Show Ashley Valley water sewer issues Dear Editor Jack We have soft peddled long It is time to tell the people that live in this Ashley Valley the The reason for writing this letter is to clarify some questions you have raised in your recent articles in regards to the Sewer Water Improvement and Maeser Sewer Water Improvement The real issues are bondage or Rulers law or peoples Government by Representation or Dictatorship feet of Red Fleet water and the cost is the reason 3 city councilmen refused to sign the Sewer Water Vernal City has proposed a study that will cost to be funded by the Bureau of Reclamation to help them market this water in the Valley's pipeline Lynn IA Engineer for CUP Utah stated in a meeting with Vernal Red Fleet water would cost per acre plus treatment of about per acre delivered in Ashley That the Conservancy District would pay 34 of the They would also help fund the treatment plant if it was to treat Bureau of Reclamation This is outrageous to even think of putting that kind and quality of water in our pipelines when we have Ashley Spring with the highest quality water possible and located at an elevation that would require no Someone needs to do some thinking for these councilmen or I should say for the people of Ashley Why spend of the people's money for something we know we don't The three councilmen's discussion was to keep control of all the pipelines in Ashley Valley so they could market this high-priced Red Fleet water to the people outside of Vernal This was Ed Clyde's advice to them in a recent report given by Shane Vernal City I think the people of Ashley Valley should have something to say about the quality of water that goes in their Ludlow for every gallon of Bureau of Reclamation water that went through the treatment they could also treat a gallon of other This clearly shows a conspiracy and plans to put Red Fleet water in our I thought Red Fleet water was going to be used for exchange It has come now that the water situation in Ashley Valley is the Ownership of water and water use of water and distribution of control and administration of water are what brought this dispute For forty years that I can personally the real problem has been some people trusted others to properly administer the affairs in water and the result has been the misuse of this power and This has created Some people getting water and others getting some paying less and others being charged Let's get a few things Vernal City does not own Ashley Springs or Ashley Creek as some people The first rights to these waters are owned by the canal companies and some personal Vernal City is a stockholder in these the companies have allowed Vernal City and Maeser to divert water from the spring for the valley's culinary needs and use in the pipeline The companies have been well aware that Vernal City has used more than their share of water almost every they have tried to get Vernal City to pay for this water that has been taken from the rightful No payments have been In the early under the Central Utah the Project was approved and contracts were made with the water users and the Bureau of This was the birth of the valley-wide pipeline water This system was to replace the livestock water when the water was taken out of the canals to be stored in Since many people have had to haul water to their livestock and homes because the pipeline system did not replace the canal It appears now that these contracts were based on fraud and that Vernal City was given all power and dictatorship to administer these pipelines to their That the people of the Ashley Valley outside Vernal City were sold down the into with no representation in the affairs of the pipeline A victim of By what right did the Bureau of Reclamation give that was ear marked for the Glines-Davis unit to Vernal City without some representation from the Glines-Davis By what right does Vernal City claim sole ownership of the pipeline system in the Glines-Davis These people are charged double water rates each also they have lo sign an annexation petition before they can get a water The valley-wide pipeline in round was paid for as Glines-Davis connections outside Vernal City at Vernal City connection fee of which nets Total take from people outside Vernal City is Vernal City then bonded for to complete the This built the valley-wide This system included work at the desander pipeline from the spring to the water tanks and the distribution lines in the Maeser paid for their portion of this works in Since this Vernal City has raised the connection charge to outside the city and inside the also water rates raised to inside city and minimum outside the The allotment of water has been continuously when use is over this people are penalized because the pipeline system is In 1978 issue of the Vernal Vernal City published their financial It clearly shows that the profits from the water works department carried the losses in the Sewage Department and loss in the Garbage The wages and salaries and employee benefits are charged against the water which are This is completely out of and still the water works made a funds in the amount of were transferred to bond redemption from the water works which means that no city General Property Tax money went to pay the I don't understand why the people outside Vernal City are charged double for water connections and water each I think the Sewage Department should pay its own the Garbage Department pay its own way and the Golf Course pay its own way and not burden the people outside Vernal Vernal City has hooked up approximately 1500 water connections outside Vernal plus sells water they don't have and delivers water through the i valley-wide system to connections in The money Vernal City received to build the valley-wide system and the money charged for connections since amounts to about For the most this money been used for Vernal City cost of Very little has gone back into the pipeline system where it should have This does not count the money taken in from monthly which should take care of all operation and I quote one Vernal City Councilman who administration costs are so high we never have any money to put pipelines in the The pipeline system is outdated and It needs about spent on it to bring it up to according to the Still Vernal City is hooking up people as fast as they can to get the without proper engineering and knowing that the lines are The people that operate this system have an impossibility facing They screw some valves down and others up trying to balance and keep the system in tune and at the proper This method just restricts the free flow of water which reduces the amount they can instead of having properly placed automatic pressure All a result of improper the lack of engineering and funds to do the job We the people outside Vernal City must break this stranglehold and get out of Approximately people live outside Vernal City and about inside the Vernal City petitioned to buy acre feet of Red Fleet This package comes in 2 acre feet in 1981 and acre feet Vernal City will have a payment of about each year beginning in 1981 to the Bureau of Reclamation for Red Fleet Vernal City has to market that water to Preferably to the people outside Vernal City because they pay This means that Vernal City is going to force this water cost onto the people outside Vernal City at a double water If you divide this annual payment by the number of water connections which will probably be in you have per connection per the people outside pay approximately of that so when you break that down per it will be somewhere around or per month per connection for those outside the This does not any construction In Vernal City's cost of water is now per acre foot and Red Fleet water Is going to cost per acre less 34 which the Conservancy District will which also comes out of the people's Vernal City has been considering putting Red Fleet water in our Can anyone with common sense even consider such a Our Ashley Spring flows water this time of year that is almost distilled water in comparison to water out of a lake like Red That water is exposed to all sorts of contamination and The only pollution in Ashley Spring that is of concern is the turbidity in the early And there are ways of taking care of Anyone that believes that the people outside Venial City would go for a sewer deal like the water deal is We are not going to sell our birthright and our people into more we must fight for liberty and have rule with representation in governing our The cry of our people falls on the deaf ears of three City Councilmen and The Sewer Water agreement that the Mayor and 3 City Councilmen refused to sign was approved on four different occasions by a unanimous vote of the council as it first when it was presented to the council by Jack chairman of the Sewer Water before it had been presented to when it was reduced to writing after it had been presented to when Jim Brookes and Don Board of were here in March after the final draft came from their attorney and the attorneys came back from the Attorney Their reasons for holding back were personal legality and None of these were the real They want con-troll there are 2 councilmen that are not they happen to believe in equality and morality a. d that a joint cooperative effort with a unified people could develop the sewer and water and our Vernal City is in financial possible Their present water system is in trouble and EPA has given them 1983 to update or replace This will cost to Red Fleet water has to be paid first payment which will raise to for the Valley-wide water system has to be updated to supply the connections that are being hooked up and possibly a treatment to The people of Ashley Valley want to help develop this valley and will help pay the but they must have representation in what Vernal City is trying to operate like a big city and they are They must trim their costs and join with the people in Maeser and Ashley Valley before it is too In Vernal City to hook up any more outside people and tried to force people to build inside the Ashley Valley Sewer and Water District was created to provide sewer and water to the people of Ashley Valley except Maeser and Vernal Maeser District and Ashley Valley District are working together in a harmonious attitude with trust and cooperation and are dedicated to provide water and sewer to their and they will succeed by working Yours Lyle McKeachnie |