OCR Text |
Show SPRING HOME & GARDEN ONCE A MORMON, GAY ARTIST CHALLENGES THE CHURCH WITH PAINT BUSINESS, A-7 rrs TOUGHER TQGET.YQUR ROAST BEEF FIX NOW The PARK CITY, UTAH ; COLUMNS, A-14 THE WEATHER ISNT WORKING FOR TOM CLYDE Park Record. W W W . P A R K R E C O Serving Summit County since 1880 C O M R Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, May 22-25, 2010 VOL. 130 • NO. 29 City Councilors appear hesitant to endorse increase Inaugural PCHS race organized as a remembrance By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff By ALISHA SELF Of the Record staff On Memorial Day last year, 1,000 people ran a 5K in memory of five Park City students who had died far too young. Later that day, several hundred attended a memorial service for yet another life lost, 21-year-old David Crook. The overwhelming community support and the jarring loss of another young Parkite made the mothers of the Park City 5, who came together to organize the race, realize that the event was a perfect act of remembrance for ail loved ones lost. The inaugural Park City High School (PCHS) Memorial 5K will be held Monday, May 31. The race will start at 9 a.m. at PCHS and will loop through Park Meadows. The cost is $25 in advance at www.pchsmemorial.com or $30 the day of the race. Registration will take place between 8 and 8:30 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the PCHS National Honor Society and will be used to fund local and national projects, including partial scholarships for seniors in need of financial aid and students who want to travel to Bolivia this summer to help build the second PCHS sister school in honor of the Park City 5. The money raised at last year's race funded the construction of five sister schools in honor of Mike Pennels, Connie Blount, Matt Knoop, Chris Yeates and Erica Knell, who all passed away within eight months of one another in 2008. Families wishing to honor loved one may purchase memorial banners that will be displayed along the racecourse. Banners are available by emailing contactus@pchsmemorial.com. AJice Pennels, whose son Mike passed away in February 2008, says she plans to run the 5K each year as a way to celebrate his life. She hopes the race will become a tradition for Parkites who have lost anyone, whether it's a friend, family member or coworker. The PCHS baseball team plans to run the race in memory of their assistant coach, Keith Otis, who passed away Please see Race, A-2 3 SECTIONS • 42 PAGES A-7 C-9 A-14 A-15 C-6 C-11 A-15 C-4 ,...0-7 B-1 C-1 B-2 A i^MedlaNews Group NEWSPAPER 50(5 City leaders are leery of tax hike Which way to work? Run for loved ones now lost Business Classifieds Columns Editorial Events Calendar Lcgals Letters to the Editor Movies Restaurant Guide Sports Scene Weather...... TODAY INSIDE: GREAT IDEAS O N GETTING YOUR HOUSE AND YARD READY FOR SUMMER FUN. GOLFER ENDS HER PCHS CAREER WITH TWO STRAIGHT STATE TITLES ERIK DAENITZ/PARK RECORD George Chase takes a spin on his unicycle Friday morning outside The Yarrow. He rode the contraption to work as part of Bike to Work Day. Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council, faced with the toughest financial situation in years, appeared hesitant Thursday night as they debated whether to endorse the property-tax increase that has been requested as a way to balance a budget amid falling revenues. The decision about Park City Manager Tom Bakaly's request for a tax increase will likely be the most closely watched of the budget season, with the prospects that everyone who owns property - whether it be a house where they live, a vacation home, a commercial building or an undeveloped tract - could face a higher property-tax rate. The City Council was not sched- uled to endorse or reject the idea during the meeting, but it seemed that Bakaly will encounter opposition from some of the elected officials in the coming weeks. Bakaly, sometimes speaking in stark terms, argued that a propertytax increase is the "best long-term solution" to City Hall's financial situation. There has not been an increase in the property-tax rate at City Hall in at least 20 years. During the boom years of the 1990s and the days before the recession, Park City enjoyed expanding budgets in the hot economy. But the recession cut deep into revenue streams like sales taxes and development-related monies, and the city manager argues property taxes are more stable than the other types of City Hall revenues. In talking to Williams and the City Council, Bakaly said staffers could craft a spending plan this year without an increase in property taxes, but he sees an increase as being key to City Hall's financial picture in future years. He told the elected officials there will be "hard decisions" that Please see Tax hike, A-2 Insurer sues the county Hopefuls interviewed The company wants out of long-running dispute with Summit Water By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff Summit County is being sued by its own insurance company, which claims the insurer is not responsible for paying to defend or indemnify county officials in a long-running legal dispute with the private Summit Water Distribution Company. Taxpayers could be on the hook for pricey litigation costs if the Utah Local Governments Trust prevails in the case. Defendants include Summit County, the Summit County Commission, the county's Mountain Regional Water Special Service District, the Montgomery Watson Harza firm and William Todd Jarvis, who was an independent contractor with the county. The Utah Local Governments Trust provides Liability insurance for Summit County and Mountain Regional Water Special Service District. The insurer claims the conduct alleged by Summit Water in an antitrust lawsuit against the county "does not fall within the coverage provisions of the insurance policies." The wrangling between two of the largest water companies in the county dates back to 2000, when Summit County formed its Mountain Regional Water Special Service District and began competing with Summit Water on the West Side. At issue is whether government officials abused their power by conditioning development approvals on a builder at Promontory agreeing to buy his water from Summit County. Newspaper comments Promontory developer Rich Sonntag made in 2002 showed that he was coerced into signing up with Please see County, A-2 County Council chats with three from GOP wanting treasurer post By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff Summit County will have a new treasurer in June. The County Council on Wednesday interviewed three Republicans who are vying to replace former Summit County Treasurer Glen Thompson. Thompson, a Republican, retired in April. State law allowed the Summit County Republican Party to suggest three people to replace Thompson. The three applicants from the Park City area are Henry Glasheen, Mike Howard and Richard Motto. Glasheen, chairman of the Summit County Republican Party, is also currently a candidate in the treasurer race in November. Motto is a candidate in the race for Summit County clerk. Summit County Councilman John Hanrahan, a Democrat, said naming Glasheen or Motto as interim treasurer may give one of the Republicans an unfair advantage in the November election. With voters set to select a treasurer on Election Day, the interim treasurer will serve until January, when the new official is scheduled to be sworn in. "An incumbent has a significant advantage in an election," Hanrahan said. "If we select someone who is an existing candidate for office, we are creating an incumbency, which in some way negates the voters in November." Glasheen faces Park City Democrat Corrie Kirklen in the treasurer race. Motto is challenging incumbent Summit County Clerk Kent Jones, a Democrat. Please see Hopefuls, A-2 Club deal could be delayed Christmas in May Mayor and City Council want to look further at the Racquet Club funding By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff The difficulties with the City Hall budget have seeped into the discussions about the planned renovation of the Racquet Club, with there being the possibility that the finalizing of a multimillion contract for the work could be delayed. Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council on Thursday night addressed the 8 9493700001 7 renovation as part of an overall debate about the budget, talking about the recreation facility just days after staffers unsealed bids for the work. The bids were less than anticipated, a result of the construction slowdown. Matt Twombly, a City Hall staffer assigned to the Racquet Club renovation, said in an interview after the Thursday meeting he was unsure whether the contract would be presented to the elected officials on May 27, as had been anticipated. The bid plus add-on costs like environmental upgrades and art put the price at approximately $10.2 million. City Councilors had already set aside $10.5 million, but only approximately $7.2 million of that sum is in actual cash. The rest can perhaps be generated through a bond that could be repaid through sales taxes, Twombly said. He said staffers plan to discuss the funding options Please see Deal A-2 Have a cold one for Mother Earth ERIK DAENITZ/PARK RECORD Volunteers Johnathon Robinson and Rachael Paxton move dead Christmas trees to the bend in McLeod Creek to prevent bank erosion, part of the Weber Basin Job Corps planting efforts. Squatters Roadhouse Grill will host the annual Earlli Day Fundraiser for Recycle Utah on Sunday. May 2X from 5 until 9 p.m. The event will feature a silent antlion, opportunity drawing and activities for kids. Tickets are $-10 for adults or $15 for kids and include dinner and two drinks. Tickets are available in advance by calling (43.S) MS>-%l>S or at the door. |