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Show Atlas to allow more study of tailings site reclamation Atlas Corporation, in a cooperative effort to at last resolve certain technical questions associated with the reclamation plan for its uranium tailings pile near Moab, has agreed to allow further studies near the tailings site. Atlas has been involved in a regulatory review of its reclamation plan since 1988. The studies are intended to assist the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in providing the best available" information to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which last June issued a draft jeopardy Volume 104 Number 47 Thursday, November 20, 1997 County Moab juggles local taxes reverses Nov 25 hearings called to explain changes wilderness decision to maintain revenue . by Ken Davey If you like complicated sales charts, youre going to love what the city, county, and state have in store for sales tax beginning in 1998. Gone is the simple, though somewhat high, 8 percent sales rate (2 percent to the city, 6 percent to the state) charged on all retail sales in Moab. Coming Jan. 1 is a complicated system that by Ken Davey Grand County Council members voted Monday to reverse their decision last week to change the countys wilderness - 27 edition. v . meals, and a 3 percent tax on rental vehicles So w here will consumers cost more to eat out and stay in a stand come Jan 1? If ou buy a quart of milk or a ham- mer or a shirt or other retail item, you will pay a total of 7.75 percent in sales tax (5 75 to th state, 1 75 to the city, and 25 t the county ) If you buy a meal in a restaurant, youll pay 8.75 percent, which includes the 1 percenc county tax. If you rent a jeep, youll pay 10.75 percent, including the 'extra 3 percent to the county And if you stay in a motel, you'll be paying a hefty 12 25 percent (5 75 to the state, 3 25 to the city, and 3 25 to the county ) And if you think you understand exactly what it will cost you for the privilege of spending your money, just wait two months. Thats when the state legislature meets again New board will oversee north Moab water district by Ken Davey The Grand County Council has appointed a board to oversee the work of the new water and sewer district north of Moab. Board members appointed Monday included council mem- Long shadows in Chesler bers Bart Leavitt and Frank Nelson, National Parks Service employee Phil Brueck, Aarchway Motel owner Nate Knight and Portal RV Park operator Glenna Oliver The formation of the water and sewer district was requested by a group of landowners north of Moab City limits along Highway 191, led by Nate Knight. Moab City decided two years ago to limit water connections to those properties agreeing to an Park A rough ride over Elephant Hill and a hike through the Joint Trail is worth the views of Chesler Park in the of district Needles Canyonlands. See story, B1. (Photos by Sena Flanders) V Christmas stocking program is underway tistics in the Nov. per- restaurant motel. ht Interact Club and Alco are pleased to announce a new Christmas program, Pick A Stocking Stockings will be hung on a fireplace to be on display at Alco Nov. 20 through Dec. 22. Community members are invited to "Pick a Stocking and purchase needed items for the mentally ill. The gifts can then be left at Alco or delivered to the Interact Club at 59 N. 200 East. Gifts will be distributed oh Dec. 24. For more information, is con- tact Interact at 259-734- 0. Vocational classes scheduled . 1 cent tax on all purchases , but it will Moab the power to adopt a resort community sales tax of 1.5 percent, and a highway tax of 14 of 1 percent (or .25 percent). And Moab city will hold a public hearing Tuesday to hear what residents think about those taxes, as well as a 1.5 percent levy on motel rooms. For Moab, collecting that tax is necessary to meet its expenses. Six years ago the city abolished its property tax, though home and land owners in Moab still pay property tax to the county And at the same time the city increased its sales tax, from 1 to 2 percent. That turned out to be a financial windfall, because the tourist economy boomed, and the tax collected on retail sales exceeded $1 million per year, helping pay further, adopting a most the state allowed cities such as lderness, the Grand County Council took the suggestion seriously, organizing a series of public hearings, meetings, and two weeks ,of sta- - went will be lower on cense fee, the 2 percent charge on retail sales. But In i995 Governor Mike , for expansion of city services ranging from youth recreation programs to more police officers. Earlier this year the county, taking advantage of a new state law, decided to get in on the gravy train, by adding a .25 percent sales tax of its own, with an offsetting decrease in property tax. And the county New taxes The legislature also reduced the city sales tax, by abolishing the gross business li- Leavitt, hoping to pull together a wilderness bill that could muster broad support in Congress, asked counties to survey lands in their area and come up with proposals. While many Utah counties disregarded the governors call and instead voted against all wi- This peeks weather statistics were not available at press time. We will run Earlier this year the state lowered its rate from six to 5.75 percent (before you cheer please note they also increased the gasoline tax, and most over more to the state each year ) ss Adults with persistent and severe mental illness often feel alone and left out during the Christmas season. Therefore, the Moab motel. end up forking 5-- 1, hard-foug- should save you a little money on most purchases, but will cost you more if you eat out or stay at a consumers will recommendation. with Ken The vote was Ballantyne, Bart Leavitt, Harvey Merrell, A1 McLeod and Frank Nelson in favor of going back to the recommendation approved two years ago. The sole vote in favor of reducing the wilderness recommendation was Ray Pene. Council member Dale Mosher was not at the meeting. Last week Merrell, Mosher, Nelson, and Pene voted to go along with a request from the Utah Association of Counties to oppose wilderness on any parcels included in the Utah Wilderness Coalitions proposal, known as HR 1500 (the title of a bill introduced into Congress by New York State Rep. Maurice Hinchey.) According to Pene, the idea was a united effort of Utah rural counties to join with Congressman Jim Hansen in preparing a new wilderness bill. Merrell, who attended a UAC meeting in St. George last week, said the idea was to oppose all HR 1500 parcels with the understanding that was the other rural counties position. Over at the St. George convention we found out that was indeed not the case. The case is that each county will designate their own wilderness recommendation. So Merrell proposed going back to the countys original plan. The wilderness issue has been contentious from the beginning, with both pro- - and bills unable to gain enough support to pass both the House and Senate in Washington. individual discussions, and came comproup with a mise. With its vote on Monday, the council decided to leave that recommendation intact and in place. opinion on Atlas proposed site reclamation plan, according to a news release issued from Atlas Tuesday, Nov. 18. In recent weeks, we have met with representatives of the Fish Continued on page A2 Vocational Rehabilitation Orientation classes will be held at the Moab Higher Education Center Dec. 1, 8 and 15. All orientations begin at 9 a.m. Rehabilitation counselor Dan Jarrell will discuss college training, vocational and technical training, adjustment counseling and return to employment For more information call 259-463- 5. nex into city limits, and to charge developers the cost of extending water or sewer lines. Property owners objected, and they were backed by the county council, which created the board over the objections of Moab city officials The board is expected to ask the city to negotiate a deal to hook up property-ownerin the area to both the line and sewer s water city's s The new board is not an independent body. It will oversee the district, but does not have the . power to borrow money or levy-taxes- Ultimate authority for the district will lie with the Grand County Council Christmas tree tags go on sale at federal and state lands offices The MoabMonticello Ranger District of the Sal National Forest will btegin selling Chri8tmas Tree tags on Nov. 24, at a cost of $5 per tree. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m: to noon, and 12:30 p.ra. to 4:30 p.m. at 2290 S. West Resource Blvd. Forest Service Christmas Tree tags this year are limited. Phone 5 for information. Tree tags are also available from the Bureau of Land Management beginning Nov. 24. The cost is $5 per tree. BLM office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 1 for in- p.m., at 82 East Dogwood. Phone Manti-L- a 259-715- 259-611- - AiSSS vctT- -j j formation. - 5, will sell Christmas trees tags starting at $5 per tree. Tree Tags are available now and can be obtained during regular office hours between 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Phone ' for information. . All Christmas trees cut from state or fed- - ' eral lands must have a tag securely fastened ' around the main stem ofthe tree prior to re-- , moval from the cutting area. 259-37- 60 : v' - , ,v . The office of Utah.Trust Lands Adminis- tration located at 1165 S. Highway 191, Suite |