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Show San Juan Commissioner I Takes Issue With Statements in AOG Stones J San Juan County Commissioner Calvin Itlack feels that his county's recent interaction with the Southeastern Utah Association of Governments has been inaccurately described. He criticized statements made by Rill Dinehart, AOG director, printed in. a recent issues of The Times-Independent. Dinehart was quotod as saying that San Juan County "...applied for readmis-sion readmis-sion to the Association." Said Comm. Itlack, "The facts in this matter are that Rill Dinehart and Chris Jouglas first came to San Juan County j after first having called and requested a meeting with the Commissioners." lie continued, "They asked us if we would consider rejoining with the Association. We responded that we would have no I objection to meeting with the Officials from the other Counties to DISCUSS l such a possibility." I He elaborated, "They were also I informed that San Juan had no regrets ' over withdrawing, that even in retrospect, retro-spect, we believed our decision had proven to be more beneficial than detrimental. With this background and , understanding, we agreed to meet with Officials of the other Counties at a I meeting in Price at a later date." At that time and since, said Comm. I Rlack, San Juan Commission Chairman I Edward Royle has reiterated that San Juan would consider the request that the county rejoin the AOG only on three . conditions. First is that San Juan retain the option to continue to operate present , programs independently and reserve the ' option to bo independent in any future j programs. Second is that some staff personnel live and work in the area; and third is that no county be forced to participate in or take a position contrary to the wishes of such county. Said Black, "For the record, San Juan County does not wish to get into any controversy with Grand County or Moab City, nor for that matter with Carbon or Emery Counties or their Cities. We only want the record to be accurate. If the final decision of Grand County is to withdraw as they have indicated is their desire, San Juan will be happy to join with them in working together on efforts and programs mutually mutu-ally beneficial, and with mutual respect and consideration for each other's different differ-ent problems and desires." He concluded, "Again San Juan County has no regrets over withdrawing from the AOG more than two years ago. On balance it has been beneficial to our County and our people. Commissioners and other elected officials and staff have had to assume more responsibility and more time has been required. It has been worth it because we feel we are doing 'our own thing' more and making our own decisions." |