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Show 1T March 29, 2001 Police Union Head Resuming Role Despite Anderson PUBLIC SAFETY NEWS q g g i ¢ r f The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH Greer will lead contract talks in spite of conflicts with Salt Lake City’s mayor BY SHAWN FOSTER and FRANK CURRERI resume his role as lead negotiator whether Anderson likes it or not. “He can no more ask me not to negotiate than I can ask him to resign,” Greer said ata Wednesday night news coriference. “Iam the duly elected president ofthe union.” However, Anderson has not let up’on his of Greer. Earlier this week, the not being heard, we take our message to the public through informational picketing.” That message, Greer said, is that Salt Lake’s police officers need more money. Greer said he is using the same sampling and local agency salaries that both the city and police have used for the past eight years. Those statistics show that Salt Lake police officers need a raise to keep up with the average pay of officers in other cities ofSalt Lake's size. Greer said the union wants a pay increase of6 percent per year for two years, while the city has offered a three-year contract with THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE illegal possession and cultivation of drugs and unlawful possession of weapons. aos Qa VACANT BUILDING FIRE Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has refused to deal with the police union’s president — a man the mayor has described as “unprofessional” and a “bully.” And he will not have to talk to the labor group’s presidenttoday when unionrepresentatives bring a formal proposal asking that contract negotiations with the city resume. Only union board members’signatures will be on the letter to the mayor. Butafter today, David Greer, president of the Salt Lake Police Association, said he will city and thatthe city could “go straightto hell.” Anderson also claims that when Greer promised a “job action” during the OlymPics, the union president was threatening to ik illegally 3 But Greer said he was only referring to “informational picketing.” “Tnever made the threats as alleged by the mayor,” said Greer, who has served as union presidentfor 12 years. “When we feel we are was angered by the remark, saying the union’s support ofhis candidacy did not mean the union could write its own contract. “T am not going to cave in to somebody whosays that because they helped me win the election, I must owe them something,” Andersonsaid. : Anderson reiterated his refusal to work with Greer, whom he accused of showing “absolute contempt: for the negotiations pay increases of 2.5 percent over two years and 2 percentin the third year. Relations between the city and union remain icy. The mayor had been scheduled to address the police union members at their Wednesday night ing, he said, but claimed the invitation was later rescinded. At a Wednesday afternoon news Greer ackhowledged that he is “not as diplomatic as some,” and claimed his threat to cut offnegotiations was mere posturing.If you spend lot of time at the bargaining table, Greer said, “it’s not a pretty sight.” Springville Stores Enjoy Brisk Sunday Beer Sales mentfactory at 634 W. 800 South had been cited by the Health Department ume the city’s Housing tt for the dangerous conditions. Freitag said old of- fice files, trash and homeless Vote on New Government Newsuds law delights some, disappoints others BY JOHN KEAHEY ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE RIVERTON — The City Council appears amenable to a BY ERIN JOHNSON down a barricade that blocked fie Cont oe ee it did to extinguish the flames. Investiga- tors believe the fire was set in- « tentionally in three different ar- eas. There are nosuspects yet. No Games For Ethnic News Media to sell beer within two years ofthe ceiving credentials to cover the 2002 Winter Games. They do not meet the circiilation and broadcastcriteria decreed by the International Olympic Committee. “To date, there has never been a single credential issued to weekly newspapers at the Olympics,” said Bruce Dworshak, SLOC’schief of news media op- erations. “There is such a handful available that we haveto rely on thecriteria that the IOC has asked us to follow.” That was bad newsfor Utah’s Spanish weeklies such as La Prensa and Mundo Hispano, which had hoped they would be able to send a photographer and reporter to the Opening Ceremony. at large. Councilman infraction. The new measure has proven lucrativeso far for store owners as thirsty beer patrons descended on the town last Sunday. John Morrill, a managerof a 7Elevenin thecity of 20,424 people, made 172 beer sales, surpassing combined Friday and Saturday sales of 65. At the sametime, Mor- rill said, cigarette sales went up to make Sunday’s intake more than double the average ofother days. Top Stop convenience store Manager Leslie Butler has reported similar business. “It's great; our sales have doubled,”said Butler, different plan, calling for three to representdistricts and three elected at large. Atpresent, all council members and the mayor are elected at-large. The mayor would continue to serve in an at-large capacity should the form of governmentchange. | C. Kyle Stewart Asign at the Maverik Country Store on Main Streetin Springville touts a new Sundayshopping option. Springville exception for 7'he Park Record in Park City, where many of the competitions will take place, SLOC spokeswomanCaroline Shaw pointed out that several Spanish news service organizations had received accreditation and would be covering the Games for Spanishreaders. La Prensa and Mundo Hispano subscribe to wire services, but the newspapers’ editors say they don’t do an adequate job of coveringlocal angles. “It's not the same, especially when something is happening right in our own community,” said Ingrid Quiroz, publisher of La Prensa. “Ourreaders look at it and say,‘Theydidn't even care enough to send someoneto cover the big event. What does this mean to me?’” www. idaholottery.com + 7 want on Sunday,” Wing said. He argues that allowing stores to sell alcohol on Sundays takes ciples based onfairness and equality.” away taverns’ prime business. Moreover, he took issue with ordi- nance, but can understand whyit But former Mayor Hal Wing is disappointed, saying he would have urged the council to reject to sell alcoholas taverns. was “From. a freedom standpoint, they havethe rightto doit,” said Rasmussen.“It’s not what I would do or what I want my kids to be Sunday beer sales if he were still mayor. “It doesn’t take a rocket nance supporters’ argument that stores should have the same right “That’s as ridiculous as saying, ‘If we can get drugs onthe street, then whydon’t we legalize them?’ ” he said. TRAXOfficials Mired in the Station Name Game mentin thefirst place. The Utah Transit Authority declined to act Wednesdayand will take another month to review the hyphenated mess. The delay means placardsfor the stations along400-500 South will not be readyif the link from Main Street to Rice-Eccles Stadium opens on schedule in November. The city also went back and forth a year ago when deciding wietherto let UTA build the line past city businesses and homes. dent Cindy Cromer, angry that some have downplayed the issue's significance. “This is about neighborhood identity,” It all seemed so simpleatfirst, A community coordination team appointed by the City Coun- cil and UTA suggested names for the fourstations: Library Station, Trolley Station, 900 East Station and Stadium Station. But residents objected that the names ignored neighborhood history and offered their own. The Central City and East Central community councils suggested Gilgal Garden Station and Central City Station for stops at 900 “This is not a joke. This is about neighborhood identity.” Cindy Cromer 900 East-area resident, 6n people downplaying naming issue —a East and 600 East. The City Council compromised. In addition to hyphenating the 200 East stop to City HallLibrary Station, they called 600 East the Central City-Trolley Station and 900 East the Ninth Street-Gilgal Station. Ed Lewis, president of the Idaho-NevadaUtah region of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, asked for a religious pride. Some Catholics have suggested that Father Escalante deserves a station and Mormons have asked to honor Parley Pratt at 900 East, where he planted the area’s first tree. “I might come back on some future light rail line and suggest you choose another process,” UTA General ManagerJohn Inglish told board members. Residents want recognition for Gilgal Garden, the unique sculpture garden that became a city park last year, and for the Central City neighborhood instead ofadvertising the Trolley Square shopping center more than a block from therail line. Central City mightbe confused with the City Center Station that already lies between the ZCMI and Crossroads malls on Main Street. Central City Community Council Chairman Matt Wolverton suggested City Center could be renamed for Rosa Parks so that the namecan be Rosa Parks Station commemorating the bus rider who helped fuel the movementto desegre- applied on 600 East. gate the South. woman Julia Robertson pleaded for the Gilgal All the proposals stumped the UTA board, which decided to think about it for another month. The board is following the same process it used when openingthefirst light-rail line in late 1999,soliciting names from theaffected cities and then either approving or vetoing them and asking for more. But the board could drop that process and namethestations itself. The naming controversy has even stirred . East Central Community CouncifChair- moniker. “People of all ages come together in this unique,urban openspace,”she said. She said the residents who have had to put up with the noise and inconvenience should have their say. Cromer was disappointed that UTA did not act Wednesday. “We're going to have to keep lobbying when wehaveotherthings to do,” she said. “This was just a passing of the buck.” Welch, Johnson: Complex Case Warrants SeptemberTrial BYLINDA FANTIN Waiting three more months to begin the Olympic bribery trial is no big deal considering prize amounts, call the Idaho Lottery's info line: 208-334-4656 or he has a “hard time justifying a scientist to realize that beer sales bring in the element you don’t ban of beer on Sunday dueto prin- Otherresidents are less enthuRasmussenis opposed to the ordi- ‘THE SALT LAKETRIBUNE The winning numbers drawn Wednesday night in Idaho's Powerball lottery worth $45 mil lion were 4,12, 27, 31, 43 POWERBALL: 20 The winning numbers in Ida. ho, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska's Wild Card lottery worth $669,000 were 6,17, 20, 21, 28 WILD CARD: Jack of Hearts For winning numbers and County Commission ae Gary Herbert said that siastic about Sunday brew. Tom on Salt Lake City’s compromise suggestions media of the host cities, but they are traditionallyoffered to daily newspapers with large circulations. Organizers may make an i ent to buy beerif they want selves,”the 23-year-old said. Extensive TV coverage is lim- tials are reserved for the print around, but anyone should have Clorissa “There are all kinds of people and it lets them decide for them- Namingthe rail stations along the TRAX University of Utah line is proving just about as contentious as approving the light-rail align- sive broadcast rights. Creden-. resident McCloud says the ordinance is a good idea. “L understandthe rules, butI ited to NBC andits Utahaffiliate KSL, which have paidfor exclu- Easton butheproffered his own slightly wonder how we are supposed to bring the flavorof the Games to our community and make our readers feel a part of it,” said Gladys Gonzalez, editor and publisher of Mundo Hispano. Mark generally supports the concept, The new law was designed to BY LORI BUTTARS Representatives from Utah's A groupof citizens presented a proposal Tuesday nightto expand the five-membercouncil to six, with four members representing districts and two elected travel to Salt Lake City to get a brew on Sunday now that Springville has broken precedent with other county communities by allowing Sundaybeersales. The ordinance, passed earlier this month, went into effect Sunday. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE ethnic minority news media outlets met with Salt Lake Organizing Committee officials Wednesday and learned they won't be re- plan to change Riverton’s form of government from councilmayorto council- SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE SPRINGVILLE — Beerdrinkers in Utah County will not have to correct inconsistencies in the ordinance that allowed taverns to sell beer on Sundaysbutnotstores. It also tightens licensing requirements by barring people with felony convictions or alcohol or gamblingviolations from applying Riverton May the crush of documents involved and the timetables of other criminal cases before thecourt, defense attorneys say. Andif that pushes thetrial closer to the 2002 Winter Games,sobe it. “The February 2002 commencement of the wide-ranging and document-intensive” would be on a faster track than 87 percentof the federal criminal cases that have been on the docket as long or longer than the Olympic case. In fact, according to the attorneys’ research, roughly 41 of the 115 active criminallaw cases in this district have lingered for more than two years without a trial. Those statistics, the fight with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee over legal fees and limited access to government documents are cited for Tom Welch and Dave Johnson argued in court papers unsealed this week. by defense attorneys as reasons U.S. Magistrate Ronald Boyce should extend the June trial date until Sept. 10, An April 9 hearing has been set to discuss the motion. Federal prosecutors have accused Welch and Johnson of plotting to bribe members of the In- “In any event, a trial that begins in Septem: ternational Olympic Committee into awarding Winter Olympics is not an appropriate consid. eration in setting the trial date, other than concerns about logistical problems that might result from a trial during the Games,” attorneys ber 2001 will be completed long before the Semen.” Even with such a continuance, the case which defense lawyers describe as “complex, the Games to Salt Lake City with gifts and cash totaling $1 million and then hiding the payments from bid board members. The 15 felony counts of conspiracy, fraud and racketeering 1 carry a combined maximum penalty of 75 years in prison. Federal prosecutors agreed to a two-week extension from the June 1 trial date but balked at anything more.In court briefs, they take exception to claims the governmenthas restricted access to evidence. Summaries of witness interviews, provided well in advance oftrial, “are a virtual road map of the government's case,” prosectors say. And defense attorneys were allowed to remove 248 of the 400 boxes of documents from FBIoffices to copy. As for the remaining materials, defense attorneys have spentjust 236 hours outof the past six months reviewing them, according to federal prosecutor Richard Wiedis. “Although the governmenthas regularly and amicably worked with defense counsel to resolve other matters,” wrote prosecutors, “it cannotaccede to this request, especially in the absence of any timely or compelling justification for the delay.” T ‘ The new form would give ma- administrative powers to a city manager — Riverton now has a city administrator — who would answer to the council. And unlike now,the mayor also would havea vote. Supporters say that Riverton is a more diverse community than it has been in past decades, and those diversities, by neighborhood, should be represented. Resident Bill Way said he believes the four-and-two plan is more functional use it would result in a totally reconstituted council by January 2002. His group’s proposal would automatically accommodate the three council members elected in 1999 to four-year terms,by allowing them to serve out their terms through 2004. Two would retain district seats and one would retain an at-large slot. Easton's three-and-three configuration, Waysaid, would take until January 2006 to fully implement. Under Easton's option, council members retaining seats would be able to only serve two years of what would have been a four-year term before standing for re-election for the remaining twoyears. Easton’s plan would be “more confusing to the public,” said, because there will be extra candidates on the ballot with some running for two-year seats for what are typically four-year seats. Easton said he does not believe Riverton, with a population of 25,000, is large enough to be into four council “[ amconcerned that we have broad enough districts for a wide representation. The population is big enough for three, but not four,” the councilman said. Thecitizens group wants the council to place the issue on the ballot for a special election Aug. 1 Ifthe council refuses, then the petition sponsors are prepared to launch a drive to garner thé 1,200 registered-voter allotald to force it onto the ballot, Way. ore ee Easton not think aerat strongly Tuesday] night that whether [individual council members} are for ar against this issue, we ought to accommodate it on the ballot, “The voters will tell us what they want. | am not fearful of it, said Easton. Easton and Way promised to continue talking about the pro posal, They need to see if they can compromise on the number of districts or whether both for mats should end up on the ballot, |