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Show Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 31 - January 4, 2005 The Park Record A-2 Beer renewals past due Take a swing at the new year "'[Deputies] can legally take a chain and a lock and escort everybody out and put a county lock on the door," Follett said, adding that renew licenses to sell beer on time. offenders still selling beer Jan. 1 Most of Summit's 54 beer vendors may be issued citations. This week several licenses in have class C licenses, which allow beer to be served on tap. Summit South Summit and the Snyderville Basin hadn't been renewed. County Clerk Sue Follett said. The Sheriff's Office may also Municipalities like Coalville, Park City, Oakley and Kamas reg- visit businesses in January that ulate beer licenses in cities and all don't renew annual business but seven of Summit's beer ven- licenses before the end of the year. "That'll be something we'll dors in the unincorporated county take a lot of direction from the are on the West Side, she adds. Commission on," "It is a very big deal," Follett County Edmunds said. said. "They're against the law." Though penalties aren't Eleven businesses in the county are licensed to sell beer in original attached to late beer license containers for consumption on the renewals, business licenses get sigpremises, and 17 stores, like gas nificantly more expensive the stations and grocers, sell packaged'( longer owners wait to renew them, Folletl said. beer for take away, she said. "Once we get through those The cost to renew beer licenses each year ranges from $200 to penalty periods then we start working with the Sheriff's Office $400, Follett adds. "We send out two or three again," she said, adding that there notices," she said, adding that, this are roughly 1,200 licensed busiweek, Blonquist would likely con- nesses in Summit County. "We're tact businesses that hadn't still trying to finalize businesses that haven't paid for 2004." renewed. Deputies will crack down New Year's Day on unlicensed establishments still selling beer By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff Several beer vendors in Summit County had not renewed licenses this week and today it's too late. Deputies may visit establishments that have not renewed around midnight New Year's Day and crack down on bars and stores still selling booze. "That's a very real possibility. The message in there is: just get your license renewed and you'll be all right," Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said. "We're the enforcement branch of the county and we go out and we have to take appropriate measures if need be." But Deputy County Clerk Launa Blonquist expected most of the renewals to trickle in before the close of business Thursday. "Most people usually comply before we get to that point," Edmunds said, adding that fewer than 10 businesses usually fail to Water fees challenged in court • Continued from A-1 was made more than four and one half years after the Potters received development approval from Summit County lo construct their home," Flillon slates. "[Stale law] does not contain provisions allowing for retroactive imposition of impact fees on already existing development." The Potters paid the fee in protest but sought an injunction from the court barring Mountain Regional from keeping the money. "Neither Mountain Regional nor Summit County has a valid basis for including Mountain Regional's [impact fee] on the property tax assessment," Flitlon states in the lawsuit. Himonas ruled against the Potters on the injunction request, Deputy Summit County Attorney Dave Thomas said Monday. "The impact fee that was due became a lien against the property and was collected in the regular course of business," Thomas said. "They had already paid the taxes." According to Flitton, the developer of The Colony, Iron Mountain Associates, owned its water system when the Potters purchased their land. "When the Potters negotiated for the purchase of their lot, it was with the clear understanding that water for the property was included in the purchase," Flitton states. Lots in the luxury, gated development near 'Hie Canyons, range in size from five to 25 acres with mostly "multi-million dollar homes," he adds. "The efforts of Mountain Regional to impose an impact fee on this already existing development would simply provide Mountain Regional with an 'after the fact' windfall that is not deserved or warranted," Flitton claims. "Mountain Regional's certification of the impact fee on the Potters' property tax assessment is a thinly disguised attempt to force payment of a fee that is not warranted under law." An injunction would not harm the public, he states, adding that the Utah Impact Fee Act strictly defines how fees can be imposed as "a condition of approval." "Mountain Regional's action in certifying an unjustified fee on the Potters' property tax assessment is abusive and contrary to public interest," the lawsuit states. According to Flitton, Summit County issued the Potters building permit Jan. 18, 2000, and the county's own ordinance states impact fees are assessed to users "not currently connected to [Mountain Regional]." "At the time Summit County issued the [building permit], there was no connected water system to The Colony and water was hauled by truck to fill a water tank to provide water to the [development]," Flitton's complaint states. Glenn Potter claims that no mention was made of impact fees when he signed to receive the permit. Mountain Regional claims impact fees can be collected retroactively, he adds. "It wasnt retroactive," Thomas said, adding that Mountain Regional has not been served with a complaint. "The Potters have never had a permanent water source ... they were going to get their permanent water when they actually paid their impact fee." "The Potters and Mr. Flitton have basically mischaracterized what exactly was going on," Thomas said. The Potters shouldn't be living in their house "because the Potters have never received a certificate of occupancy to live in the house," he adds. The couple is the only one of several homeowners allowed lo build in The Colony without a permanent water source, who has not since paid Mountain Regional's impact fees, Tliomas said\ "The basically didnt comply, with, the agreement. They're trying to get something for nothing," he adds. Red Cross responds to tsunami Donations are needed to help with relief effort for afflicted countries in Asia The American Red Cross is responding lo the large scale disaster in southern Asia after the earthquake off the wesl coast of Indonesia struck on December 26th and triggered a number of tsunami waves thai caused massive flooding and severe damage in several countries. An American Red Cross volunteer will be deployed from the United States in the next few days, and will join a team of British Red Cross responders in Sri Lanka, one of the hardest hit areas. Additional disaster relief personnel are on standby to travel to the region in the coming days. Relief supplies, such as plastic sheeting, family-size tents and hygiene kits, are ready for shipment to be distributed to people in the affected areas. These supplies are in a specifically designated area near the region so they can be mobilized quickly. It is estimated that nearly one million people living in the coastal areas have been affected. When disasters like this strike, whether domestically or internationally, people want to help and often offer individual and/or collections of goods or in-kind items to show their support for the victims. However, the Red Cross does not have the capacity to accept or collect, and does not actively solicit individual or collections of in-kind donations in times of disaster. With disasters of this magnitude, people are especially concerned for their loved ones in the affected area. Information about U.S. Citizens living or traveling in the southern Asia region may be obtained by calling the U.S. Department of State at 1-888407-4747. The American Red Cross ha an adequate response capacity with bilingual, internationallyexperienced relief workers, and does not anticipate requiring fur- ther assistance from volunteers for this disaster. We encourage volunteers to contact their local chapter for volunteer opportunities now and in the future. There is a tremendous outpouring of support from the public for victims of this disaster. The best way to help those affected is lo make a contribution to a disaster relief organization like the American Red Cross. Your donation will allow the Red Cross to purchase relief items directly in the region, eliminating the costs of shipping and transport from the United States. Please support the International Response Fund at the American Red Cross by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW or al www.redcross.org. Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C., 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org. GRAYSON WEST/PARK RECORD Warren Pretorious, the head tennis pro at Park City Racquet Club, gives a lesson Thursday afternoon. The Racquet Club's holiday hours are as follows: Friday, Dec. 31 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 1 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Shauna Kerr ends political run • Continued from A-1 Also, the adoption of the county's water concurrency ordinance generated litigation against the county, but requiring all water companies to prove how much water they have to sell to developers could become the "standard of the industry," Kerr said. "That will be one of the right things we did,'1 she adds. However, attempting to condemn the private Summit Water Distribution Company while forming Mountain Regional was not the right decision, Kerr said. Summit Water is proceeding with antitrust litigation against the county over the failed condemnation attempt. "It seemed the right thing to do," she said, insisting that condemnation was not a vindictive act. "H was a strategic move. It was an attempt, in 'good faith, to do business1."' " '•' Friends and foes will remember Kerr, a Cache County native, as quick with quips to derail arguments from developers and attorneys. "I've always enjoyed Shauna's keen sense of humor and wit," said Commissioner Bob Richer, Kerrs political cohort for the past two years. After graduating from law school at Pepperdine University in California she moved to Park City in the late 1980s. "I have a wicked, wicked sense of humor," Kerr said. Next week will mark the first lime she has not had a job in government since moving to Summit County. But for now the county is in good hands. Kerr said. She's pleased commissioners were able to amend the Snyderville Basin Development Code in December before she left office. "There will be lands that will be preserved," Kerr said, lamenting recent litigation threats made against the county by developers whose plans were rejected. "It's a lot of development ... that type of development would absolutely kill the economic engine." She urges future commissioners to continue to defend against lawsuits filed against the county. "We don't want to have a climate where the way lo get things done is to file a lawsuit," Kerr said. ' ' ' "' She has thick skin for when politics turn dirty. Cone said. "[Kerr] could make the hard decisions ... she's very representative of the majority of Summit County," Cone said about her background and education. "She's not a farm girl, but she knows that realm." Kerr won't rule out another political run but she is content now to practice law, serve on the administrative control board of the Park City Fire District and work as a host al Deer Valley Resort. A study underway in the coun- ty will examine whether the threeperson Summit County Commission should expand and she hopes citizens seriously consider a new form of government. "[The three-member board] works in counties where development happens in cities," Kerr said, adding that the workload in Summit County is too much for a part-time commissioner and it's loo late for the Snyderville Basin lo incorporate. Also. Kerr looks forward to a day when party politics arc removed from county government. She chose not to seek a second term and next week will be replaced by Sally Elliott, another Democratic woman from Park City. She's confident, if asked. Summit County voters would have -given her another tQrm. .., .'"Thais the nature of the political beast. I think I could have won again bul I just don't think thai it would have been the right thing at this time." Kerr said Wednesday, during an interview at her home in Park Meadows. "I'm really at peace." Elliott will have big shoes lo fill. Commissioner Ken Woolslenhulme said. "We didn"l always vote the same but when the vote was over we were able to get down to work and make things happen. I learned from [Kerr] and I appreciate those things she helped me with." Woolstcnhulme said. Dean is expected for fundraiser • Continued from A-1 for the nomination. Dallett said she supported Dean's anti-war stand and other Dean platform planks like health care. "In this atmosphere of aggressive warmongering, I'm leaning toward the Democratic view," she said. Dallelt said Park City is a smart spot for such an event. "We're not a mirage, we're definitely an oasis for Democrats" in Utah, she said. In an interview on Wednesday, Randy Ovard, the Henefer resident who is chairman of the Summit County Republican Party, said he respects Dean and would like to meet the ex-candidate. "To me, I appreciate anyone who wants to bring a poinl of view to give citizens an opportunity to think," Ovard said, adding that he sees the Democrats as having a "mediocre" chance of raising lots of money during the Dean visit. Ovard said he does not envision Dean being a presidential or vice presidential candidate bul Dean might be able to win the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. He also said Dean represents the left-leaning part of the Democratic Party. "'Diere is no question about it. he is the standard bearer of the lib- THE BEST LUNCH THERE IS! Do SUSHI 435 - 655 - 0800 eral side of the party," Ovard said. But Dunn disagrees that Dean is far to the lefl of most Democrats. He claims that the press is to blame for thai label. He said Deans record is not as liberal as portrayed in the media. "The media did a terrific job of painting Dean into a box," Dunn said. The fundraiser is scheduled Monday, Jan. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Spotted Frog Bookstore, 1635 West Redstone Center Drive. Attendees must donate at least $120 to the state Democratic Party. To RSVP, call (801) 328-1212 or e-mail rsvp@utdemocrats.org. |