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Show f m m w 3 l Tennis drops first of the season PCHS hopes to rebound from its defeat to powerhouse Rowland HalL Page B-1 r The Peace House is awarding four local women the Many Women, Many Voices award at a fundraiser Chance of showers and otherwise partly cloudy through the end of the week. See 8-2. o frnday, May 2. lne event will be held at the Kxmball Art Center at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $50 per person. ror more information or to order tickets, call 647-9161. , - 1 (I L. UNIbRSnV UTAH LlW 62 500 PARK CITY, UTAH www.parkrecord.com 95 b. ilT Hlc-CBb SBLT Lhr-E CITY VOL 123 NO.24 WedThursFri, April 30-May 2,2003 Discussions about if drilling laws restart County leaders debate what permit should be required By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff ' Since Summit County began requiring a permit per-mit for oil and gas production in 1996, only one drilling operation has formerly applied for a drilling permit. But Summit County Community Development Director Dave Allen said many wells have been drilled on the Eastside. "People have just kind of ignored that provision provi-sion of the code," he said, about the conditional condition-al use permit. Oil and gas drilling had been an allowed use in Summit County until it was changed in the Eastern Summit County Development Code in 1996 and planning commissioners have since said that wasn't intended, Allen said, adding that the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission recommended the code be changed. ' "The Summit County Commission turned it down," he said, about the planning commission commis-sion recommendation. Commissioner Shauna Kerr was a commissioner commis-sioner at the time and said she doesn't support allowing oil and gas drilling in the county without with-out a permit. "It has impacts," she said. "There are scars on the Eastside." " The permitting process allows the county to assure that nearby residents affected by drilling operations are properly noticed prior to approval, Kerr said. "It's a public discussion of a process," she added. .By placing conditions on companies that drill, Kerr said Summit County monitors the condition of drilling sites when companies leave, adding that in some cases, "the companies compa-nies have not necessarily restored it." . "A conditional use permit is not a burdensome burden-some process," she said. But critics of the permit say the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining already regulates regu-lates drilling in the state and a county permit on top of those restrictions is unnecessary. "I'm rejecting those arguments," Kerr said, adding that additional county oversight protects pro-tects citizens. Commissioner Ken Woolstenhulme said he wants the county to do away with the permit and with the commission having final say on the matter he will vote to do so. "I'd like to see it changed," he said. BP produces petroleum in Summit County and Summit County Treasurer Glen Thompson said as the county's largest taxpayer, the company com-pany pays taxes on more the $300 million of assessed value in the county. Requiring a permit could make it more difficult diffi-cult for companies to perform this type of work and "if it's cheaper to do someplace else," it could subtract from tax revenue, he added. "We have oil and we have natural gas," Thompson said. But money isn't the only consideration. "The discussion is not necessarily whether or not oil is valuable ... There's a question as to how much impact. Summit County has to study this very carefully," Thompson said. "Oil and gas drilling is a declining value ... we haven't been drilling a lot of fresh new wells." But attaining a conditional use permit can take time, he added. "It can add years to the process," Thompson said. The one time a company applied for a conditional condi-tional use permit, was to drill a well where one had been drilled in the past during 2001, said Summit County Attorney Robert Adkins. "They were required to do a number of things," he said, adding that because of the permitting per-mitting process, the wells were never drilled and though the permit is still valid it is unlikely tfie company will use the site. . For Summit County to regulate oil and gas drilling beyond the state is inefficient and contrary con-trary to his interpretation of Utah law, which he says, gives the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Please see Drilling, A-2 : ; 2 SECTIONS 40 PAGES Agendas A-8 Business A-9 Classifieds B-1 4 Columns A-18 Crossword B-10 Editorial A-19 Education A-11 Events Calendar B-8 Letters to the Editor A-19 Legals B-1 7 Movies B-10 Professional Services A-16 Restaurant Guide B-1 2 Scene & Heard B-6 Sports B-1 TV Listings B-1 3 Weather B-2 was framed t' vv I 1 (?0 r. V 0 'i.r-, v . ; ; . SCOTT SHEIPARK RECORD Lucy Sidford, who lives in Park City, displays a frame she created Saturday at an enrichment series organized by Park City Recreation. The series will be held once a month. For more information, see the recreation department's Website at www.parkcityrecreation.com. City manager requests money for new garage Elected officials asked to approve $76.7 million two-year budget package By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff Park City Manager Tom Bakaly, launching the long-anticipated debate that may pit Main Street merchants against rank-and-file Parkites, has recommended to the city's elected officials that they approve money for a new multi-million dollar parking garage and public-safety building. Bakaly on Monday delivered his recommended budget to Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council, a balanced plan that anticipates spending just less than $76.7 million over the next two fiscal years. The budget does not anticipate a property lax increase. It covers the City's normal operations as well as earmarking earmark-ing money for a series of key capital projects and programs. The highlight of those projects is the $7.3 million parking structure struc-ture and public-safety building. The project has, been discussed in various forms for years but. under pressure from Main Street, the government is prepared to decide whether or not to build it. The Main Street merchants say that a new parking garage is needed in the Old Town core. That, they argue, will boost business because there would be more parking spots available close to Main Street's shops and restaurants. Studies have shown that there is a parking-spot shortfall during the winter months and the city approaches its practical parking capacity in July and August. The city recently reported that there is a shortfall of up to 412 spots. A new garage, likely to be planned at the north end of the China Bridge parking structure, could hold between 300 and 320 spots. Bakaly said his recommendation was based on input the government gov-ernment received during a recent study about what Old Town projects proj-ects Parkites want funded. Main Street merchants were especially interested in the new garage. They said that project was their No. 1 issue. Others, though, have questioned whether the city should pour taxpayer money into a garage, which they say would generally benefit ben-efit only the Main Street core. ..Members of the City Council were split about t.he .project-as, recently a a few ee ago, when City Councilman I'uri Hicr indicated indi-cated he had not yet been convinced that the project was needed and City Councilwoman Candy Erickson said she supported the garage but had questions about its funding. Bakaly, meanwhile, has recommended a few other notable capital cap-ital expenditures. They include $385,000 for an expansion of the Park City Library and Education Center, $2.8 million to underground under-ground utility lines, about $1.4 million over five years for Old Town grants and an abatement program and $100,000 for Winter Olympic legacies. The abatement program will help pay to fix up Please see Park City's, A-2 Paid-parking debate turns to workers Government insists that meters needed to thwart employees By JAY HAMBURGER Of the Record staff Ron Dubberly, like others on Main Street, has a recommendation for City Hall as the government con-, tinues to review the Old Town paid-parking system: gvet rid of all the Pay and Display parking meters. ! Dubberly says that, with stricter rules for Main Street's workers and owners, a. system could be devised to dump paid parking and at the same time ensure that people who work on Main Street do not park in the prime spots. A partner at Lanny Barnard Gallery, 577 Main St., Dubberly said last week that perhaps the government and Main Street leaders could agree on a new system to regulate the workers. ', "Ideally, I would like it to be no paid parking on Main Street and employees on Swede Alley with an employee pass to keep them off Main Street," Dubberly said in an interview: ; His comments came amid a renewed debate between Main Street and City Hall about the future of ! paid parking, which will likely reach a crescendo next week when Mayor Dana Williams and the Park City Council hold a public hearing about paid parking. The government proposes to remove the parking meters from Swede Alley and the China Bridge park- Please see Debate, A-2 Reflections of bikers mjn tig - f SCOTT SINERARK RECORD Frenchie La Venture, a member of the Heber Valley chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse, participated in a day of reflection Saturday at the Park City Community Church. Peace House to honor role models By MONIKA GUENDNER Of the Record staff By the time a woman arrives at Park City's Peace House she has already experienced so much that she is in a very vulnerable place in her life, says executive director Marcela Montemurro. Yet one thing these women still have is hope, she added, they , speak about the future and how they see themselves in it. ' These women look to role models and mentors to help them fulfill those aspirations and so the Peace House is honoring the four exemplary local role models at their second annual Many Women, Many Voices award celebration and fundraiser on Friday, May 2. The theme for the event is "an evening of sushi, sake and teriyaki." "The second annual award recognizes strong community women who have assisted other women in self-sufficiency," said Montemurro. "They are role models." The event will raise money for the Peace House's operation budget and will go toward its general fund, said Montemurro. The organization also receives funds from several state grants, the Homeless Trust Fund, VA Women and its largest fundraiser, the Luxury Home Tour. Approximately 70 percent of the budget is covered, leaving 30 per-cent per-cent to be filled in by fundraisers such as the Many Please see Peace House, A-2 ;I3 h |