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Show r Centennial Year. Sensing Moab and Southeastern Utah Since 1896 More history on Page B-- l . . . See ifyou can pick the players! Thursday, Arena director out as county decides to try new approach N. Mam utilities Saying the county council is looking at a shift in emphasis The ongoing discussion of what to do about commercial development north of Moab City Limits took on new twists and turns at Tuesdays city council meeting, with state officials asking that Moab take over water and sewer development in the area, and some Moab lodging by Ken Davey are still on hold after council meeting by Ken Davey ating events, and more toward recreational opportunities for local residents. He noted two successful activities at the facility. One is the winter indoor soccer leagues for at the Spanish Trail Arena, county administrator Earl Sires announced that the county has opted to buy out the remainder of the employment contract of arena manager Doug Jones. conJones signed a two-yetract to operate the facility, including both the indoor arena and the outdoor rodeo grounds, in the spring of 1995. Sires says Jones will be paid through the final three months of that agreement. Now running the complex on an interim basis is Ron Halstead, who had been a maintenance employee at the building. Sires said he made the decision to buy out Jones contract, based on consultation with members of the county council. The arena opened in 1991 and has lost money ever since. Two years ago the county council decided to hire Jones and immediately push to increase revenues with the aim or reducing or eliminating the red ink. But while income has risen sharply under Jones, expenses increased as well. Sires estimates that the arena lost about $80,000 in 1996, not including repayments made by the special service recreation district on building construction loans. Now, says Sires, the arena will look less to revenue gener both youngsters and adults, which have drawn dozen of participants Thursday and Friday evenings. And second is the BMX bicycle racing on alternate weekends sponsored by Poison Spider Bicycles at an outdoor raceway east of the arena building itself. Sires said he has discussed the question with Moab City manager Donna Metzler, and it is likely that Moab Recreation will take the lead in organizing similar ongoing events. The arena is also used by Canyonlands Rodeo for the Butch Cassidy Days rodeo festival in June, and throughout the year by horse riders find ropers. This spring the arena will be the central headquarters for the Red Rock Four Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari. In addition, the Air Force Band and Singing are scheduled to appear there on May 3 for a concert. In addition, the arena and outdoor rodeo grounds are situated on a mostly undeof veloped parcel county land. ar I January 30, 1997 Ser-.gean- ts 40-acr- e, County officials say they hope to develop that land into ballfields for both little league and adult team sports. Merrell represents Grand in Book Cliffplanning Grand County Councilman Harvey Merrell attended a meeting on the Coordinated Resource Management Planning of the Book Cliffs area, located in parts of Grand, Duchesne and Uintah Counties. This organizational meeting was held in Duchesne on Jan. 22. The Vernal office of the BLM organized this meeting with the help of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. The meeting tried to involve all of the stakeholders with interests in the Book Cliffs mittee was formed with members and alternates approved from each category. The next meeting is set for Feb. 18 in Roosevelt. Councilman Merrell was selected as a member with Dale Mosher as the alternate for Grand County. John Keogh was selected as alternate for the multiple use group, and Ray Pene was placed as alternate on the roadstrans porta tion group. The public information committee will provide a method of inputting public concerns and suggestions as well as communications among the many diverse interests that need to be involved in planning and management decisions that will be made in the Book Cliffs area. PLAY CONTINUES After a very successful opening weekend, the Moab Commu- in planning and developing guidelines for using the resources of the Book Cliffs. Some of the entities involved were: federal agencies, state agencies, county governments, the Ute Indian tribe, private property owners, mineral owners, oil, gas and mining interests, hunters, guides, wildlife interests, multiple use representatives, recreation and cultural interest, as well as road and transportation interests. nity Theatre production, this week "Harvey," will continue at Star Hall, with performances scheduled for Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 1 beginning at 8 p.m. ets available at the door. The public information com Tick- owners saying that the city Wetlands in Winter . . . Snow, cold temperatures, and shorter days set the stage for natures winterscape. These cues alert us to bundle up and stay warm, but for the plants and animals of Matheson Wetlands Preserve, winter means finding creative strategies for surviving freezing nights and chilly, windy days. Some animals choose to migrate to warmer climates, while others enter a long winter nap of hibernation. However many animals remain active throughout the winter, seeking food, warmth and protection wherever they can find it. Plants too must acapt to the changes of the seasons. Secretive and wary, glimpses of winter wildlife are seldom available, yet these creatures have much to teach us about survival. Join The Nature Conservancy naturalists for a special guided winter walk on Saturday, February 1st. Meet at the Kane Creek parking lot at 10:00 a.m. for this hour long tour of the Matheson Preserve. Come and explore wetlands in winter. Take a closer look at plant adaptations, winter residents of the preserve and wetlands patterns and processes. Bring binoculars and watch for raptors soaring overhead. Examine tracks and scat, clues left behind by the inhabitants of the Matheson Preserve. For more information please call the Moab Project Office at 259-4629. Zions gains grant to help affordable housing project partnership between the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle and Zions First National Bank will help build 40 aparte ments for families in Moab. The Seattle Bank awarded a $120,0.00 grant to the Moab Branch of Zions First National Bank, which will use it to help the Grand County Housing Authority construct the Creekside Apartments, announced James R. Faulstich, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Home Lean Bank of Seattle. A private, wholesale bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle is providing the grant through its Affordable Housing Program which offers targeted loans to grants and reduced-rat- e help financial institutions supA grant to purchase land for the project. In addition to securing the grant, Zions First National Bank will support the project by pro- lower-incom- viding permanent financing. Other funding sources for the $2.2 million project include the Department of Housing and Urban Developments HOME proe gram and Housing Tax Credits. Low-Incom- A housing developments in Utah received Affordable Housing Program grants this year. In 1996, the Seattle Bank awarded a total of $7.3 million to 63 programs in the region. Program grants leverage additional funding from financial institutions, federal, state, and local governments, and private donations. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattles mission is to expand housing and economic opportunities in the region by providing funding and other banking services essential to community-based financial institutions. One of 12 Federal Home Loan Banks in the nation, the Seattle Bank serves financial in- port community organizations with the development of affordable housing. The program is funded annually with ten percent of the Seattle Banks profits. The Housing Authority will build and manage Creekside Pam Lopez, Tifnee Saunders and Cheryl Swasey, (r 1), with children from the Happy Days Preschool, watch as Ron Drake, printer at the Times Independent, gives an explanation on how the newspaper gets -- put together. Apartments, which will house 40 families earning up to $19,620 per year (60 percent of median income for a family of four in Grand County). All first floor apartments will be adaptable to physically disabled individuals, and two of the 40 apartments will be fully equipped for a family with a physically disabled member. A job training program will also be offered to residents. Construction is expected to begin in June 1997 and completed in September 1997. The Housing Authority will use the irtmnnrfi iiii iiiiffliiiffft.nifiiiiP 'm nil- - -;- i fi -- n irf -- '..t' case-by-ca- se Nate Knight and partners are building a new motel in the area, and hope to open this season. They say they were told by Mayor Tom Stocks and engineer A1 Anderson that hooking up to the sewer system would cost landowners in the area $1.4 million, and that the landowners decided it would be less expensive to set up their own sewer system. The landowners asked the county to set up a separate special service water and sewer district in the area, and the county council agreed, passing a resolu- tion declaring that public health, convenience and necessity require the creation of the district. That district has gone through a public hearing and is awaiting action by the county. But the state of Utah does not agree. On Tuesday evening Walt Baker of the Division of Water Quality stated that Utah believes the best solution is for the properties along that stretch of the Highway hook up to the city system. Director of the Utah Division of Drinking Water Kevin Brown added that he believes it would be more cost efficient for Moab to also supply drinking water to the area. He noted that the current water line does not ate future. But Kyle Bailey, owner of Cottonwood Condos, and chairman of the city planning commission, said that he represented some Moab lodging owners, and they objected to providing Moab business. water to an stated that lodging Bailey businesses in Moab must meet Moab rules and regulations, and they are required to collect from visitors a two percent gross business license fee, better known as the local sales tax, and an additional one-hapercent to help pay for the current sewer plant upgrade. out-of-ci- ty lf Bailey stated that means motels outside Moab city limits would end up charging percent less for overnight accommodations, and providing city water to those businesses amounts to a subsidy. Bailey concluded that water should be provided to businesses north of town only when they annex into city limits. Knight said he had no objection to annexation, but that he wasnt sure other landowners in the area would agree. He said he would talk to them about it. Businesses and residences outside city limits pay the same water rates as users, but hookup fees are significantly higher. So as of now the city is awaiting a formal application for water from Knight. And some county council members have indicated they will hold off on final approval of a separate water and sewer district pending the conclusion of those discussions. in-to- New director Ms. Sharon Pickard, formerly of Rolla, Missouri has been named as Executive Director of Grand County Housing Authority following the retirement of Jan Barnett. Sharon and .her young son Randy and daughter Rachel moved to Moab in the spring of 1996. She later became employed at the Housing Authority as Administrative Assistant. Sharon had worked at Rolla Housing Authority until her move to Moab. stitutions in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. WEATHER STATISTICS for Housing Authority . . . Help New Executive Director of the Grand County Housing Authority, Sharon Pickard (right) and outgoing retiring GCHA Director Jan Barnett (left), were presented a check for $1,900 by Home Smart & Holiday Haven Park Manager Mary Lawson (center). The check, a goodwill gesture by Home Smart & Holiday Haven, will go toward GCHAs ongoing work to provide low income housing opportunities for those living in Grand County. Affordable Housing Program 1 M total of five affordable should not provide a subsidy to businesses outside city limits. At issue is the strip of land between the Moab City limits and the Colorado River Bridge. With the growing popularity of Moab as a tourist destination, there are plans to build motels and restaurants along the strip. The problem is that the only water supplied is a small city line running to the bridge and now serving two campparks. There are no available sewer connections in the area. One and a half years ago the city council, looking at large scale development outside city limits, placed a prohibition on new water hookups. The council later decided to accept hookups, but on a basis, and only if developers agreed to annexation into city limits. carry enough water for all the expected development, and he said the state would help Moab finance an increase in capacity. Knight said that his company plans to apply for city water soon. He added that they will discuss with the city hookups to the sewer system, though in the meantime they expect to install a septic system for the immedi- |
