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Show f . . r . . Company to conduct Btfl. economic studv j liy GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL - Bonneville Research Re-search Company will conduct a six-months six-months study of Bountiful's economic growth. The study ,1 to cost $25,000, was approved unanimously by the Bountiful City Council ; In approving the study, the council coun-cil agreed that other studies had been conducted in the past with little follow-up, but that the new study will include findings of past studies as well as an updated status of the city. Funding of the study was approved ap-proved by the council during budget hearings earlier this year. Half of the cost will be derived from the Redevelopment Agency's contingency con-tingency fund, and the, other half will come from the city's capital improvement contingency fund. Unlike prior economic studies conducted for the city, this study will include input from the citizens, according to Mayor Dean Stahle. "It's vitally important that we have the expertise and input from our residents. They need to have a say I in what direction our city is " taking." Councilman Keith Barton said it is important that the city be given direction in what to do for the future. "This study should be done now, why wait," he said. Councilman Harold Shafter emphasized em-phasized that "the city is at the crossroad of economic growth and it is essential that the property tax base be expanded now. If we don't, we'll end up having to increase property taxes or reducing services to our residents. We can't continue in the direction we're going.' ' 'Mayor Dean Stahle compared the study with the city's master plan. "We know what we need, and now it's a matter of getting to that point with the help of our citizens. With their help, we will come up with the necessary short and long-range long-range goals for a better economy," he said. The study will be conducted by Dave Carpenter and Bob Str-ingham, Str-ingham, well known for their roles in the economic studies of Salt Lake City, Sandy City, and other Utah communities in recent years. Councilman Bob Gramoll said he was not fully satisfied with using contingency fund monies for this purpose. "I'd rather see these funds used for emergencies - not urgencies," he said. i |