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Show Times Newspaper Thursday, April 15, 2004 Page All DRIVE FOR PLAYGROUND FINANCIAL REPORT Continued from front page the money...Orem City has been really great to work with on this project." Glen noted that commercial-grade playground equipment is surprisingly expensive. (The $15,000 will be divided as $10,000 for equipment and $5,000 for installation.) There is no deadline for the neighborhood's neighbor-hood's share of the money to be raised, but the Hoelschers are hoping the task can be accomplished in the next few weeks in order to take advantage of sale prices on equipment, and so the neighborhood can enjoy the facility during the upcoming warm weather. So far, the Hoelschers say, the response to the project has been good, and as of the first week in April, $265 of the neighborhood's share of the money had been raised. "Many moms have offered to take flyers around," Diana said. "We haven't heard any negative things at all." Glen added that the immediate neighbors neigh-bors by the park must be pleased, because there is a "no baseball" policy in place for the small retreat. Diana has kept busy posting signs, refilling the flyer stand, and updating the thermometer at the park that records progress on the fund-raising. Now that the ball is rolling, the COUNCIL ELIMINATES CONTROVERSIAL ZONE Continued from front page There was no comment from the public during the public hearing, but members mem-bers of the council seemed eager to address the issue. Councilman Stephen Sandstrom said that he thought the R5 started out with the right intent, but there were loopholes that caused abuses. "This change is necessary, and will be the best for the city," he said. Council woman Karen. McCandless concurred that the R5 zone has "served its purpose." She also said she did not think it could have been written in a way that it would not have been abused. Councilman Doug Forsyth, who, as mayor pro tern, was conducting the meeting in the absence of Mayor Jerry Washburn, said that the R5 was his own "baptism by fire", because he came on the council when there were numerous applications for the zone. The applications were generally controversial, controver-sial, with some of the proposals pro-posals good and some bad. Councilman Dean Dickerson said he was glad the proposal to eliminate the R5 was here, also noting that the zone has served its purpose in the city. Dickerson made a motion to approve amending the r America! 1 I America! Jf I gff.. I COPY X V, ' .7 f ; v ; 1 il I I .-AC. X Diana Hoelscher and her husband, Glen, are heading up a fund-raising project to bring playground equipment to a northeast Orem park. Hoelschers hope that the project can be a focus for Scouts or other service groups, and can be a unifying unify-ing force in the neighbor Orem City Code to eliminate elimi-nate the zone. Council vote was 6-0 in favor of the motion. Proclamations approved by the council were to commemorate com-memorate Arbor Day, April 30, 2004, and Municipal Clerks Week, May 2 through May 8, 2004. The first consent item was a motion canceling the April 27, 2004 city council meeting. The second consent item dealt with authorizing the disposal of surplus property. The Department of Public Safety listed a number of items in the department's possession that have not been claimed by the rightful owners, despite the fact that attempts have been made to find them. The items are a Honda generator, genera-tor, a Western Hemisphere generator, two Olympus digital cameras, a Canon digital camera, and miscellaneous miscel-laneous tools and janitorial supplies. Background material stated that all applicable statutes have been followed, fol-lowed, and the law dictates that the council can appropriate appro-priate the property for government gov-ernment use. The council gave its approval for city use of the items. The third consent item was approving an agreement agree-ment for the city to contribute con-tribute $7,119 annually as its share of a $30,000 budg hood. "You really don't think about it a local park much, until you don't have one," the couple explained. et to promote public education educa-tion on storm water issues. Orem is a member of the Utah County Storm Water Coalition, comprised of cities from Payson to Lehi. A public hearing on a zoning issue for Midtown Village, originally scheduled sched-uled for April 13, was continued con-tinued to June 22 at 6:15 p.m. V- - .-I u n if TiMitnCifc U UUOLD (JUL r . - nfe - "' '4 J? J raakwsiwaffi mm Continued from front page age tanks. The continuing drought conditions in Utah suggest that Orem must provide more water storage facilities to meet the needs of the community, communi-ty, which continues to grow. Whether the City builds its own tanks, or joins the Central Utah Water Conservancy District in a joint project has yet to be determined. Renovation of the Orem City Center also looms as a significant challenge for the City. Constructed over 30 ago, the Orem City Center has been a boon to the community, in providing provid-ing vital space for a large number of municipal operations, oper-ations, including the Orem Library, Department of Public Safety, City Council Chambers, Department of Developmental Services, etc. When the Orem City Courthouse was constructed, construct-ed, several years ago, the Orem City Attorney's office was located in the lower level of that building. build-ing. Later, when the Orem Courthouse was sold to the State of Utah to house the Fourth District Court, the Orem City Attorney continued con-tinued to occupy offices in the Fourth District Court building. However, when the current cur-rent lease expires for that space, new quarters will have to be provided for the Orem City Attorney in the Orem City Center or at some other location. In any event, decisions will have to be made concerning the extent and cost of City Center renovations. Relocation of the Orem Public Works Facility from the 900 N. 900 West area, which has been under consideration con-sideration for several 0 0 0 wmm am 30 years, is now scheduled for the near future, as the result of the City's trading of property at that site to the Northridge Development in exchange for their property in the developing Bunker Business Park at 1300 W. 800 North area. Another significant challenge for the City of Orem will be the construction construc-tion and staffing of a new fire station in the south part of the city to enhance fire protection in that area. At present, Orem has three fire stations, serving three segments of the community. com-munity. They are located at 255 N. 1200 West, 300 E. 1000 South, and 911 North Main Street, and each of them houses one fire truck at the present time: one red vehicle and two yellow vehicles. Meanwhile, the City of Orem is expected to see a significant upgrade in its fire protection services with the addition of a brand new Pierce aerial ladder fire truck this summer, sum-mer, which will extend the length of the ladder 24 percent, over the one, with which the City's present ladder fire truck is equipped. Last November 10, the City of Orem opened bids for a new fire truck, equipped with a 105-foot heavy-duty ladder. Pierce Truck . Manufacturing Company's bid of $683,000 was accepted, and Public Safety Director Michael J. Larsen said he expected it would require from five to six months to assemble Orem's new fire engine red truck at the Pierce factory in Appleton, Wisconsin. The two other challenges chal-lenges outlined in Orem's Annual Financial Report were the needed expansion of the City's Water . mm . gmm9 tmm d'rmm d '"""""""'L - '""ihl Treatment Plant and completion com-pletion of the citywide sidewalk system. Two notes of interest contained in Orem's Annual Financial Report concern the City's participation partici-pation in UTOPIA, and it's financing of new parks and recreation projects. Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) was formed under the Utah Interposal Cooperation Act by its 18 founding cities, of which, the City of Orem is a member. mem-ber. That agency has the assignment to design, finance, build, operate and maintain a fiber-to-home and fiber-to-business fiber optic communication network. net-work. UTOPIA will build the infrastructure, but private companies will deliver the services over the network. UTOPIA acts as the wholesaler, not the retailer. retail-er. During the year ended June 30, 2003, the City of Orem paid $88,541 to UTOPIA. In February of 2002, the City issued sales tax lease revenue bonds of $12,175,000 through private pri-vate placement for completion comple-tion of recreation projects. Payments on the bonds are paid from sales tax. The terms of the bond contract require semi-annual payments pay-ments through April 2023. Thus, bonding for the construction and completion comple-tion of Orem's new swimming swim-ming pools and parks, has made possible their use and enjoyment by Orem's citizens, today, rather than postponing these valuable developments for another 20 years. Completion of all the new park projects in Orem is expected this year. READY TO TAKE IT OFF? IT'S THAT TIE AGAIN. TIME TO GET IN SHAPE FOR SUMMER. SO, CQME IN TO GOLD'S GYM AND WORK THOSE EXTRA POUNDS OFF NOW, SO YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF LATER. |