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Show Comim Page 2 Orem-Geneva Times Wednesday, January 16, 1991 Editorial Opinion $ Bntasy iyOaximizieig recycled product need vital Garbage, garbage, who's got the garbage? That's the question everyone's asking, as concern is heightened world-wide about the danger to the environment, posed by the seemingly endless quantity of garbage generated by a growing population. In the City of Orem, as well as in the rest of the world, the answer to solid waste disposal has traditionally been to find some out-of-the-way spot where the garbage can be hauled and where people will not be offended by its odor and appearance. In small towns the garbage dump is usually located on the outskirts out-skirts where the waste is not a problem. Prior to World War II, Orem's garbage was taken to a spot northeast of the city. After all, Orem had plenty of land and 2,900 people did not generate much garbage. Post-war population growth, however, exacerbated Orem's growing grow-ing garbage problem. Conversion of the Geneva Steel Plant from war-time production to peace-time production brought stability to the community, as well as the problems which more people create. NEW RESERVOIR In 1950 facilities for storing Orem's culinary water were substantially substan-tially increased with the construction of a two-million gallon steel reservoir on the hill east of the cemetery. That action virtually mandated the re-location of the Orem City dump to another location. And, so what has become a tremendous land-fill waste disposal site west of Interstate 15, is today the dumping ground for the garbage of over 100,000 people. Just how long that land-fill can accommodate the burgeoning waste of this growing metropolitan area remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the reverberations from last May's Earth Day are still resounding throughout the land, and a growing number of people are becoming concerned about what they can do to clean up the environment. GRIPPING PROBLEM They want to know just what they can do to lessen the solid waste problem gripping the globe. Part of the answer lies with the recycling of certain waste products which can by-pass the land-fill and be used over again through cleaning andor regeneration. Empty glass bottles can be cleaned and re-filled with beverages. Used aluminum cans, melted down, become new aluminum containers. con-tainers. Newspapers and cardboard are transformed into paper products, while saving forests of trees. Plastic products can be reconstituted into new forms. Used motor oil can be re-processed for extended utilization. RECYCLING EQUATION But, there are two factors in the recycling equation which play a crucial part in the successful recycling cycle: supply and demand. Obviotisly, the supplies of products which can be recycled are virtually endless. The first problem is establishing effective systems for separating the various waste products and collecting them in a convenient, cost-effective manner. The second problem is transporting each category of waste materials to a recycling center where it can be processed and reconstituted into usable products. NONE IN UTAH Since there are no recycling facilities in Utah, there are only collection and transfer facilities for destinations, primarily in California. Califor-nia. And that's where the law of supply and demand comes into play. Since last May, concern for the environment in Utah has caused people to sort their glass bottles from their plastic bottles and to sort newspapers and aluminum cans. The supply of products to be recycled soared. FLAT DEMAND Meanwhile, the need for recyclable products has stayed flat, while the market has been flooded. According to Roger Gillespie of the Utah Recycling Company, the cost of shipping recyclable products to the West Coast became prohibitive prohibi-tive in the light of the prices paid for them. In some instances stored products targeted for recycling had to be hauled to the land-fill when storage facilities over-flowed. There is no doubt that citizens in Orem and the rest of Utah want to be part of the solution to save Mother Earth. But when it comes to recycling, the critical need today is for much greater attention to be given to maximizing the demand. The supply s' jo of the equation will take care of itself. (See page one for related story.) 1 i' This Reynolds van, parked at 620 North State St. is one of two locations in Orem where used One of the 1 1 paper recycling collection sites in Orem is this container located at 250 North aluminum can be dropped off and re-cycled. Thousands of aluminum cans are emptied each iOO East, at the rear of an LDS Church chapel. Local residents are encouraged to drop off their week by local residents who can contribute to the re-cycling effort by bringing their cans to newspapers at these sites so that the papers can be re-processed and used again, this van. Guest Editorial: The FACTS about redevelopment (RDA) districts By DeLance Squire, director of CEDO Commission for Economic Development in Orem There has been considerable publicity concerning the effect Redevelopment Districts have on the economic vitality of a community and the effect this has on other taxing units. It would maybe be helpful if we would take two examples in the City of Orem and outline exactly the effects these developments will have on the City as well as other taxing units. The City administration in Orem has been very careful and judicious in sharing tax increment with property owners and developers. There has not been an instance in the City's operation where they have condemned property or have structured a Redevelopment Redevelop-ment District where other property owners in the City have not benefitted through the additional tax revenues generated through these projects. The tax revenues shared with other taxing units have been revenues which would not have been available if the City had not taken the leadership in setting up the RDA's that have been in operation. NEGLECTED SITE Many local citizens may be aware of the condition o the property just north of 800 North on State Street in Orem. As you have passed by this property many have noticed the presence of vacant buildings, an old and neglected mobile home park, and other conditions which needed to be cleared and improved in order to accomplish two things: (1) improve the appearance and conditions of that area and (2) provide for the increased generation of property tax. GREATER TAXES GENERATED These properties were paying $6,000 per year in property taxes. After the RDA concessions, construction of the new buildings will increase property tax for that area over the next 32 years in the amount of $1,410,000, $1,360,000 of which will be shared with taxing units other than the City of Orem. More than half this amount will be used for the education of our children in the Alpine School District. EXTREME EXAMPLE Another example we would like to talk about is the SmithShopKo development at Center and State. This project is one of the most extreme examples in which the City has participated. This area was characterized by vacant buildings, older neglected homes and a potpourri pot-pourri of mixed and unrelated businesses. The City entered into an agreement with the developer to allow them up to $220,000 per year for 24 years to be paid from increased property tax, and, if necessary, part of the sales tax revenue. The properties before the development were generating $26,682 in property tax. After the construction of the new buildings and the improvements to the property, property tax will increase by $136,000. The net result from the revenues generated from this project will produce an additional $2,993,000 in property and an additional $760,000 in property tax which will be shared by all taxing units. ACCOMPLISHES GOAL The goal of the City to improve the aesthetic appearance and increase tax revenue to the City and other taxing units has been accomplished in each of the RDAs in the City. Secondly, the property taxes of the rest of the property in the City have been kept at a lower level because of these projects. BYU Management Society elects new president ! The Utah Valley chapter of the 3YU Management Society has ."selected Denton R. Alexander, CPA as its president. Denton succeeds suc-ceeds Gary Ashby, administrator of the Provo Surgical Center. Alexander was born in Provo -and was graduated from BYU with :a Master of Accountancy degree in ;1977. He is a partner in the firm of Hawkins, Borup, Cloward and Company, Certified Public Accountants. Ac-countants. He also consults to the boards of several nonprofit organizations or-ganizations and has been active in ; scouting at the local and district ' levels. He resides in Orem with his .Nvife Marie and their six children. .'- Other members of the Society's 1)oard are Gary Ashby, Steve Densley, Erick Erickson, Stan Quackenbush, Richard Stinson, Dave Evans, Richard Harward, Orrin Olsen, Robert Wiseman, Jackie Stuart, Dave Marcum, Kathy Buckner, Bruce Cameron, Bruce Fountain and Kevin Cum-mings. Cum-mings. The BYU Management Society was formed in 1976 by Dean Merrill Mer-rill Bateman and is affiliated with the BYU Marriott School of Management It provides opportunities oppor-tunities to interact and exchange ideas with local members of the business community in educational education-al and social settings. Membership is not limited to BYU graduates and includes other interested business busi-ness and professional persons. Letters to the Editor Supports abortion bill Dear Editor, I am writing in regards to the Abortion Limitation Bill HB68 that is going before the legislature legisla-ture when the session opens in January. Itis a very good bill even though it isn't as restrictive as I would like it to be. But It will still be instrumental instrumen-tal in closing down the abortion mills; hence, it has my full sup port. Time has finally come for us to overturn Roe vs Wade and I hope that the citizens of Utah will rally behind this bill by contacting their Senators and Representatives Repre-sentatives urging them to support sup-port this bill. It's the least that we can do if we value human life. s Cynthia Flake , v Genola Supports bill restricting abortions Dear Editor: I am so happy that the Abortion Abor-tion Task Force has filed a bill restricting abortions. HB 68 will ' flo wonders to save the babies and to help rape or incest victims. If our legislators vote to pass this bill, no longer will babies be killed because of financial difficulties, undesired gender, or other "health" reasons of the mother. No longer will babies be killed because they are not perfect. No longer will babies be killed to save embarrassment, no longer will men abuse their daughters sexually and get away with it. No longer will rape victims be victimized vic-timized again by lies and at the hands of abortionists. If our legislators pass this bill, girls will finally be told the truth about the little life within them, and will not be encouraged to destroy it, (an act that would haunt them for the rest of their lives). Rape victims would be helped at the hospital with medication that would prevent implantation, hence no pregnancy. pregnan-cy. Couples eagerly waiting for a baby could finally get one or perhaps per-haps several. Yes, I am so happy about this bill. It will do so much to restore morality and integrity to the state ofUtah. ! Sonya Ray 741 E. 1200 N. Genola, Utah 84655 |