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Show Businesses get moratorium; tax lid hurts Hercules PC cracks down on business licenses by Gary R. Blodgett Editor West Valley City businesses operating without a business license will have until March 31st to pay that fee without penalty. The West Valley City Council agreed Thursday night that local businesses will be given amnesty until 5 p.m. on the last day of the month to purchase a business license and conform to the city ordinance. Meanwhile, an independent inspection management firm will begin April 1st to deter mine what businesses within the city are operating without a valid business license. Bugg-RileKathy y, business development specialist, told the council in an earlier study session that no definite number of businesses operating without a valid license is known, but the figure is expected to be between 10 and 15 percent. She said ABL Inspection Management, Inc., will begin April 1st to identify and locate all unlicensed businesses operating in the city. It is anticipated that this process will result in the pro Hercules seeks options, including per licensing of all businesses and will promote the conduct of businesses within the city by complying with the building code and fire and codes that may apply, said Ms. Bugg-RileShe emphasized that businesses found to be operating without a valid business license and not having paid all fees due will be assessed a 100 percent penalty fee when a license is life-safe- ty y. obtained. Also, owners of businesses who have been operating in CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Editor West Valley City stirred up a hornets nest with its decision to lift the cap on two of the citys utility franchise taxes. The City Council voted to lift the cap on electricity and natural gas by removing the maximum dollar amount on each franchise tax. Both have a franchise lid of 6 percent. But the city had earlier placed a maximum dollar amount per business $19,000 for electricity $4,800 for natural gas. that the cap has been lifted, there is no maximum amount which a business or industry can owe the city. And Hercules officials are Now by Gary R. Blodgett and screaming! Hercules, of course, is the largest user of natural gas and electricity in West Valley City. Its franchise tax bill will be a whopper. What used to be a $19,000 per year electricity franchise bill for Hercules will now be as much as $250,000, and the former $4,800 natural gas franchise tax bill will be an estimated $100,000 a total of nearly $350,000 instead of de-annexati- on $23,800. Hercules officials said they will fight the councils decision, and seek other options, into including Salt Lake County. West Valley City spokesperson said no official denotification for or other action, annexation, had been received by ihe A city, only that Hercules officials were looking at all options. She said that only one other business within the city would possibly be affected by the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 ' UTAH 67 kl? Home of the Worlds Largest Missile & Drr., f?.S'T-- W.L , lSS0-I'S- 0 l( sou? CITY 5u Mining Center THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1993 VOLUME 86 NO. 17 MAGNA, UTAH 84044 operation outlined High-tec- h Kennecott to begin construction of $880 million smelter in May by Gary R. Blodgett Editor Construction of the $880 million Kennecott Utah Copper Smelter, to replace the existing smelter ..west of Magna, is scheduled to begin in May and be completed by Volunteers of Year honored Seven senior citizens from Magna and West Valley City were honored last week as Volunteers of the Year at the Magna Senior Centers annual Volunteers Awards program. More than 125 others were cited for their many hours of volunteer service to the center. Honored as Volunteers of the Year were, seated left to right, Ella Taylor, 1990; Margaret Overson, 1991; Leatha Colby, 1989. Back row, Jack Taylor, 1990; Warren Overson, 1991; Velma Allred and Grant Allred, 1992. Gang issues, rink receive councils attention by Polly Nelson Staff Writer Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard addressed the Magna Community Council Thursday evening. He spoke of the county-wid- e gang problem and the need for community-oriente- d policing. Currently, two patrol cars are assigned to Magna 24 hours a day. Sheriff Kennard, along with Captain Paul Cunningham, recommended that businesses band together with civic and religious organizations to quickly remove graffiti when it appears. State Representative Dan Tuttle introduced Tim Provan, Director of Wildlife Resources. Provan suggested that a committee be formed to identify and solve local wildlife problems. He has seen this work well before: a broadly representative group and a facilitator work together to set and meet goals such as pasture creation, increased recreational opportunities, and herd control. Provan is willing to help set up such a group in Magna. The council was enthusiastic about the proposal. Regarding the ice skating rink at Cyprus High School, Granite School District has agreed to leave it standing and unused. Janice Fisher is heading a committee to save the rink. Revised estimates are as follows: $18,692 to bring the rink to purchase an $15,000 on-lin- e; machine; and $30,000 to CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 MAC holds meeting by Sharon Linschoten Staff Writer . The Magna Area Council met together March 4 at the Magna Library under the watchful eyes of two Boy Scout troops. President Ray Heidt presided over the meeting. Magna citizen Bill Jenkins returned to the council, seeking advice concerning the wording he needed to use in filing with the County Planning Committee to rezone a land-loc- k piece of property owned by B.B. Coon formerly Excavating Company. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins desire to clean up the property, landscape it, and in the future perhaps add a greenhouse. The council advised Mr. Jenkins to talk to Salt Lake County Planning and Zoning. MAC decided to request a continuance on a companys request to recycle rubber tires on 2.5 acres of land near Highway 202 and the Garfield cutoff. Without personal ' representation the council felt they could not take action until more information was obtained. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 July 1995. This and a lot of high tech information about the operation of the proposed smelter was disclosed at a public hearing in Salt Lake City last Thursday. Roderick K. Davey, vice president and general manager of Kennecott Utah Copper, said the new smelter will improve on the efficiency of the current smelter which already has the most efficient operation of any mining facility in the world. He noted that the proposed smelter will be about the same size, maybe even smaller, than the existing smelter, but will contain high-tecmodernized equipment which will replace or upgrade the equipment being used. There will be fewer pieces h, x tion, Davey stressed. He said Kennecott has invested more than $1.5 billion into expanding and improving its Utah operation but nothing to compare with construction of the proposed smelter. Davey explained that the one instead of of equipment will be more like structures two two acid plants, and only with skin pulled equipment instead of six furnaces and over than elegant them be will the overall operation buildings. less much and more efficient He told the large group, costly than the present opera- - ' 8 comprised largely of construction workers, that Kennecott officials will hire as many local employees as possible, but that they must put the projects out to bid and follow the laws of nondiscrimination in their hiring practices. There are no guarantees, but I think our past record of employment speaks for CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Hercules officials challenge lifting tax cap by Gary R. Blodgett Editor A Hercules Aerospace spokesperson said Tuesday that West Valley City Councils recent decision to lift the cap on two utility franchises was unfair and disappropriate action against Hercules. Dave Nicponski, manager of government affairs for Hercules, said the West Valley City Council action was geared directly at Hercules and came at a time when the economy is tight and we are trying to stay afloat in a very competitive market. Hercules has laid off 2,300 workers in the past two years and yet the company is perceived as having deep pockets that will alleviate their (citys) future cost concerns, he said. He stressed that Hercules officials have an obligation to the company and its employees to seek other options including disconnecfrom tion West Valley City back into Salt Lake County. The West Valley City Council decided to lift the cap on n) both the electricity and natural gas franchise taxes, leaving Hercules with a franchise bill of between $300,000 and $350,000 instead of $23,800 due July 1. We are a struggling industry and this is not a one time payment, said Nicponski. Hercules will be paying this amount for years to come. He emphasized that West Valley City had a chance to negotiate this matter, but West Valley officials wouldnt sit down and talk things out. desaid Nicponski allannexation would be an situation for win, no-lo- se everyone. He noted that Hercules and the adjacent Westridge Industrial Park would become a part of Salt Lake County, and the county could absorb the $14 million revenue bond for the industrial park which could be paid off with profit over the next several years. Hercules, of course, would be free of the annual franchise tax obligation. West Valley City would have a $900,000 a year cash flow instead of a $1.5 million bond indebtedness. Salt Lake County could develop the industrial park and operate the proposed golf course much more efficiently than West Valley City, Nicponski reasoned. Hercules is looking out for the best interest of everyone, like and West Valley City the monkey with his hand stuck around a banana inside needs to let a cookie jar go, he concluded. |