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Show Q J Page Eight - The Pyramid - October 9, 2003 Manti resident takes city council to task by Benton Petersen MANT- I- Manti Elementary School Principal told the city council that she was concerned about the safety of the students coming and school on First leaving South, during a recent council meeting. The big problem was with the angle parking and bicycle racks. Because of the location of the bicycle racks, students are allowed to ride between the parked cars, which can be dangerous, especially when parents drop their children off on the other side of the street, then make and go the other direction right through the children. The principal urged the council to set up a pedestrian cross-wal- k on First West, so the kids could walk their bikes across the street in a safe manner. The issue was tabled. The principal also informed the city that the elementary is not going to have a Halloween carnival this year, because of two issues. First, last year, the children went anyway and second, many at LDS wards are having parties this year. Councilman Mark Anderson liked the idea of "trunk-or-trea- t" and suggested that the businesses downtown set up a program like that on Main Street. "Especially," he said, "so the kids would not be going around town." That issue was also tabled. phones. "If it were," he said, "the cost would most assuredly be passed on to his companys customers." Both the mayor and Councilman Walter Fife promised that the franchise tax would only be levied on cell phone companies. It was finally decided that the council should further study the issue. had The councilmen other copies of several citys animal control ordinances in their packets. Mayor Anderson urged the the council to select some of the best ideas in order to have an ordinance ns written. "I like the one that prohibits any dog bite no matter where the dog is, even if it is confined," Mark Anderson said. He also liked the Spring City ordinance which stated that if a dogs license is revoked and the animal is impounded, it would not be returned into the community. Loren Thompson suggested just taking Spanish Forks ordinance and using it with only the name of the city No action was changed. taken on the issue. Mayor Anderson praised Shannon Miller for attempting to get as many government grants and other types of grants for the city to help with setting up a web site, planting trees and flowers along Main Street and placing cement that looks like cobble stone in the Highway 89 intersection. After granting Skyline Blinds the bid to do custodial work in the Manti City building and complex last month, the mayor reported that they withdrew their offer. "Cottom, the other company that bid will be contacted," he said. If they also cannot do the work, the project will be put up for bid trick-or-treati- trick-or-tre- Regulation of mobile homes Manti City Planning Consultant Andrew Jackson informed the council that a law was recently passed in Georgia which stated that regulation of mobile homes in a city violated the Federal Fair Housing Act. He cautioned the city to keep that in mind when they set up ordinances and regulations. In light of that, Mayor Kim Anderson responded that there was a zoning ordinance which was put to a public vote about five years ago. "Maybe we could use most of that now," he commented. ' ' Jackson said that he had not seen that ordinance, but reminded the mayor, "The key to a good zoning ordinance is one that is used on a daily basis and that people understand." "Maybe the reason that ordinance did not pass was that the public was not educated about it," Assistant Administrator JoAnn Otten said. Jackson agreed that it was an education problem and cited the home occupation section, stating that it was actually more liberal than the previous one which outlawed Tupperware parties and the selling of Avon products. Other business Councilman Loren Thompson was concerned about the definition of a duplex, which he said is now defined as a home with an apartment. The mayor stated that a duplex ordinance in Manti should be on the books before Dec. 1, but no action was taken on that issue. The purchase of property just south of the National Guard facility on 100 North and 100 East was brought up again by Officer Neal Miller, who explained that the guard is very interested in purchasing the property. It would be used by the guard only during drill weekend, so that Hunter Composites or any other business in the old Rivers West building could use it for parking for employees. The council decided to talk to the Adjutant General about the property but told councilman Anderson that if the property were sold, the money would not go for a new Public Safety Building as he requested. Council member Loren Thompson, who is an em- -j ployee of Manti Telephone' Company, was against thej proposed franchise tax on! cell phone usage in the city, j He wanted to make cer-- j tain that the tax would not1 also be placed on land-lin- e v again. Manti resident Mary Pipes, took the city council to task in their regular meeting Oct. 1, on their proposal to reconsider the defeated proposed zoning ordinance. Pipes asked if the council o the zonwas going to the that ordinance public ing defeated in an election several years ago. "The present city zoning ordinance is very general," Mark Anderson replied. To that, Pipes responded, "You are not satisfied with general control of the property, but you want specific control of the property. You say it is your property, but you cannot do what you want with it. If you want to live in a society that is totally controlled, then you can do re-d- The mayor defended the proposed tree planting and antique lighting along a portion of Highway 89, along with other changes by commenting that a meeting had been held for businesses where the city had explained what was going to happen. "This will not cost Manti City a dime. Money will come from a $500,000 grant with a 20 percent match, which will actually be credited to the amount the city spent refurbishing the old city hall." Animal control Public Works Director Dale Nielson urged the council to adopt an animal control ordinance similar to what Fairview has. That ordinance states that if there is a vicious dog in the town, even though it is contained, the animal control officer can have it removed. Another part says that if a dog owner is cited three Justesen struction," com- mented. get the feeling there is some opposition brewing out there," he added. "I ( they city. Other business Debbie Munk, who has been providing custodial services and boiler mainte nance as a city employee, wondered why the council was bidding her services out. Mayor Kim Anderson replied that it would be cheaper to contract services out rather than pay employees to do the work. Mayor Anderson also reported to the council that the city is in court to try to get Rivers West Corporation to remove their sewing machines out of the building they are leasing on 100 East, between 100 North and Union Street. Even though Rivers West still has a lease for the building, the city approved a least to Hunter Composites for the west side of the building on the basis that if another company wants the entire building, they would have to move. As of now, the building is being used as a storage facility for Rivers West. Vem Buchanan received the Mayors Award in the: ; Humanities for his work in' restoring the Old City HalL,'V., The council the Manti City Justice Court .. Administrator William Mick "I elson also explained that the court could go into the upi- -' stairs of the city complex since it is wired for the nevv ; computer that the city must purchase for Judge Ivo Petersen if he no longer wishes to use the laptop. A Rural Development Agency Fund Grant of $32,-50- 0 was targeted to pay for a new public safety building. The council also allowed the Manti Fourth LDS Ward to work along with the Ex, change Club in setting up a at the city where individuals park, park their cars, open their trunks, and hand out goodies to children who go from car to car on Halloween. . . "trunk-or-trea- t" County hires deputy attorney, adopts new fee schedule by Ray LaFoIlette During the commission meeting, October 7, several items of business were considered. A new deputy county attorney was hired, transient room taxes were discussed, a new zoning fee schedule was presented, the Pine Creek fire plan was discussed, a Mormon heritage film festival and other projects were outlined, and the proposal for a crime victims advocate coordinator for Sanpete was heard. Ross Blackham, county attorney, requested the commission to approve hiring MANT- I- Brody Keisel as the deputy county attorney. He has now passed his bar exam and would be hired with a starting salary of $45,000 per year based on an approximate hourly wage of $21.63 per hour. The request was approved, effective immedi- ately. Transient tax discussion was held regarding the current method of collecting transient room taxes. Those taxes, when collected, are part of the funding which is used for promotional efforts to benefit the county. There are a significant number of bed and breakfast establishments which are affected by it. The commission has received information about a that." proposed ordinance which Pipes accused the city of would change the way it is collected. Its supposed to having to do what the state have some cost savings when says when the city takes its compared to the way it is money. collected. The "We want that money," currently will commission the study Councilman Loren Thompson and ordinance proposed responded. consider its implementation. Another problem that Fee schedule concerned Pipes, was the fact Lee Holmstead, county that the city would not purenforcement, presentzoning chase a persons property in with a ed the commissioners order to build a new road but fee new, zoning proposed, they would prohibit a properschedule. Holmstead requestty owner from building somed a public hearing be schedething on a certain spot because the city might build uled during which the proposed fee schedule could be a road there in the future. She also wondered how discussed with the public. The request was approved much the city was paying Andrew Jackson for his and a public hearing will be services to review and rewrite the defeated zoning ordinance that would cost the city $10,000, according to City Administrator William Mickelson. Walter Fife defended the cost of the consultant on the basis of Jacksons expertise in writing ordinances. "There is nothing we wanted to sneak through," he added. Sneaking things through was also a problem that Councilman Alan Justesen said he found, which bothered several residents Justesen had talked to recently. "When you go around in this election business, you get an idea about what people really think," he said. "Several people think that the city is trying to "sneak" something through on the proposed Main Street recon- will lose their of having a dog in privilege the city. The council tabled the issue until the actual wording is decided. City web page Heber Henke and Chris Cox, of EZ Posting presented a web page proposal for the city, which they said would cost $1,200 to set up. Henke explained that residents could use the page to pay utility bills, see the minutes of council and be meetings referred to local businesses. The council approved drawing up a contract. While they were discussing the contract, Chris Cox told the audience that there would also be a $50 a month charge and any upgrades or changes would be paid for by the times, A scheduled. Fire plan applying for potential to help handle the infrastructure needs. The fire plan was approved. are grants Funding approval Sally East, county director of economic develop- discussed current in the works within projects Sanpete and requested funding approval for them. The Travel Council has already approved funding for the projects. When the theatre restoration is complete in Fountain Green, it is planned that there will be a Mormon Heritage Film Festival in the ment, theatre. A grant towards that project of $1,000 was ap- proved. The web site 'MTcft' has been used for cothity tourism and will be accessible through www.utah.com is planned to be redone. The economic development side is in need of changes. It is expected that the total cost for changes to the web site will be $4,600. It was approved to grant $1,-16- 5 towards those improvements. It is planned that the Sanpete Scenes book will be reprinted and available to sell to tourists. The county travel councils share of the cost will be $4,000 and will be recompensed as books are sold. The grant for $4,000 was approved. Other projects include the brochure Sanpete County which is currently being reworked by the Messenger. The commission approved payment of $22,374.56 for consultant services on the Ephraim Canyon Road Project, as was requested by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). Crime victim advocate Christine Watters, Utah state office of crime victim reparations, and Marti Bown, domestic violence specialist with the division of child and family services met with the commission to discuss the proposal for a Crime Victims Advocate Coordinator for Sanpete. Keith Warenski, president, Pine Creek Ranch, met with the commission and The coordinator would presented the fire plan they have developed for their help police departments with community. providing crime victim serTheir fire plan seeks to vices. This would help free establish fire escape route up officers by shouldering roads and a fire alert system some of the victim needs. The program will require (siren). It also includes citizen fire training and part of a budget match of 20 percent the effort is to establish from the county to help with defensible space around the funding. The commissioners homes. They will need help were told Sanpete County in funding the projects and could probably justify a full time coordinator to handle not do the job without serithe needs of victims here. ous changes to the system.' The commissioners will Jorgensen reported that f review the information and the boiler is fixed and ready' consider the program as they to go, but not all of the prepare for future budget building is heated with radi-- , ", issues. ant heat. ..... Part-tim- e The newer section of the help The Sanpete County building uses forced air heat with a system that is now Sheriffs Department requested the approval of hiring approximately 14 years old' ; e Chad Nielson as a and has control problems.' After some discussion it; jailor and for patrol duty. The request was placed was agreed that the local, on hold pending discovery of heating company would be .. used to further identify prob- -' whether the new Merit Comlems and endeavor to resolve-themission has a pool of potenas needed. tial sheriffs department Heating and AC repairs' employees established yet. It is part of the Merit to the jail areas should be Commissions responsibility considered a high priority to oversee hiring, testing, due to potential lawsuit possiand establishing a potential bilities. It was recommended that employee applications pool the local heating company for the Sheriffs department. The Commission received present the county with a' a request to consider the proposal regarding and repairs. appointment of Anita Fox to The Courthouse basement.. be a Bookmobile Board Member. Anita is from has had some remodeling Wales and is involved with done which increases the-:- ' amount of space available for library duties there. The motion to appoint her one of the state tenants and also provides room which is' was approved. The commission authoexpected to be used by a; rized Ilene Roth, county psychologist. It has been decided that., auditor, to be the county the space will be leased for representative for Utah Counties Insurance Pool Meet$9 per square foot. Roads ings and Bruce Blackham, Gail Seely met with the" ; commission chair, to be the commission regarding the alternate representative. Courthouse county road which passes Clark Jorgensen County onto their property. like the ' Seely would Building Custodian met with deed to discuss the road to to commissioners the county the heating and air conditionthem, they would then give: an easement back to the ' ing of the courthouse. He county allowing the road. explained the there is a problem with the system controls Before the decision is made which are in some cases not an investigation regarding the matter will be done. functioning. Steve Keller County Road controls There are vent met with the which Supervisor rooms dont work, for commissioners to discuss are out dated, or are insufficient. In the past they have current and ongoing road'., had system experts check it projects in the county. They and fail to repair the system, discussed at length the road while charging the county a problem that has been outside hefty fee to just look it over. of Wales. A full replacement of the It was decided to continue ?, system could cost hundreds the work there in the form of of thousands of dollars, so more rock filler and road 'Z that is not an option. signs. local a with By dealing heating company there have been some improvements The tools to him who has made, but with the onset of the I ability to handle them. the weather cooler heating French Proverb 2 will have to work and it may . part-tim- -- m s system-improvement- . . ; ! r ' Some teens dream of leaving home. Some dream of having one. 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