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Show By JIM SAWDE Y Staff Writer Davis County may have one new city and four fewer cities, a combination that could come in the form of a merger of Sunset, Clearfield, West Point and Clinton. The possibility will be discussed at the Clearfield City Council meeting April 14, said Clearfield Mayor Donal Townley. If a merger takes place, the new city would rival Bountiful as the largest in Davis County, with a population of 32,000. Bountiful has about 32,000, and Layton, after merging with East Layton, has about 26,000. With a population boom that is expected in West Point and Clinton, the new city could soon become the largest in the county. Mayor Norm Sant of Sunset, Mayor Loy Blake of West Point and Mayor Keith Cisney of Clinton plan to attend the April 14 meeting in Gearfield to discuss the possibility of a merger study. All four mayors have different personal opinions about a merger, but all agree that a study should take place. The next step is to see if each city council agrees to a study. If the councils agree, a study will take place in the form of citizen groups and surveys. Clearfields Townley stressed that no ' proposal for a merger has been made. At this stage only an agreement to explore the feasibility of a merger is being sought, he said. ' Sant had a similar opinion and went a step further by saying city officials have an obligation to look into every possible way of saving taxpayers money and providing them with the best service. Mayor Cisney said he is in favor of seeking to see what would happen if a merger takes place. During a special council meeting Tuesday, he will bring up the possibility of the discussion of a merger, he said. Mayor Blake said Townley has talked to the West Point council about the merger study. The council members have assignments to look into the merger. The council will meet to discuss the results of those assignments, Blake said. It is very possible we will have a public hearing to discuss the merger with Townley, Blake said. The idea is not new. In 1978, a five-cit- y Mayors conference that included Syracuse, set to discuss the possibility of a multi-cit- y cooperative agreement, The idea, said Townley, was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the city and to save taxpayers money by reducing the cost of running the city. The idea was to look into sharing equipment manner, expenses, to zone in a to maintain the roads in a cost saving manner, and a host of other projects that were duplicated by cities. Townley said it was possible then as now to save money by avoiding duplication of ser data vices. But the idea of a cooperative agreement died due to lack of interest, Townley said. Long range planning for the area is a basic reason for the idea, Townley said. He said something has to be done to prevent the present lifestyle from being lost. He is willing to go by recommendation of the council and the people of Gearfield. Everybody needs to come out ahead or else the merger shouldnt go, he said. Sant also expressed a need to have a merger study.'Most of us (mayors) personally dont want to merge, but it is our duty to see what the people want. We must explore the possibility, he said. I love being a small town mayor. Anything over two people is a pressure group. He said people in a smaller community have a larger voice. Smaller government serves people better in that respect, he said. Topographically, a merger is a natural, Sant added. If a merger did take place, zoning, political clout, water and sewer management, grant aquisition, and recreation management would all likely benefit. He said for example, that a firehouse is Maybe we probably, needed in Sunset. wouldnt need a firehouse if we merged, he said. He sited the bridge construction on 800 North as another example, several cities use the bridges that are located in Gearfield. Every city that uses them should share in the costs. Weve got to quit thinking, what is in it for me. We must look at it as, what is in it for As a larger city, many positions everyone. would no longer be necessary. An obvious example is one mayor and five council members instead of four mayors and 16 council members, he said. He felt a certain loss in representation on the city level would occur, but state representation would be stronger. We dont want to make a commitment until we have input from the council and until we get a feel from the people, he said. Sant and Townley agreed that everyone must come out on the winning end for a merger to take place. Small towns will be looking at alternatives to survive said Clintons Cisney. He said consolidation to avoid duplication is a possibility, but a study group will have to look into those things. Maybe it wont be significant and a merger wouldnt help, he said. Cisney said he has vacilated back and forth on a merger. I can safely say I am completely neutral at this point, he said. He, Townley and Sant all expressed concern about the dwindling amount of agricultural land in the area. Cisney said maybe the way to go is to have an industrial city center with outlying bedroom communities, rather than small cities trying to push for their own commercial areas. Small communities need a commercial tax base just like large cities do. But he pointed out that when too many shopping areas are put into a concentrated area, an unhealthy type of competition can result in which everyone loses. He said, on the other hand, that a small city is forced to be more cost efficient. Maybe four small cities would be more efficient than one large city of the same size, he said. Many subdivisions have been approved for Clinton. More than 425 lots are waiting for homes. That will happen if the money market improves, Cisney said. Those homes will be built over several years. We have about 6,000 people now, and I think weU have close to 12,000 to 14,000 people by the end of the decade, he said. Mayor Blake said he doesnt want to make a comment until research is done on a merger. He has spoken to Townley and to his council about the merger and is waiting for information to return to him before expressing an opinion. He said, however, that it is possible that council will hold a public hearing to discuss matter.. He also said he plans to be at Gearfield Council meeting to hear what council members have to say. the the the the The possibility of putting the plan on the ballot for a November vote would also be examined. Index Business Classified Church School Editorial Home Lhing 34 10B-11- ..... 8 1 Serving 3 1,500 Families From Roy Through Centerville No. 32 IB 4B - 7B Wednesday, April Mayors IP II sum Staff Writer FARMINGTON Davis - County. a proposal from five North Davis County cities on the handling of storm water drainage. The proposal, in the form of an agreement between the commissioners and the cities, is the result of two meetings held by the mayors of Sunset, Syracuse, Clinton, West Point and Clearfield. The mayors had called the meetings to discuss the possibility of the county backing out of the proposed Layton Canal Project. In the letter to the commissioners, the mayors stated that the canal project had been accepted by the local communities as a solution to their storm water problems. In January the mayors had met with county officials and representatives of the Weber Basin Canal Company to discuss the project and the direction, if any, the county was pursuing at that time. Mayor Boyd Thurgood of Syracuse had said at that time the cities in northern Davis County were concerned MAX PHILLIPS of the Soil Conservation Service and Reese of Western Design Consultants take a water level minimizing the effect of wind on the rain collection. Antifreeze is put in the collector basin to prevent the water from freezing and to melt snow collected for accurate have received Miller Will Plead Guilty, Say Attorneys FARMINGTON Guilty pleas are from John P. Miller Jr. expected today collector near the Farmington lower reading from the rain on charges that he sexually abused and snow course located in Farmington Canyon. The baffles of measurements, Clinton girl last murdered a the rain collector located behind the men are for summer, according to both the defense and prosecuting attorneys. Miller, 16, will appear in 2nd District Court in Farmington at 10:30 a.m. today to enter the expected pleas. County prosecuting attorney Rodney Page said that if the guilty pleas are entered a sentencing hearing will be held following the pleas. Miller was scheduled for trial starting today on charges of first degree The water outlook for drainage areas murder, forcible sexual abuse and serving Davis County is improving for kidnapping. the year with the snows water content His attorney, Tom Jones, said the recorded at the end of March averaging has agreed to not recomprosecutor 71 percent of normal. mend the death penalty for Miller if the Levels recorded in the same areas for guilty pleas were entered at this time February showed the snow at 53 perinstead of going to trial as scheduled. cent of normal. The kidnapping charges have also been Snow depths along the Weber River dropped contingient on the pleas, Jones drainage areas have increased six to 26 said. inches in readings before and after the Jones said that if Miller does receive weekend storm. the death penalty today, even with the Snow depth at the Farmington lower recommendation against it from the snow course was reported before the prosecuting attorney, he has been storm Friday 59 inches which is up 21 advised by the state that Miller can inches from last month. The water then go to trial based on his previous content was 78 percent of normal. pleas. Chalk Creek No. 3 was measured at 26 Miller is charged in the death of Anne inches with 7.2 inches of water. This is Hoskisson on Aug. 5. The girls body 96 percent of normal for that location. was found in an abandoned farmhouse The lowest water content reading The greatest snow depth increase in storm. near her familys home after friends in Weber River drainage areas was and neighbors searched through the checked Summit compared to the average was recorded Parleys Canyon at Horse Geek Ridge, which has 48 recorded at Chalk Creek No. 1 with 26 Thursday with 44 inches of snow and a night for the girl after she disappeared inches of snow since February. The water content at 65 percent of normal frorh the family's yard, the preceeding percent of normal. Kilfoil Creek was at 59 percent. dav. reading was taken after the weekend with 12 inches of water. Jarrell Wafer Content Below Normal But Better Than Last Month's not-guil- ty f 1, 1981 ow. Storm tCmmDSsion By LUCINDA M. SCHUFT Commissioners 104 3B Sports Vol. B over the talk of scrapping the project. In the proposal sent last week to the county commissioners, the mayors said they would like the county to enter in an agreement on the handling of storm water drainage in Northern Davis County with the cities if the county decides to withdraw from the canal project. The agreement the mayors are seeking asks the county to obtain and to maintain all necessary rights-of-wa- y provide adequate storm drainage conveyance for present and future use from the proposed locatiori of the canal to the Great Salt Lake. In addition the agreement asks the county to provide the funding for the project and to upgrade the project yearly. Also requested in the agreement is that the cities and the county agree on a priority list of the projects to be completed each year. Commissioner Glen Saunders said the commission had received the mayors proposal Friday and was not ready to comment. He said the matter would probably be brought up at the next flood control meeting. He said the commissioners view of the canal project has not changed and they are still uncertain about what they will do. The proposed Layton Canal has gone through various stages of design and has been in the works for a number of years. At one point the plan supported by the county included the construction of a belt road along the canal. Financing has been arranged for the canal project through the Weber Basin Water District and the State Bureau of Water, Power and Resources in the form of a low interest loan. Recreation Center Charter II Passes Available on Monday ROY The Roy Recreation Center will be offering charter memberships to Roy residents starting Monday. The memberships, called Charter II, will cost $150 per family and as long as they are renewed will stay at that price from year to year. The director of the Roy recreation complex, Virgil Howe, said the Charter II memberships are being offered to try and establish continuing revenue basis for the center. He said when the complex first electricity consumption. The system is designed to keep the maximum usage of the center at a lower level than previously possible. It works by shutting down various areas of electrical usage and alter- nating where the power goes throughout the building. It is projected to reduce the electrical bills by at least 10 percent, he said. Various activities are offered through the recreation facility. They include lessons in all of the Red Cross swimming classes as well as gymnastic opened it offered family charter instruction. memberships for $100. Over 500 passes For general recreation the complex were issued at that price. has an indoor swimming pool, a gym, Currently only about 100 of the an indoor track, racketball court, charter memberships have been kept saunas and weight rooms for men and active, and Howe said that was one of women. the considerations for offering the Charter II. He said he is also trying to generate interest in use of the building as well as revenue. The recreation centers budget has tripled in the seven years it has been open. Howe said officials have been actively reducing expenses in areas ROY Firemen have to respond at a they can cut, but he is sure the costs will moment's notice to put out a blaze. continue to escalate in the future. There is little time to fully evaluate a The complex is open six days a week fire situation and the firemen need to be for 16 to 17 hours each day. prepared for anything when they The major expense for the complex is arrive. How does a fireman prepare for the salaries. Howe said he has cut back so drastically in this area the staff cant many situations he may face in the line fully cover when the employees go on of duty? A Lakeside Review report recently vacation or are sick. He said the complex is also facing 20 accompanied the Roy City Fire to 30 percent increases in utility ex- Department on a training drill to see how a fireman was trained. penses next year. A new system has recently been For her story and pictures turn to installed at the complex to help reduce page 8B Reviewing The News o s |
