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Show Stresses cooperation Chairman of 3 boards displays optimism about valley problems "..Either that or a damn fool," remarked Doug Lawson about the fact that he is the chairman of three governmental govern-mental groups in the Ashley Valley. Being that involved exposes him to "all the hot spots," at least as far as water and sewer matters are concerned. concern-ed. He believes major problems can be taken care of if all or most of the funds needed can be secured from the $35 million to be distributed this year and next by the state Community Development Develop-ment Impact Board. But predicting future problems will be as tough as predicting the growth of the Vernal area. "Our requests (to the impact board) are based on needs for the next 20 years. But you can't look and see dow n "Si ' " - V I. .' ' !- t' j ,--" ' ,' ... .! " ; DOUG LAWSON, chairman of water, sewer and annexation panels, believes Ashley Valley groups need to cooperate to get the funds needed to handle growth. Problems are getting straightened out, he said. 4 the line what's going to happen." Lawson believes the Ashley Valley groups stand the best chance of getting the low-interest loans from the impact board by banding together. He credits that approach to a loan of $!)?!!. ooo the board granted last week to one of the groups he chairs, the Sewer Manag-ment Manag-ment Board. "One reason we got the loan was that everybody agreed that was the priority." But trying to get all groups to agree on priorities for the valley can be difficult, dif-ficult, he add. In addition the Sewer Management Board post, which runs until the end of 1983, he heads the Maeser Water Improvement Im-provement District board of trustees. He is also chairman of the Uintah Conn ty Boundary Commission, which for the past two years has been Hie group to approve ap-prove or disapprove of annexation re quests in the county. He has served on the Maeser board the longest, since 1976, and was elected clxiinnan In board members for a six-year term in 1978. Prior to his election as a Maeser board member, he served on the L iiilali County Board of Education, including two terms as president, and was active in the Utah School Boards Association A lot of the "hot spots" have occurred recently, including the Sewer Management Manage-ment Board lagoon system Hearing completion, a boundary commission! ruling against Vernal's attempt to an nex industrial areas that U'carne part of Naples, and the water system separating agreement between etnal and the Ashley Valley Water and Sewer. Improvement district. Though not involved directly w ill; the seperation agreement, Lawson said the Maeser board tried to act as a "soi tut mediator " (Continued on page 2 1 Lawson... (Continued trom page 1) "U was difficult I think it's sort of getting settled down. It's a matter now of serving their areas. The only problem pro-blem now is annexations, which Vernal has a right to do." As in every county, a boundary commission com-mission of representataives of all local governments had to be set up according to the 1979 legislature. Lawson said three or four annexations requests involving in-volving Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District service areas were controversial. The most recent involved in-volved a request by Vernal to annex what became the city of Naples. In an unusual hearing, the board denied the request without hearing any argument from attorneys, who decided instead to file suit claiming that the matter had to be argued before a judge. The suit is pending. "If they (the lawyers) want to pursue it through the courts, that's where it should be done.'" But Lawson added that he can't understand wasting taxpayer tax-payer money on legal battles when "the law is clear" on the boundary commission's commis-sion's powers. Lawson said disagreements had to be worked out as he worked with Vernal City Councilman Jack Stagg and water and sewer improvement district board member Bob Turner in setting up the Sewer Management Board. "From the beginning, there was the problem of which entity paid what percent (of the lagoon project)." The sewer board soon will have to . work out how each entity will pay main-tanence main-tanence and operation costs for the lagoon system. What will the Ashley Valley need most to cope with development? "It's hard to say without being prejudiced, pre-judiced, but water and sewer are most pressing. Rich along with that is the need for schools." He noted, however, that the Community Com-munity Impact Board has told school districts they would not get funds unless all other avenues were exhausted. In the case of Uintah County, he added, the school district has little bonded indebtedness in-debtedness and thus a high bonding capacity. "The Ashley Valley District and Maeser are about bonded to I capacity." 1 Lawson said he was pleased about the j way the state so far has handled its new j impact money, which is Utah's share of the lease payments for the White River , Shale Oil Corp. tracts. "I would be hap-i hap-i pier if it were grant money. It really ought to be. It orginated from this county" coun-ty" If not that, then an interest-free loan. As it is, the Sewer Management Board will have to pay of its nearly million dollar loan in 20 years at four percent interest. Lawson said he won't complain; com-plain; the money is coming to the area. i |
