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Show Sr The Two views on an important local issue Courthousejail Renovation This is to amplify the reasons the citizens of Grand County need to vote FOR the renovation of the courthousejail facility on November 5th. The jail and court facility have been in violation of state and federal requirements for the past decade. Each administration has patched up some of the faults to show good intent. Time has now run out. In a letter dated July 19, 1991 to the County Commission, the State of Utah Department of Public Safety states that due-t- the deficiencies in the jail facility such as: lack of fire alarms, automatic notification of the fire department, a secure area of refuge away from the building, a fire resistant barrier separating the jail from the rest of tHe courthouse. The use of the jail will cease on January 30, 1991, unless these deficiencies are corrected or a written plan is in place for the building of a new facility. Also, there are not adequate female and juvenile holding facilities and these prisoners have to be transferred to the Monticello jail. Federal courts have held that pleading poverty is no reason for using a deficient jail facility. "If the state cannot obtain the resources to detain persons awaiting trial in accordance with minimum Constitutional standards, then the state will simply not be permitted to detain such persons" Hamilton vs. Love (Dist. 1971.) Like everyone else in America, jail inmates have Constitutional rights. And these rights provide that they are protected from other inmates, that they do not perish in a fire, that they have humane incarceration with adequate ventilation, lighting, heating and space. Our jail is lacking in all these categories. Should an inmate be abused by another inmate, or hang himself, or die due to a fire at the facility the county, its officials, and involved employees are liable collectively and individually. History shows that pleading ignorance or poverty will not work and the awards can be high. The same liability also applies for the lack of Federally mandated . The court facilities are also below requirements for size and safety. Currently inmates going to trial or a hearing are escorted through two public accessway from the jail to the courtroom. Not a good situation. There are no judges chambers, dedicated conference rooms, or a hearing room. Again, this facility has been inadequate for years and finally the Seventh Judicial District on September 17, 1991 wrote the County Commission and stated: ". . . if the bond election fails, we have no choice but to move immediately to a facility that complies with the existing codes and provides adequate space to conduct courts business." Monticello or Price are their choices. Now what does all this mean to the taxpayer? Without a renovated facility all arrested persons will be incarcerated in the Monticello jail at an increase in the Sheriffs budget of $108,000 per year, based on an average of 10 prisoners per day, plus the extra cost of $98,000 per year for transporting them to Monticello. Also, with the courts moving out. Grand County will lose $23,000 per year in lease payments. These costs plus an $80,000 roof only repair to keep the facility dry for the estimated next ten years ($8,000 per year) will total $237,000 per 'year extra, costs to Grand County taxpayers. This cost will escalate annually if the Sheriffs calls continue to increase as they have each year since 1985. The Community Impact Board (CIB) manages the money the state receives from oil, gas and mineral leases issued on Federal Public lands. Portions of this money is allocated for grants and loans for specified type projects. The Courthousejail renovation project qualifies for a loan. These loans interest rate to local governmental entiare given at a ties. Since the County Commission can not incur indebtedness without approval of the electorate, a bond election is required for the people of Grand County to express their opinion on the 3--12 issue. The proposed renovation is projected at $3.6 million, but $3.9 million is being asked for, in case unforseen complications are encountered in the remodeling. You only pay back paywhat you borrow, however. If the bend :s approved-thcost Other 39 for years. ments will be $197,000 per year creases involved could be utilities and insurance totaling ; $13,500 per year. To offset these costs the court system would for $105,200 pay rent of at least $8.25 per square foot per year a would officer pay $4,125 per annually; the state probation to year lease, leaving $101,075 for the taxpayers pay. will net $212,000 annuThe recent county tax increase This ally with $100,000 allocated to the courthouse operations. VOTE AGAINST will cover the above deficit, whereas AN will cost $237,000 per year less the allocation $100,000, leaving a $137,000 deficit for the taxpayers to cover with an increase in taxes somewhere. This CIB money is not a handout. It is. a loan to the it back without raising county and the county currently can pay taxes. The new facility increases the area by 14,250 sq. ft. to a total of 42,045 sq. ft. Of this additional area, the jail will get 4,950 sq. ft., the court 7,300 sq. ft. and the county offices 2,000 sq. ft. No empires are being built, only ,the deficiencies are $5.9 MILLION is the total cost of the Courthousejail Renovation Bond Election, over the 30 year period of the loan, because $2.01 MILLION is the interest cost to Grand County taxpayers for borrowing the $3.9 million from the Community Impact Board. These figures come from Kimball Young, financial consultant on the project. What will this $5.9 million go toward? Our schools? Our hospital? For anything that we are hurting for in Grand County? No. Its going for something almost none of you have felt any need for whatsoever. Isn't it ironic? Such a large sum of money, our of your pockets, and your children's pockets for 30 years, gone . . . and all our other needs in Grand County are left wanting. Timothy Simmons of the Seventh Judicial District Court wrote a letter Sept. 17, 1991 to the Grand County Commission, and they have used this letter to justify the need for the bond election. In the letter Mr. Simmons made the following statement: "With the existing code violations, (i.e. health and safety, handicapped access hnd security) we would have no alternative but to vacate the current facility." I called Mr. Simmons on Friday, October 18, 1991 and asked him to tell me specifically what the code violations were in the areas of health and safety, and security. He told me that he was sure of only one State code violation at the current courthouse, which was the lack of handicapped access to the second floor courtroom. He stated that he had not meant to imply that there were State code violations in the areas of security or health and safety, but had meant to say that the courts had their own "code" of security and health and safety that our courthouse did not comply with. So here we have the court system demanding better security, more room, better ventilation, air conditioning. Yes, there are lots of things on their wish list. They think they can get them by threatening to leave. They think they have us over a barrel. Can you believe it? The Seventh Judicial District is laying down the law to us the people, the ones that they are supposed to deliver justice to. Well, this is not justice, this is blackmail. Because that's what blackmail is, the extortion of money by threats. The threat is to leave us without a court system unless we pay $5.9 million. Are we going to stand for this? Are we going to let the court system force us to spend our tax dollars the way they to me, want, whether we like it or not? It looks like a hold-u- p where one arm of the government holds a gun to our head while the other arm puts its hand in our pocket. As for the jail, we dont need to build a jail as in to meet fire code regulations. The the bond election proposal fire code violations at the jail do need to be addressed, either by renovation or reconstruction. The fact is that no dedicated effort has been made to see what it would cost to renovate the current jail, or even to rebuild a slightly larger jail. The current bond election proposal includes $1 .5 million to build a being corrected. It simply makes good business sense to vote YES for the county bond issue next Tuesday. Licensed river guides opposed to NPS proposal on permits In response to a National Park Service (NPS) proposal to significantly change the way permits are issued for concessioners, guides and outfitters are urging their customers to lobby Congress and the Department of Interior. "If you have enjoyed a wilderness experience with a licensed outfitter and professional guide, tell your elected and appointed officials you value these opportunities and want to be available," writes Larry in a newsletter mailed to more 4,000 people who took river this summer. Western River Expeditions is one of many operators asking guests to take action against the proposals. Lake says the proposals severely handicap small concessioners. "The them Lake than trips proposed National Park, Service regulations will substitute preferential rights with better offer 5 PUBLIC NOTICE The Moab City Planning Commission will hold a meeting on November 14, 1991 at 7:00 p.m. at Moab City Hall. Going before the board is a commercial subdivision project from Red Rock Commons, represented by Mr. Henry Sigg at 250 North Main Street, Moab. All interested persons and surrounding property owners are invited to attend and will be given a chance to be heard. sJohn W. West Moab City Recorder Published in The Moab, Utah, October 31, 1991. Times-ln-depende- Stories." Ralph's Sewing Machine & Vacuum Repair Serving ALL makes of vacuums Bags - Belts - Supplies on Hand Estimates Free New Machines Available Ralph's Sew And Vac 402 Mtn. View Dr. - Moab, UT 84532 Phone 259-647- 4 City Councilman W.D. (Bill) McDougald advocates citycounty cooperation fiscal responsibility economic development planned growth clean environment AA will be discussed at public hearings 4. Accommodate protection of Auditorium, State Capitol, Salt Lake City; and, Tuesday, November 19, 1991, 7:00 p.m Star Hall, 150 East Center, Moab, Utah. Both written and oral comments will be accepted at the hearings. Written comments may also be submitted to the Division of State Lands and Forestry, 355 West North Temple, 3 Triad Center, Suite 400, Salt Lake City, Utah 84180-120until November 30, (801) MOAB CITY CORPORATION PLANNING COMMISSION LIBRARY FILMS The Library films for Thursday, OcL 31 will be Halloween oriented. They will be shown from 4 to 5 p.m. They are: "The Headless Horseman," and "Slightly Scary nl 1P1PC A wildlife, recreation, and state and national park values. Public hearings will be held on: Wednesday, November 13, 1991, 7:00 p.m., State Office Building E ANCE OFFICIAL many years. Books arc available in November from the Utah State University Press or your local bookstore. 5. which means competitive bidchng for contracts will result in higher costs of river trips with no assurance of quality and ability," he warns. Some believe corporate conglomerates will "buy" permits now held by "ma and pa" operators which the park service calls "small entities." "We all agree our national parks need funds desperately for repairs and upkeep. But Congress should appropriate the money to do this. It shouldn't come from the pockets of river runners, back packers and small outfitters," Lake believes. The Park Service has set a November 22 deadline for 1S91-A- carved-canyon- There are a lot of choices. Build an elevator for the second floor and repair the roof of the courthouse (we have the $100,000 already in place for maintenance and repair). Bring the jail to compliance through renovation or reconsctuction. Transport prisoners to trial m Monticello or Price of the courts don't care about what the public thinks if fair. The costs will be a lot less than $5.9 million. Let the court system get their new building from the State Legislature, which has worked for other counties. It simply doesn't make sense to build this facility now. Grand County voters voted this same project down last year. It's time to do it again. I urge you to take control of your future and vote "NO" on the Courthousejail Bond Election on November The Utah Division of State Lands and Forestry will hold public meetings in November to receive comments on the proposal to lease school trust lands near Moab for oil and gas development. The Board of State Lands and Forestry has authorized the offering of oil and gas leases in the Seven-mil- e and Cane Creek areas of San Juan and Grand counties based on the following procedures: 1. Determine that leasing is in the best interest of the school and institutional trust beneficiaries. 2. Consult with the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining and the Utah Geological Survey to assure prudent resource development and reclamation. 3. Provide the opportunity for public comment. 2. 31, Moab City Corporation is now accepting applications for the position of Building Inspector and Code Compliance Official. Job descriptions may be picked up at the Job Service Office at 9 1 East Uranium Drive, Moab, Utah 84532. Job Service will also do all the screening of applicants. Deadline for all applications will be Friday, November 8th, at 3:00 p.m. Moab City is an equal opportunity employer. sJohn W. West Moab City Recorder t, Published in The Moab, Utah, October 3f and November 7, 1991. When Joe Biddlecomc began ranching in the early decades of this century, his wife and two daughters came to the Roost to live and ride with him in his cattle business. The story Lakes the reader from the founding of the spread through the years of its development when everyone had to lend a hand and pitch Pearl's mother, Pearl and her sister Hazel. These reminiscences capture the sounds and smells, the hard work, the cowboy lingo and the excitement of running cattle in the isolated wind s and water between Hanks villc and Moab, according to Linda Speth, director of the USU Press. This book will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about past ranch life or early settlement in Utah, she said. Pearl Baker currently resides in Price, Utah. She is the author of "The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost," and a former resident of Green River, where she owned Canyonlands Gifts and Books for jail. A jail to hold 20 prisoners, four more than our current size so we could have a little more room, could probably be built for $1 million or less. ortnc K INSPEC-TORCOD- Utah. 44-m- an k; buvv , COMPLI- This paperback reprint makes available Pearl Baker's story of growing up on her father's ranch in Butch Cassidy country in southern 44-m- an e sdr-- MOAB CITY CORPORATION HELP WANTED BUILDING by Pearl Baker is now available in paperback from Utah State University Press. By JaneS. Jones access. the "Robbers Roost Recollections," Reasons to oppose Tuesday's bond vote By the Citizens Committee FOR Thu t, "Robbers Roost now out in paperback . . Be informed on jail bond issue Why you should vote YES on County bond Tlmes-lndependen- V Please Vote November 5 H. 4, 538-550- 8, 1991. Ferry checkup The John Atlantic Burr ferry will suspend operation' from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18 while the boat undergoes its annual inspection and routine maintenance. The ferry provides transportation on Lake Powell between Bullfrog and Hall's Crossing marinas. The 120-folong vessel receives an annual maintenance and safety check-u- p from the U.S. Coast Guard. Minor repairs and touch-u- p painting are also done to maintain the vessel in prime condition. Ferry service is expected to resume on Nov. 19. At that time the ferry will ran on its winter schedule, operating from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. It departs from Hall's Crossing on the even hours and from Bullfrog Marina on the odd hours. ot Announces his next regularly scheduled clinic Friday, Nov. 8, 1991 at Allen Memorial Hospital For appointment 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 1 Phone 259-719- For information call toll freo |
