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Show r5 f f o o ti A8 , iM-ats ga to Vol. VIII, No. 16 New commissioE approves pasS'-tbrough funds for (clinic by Rick Brough The Summit County Commission decided Tuesday to act as a conduit to pass through family planning funds from the state to the Community Clinic in Park City. But commissioners dipped only one foot in the water. They signed the contract with the state, but declared they would not sign the other contract required with the clinic until County Health Director Frank Singleton returns to them next week with the state's signatures and an initial lump-sum payment of $3000. They also agreed to lobby the state for a less cumbersome method of getting the money to the clinic. The situation is urgent since the clinic will run out of money after approximately mid-Jjanuary. mid-Jjanuary. Singleton hand-delivered the contract con-tract to state offices Wednesday morning. Officials promised a check couldbe prepared J.' immediately" '.' according to Singleton, but in bureau-cratese, bureau-cratese, this normally means a few weeks. "They think they can make it by next Tuesday. They said they'd do their best," Singleton said. Commissioners were cautious Tuesday Tues-day after the fate that befell an earlier county agreement. In November, commissioners approved an arrangement arrange-ment they said was sanctioned by the Resort Communities Tax Bill goes to legislature City Manager Arlene Loble is pushing for it. State Representative Glen Brown is getting ready to introduce it to the Utah Legislature. But do the people want it? "It" is the so-called Resort Communities Com-munities Sales Tax Bill, which would allow Utah towns heavily dependent on tourism to increase their own sales tax by as much as one percent. With the defeat of the proposed beer tax, Loble sees the Resort Communities Com-munities Bill as a way to offset the city's budget deficit, recently projected pro-jected at more than $200,000 for the current fiscal year. As Park City's spokesman in the legislature, Brown says he is ready to file the bill. But he'd like to know how ODDS' wtmmsHwim: 1 Pit SSmiiml ' ft I ,;iti Linda state, where the clinic would contract directly with state health. But in mid-December, an opinion from the attorney general's office vetoed this scheme. Coming at a time when the clinic's funds were nearly dried up, the state's disapproval "left us in a box" said Singleton. In contemplating the new contract, Commissioner Gerald Young said, "I'm scared of (State Health head Dr. James) Mason. He's dropped us two or three times before." Young, the only incumbent commissioner, commis-sioner, voted last week not to contract with the clinic joining lame-duck commissioners Ovard and Wallin. He switched his vote this Tuesday after County Attorney Bob Adkins assured him language in the agreements made it clear that the county was just a pass-through agency. It would not be obligated financially to support the clinic if the state's money fell short. Young cast a unanimous vote with new commissioners Clifford Blomquist and Ron Perry. The current grant some $23,000 through next June 30 is part of a consolidated federal grant of Title X family-planning money given to the state. Its controversial decision last fall from the Health and Human Services department transferred grants for Planned Parenthood of Utah local residents feel about the plan. "If this represents the wishes and desires of Park City, I'll do my best for them," Brown told the Park City Newspaper. The proposal was due for discussion at a public hearing before the City Council on Dec. 16. However, because of a schedule conflict, Brown couldn't make it. Neither, apparently, could anyone else. The room at the Memorial Building was practically empty. "It doesn't give me a good feel for how the citizens think about it," said Brown about the apparent lack of interest. If passed in its present form, the bill would allow resort communities such r Singer Bl An exhibition in courage is taking place at the Park City Ski Area this week. Story by John Kinch. Thursday, January 6, 1983 and the Park City Clinic to the state's responsibility. In two months, applications will open for a second year's grant, from July of 1983 to June of 1984. The county hopes by then it can persuade the state to allow a direct state-clinic contract and the county will not have to play middleman. "If Matheson doesn't agree, we can go to the state legislature," said Singleton. Meanwhile, commissioners okayed a cover letter that said they were signing the present contract "under protest." Maxell was confident the state would ratify the agreement, since the only alternative is for the health department depart-ment to open a program. "It will cost them more money and more hassle," she said. Added Singleton, "Mason doesn't want to duplicate the program, find a building, and get his employees up the canyon." Maxell said she hoped her contract with the county could be signed next week. "I'd feel more secure waiting one week rather than two." ' "I understand," said Commissioner Young, "but I'll feel secure when he (Singleton) comes with the check." In other matters related to the contract: Maxell explained that one provision provi-sion in the agreement would allow the clinic to request technical assistance as Alta, Brian Head and Park City to tack an additional one percent onto the retail sales tax, with the proceeds going back to those municipalities. To minimize the impace on year-round year-round residents, the bill calls for large purchases (over $1,000) to be excluded from the additional one percent tax. "It has been a hard bill to draft, " Brown said. "It hasn't come out easy." One of the problems has come in trying to define what constitutes a resort community. The language in the current version of the bill defines it as one "in which transient room capacity equals or exceeds the permanent census population." As far as Brown is concerned, the fewer the towns that fit the definition, Parley's Park Elementary Linda Singer named The Park City School Board met at district offices Tuesday and appointed an interim principal for the Parley's Pack Elementary School. Linda Singer, a special education instructor at Parley's, was chosen from a field of four applicants. The opening resulted from the unexpected departure of Robert Freeman, Free-man, who resigned to become principal at the Liberty Elementary School in the Murray City School District. Singer will take over the principal's duties when Freeman leaves on Jan. 7. According to School Superintendent Dr. Richard Goodworth, Singer was the best of the candidates for the interim position. His recommendation of Singer pointed out that "she has three years' experience as an administrative adminis-trative assistant and is very well acquainted with the workings of the school. She's probably the most knowledgeable about the school of the candidates." Singer will finish out the school term while the board decides who will from the state. In this case, the county is again just acting as a pass-through agency, she said. The clinic will pass on statistical information on patient loads directly to the state. "We're known for getting our reports in on time," she said. The state seems to be backing off from an idea of funding the clinic at a rate of about $65 per patient served. The standard would have to be instituted at other clinics they fund, Maxell explained. "How would they enforce that at the Salt Lake facility?" she pointed out. Commissioner Gerald Young suggested sug-gested a "gap" might open, between the time a county check pays for the clinic, and the time the state check arrives to reimburse the county. When the county runs low on tax monies in the spring, will the county have to pay interest on borrowed money to support the clinic? k Singleton told the Park City Newspaper News-paper that, at worst, the clinic could be charged the interest. But governments frequently carry out such loans to keep projects going. "It's the cost of doing business," he said. Singleton said if the county receives the $3000 and approves the clinic next Tuesday, Maxell will physically receive re-ceive the check by next Thursday or Friday. the easier it will be to pass the bill. "If indeed it's restrictive and there are only two or three (towns affected), it won't be as hard to sell." He explained that the legislators would be very reluctant to pass anything interpreted as a widespread tax increase. "I don't think it will be an easy bill, regardless." The present sales tax in Park City is five percent. Of that, four percent is kept by the state. The other one percent goes back to the city, three quarters for general purposes and one quarter for transportation. Currently, the local share goes back to the community where the tax was generated-the point of sale. However, become Freeman's permanent replacement. re-placement. The board directed Good-worth Good-worth to begin advertising in February for a permanent replacement. New board president In other business, the board undertook under-took some internal reorganization. As required by state law and board policy, a new board president and vice president were named. Gary Avise will hold down the top spot while Rand Clark will serve as vice president. The board also reviewed various old business items. Land trade completed A longstanding property trade involving in-volving the school district, Deer Valley and the municipality of Park City was finalized after about two years of discussion and arbitration. Under the' deal, which still has a tew final details to be worked out, Deer Valley will turn over a parcel of land to Parkside Partnership who, in turn, will transfer Debby Symonds, executive j: i r 4 i ri.t. berBureau, talks the selling of Park City. Story by Rick Brough. y lllllPliiliy 4" Hal Linden entertains Night '83.' Story on Page repeated efforts have been made in recent sessions of the legislature to have the local option sales tax distributed by population instead of point of sale. Loble has estimated that, should that happen, Park City's share would plummet from about $650,000 a year to $38,000. Park City Mayor Jack Green has been a vigorous opponent of these efforts. However, he has indicated that he would be more inclined to support a bill calling for a redistribution by population if it contained a hold-harmless hold-harmless provision. This provision, Green explained, would stipulate that no community would receive less money from sales tax than it does now. But here's the interim princ ipal the Deer Valley property to the school district. In return, the school district will surrender three acres of land near the football field which will be used by Parkside Partnership to build low income housing. Parkside will reimburse reim-burse Deer Valley for its land. "It's a direct property trade," notes Goodworth. "The land the district is giving up is surplus property. We'll hold on to the Deer Valley parcel until we find the appropriate time to sell or trade it. They need our property for low income housing which conceivably could be used Ly our teachers in the. future to some extent," says Good-worth, Good-worth, pointing out that it's possible under the terms of the final agreement that the district may have first right of refusal for some of the units once the low income housing facility is built. Goodworth summarized the entire venture as "a direct trade for the benefit of the city, school district and Deer Valley." Use for old school? The board also heard from Pete about H Two Sections, 28 Pages the troops during 'Opening A4. catch: to pay for the hold-harmless provision, sales taxes statewide would have to be raised by an additional one-quarter of one percent. "That's probably an $18 million tax increase," Brown estimated. Then there's another issue: if the legislature is going to make the unpopular move of raising taxes, why should it benefit only the municipalities? municipali-ties? "Who ought to get it?" Brown asked. "The cities? The counties? The schools? Who's entitled to it?" The residents of Park City have one thing going for them that wasn't so a year ago. Brown has been elected Majority (Republican) Whip in the House of Representatives. Alvarez and some other interested citizens on the possibility of a cooperative venture whereby the old middle school might be turned into a housing facility. Whi!e the board expressed some interest in the idea, discussions were very preliminary. The subject will be examined further at a future meeting. The board also discussed the possibility of setting up an educational foundation whereby interested citizens could make private contributions to the Park City schools. No action was taken on the issue. The meeting began nearly an hour later than its scheduled start time as the board's executive session preceding preced-ing the meeting lasted longer than expected. The executive session, one of many closed door meetings the board has held in recent weeks, was primarily devoted to an examination of "all the personnel-type rumors which have been flying around lately,' according to Goodworth. The board will meet again Jan. 11. Sr4 ,V,J..lj- |