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Show Councilman Asked Recorder To Leave Position uspended After Probe each said the other should have handled the matter differently, LAYTON Following three Martin said the investigation was months of investigation into n instigated by three members of LYNDIA GRAHAM Review Correspondent LYNDIA GRAHAM Review Correspondent LAYTON Layton Mayor Lewis Shields demanded, but did not get, the resignation of Layton Councilman Sam Trujillo during a private meeting between Truji- llo, Shields and Councilman Golden Sill last Monday. Shields said he asked for Trujillos resignation following his review of a police report brought to KMu ' his attention by an interested citizen." The content ,of the report could not be determined at press time. Police Chief Lamar Chard declined to release any information from the report. He said he had classified it as sensitive material" and as custodian of the records he had closed it to the Lay-to- City s financial operations by the Davis County attorney and sheriffs department, Layton City Recorder Randall Heaps has been suspended without pay. Charges connected with misappropriation of city monies were tobe filed today, according to Loren Martin, Davis County at- torney. Layton city officials and Martin public. Continued on Page 2A the Layton city council when they came to him secretly with suspi-sion- s of misappropriations of funds from Layton City three months ago. Martin said that he presented his findings to the entire city council during several closed door meetings over the past week. - In an early, morning meeting held Tuesday, Councilwoman Ann Harris made a motion that Heaps be suspended until "the results of any subsequent prosecution by the county attorneys office is completed. those charges were filed. He accused the council of not being able to handle the problem on its own, a charge which angered most of the council members. Martin told reporters he had Harris said that Martin had sughoped the City Council would gested to the council that they "handle it internally, with no fire Heaps or demand his resignacourt proceedings involved. tion and not further pursue the He said the amount of money matter but Harris said she fel involved is not a large amount that that would be assuming an but he would not divulge the improper role for the council, and amount nor the nature of the would deny Heaps his basic on Page 2A misappropriation charges until ' If.,.,.. Qzmtllm , corniiDisnmc mnsziD vr&Qm' Vol. 4 No. 34 ! I Wednesday, August 29, 1984 County Studying Committee Report, New Shelter Plans APRIL ADAMS Review Staff FARMINGTON There is commitment to beginning k h I con- struction on a new county animal shelter this fall, with the county also studying shelter policy recommendations submitted by a citizens advisory committee. It is our intention to get construction going this fall on phase one of a new animal control shelter, said County Commissioner Harold Tippetts who supervises animal control responsibilities for the county. He said he also hopes to get the county and local communities involved in the policy recommendations and suggestions. The suggestions will be part of the new guidelines to be set up as a result of the county animal shelter investigation, still two-mon- th ongoing. Though an architect has employed yet, there have been some preliminary cost estimates done by Ron Hales, the same architect who designed the Ogden City animal shelter, Tippetts said. Preliminary engineering drawings call for a sizeable shelter that can be built in phases, he said. But when cost estimates were submitted, Tippetts said he almost went into shock. The first phase may cost an estimated $300,000, with administrative offices included. ' The Ogden shelter cost approximately $250,000 but has no offices, Tippetts said. The second phase, to be built in a few years, will cost between $150,000 and $300,000, but these are just speculative figures, Tippetts emphasized. The Davis County animal control budget shows a surplus of $37,878 over a four-yeperiod from 1980 to 1983. Most of this money went toward salaries and not-been ar benefits. In 1983, the animal control budget had a fund of $218,760. Out of this, $177,897 went towards salaries and benefits for the eight shelter employees. Materials, supplies and services A cost $26,304 and capital outlay, mostly for vehicles, was $14,559. The chairman of the citizens advisory committee, Lynn said she was told there was not enough money in the budget to purchase cat cages. Tippettswho has been in office since the beginning of 1983, said that it needs to be realized that we are working with tax monies. We hope that all departments do not spend all they money they are budgeted. The county commissioners and the county attorney have looked at the recommendations submitted by the advisory, committee, but we havent addressed them yet, Tippetts said. There are really some good suggestions there, However, some of them wont be implemented,, . he said. . The one that stuck out in my mind relates to the county shelter using smaller trucks, but the largtrucks presently in use er half-to- n resale than the a better have smaller vehicles, he said. The committee recommended a procedure be followed with cats that come into the shelter, since there is currently no ordinance covering cats. The shelter policy considerations, submitted to the Lakeside Review, state we suggest that' choice, adoptable cats and all those with collars and vaccination tags be kept four working days, with those who are sick, wild or injured being euthanized immediately. Currently, cats are kept an average of one day at the shelter. Healthy dogs should be kept four working days instead of the current three days, the recommendation papers state. Dogs with minor injuries or diseases should be seen by a veterinarian, contrary to current practice. Severely injured or unhealthy dogs should be destroyed immediately, the committee recommends. Personnel hiring procedures at the shelter' u should also be changed, the committee believes. Bra-da- k, . Staff Photo by Rodney Wright OOOO, YUCK! seems to be sentiment expressed by Kana Gramly as she gets a rare opportunity to touch a boa constrictor as Kurtis Yearsley, reptile specialist at Perfect Pets in Roy takes the animal out to the parking some sun. The snake and other animals at the pet shop will be moving to a new location in Roy soon. lot for . Shelter Workers Lose Positions 2 rector Glenn Taylor of Kaysville. Higgs has been an employee at In final employee disciplinary the shelter for more than 20 action related to an investigation years. of operations at the Davis CounThe investigation did not show a to bring criminal charevidence new animal interim shelter, ty shelter director has demoted two ges against the three employees, employees, reduced their salaries but they are still walking on and placed them on probation. ' eggs, since they can be dismissed at any time during their probaArthur Moore has been demoted from a senior animal control tionary period, said County officer to an animal control offiCommissioner Harold Tippetts. p cer.1 He also received a But, by the same token,, they, demotion in salary and was put may be reinstated if they show on probation. . loyalty, good intentions and do a Robert Higgs, a former animal good job," he added. control officer for The investigation showed a Heights-base- d facility,; will be problem with some shelter emworking with the shelters kennel ployees accountability of their operation now, said interim di work time, but legal action wont ' APRIL ADAMS Review Staff two-ste- , , the-Fru- be taken, since there were no employee regulations regarding this, Tippetts said. No disciplinary action will be taken against other employees, both Taylor and the commissioner agree. Taylor was appointed last week by county commissioners to oversee activities at the shelter, after the former director, Noal Evans, was demoted to the status of animal control officer. Taylor was also given full authority to take any action he deems necessary. County commissioners approved the disciplinary actions Monday. p Higgs will also take a salary reduction and be placed on two-ste- a probation. This means a $100 salary cut for each of the two animal control officers. Taylor said, though, that Higgs will be doing some patrolling but basically will be assigned to the kennel operation. The investigation was prompted by accusations made by a former animal control officer and two local residents to County Commissioner Harold Tippetts against some employees and practices. Tippetts, in charge of animal control responsibilities for the county, said that we will see major changes up at the shelter. But this type of thing doesnt happen overnight. He added that it was sobering to take a man's job away from him. Attorney Says Officials Cant Commit Library Funds APRIL ADAMS ' ; FARMINGTON If, a contract for future library construction and funding were agreed upon now between present Davis County library board members and Layton City officials, it would not be enforceable later on. Deputy County Attorney Jerry Hess wrote that opinion to county library board members. He said public officials are not in a position to commit future Review Staff ; letter names the site on the corner of Hawthorne Drive and Lancer Lane as the proposed library site, Layton withdrew from the county library system in 1982, but discussions on the city rejoining the system have been continuing for several months. But theres nothing to say that in three, years, the city council couldnt decide to stay out of the county library system,, Saunders said. - The present - funds. Hess was consulted after the board received a letter from Layton officials that , situation and the proposal are the same, Layton is out of the system and is accumulating funds. Last month, city officials proposed that for the time being, the city would remain out of the system and let their funds accumulate. But the attorneys review of the letter finds that public officials are not in a position to commit future funds, said county library board chairman and County Commissioner Glen Saunders. The contract would not be enforce- able because it would be an attempt to bind or instruct future officials, whether they are county commissioners, library board members or city council members, he said. Although Hesss opinion does not directly refer to city council members, he indicated this in a review last week, Saunders said. Kaysville Mayor, County Officials To Discuss Library Building Plan proposed a working agreement for supplying library service and reserving money for a library to be built in Lay-to- n. According to the proposal, money from the mill levy would be split with 0 the county on an percent basis, with the countys 20 percent going toward bookmobile service and library cards. The remaining amount would go toward a construction fund for a headquarters library in Layton. The library would be built in three years or whenever the fund reaches $1 million, the letter states. County officials would be required to agree that any money spent for library capitol improvements go toward this new library. The FARMINGTON Discussions will The meetings Will give an idea on the costs involved in such a project, Saunders said, and whether it is feasible, beKaysville mayor on the possibility of fore it is presented to the city council. the city participating in a I still think an opportunity to build regional library, it was reported a facility in the Layton-Kaysvil- le area ! ' Monday. ' , would be greatly improved if both A letter, written by County Library communities were to come into the Board Director Jeanne Layton and county library system, Saunders said. Board Chairman Glen Saunders, was Layton withdrew from the system in Seht to Kaysville Mayor Gerald Purdy 1982. and Kaysville never joined the recently on a combined library effort. county system. be held shortly between the Davis County library board chairman and the 80-2- Layton-Kays-vil- le , L. & Kaysville is not, at the present time, accumulating money for new library construction purposes. Layton, however, has more than $100,000 from the citys library mill levy accumulated for a proposed new library. County library board members will wait until Kaysvilles position on the issue is clarified before they make a declaration of intent on where to build the next regional library. We cant bind a future commission that, using future funds, we would start library construction in four years, he explained. It's difficult for the present county library board to bind future library board to a certain action by stipulating that certain funds cannot be used for other purposes. He said, however, that a declaration of intent could be made by present officials, that though not binding, would act as a bridge between present and future county commissioners, who have the power to commit revenue funds to certain projects. He added, though, that the present county comnhissioners may not be willing to make tljis intent. But each levy fund is under a 106 taxation limit, so that even if they wanted too, commissioners couldnt commit funds to build a library. A reserve fund could be established by ordinance where money could collect from year to year, until the total was sufficient to build a library. The money could then be transfered to a revenue account that would make the funds available for the project, but only if future officials agreed upon this action. by agreeing I -- |