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Show alt ake tribune INSIDE: Sooth Valley Edition Wednesday Morning Vol. 232, No. 107 January 15, 1936 New Draper Mayor FimU Ey ery tilings Fine Bountiful Readies Plan'' For Three Eleetrie Plants Cities Seek Alternatives in Buying Insurance Everyone Pays, But How Much? By Keri Schreiner And Katherine Kapos Tribune Staff Writers North Salt Lake will do without street improvements this year. Riverton's city planner seat will gather dust for a while. Alta has a hiring freeze on for the remainder of the fiscal year and the planned equipment purchases have been axed. But if a lawsuit is filed against any of the cities at least theyll be covered. Despite incredible hikes in municipal insurance rates stemming from a sharp rise in lawsuits nationwide, local officials agree that it's insane to go without insurance, so they pay the price. However high. It's a Catch-2- 2 . . . you've got to have the coverage because small cities couldn't survive if we lost a $1 million or $2 million lawsuit, said Centerville City Manager Mark Pa-les- h. The insurance generally covers any legal claim which may be granted or won in court against a city. Such claims range from the trivial to the tragic for example, a wrongful death claim presented if a city's police officer kills an innocent person. City's screw up right and left. Everyone has to pay for that." said Alan Low. Woods Cross City recorder. How much everyone" pays is now the issue, as cities in Salt Lake and Davis counties search for alternatives to paying rates that in some cases have increased more than 400 percent. Some governments have reduced their coverage (still paying higher rates in many cases), others have been forced to adjust their budgets, and a few have joined together in liability pools. Alta, which last year paid a premium of about $8,300, is in the process of meeting a an increase of 450 percent. $37,500 premium S. Layton covered an increase of $109,000 so far this year, making their total insurance cost $139,000. That isn't all of it. some coverage isn't even paid for yet. said Nancy Snow, assistant city manager of Layton. For these cities and others, sticking with private insurance companies was the best alternative, at least for the present. Terry Buck ner, the insurance adviser for Fruit Heights, said private insurance covers more and is often better in the long run for smaller cities I don't believe that pools are covering as broad an area as insurance carriers . . . their underwriting is very arbitrary," he said. "If a city has a good loss ratio, they still have to pay two times their last years premium." But many cities have turned to pool m'ur-anceither because of the high cost of private insurance or because their insurance company stopped covering cities altogether In a liability pool, a group of cities joins together and pay into the pool" money that would normally go to a commencial compa-Sie- e SV-Column 4 e Jordan City Council OKs Second Density Increase "I paid a lot specifically to live in that area." said a man w ho Keri Schreiner defeated. But after another hour of discussion, the council reversed itself with three votes for the amendment and two abTribune Staff Writer recently moved into the area under consideration. "I bypassed other areas and paid a substantial price for acreage here. stentions. More affordable housing is expected SOUTH JORDAN Much of the council s concern over the density issue stems after the City Council s and greater development hoped for Another resident said that larger lot size is the reason many from a lawsuit filed by citizens against the city council and people move to South Jordan "I think it is a mistake to change approval of a second density increase, part of a possible planning commission last year, following the passage of an this, it's the thing that has been the drawing card. he said change in the citys master plan. to raise density to 2 5 city-widamendment 2.5 1.8 to units per acre, The second density increase, from At one point in the meeting. Councilman Mascaro said he was approved at a council meeting last week for the area Fears that if it passed again the council would find them- thought they had "thrown out the baby with the bath by abanselves in "the same position we were last spring" were exbetween 2700 and 3600 West, and from 9400 to 11800 South. the zoning ordinance protection with la year's density doning The first increase, from 2200 to 3200 West and from 9400 to pressed by several of the council members. I'm in favor of 2 5 increase 10400 South, was given final approval last fall. density." said Councilman Robert Mascaro. "But I don't want "I would like to see some of the things we threw out last year to do it if we're going to (get sued)." and the issue of to admissions table a motion Following back in. he said. "A lot of the protections went out with the confusion on the part of both the public and a few councilmen. City residents, many of whom reside m the area under conmaster plan that was repealed " in a sideration, attended the meeting to express their thoughts on the amendment to the master plan was given the But planning commission members attending the meeting 2 the density increase. While many conceded that it was ine vote. the zoning protection remained, and that rezonmg hearsaid in of nature the concerns were housgrowth there surrounding The amendment cited a lack of reasonably affordable would ings give the public a voice in future changes. as two of the reasons for South Jordan. ing" and lessening the tax burden Mascaro then motioned that the proposal inCouncilman and would acre water Insufficient an in increase units Most expressed fears that providing per irrigation raising the density. lead to a disruption of the rural life style that first attracted clude a newsletter informing citizens of the effect of a 2.5 more efficiency in municipal services were also mentioned. in hopes of clarifying existing protections The motion w The council meeting was marked initially by mixed com- them to the city. Others said they foresee problems hen subdi- density, passed ments from the city leaders, and at one point the proposal was visions are constructed near livestock grazing land e. 3-- lta-bl- e, |
