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Show n IReeoirdl Tlh HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH 30 Vol 74 NO 52 January 27, 1993 cents Commissioners met with Navajo DOT to discuss road issues During the San Juan County Commission meeting, Monday, Jan. 25, rep- resentatives from the Navajo Department of discussed road issues on the reservation. Commission Chairman Ty Lewis brought up the Transportation problems for on the reservation said and the county isn't able to do anything more right-of-wa- y ds than maintenance along the roadways. Lewis also brought up the disparity of funding between Utah's and what the BIA provides. ds He gave the NDOT people a breakdown showing Utah provides $1032 per mile of while the BIA in Shiprock is giving $112 a mile and Western Agency is providing $150 a mile. "The amount the state provides is barely enough to do the job," he told the group. "So the amount the BIA provides can't even come close to providing for the needs there. Something must be done and we are willing to be a player in solving the situation." Gary Moore, NDOT engineer, said one of the B-ro- - 'h? 44 . . . snowman, ala Guymon, was discovered in Blanding last week. Some are creative even with Hole-- y COld White Stuff. ( Staff Photo) County jobs and wages comparison given to county commissioners Harold Lyman, manager of the Blanding Job Service Office, met wit the San Juan County Commissioners last week, Tuesday Jan. 19th. The unusual Tuesday meeting was held due to the Monday holiday, and in- cluded items postponed from the previous week's meeting which was cancelled due to a snowstorm. Lyman presented documentation comparing jobs and wages in the four county area of Southeastern Utah, which includes San Juan, Grand, Carbon and Emery Counties. The comparison included jobs by industry for 1990 to 1992. Lyman said a survey was conducted of former em- ployees of Energy Fuels and showed half do not have business in the county. Sheriff Dept. San Juan County Sheriff Claude Lacy met with the commissioners on several matters. He asked about bids for two vehicles for his department, a couple of personnel items and stated the 911 agreement with the Navajo Nation was approved and sent back to San Juan County, as had the Cross Deputization Agreement. Transient Room Tax After a discussion on a request to increase the transient room tax from 2 12 to 3 with Peggy Humphreys and Dianne Nielson, a motion was made by Commissioner Redd to increase the tax effective July 1, 1993 and reserve 1 for permanent jobs. Those infrastructure. This motion have permanent jobs are making $8000 less per year. He also discussed the retail leakage of money leaving the county and state. Lyman said the county needs some commitment from the state to help Commissioner Lewis and passed unanimously. Other business In other business for the former employees which do identify potential development to help the rural economy of the county. He suggested someone on staff be assigned to deal with economic development and discussed a lit of items he felt would help establish was county seconded by commissioners, Chairman Ty Lewis reported he Was nominated chairman of the Southeastern Utah Association of Governments at a recent meeting of that body in Price. He was invited to speak on the MRS study San Juan County completed at the National Conference of Legislators in Las Vegas. ad hold ups to improvements of the Navajo Mountain roads was the archeology mitigation. He said the road is number two on the priority list's five-yeplan. Airports also discussed Moore was also asked about airports. He told the commissioners the tribe is working on a new airport for the Oljaito chapter. ar This received has already "favorable consideration from the he said. FFA," The favorable consideration is due to the present airport being unacceptable and the Goulding airport having a couple of other problems allegations of poten- - tial trespassing on tribal land, being the primary landfill site for the resort and a nuisance for adjacent residents were mentioned. Lewis asked how the pro- ject was funded, to which Moore said they had a 90-1- 0 match with FFA; 10 being the tribes portion. Also under study are other airports for the Utah Strip area as part of master plan by the tribe for these facilities. But the estimated $2 million Oljaito airport is "still hung up in the realm of indecision," as Moore put it. Other roads discussed Besides and airdisroads were other ports, cussed, including the Aneth to Ismay road (with work to begin in March and completed by July 6). ds Commissioner Mark Maryboy said they would like to do the same thing with roads near Red Mountain, Mexican Water and other chapter areas. NDOT Planner Sam Johns said it would be best to get the agency representa- tives involved, such as Willie Greyeyes in the Navajo Mountain area. Other business In other business, the commission decided to ommend rec- the San Jan Health Care District Board be expanded to six mem- bers. Commissioner Bill Redd's motion outlined the new makeup of the board as two members from the "reservation, two from the central part of the county and two from the northern part of the county." First week at legislature busy for new representative Keele Johnson has survived his first week as the representative of House District 71. announced in last weeks San Juan Record , Johnson was appointed by Gov. Leavitt to fill the seat As of Lyle Anderson, who was appointed District Judge. Johnson said he was numb when I first got here. Understandable when one realizes he was literally thrown into the fray while it was already tatives until Thursday. Already at work But not letting grass grow under his feet, Johnson has already signed on as sponsor of a bill aimed at the k students and has a couof ple projects in the works. While waiting to talk to him, this reporter overheard his discussion with Larry Anderson, of the Dept, of at-ris- Environmental Quality, about the need for removal of the Atlas Mill pile along the Colorado River bank, near Moab. underway. He is also working on a The first official day of the legislative session was Monday, Jan. 18. Gov. Leavitt gave his first State of the State Address couple of ideas given to him Grand County constituents: one is from a school board member who suggested a liability cap be negotiated with adjacent states for students traveling to those locations; another is by from a high school principal who suggested equality in activity travel funding for activities Johnson said his daughter traveled 3500 miles during the last volleyball season and he sees a need for rural schools in the state to be given more Continued on page 10 - about 6:30 p.m. that day. But Johnson hadnt been officially seated, yet. Although he had been appointed the previous Saturday, it all hinged on the Se- nate confirming the ap- pointment of Anderson as which Wednesday. judge; occurred That meant Johnson didnt get into his deskoffice on the floor of the Utah House of Represen State Representative Keele Johnson being sworn in to the House of Representatives by speaker Rob W. Bishop. Photo by Jim Shulfer |