was not answered, as to how the non-resident fee will be administered since many non-Bountiful residents use a Bountiful address, even on a driver's license. BOUNTIFUL CITIZENS who have already obtained an ID card, and paid their 50 cents, will be allowed to have the amount (50 cents) deducted from their next admission to a recreation facility, it was explained. . . One resident observed that without ID, it will entice persons to lie about their residency, especially if they live outside the city but their residence has a Bountiful mailing address. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) Council Ends Up Hi Tin Split Votes On Recreation Fees (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ) IN OTHER related action, the council approved a new tennis court fee and reservation policy. A charge of $1 per person per hour will be charged for all courts except the golf course courts after 5 p.m. daily. The $1 per person charge will be applicable to the golf course courts all day. RESERVATIONS MAY be made at the city recreation re-creation center for all courts except those at the golf course. The golf course courts can be reserved at the golf course clubhouse. It was also suggested that "Family Night" at the swimming pools be allowed afer 5 p.m. Monday through Friday instead of on Monday nights only. MAYOR BARLOW said the "two-tier proposal was ridiculous, unfair and unjust. It has been nothing but an administrative nightmare and the whole thing doesn't make any sense." Councilman Allen added: "I, TOO, FEEL that it is ridiculous, and I strongly oppose the two-tier recreation fee as being discriminatory discrimi-natory and unfair. Because of it, Bountiful businessmen business-men have suffered and the poor public relations caused by it are irreparable." The other opponent to the split-fee proposal, Councilman Studdert, said, "We have heard the feelings of the public, and they don't want it. We need to stimulate participation in our recreation facilities faci-lities but we can't do it with the poor public relations that we have going because of the two-tier system." PROPONENT OF THE split-fee proposal, Councilman Coun-cilman Bingham said he "feels that the people who use the facilities should pay for them but tha tBounti-ful tBounti-ful residents should be given a break in the fee that is charged." Councilman Linnell said he had voiced his opinions opin-ions earlier and did not want to continue bringing the matter up. He emphasized earlier, however, that he strongly favored a two-tier system and that it was not an uncommon practice. "YOU PAY more for an out-of-state fishing and hunting license, or to attend college out of state," he said. "What makes it so different with what we are trying to do?" Councilwoman Southwick said she would like to see the program tried for a few months and see what the outcome is. "I'M NOT SO sure that the residents of Bountiful are not very much in favor of split fees for recreation and it's the Bountiful residents that we represent," she said. Former city councilman Larry Eckman Sr. was the most vocal to speak out against the split fees. HE SEVERELY criticized the council members voting in favor of the two-tier system as "doing nothing but antagonizing our neighbors and creating a very poor public relations image. "We should be welcoming them with open arms. We need their patronage. We should not be discriminating discrimi-nating against them with such a stupid, ridiculous program as is being proposed here tonight." BUSINESSMEN Ron Boswell and Don Ohms also criticized proponents of the two-tier program saying that it has done more to damage business in the city than any single thing the council has ever done. "We are getting reports daily from all the shop owners in the 5-Points Mall who have been told that non-residents have threatened to boycott Bountiful businesses if the non-resident fee schedule is not changed," said Mr. Ohms. MR. BOSWELL said he owns a photography business busi-ness in Bountiful but lives in Woods Cross, just one block from the Bountify city limits. "I pay more taxes from my business than most Bountiful residents resi-dents and yet I am discriminated against. It's a very unfair program." |