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Show DAILY HERALD Sunday, September 26, 2004 Raptor Continued from Cl nature probably more than things." - Ryburn said she has also made many friends at this and events. ojhej V fCertain peoplcflock togethr Jar like certain birds," she said with a smile. "This is an oppor. tunity to see animals in the yfld and we are getting to enjoy the turning of the leaves." ; K)atrina Weiss said she and hex daughter, Alix, drove fr$m Salt Lake City to attend thefevent. "I grew up watching birds back on the East Coast," she said. "It's cool to see large birds, and this is an easy spot Jo get to. It's also nice to be with other birders who are better at identifying the birds." Walters said some of the birds spotted Saturday were local while others are passing man-mad- e bird-watchi- "Certain people flock together like certain birds. This is an opportunity to see animals in the wild and we are getting to v .4 enjoy the turning of the leaves." 's.-- s ( June Rybum 4 through while migrating south for the winter from Idaho, Montana and Canada. For more information on opportunities around the state, visit www.utahbirds.org. - bird-watchi- I Caleb Warnock can be 3 or reached at 344-254- cwamockheraldextra.com. " Continued from Cl commissioners, he said. from both Payson and Springville and even other cities could compete for available money. White has said the county gets about $3 million a year from a countywide restaurant tax, and all of the money must Pre-pos- als Pets Continued from Cl in their yards with nothing to do. He didn't take long to get involved in some of the com- petitions. "The first year I kissed all the dogs, but I won't do that again," Kerby said. "They're going to have to kiss their own owner, because I don't want to get bit." Organizers said they hope - participant in Raptor Watch Day be used for parks and recreation projects around the county. Eighty-on- e percent of the tax money is already committed to ongoing projects, including just under $800,000 a year to pay the debt on the McKay Events Center. , I 1. Terror Continued from Cl before Sept. 11 and that the White House had no plan to run the country after the invasion. The former security adviser based most of his speech on mae terial found in his book on America's war on terror. Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, who was not at the speech Saturday, said Clarke has no right to talk about military operations, and there is no reason to read his book. 344-254- cwarnockheraldextra. com. the event grows each year so more Utah County residents, like ferret owner Austin Andrus, can come and showcase their animals for a day of fun. "I like to go around and talk to other pet owners," said Andrus, who has two ferrets. "It's a nice opportunity to socialize with people that are crazy about pets like me." 300-pag- FRANK . .iu ti : j a .: : I. a rrunnel auvisei t,., uuuk- .in riiueiu umiuii anu rwewiyc uu. d..,l diii, niuiaiu n. ft uoiu, signs iita the Lecture Series about the failure of war in Iraq. I Caleb Warnock can be 3 reached at or I Todd v. ' p Equestrian it d:i.i "I just don't think he's worthy of reading," Cannon said. "This is not a book that was picked up by conservatives." Utah County Commissioner Steve White echoed Cannon's sentiment. "I doubt I know anyone on my side of the aisle who would waste the time to read anything written by Richard Clarke," White said. "When you're an utter and complete failure like Mr. Clarke, how can you lecture anyone on what they should have done?" Clarke, who is also a consultant for ABC News,' said Al Qaeda and the Jihadist move- - I -- i o i irie ouriuurne 1 BOTTDaily Herald n fee iuurn uier speuKifig in However, for all his criticisms on the current administration's handling of terrorism and the Iraqi war, Clarke said he does think President Bush "When you're an utter and complete failure like Mr. Clarke how can you lecture anyone on what they should have done?" will be Sundance executive director Raymond T. Grant expressed praise for Clarke's contribution to the Tree Room Author Se ries. "We speak of independent thought freely, but rarely does it come to life so forcefully," Grant said. . Steve White Utah County Commissioner ment is stronger than it was on Sept. 11. He said vulnerabilities to terrorism in the U.S. have not been reduced. I Todd Hollingshead can be 4 or reached at thollingsheariheraldextra.com. 344-252- Visit the obituaries online to sign a Guest Book or send flowers. See the obituary section at ' 1 Hollingshead can be 4 reached at or thollingsheadheraldextra com. 344-252- www.HarkTheHerald.com ifllYllll Wipfff ft!1!! Q elected by the people who just serve and grow the system. At the same time, some of the best, most competent people that I know work for Provo Gty and for the most Almost 40 years ago, I came to Provo to attend BYU. fell I in love with this City and have made it my home. a student, I recognized a critical need for good and affordable housing in Provo. So, I became a developer and builder. part, they are just as frustrated with the bureaucracy as we developers and builders. During the years I have developed, most of my time and energy has been focused on developments in Provo. The Gty Council is considering significant impact fee increases which are for the most, just a tax on people I have built many miles of roads and hundreds of homes in our great city. I love it here now more than ever. Our who can least afford As . Impact fees are a payment of money'imposed on development activity as a condition of development. They may be paid by the developer and children have grown up and attended the local schools and universities. Some of our children and grandchildren it. added in to the cost of the homes or they may be imposed on the property owner at the time of applying for a building permit. In either event, they increase the cost of every still live and work here. am concerned that as my grandchildren grow up, there will not be affordable housing available for them 1 home built. In theory, they are to "buy in" the public facilities already in place in the community. At the present ' time, Provo City charges $3,174.00 per home as an impact in Provo. I was developing here when there were just two people who made up Provo's building inspection, public works, water, engineering, storm water, and planning departments. They worked out of just one room in the old CityCounty Building. Now we probably have hundreds fee. The proposal before the City Council is to increase the impact fees by about $6,000.00 to over $9,000.00. In of people working out of multiple buildings. addition to the impact fees, building permit and inspection fees are added which may be from $2,000.00 to $12,000.00 without making the home any better. If the In the good old days, one could call the Gty and talk to a real live person and get an honest answer and if no one was in the office, phone calls were always returned. Today increase is passed, the total may be over $20,000.00 to get a permit to build a home in Provo. As developers and builders, we struggle to provide with our cast of hundreds, we can rarely get in touch with affordable housing while a growing government continues to add fees to the process that are completely unnecessary a real live person and when we finally do, the answer you get will likely be evasive and cannot be relied on because our system is no longer governed by ordinances and . integrity, butby committees and coundess meetings and not justified. Provo's administration continues to give lip service to affordable housing in their efforts to cut down on rentals in our city. By passing this impact fee before the Provo City Council is not based on an impact fee analysis and may violate state law. Since impact fees are not generally assessed to the existing residents and often hot understood as the regressive tax that they are, there is little resistance. Generally it is assumed that the "rich developersbuilders" pay these fees anyway. Fact is, developers and builders must add these fees onto the homes they build and in the case of starter homes, the people who can least afford them have to pick up the cost, and in most cases pay interest on those costs for . thirty years. Provo does not need higher impact fees! Provo needs competent and honest people to prudently spend the excessive fees that are already collected. To the Utah Valley Home Builders, please step up to the plate and shed some light on what is about to happen in Provo. This will likely be the biggest tax increase ever in Provo and generally the public will not even be aware ofit! Board of Realtors, you understand better than anyone how hard it is for young people to afford housing. Provo's attempts to increase costs will just make it more difficult. This is a cancer that is devastating pur economy and our families. That hurts everyone! To the Utah County our Gty Council, please do not pass an impact fee increase until you have taken a serious look at the effect on those who are buying homes. To the voters of Provo, please find and elect competent To and honest people to our city government who will demand efficiency and accountability from those people adininistered by people who cannot make decisions. Our local government has grown much faster than our community and for the most part, that growth has tax, they will make affordable housing much more difficult. According to the National Association of Home Builders, with each $1,000.00 added to the cost of a who are supposed to be our public servants! The Gty Council needs to be more responsive to the been unnecessary and expensive. I remember when Provo City was governed by competent people as Mayors and City Commissioners who governed by integrity and according to ordinances. People home another 400,000 more Americans can no longer afford that home. How many people will be priced out needs of the public and not the bureaucracy. We need to keep Provo a place of affordable living. : like Wayne Hilliar, Earl Wignall, Anagene Mecham, Mayors Dixon and Grange, and more recently Mayor Fergeson and Mayor Jenkins. These were people who one could call who would listen to problems and find solutions. They were people who were elected by the people and served the people. Lately we have had leaders who are of buying homes with this raise? In the municipal world, we have a group of people who go from city to city and at taxpayer expense, show i . Stephen G. '.(.'- - Stewart, the cities how they can raise additional funds by increas- ing impact fees, Usually the rational is simply that "other President SGS ASSOCIATES communities are charging more." State statutes require that impact fees be based on an analysis of the impact of the development on the city's facilities. The proposal stevesgsassoc.com (801) 377-670- 1 (fax) |