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Show OPINION & COMMENTARY Page 2 Times Newspaper Wednesday, June 3, 1998 Editorial Sound! "m e The Orem City Council, with its four newly-elected members, voted 6-0 to adopt a new budget with a troubling provision. At no time during the past two months of the budget bud-get process did the council inform in-form the public that they intended in-tended to give themselves what amounts to a pay raise. This new benefit, called a "car allowance", is $300 a month (a 45 pay increase) for the council, and $500 a month (a 38 increase) for the mayor This car allowance is not a reimbursement re-imbursement for expenses in-curredKaa in-curredKaa some are claiming (csFS It may be a mixed sports metaphor, meta-phor, but Orem's Lakeside Park Golf Course cleared some hurdles May 26. The Orem City Council voted 5-1 to approve establishing parameters for the issuance of a revenue bond of up to $7,900,000 to fund the course. The council also gave its approval of a preliminary pre-liminary plan for the Lakeside Park Recreation Area. Councilman Mike Thompson's was the only vote against the plan. Councilman Joseph Andersen has opposed the city's involvement with the golf course, but was not present for the vote. A contract with Thanksgiving Point Management Company ; L.C. to build the course was ap-proved ap-proved by the Orem City Coun- : cil in December of 1997. With the . council's approval of the follow-; follow-; - ing parameters, it is projected ' that the bonds will be issued in : early 1999: Aggregate principal - not to ' exceed $7,900,000 Number of years to mature -; - not to exceed 30 years Interest rate per annum - not to exceed 7 Price bond to be sold - not less than 100 of the total principal, plus interest. A 1993 study and 1997 update by THK Associates of Littleton, " Colorado, a golf course consulting consult-ing firm, both showed that the golf course can pay for itself through the revenue bonds. ; It is estimated that the course ; will make more than $1 million , per year, beginning with its opening open-ing in the year 2000. Officials explained ex-plained that by issuing the bond in 1999, the first bond payment is not due until 2000, when revenue rev-enue will be coming in. Expenses are expected to be about $770,000. At the council's request, another an-other study was conducted by the firm of Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burmingham, Inc., with the finding that the golf course is expected ex-pected to be able to sustain the bond even if the total yearly revenue rev-enue is only 80 of the THK model. Assistant City Manager John Park told the council he was confident con-fident of the figures, and if anything, any-thing, they erred on the side of being conservative. City Manager Jim Reams said he supported Park's position and (USPS 411-700) Published Weekly by-Utah by-Utah Valley Publishing Company 801-225-1340 Fax 801-225-1341 t 538 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058 Pcricdlcal Fcsts:3 Paa ta Crtnn, UT Postmaster ssssd itesa of itditas nctica tot TIsa Grejn-Corjva Tfcias, 533 SsutSi Stata Strest, Cro, UT 84S53 Subscription in advance per year $16.00 Out of State Subscription per year $35.00 Per Copy $.50 mom Council members are already reimbursed re-imbursed for expenses and mileage. mile-age. This is a fair and reasonable system, because those council members who incur and submit for expenses receive just reimbursement. reim-bursement. This new benefit, as adopted, is clearly a raise in pay, It will be given to every council member whether or not they have the expenses to justify it. No documentation or receipts are required. This is in addition to their salary and insurance benefits. ben-efits. It is obvious that raises of 38 and 45 are significant and should have been revealed at the outset. Yet, in three separate (sleeps CuGDFdlfles recommendation, noting that he believes the anticipated revenue will sustain the bond and the course's operation. Reams confirmed con-firmed that there will not be very many season passes issued, because be-cause they take up rounds and time and are sold at a relatively inexpensive price. Asked what effect a possible expansion of the Cascade Golf Course to 18 holes would have, Park said the THK study showed growth and assumed that other golf courses would be built in the area over the years. Duane Gardner, a resident who lives near the golf course property, said he and other residents resi-dents there are "overwhelmingly in support" of the project. "This is a better use than homes," he said. Former councilmember Tim Christensen advised the current councilmembers to trust the professionals pro-fessionals who had studied the issue. "They know what they're talking about," he said. "This is going to work." Bruce Dickerson said he is an avid golfer and one of the things he enjoys the most is"picking out golf courses and playing on them. He said it is important to a city the size of Orem to have a scenic place like this for families to enjoy. en-joy. "It reflects on the community," commu-nity," he said. "We want to preserve pre-serve the beautiful area down there." Councilwoman Judy Bell said she had not been in favor of the golf course proposal "from almost day one", but she has appreciated those who have educated her on the issue. Since "due process" was handled, she said, and the majority of the council voted for it, the golf course issue is past the point where it could be put to a vote of the people, as she preferred. pre-ferred. She said she is now comfortable com-fortable with issuing a revenue bond, so that those who use the facility pay for it. "The figures seem to be there... I have faith in those who educated me." Mayor Joe Nelson said that he had gone on record for the past seven or eight months as favoring favor-ing the revenue bond and making mak-ing the golf course pay for itself. Councilman Steven Heinz made the motion to approve the resolution establishing the parameters pa-rameters for the issuance of the X 57 ffff flee" miseseyewow, meetings beginning on March 24, and in an informal open house on May 19, there was never any mention of this plan. It was not identified as one of the budget issues, not was it identified as a proposaL It was just quietly included in-cluded as if it were there all along. Even if citizens had at-; at-; tended every one of the meetings and read the entire 176-page document, they still would not have known. The only way to identify it was to compare, page by page, last year's budget with this year's. How could this happen? Did the new members come into office of-fice and use their majority muscle bond, stating that the adult community com-munity should be allowed to have recreational opportunities in the city, along with the youth. Councilman David Palfreyman said it has been a "quality of life" issue from the very start. Preservation Pres-ervation of open space has been an uppermost goal a complete winwin situation. Taxes are not being raised to accomplish the goal. "For our generation and future fu-ture generations, it's something we can be proud of." Thompson said he was not against the golf course, but against the way it was done. He said he had some misgivings about a conflict of interest with the Cascade course and profitability, profit-ability, and would vote against the proposal, at the same time acknowledging ac-knowledging the need to "go forward for-ward from here". After the bond vote, Randy Deschamps, a consultant with Thanksgiving Point, shared plans for the Lakeside Park Recreation Rec-reation Area and its five ball diamond dia-mond complex, wetlands areas, and golf course. He said it had been an "effort" to keep everyone happy, including the neighbors in Vineyard and the neighbors in Orem, but that it had also been "a fun and interesting process". Recreation Director Jerry Ortiz addressed an expressed ' concern from Bell about mixing flying balls and walking paths. Modifications had been made in the plans to ensure safety, and he noted that there are similar mixed-use recreation facilities in the nation. "This is not an anomaly at all," he said. "If I go walking, and I'm not going go-ing to get beaned, I'm okay," Bell said. How can I get my preschooler to eat better? Preschoolers are at a very formative for-mative period in their lives, and this is an opportune time to de- velop good nutritional patterns. "The following guidelines will help make feeding preschool children chil-dren an enjoyable and healthful experience. Serve meals on a regular scheduled at a time when the child is hungry but not overtired. Have the food already on the plate when the child arrives at the table to avoid any long delay in starting to eat. Serve food with mild flavors and aromas. Serve finger foods. Avoid extreme temperatures, either too hot or too cold. Serve simple and familiar foods; occasionally try something new. Remember that by age 3, . most chewy foods can be managed man-aged without fear of choking. Serve small portion sizes: let a child achieve a clean plate and not feel defeated. Resist the temptation to coax a child to eat. Allow the child to participate in planning and preparing foods. Encourage a high activity . level for children. a to get this through? Conversely, did the three senior members take advantage of the inexperience inexperi-ence of the new ones? Perhaps some council members truly did not know the increase had been added to the budget. If so, why were they so uninformed? Was the process rushed so that members mem-bers did not have enough time to thoroughly study the document and know what they were voting on? The budget meeting schedule was compacted this year. Why did the entire council not set the schedule together, as has been the practice in the past? It really does not matter whose idea it was to create this Letters to the Editor Outraged at council actions Dear Editor: I am writing to express my outrage out-rage at recent actions of the Orem City Council. Not only did j the council vote to give themselves them-selves a pay increase (so-called "car allowance"), but they did it without ever having revealed to the public they were considering such an action. This is not an insignificant amount, as they claim. It is $300 a month for the council, and $500 a month for the mayor -- enough to buy them all brand new cars. Furthermore, Councilmember Bill Peperone got up and left at the beginning of the public hearing hear-ing without any explanation, and didn't return for over an hour. He missed almost all of the public comment and still voted to approve ap-prove this secret raise. When we elect our council members, it is with the expectation that they attend at-tend their meetings or not vote on that item. I was hoping that the election of four new council members would bring increased accountability. account-ability. Sadly, I was wrong. All we got was greed and deceit. Karen Bennett Orem Cherapple annexation The Orem City Council voted unanimously May 26 to annex the approximately 21 acres of property known as the Cherapple Farms Addition 2 in northeast Orem, and zoned the land low density residential. The council also voted to authorize au-thorize the city manager to execute ex-ecute a development agreement with the developers of the annexed an-nexed property. The agreement requires dedicatation of land for a road, and the submission of a storm drainage plan that includes in-cludes the design, location, and installation of landscaped storm water detention basins capable of holding a 100 year storm. Developers De-velopers are also required to provide pro-vide piping outlets from the storm water detention to existing exist-ing piped systems. Another condition of the annexation an-nexation was that developer Bruce Dickerson put in a storage reservoir and pump station to provide water service to the subdivision. sub-division. Plans are to build 'a 360,000-gallon water tank. In turn, the city agrees to provide pro-vide sewage treatment, culinary water, and police and fire protection. protec-tion. Development Services Director Stan Sainsbury presented the annexation proposal as having gone through the process and awaiting the council's decision. He said that one advantage of the annexation is that it will allow Skyline Drive to go through. Consideration of a second proposed pro-posed annexation, 40 acres in southwest Orem, was continued to June 23, 1998, at 6:30 p.m., to allow time for completion of a development de-velopment agreement with the city. and s ooo car allowance; however, the entire en-tire council is responsible for the non-disclosure. This increase in compensation was adopted without with-out the benefit of examination in the light of day. The public was denied the opportunity to participate partici-pate in the established process: Even at the last minute, after the matter was brought out in the May 26 meeting, the problem could have been corrected by a simple motion to postpone a decision de-cision on the allowance until proper disclosure and a public hearing had been undertaken. To restore trust, the council could strike this compensation provision from the budget Will Timpanogos yyi Green rF'! IN IRRIGATION WATERS This land of sagebrush, rock and rattlesnake, Drew early settlers here to claim and clench An arid plain, where water never flowed From wells or streams. This lovely Utah Lake, So near, and yet so distant from the bench, Bequeathed its water to their dusty road, When water wagons hauled it to the seeds They planted here to grow their greatest needs. In time, they channeled earth to carry streams Across the bench lands which they saw in dreams. With mules and home-made tools, they dug a ditch From Provo Canyon to the bench. A plow Then furrowed through the ground, along a path, To let the water wander and enrich: To quench a horse and satisfy a cow; And, also, serve to simplify a bath. At last, homesteading virgin territory Held out a happy ending to their story. Two thousand acres, desolate and parched, Became the garden where their eyes were arched. And as more irrigation ditches spread, Canals proliferated, wide and deep. The thriving cherry trees, the berry fruit, ... Filled highway stores. But then, a child is dead! As water drowns the boy, his parents weep: The business of a deadly waterchute. As water nourished it also, takes In irrigation ditcrjes, as in lakes. The tears for him were bitter. Every breath Decried the cryptic cruelty of his death! "The children! Watch the children!" parents cried. On every one, their deep compassion laid. But, two years later: this time in the spring, Another child, a lovely daughter, died. Disconsolate at heart, the people prayed That child would be their last ditch-offering! But, as the ditches spread, and children played, More cemetery stones would be bouqueted. The sweetest singer never reached his prime. The budding poet never rhymed her rhyme. A shining movie star missed Hollywood. The painter never painted what he could. The children never lunched on lobster tail, Nor plied Pacific waters for the whale. They never lived to fall in love and marry, ' And none of them are now contemporary. ' ... ' Nobody really knows how many died In irrigation ditches, deep and wide; How many had their hearts break, when their child Was swept by running waters, rushing wild? How strange, that water grants our greatest needs, Though, sometimes, swallowing our sweetest seeds! How many of our precious sons and daughters, Have lost their lives in irrigation waters? Many may be taken aback to learn the origin of the term "taken aback" is nautical. A ship is "taken aback" when the sails are suddenly carried by the wind back against the mast. question. s anyone come forward with a policy proposal that dictates any future increase in compensation com-pensation will automatically be made one of the official budget issues, and that, if adopted, it will not become effective until after the next election? Then the citizens will be able to ratify such an action. Right now, there are too many questions. Editor's note: The Times is willing to publish on its opinion page the biew of those on the opposite side of this issue. |