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Show .jXjK'' an duan !V econ HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH Volume 87JSumber35 SINCE 1915 SOcents 'A..-X- June 2, 2004 jsi'vv. Sparks fly again over Monticello electric issue by Anna Thayn Mayor Scott Pehrson reported at the May 26 meeting of the Monticello City Council that no decisions can be made regarding the city electrical system because of a temporary restraining order that has been placed on the City. Pehrson stated that Judge Bruce Brynor issued a temporary restraining order. An evidentiary hearing will be held on Brilliant orange globe mallow creates a burst of color in the desert low Staff photo country. Monticello adjusts water restrictions by Anna Thayn Residents in the City of Monticello will now be able to choose when they do their outside watering, according to a decision made at the May 26 meeting of the Monticello City Council. their day and they only had two small windows of time to water each week. They hope that allowing people to choose their own time to water will encourage wise water decisions. Langston also reported that enough water is coming into the system to keep the culinary and secondary ponds full, with excess water still being diverted to Mayor Scott Pehrson asked the council to drop the watering schedule and allow residents to choose when and how they wrant to use their allotted four hours Loyds Lake. As of May 26, Loyds of water during the week. The Lake had 1,310 acre feet, comcouncil agreed that the city pared to only 805 acre feet on should trust the people to do June 2, 2003. That amount, what they have done so fantaswhile encouraging, is still only in 36 percent of capacity for the water. tically conserving While zones and schedule of lake. In other water news, City days are gone, residents are asked to go on the honor system Manager Trent Schafer reports and use only four hours of wa- that the City is seeking ter per week and do no water- $385,000 from the Community ing between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Impact Board for a water meterCity Water Manager Nathan ing project. The City is asking Langston suggested that the for the funds as a grant rather council review this decision at than as a loan due to the exthe end of June to see how it is treme financial burden the city water department is in with affecting the water use statisdebt service, costs to pump watics. The council agreed that this ter in recent years, and improvemay be a good idea to keep wa- ments to the mountain collecter use down. It was pointed out tion system. Schafer and Langston will that many times with the previous system, people would waagain present the request to the ter regardless of rain conditions CIB this week. or wind, simply because it was , The spring colors in Dry Valley are stunning. Staff photo June 11. Councilman Doug Allen made a motion for a special election on the of the electrical system. Allen said the motion would not violate the restraining order as both lawsuits ask for a vote to decide the issue. Allen suggested that the only compromise is to put the issue to a vote of the people, end se both lawsuits, save legal expenses and put the issue to rest. Allen said it is time to move on, and if a vote is held, then no matter which way the issue finally ends up, the people and the council would need to support it and make it work. Councilman Pete Steele said that two years ago the same suggestion was made by a different councilman, and it did not pass. Allen said that he had spoken to the previous council who voted in favor of the purchase and they said they would support a vote of the people. Councilman Blen Freestone said the citizens have voted by the people who were elected to the council in the last four years. He said the people knew where they stood on the electrical issue and voted accordingly. He said this is nothing but an attempt by special interests to circumvent the process and said he would not support it. There was a great deal of debate over how the current motion differed from the vote sought by the first lawsuit. Pehrson said that the motion in front of the council for a special election and a binding vote was not what was sought in the first lawsuit. Allen disagreed, to which Pehrson responded that the first group wanted the citizens to have a say, whereas the current motion wants the citizens to have the say. Pehrson said he has always been in favor of the citizens having a say, but added that this thing, that is basically being forced upon us, is not what we fought for. He pointed out the extreme amount of work and cost involved in a special g tion compared to a non-bindin- elec- "& Honors for local U of Utah student - See page 2 survey, which he said could be done in a simpler manner. Allen said that it didnt matter if it was called a special elecg tion or a survey, Whatever we call it, lets put it to a vote and lets follow it. If we cant make it a binding legal one, then lets make it a binding moral one and follow it. The motion died for lack of a second, at which time the Mayor entertained comment from a full house of city residents. Among the many comments that were made, a great many were generated by Pehrsons Whitehorse High graduates 31 - See page 3 non-bindin- CEU students build house - See page 4 Longtime road ployee retires - See em- page 7 State ambassaador for 4-- H program - See page 9 comments regarding the animosity and the rancor that exMore doughnut ists over this issue. sports Pehrson spoke of the resigna- See Sports Shorts, tion of Councilman Tom page 10 Livingston, stating, I think that its a shame that a good man, who did not have a private Vandalism at agenda in this thing, is run out Monticello Cemetery of the City Council because a - See Whats New, group of people in Monticello are page 13 so mean spirited about this. Several residents stated that School is out! there was no animosity or ha- See Northern News, tred and that the people on difpage 14 ferent sides shouldn't be mad at each other for having a differ- The Home of Truth ence of opinion. - See page 20 Suzanne Anderson said, This . . . is America! We have a responsi- bility to stand up! I havent said anything mean about anyone, but I felt so deeply about this that I wanted to be involved in the process. Thats America! Because we disagree doesnt mean were fighting. Im hanging in here, but when its over, its over! Its not bickering and fighting. I feel strongly and you . . feel strongly. . . thats ok isnt it? Anderson also spoke of the ref- Funeral services are announced Julianne Butt Fellmeth, who passed away on May 30. A viewing will be held on Friday, May 4, 2004 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the North LDS Chapel in Monticello, with funeral services to begin at noon. for erendum and hearing about people going around mad at residents who signed the petition. She pointed out that people on both sides of the issue signed the petition, with the common bond being a want for more information and an opportunity to be Alec Leon Begay Sheryl Begay Alexander Laughing May 20 boy & heard. Scott Frost, one of the peti- tioners in the new lawsuit against the city, said he didnt understand why many of the group who wanted a vote four years ago do not want one now. Mayor Pehrson shared amazement over the change in sides of the issue. He questioned several recent Letters to the Editor in the San Juan Record and asked why they werent written four years ago. Where were all these voices for reason four years ago? asked Pehrson. 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