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Show Standard-Examin- er INSIDE Cowboy concert Poet, singer to perform at Layton Concert in the Park.4 LIFESTYLE Seniors and pets Veterinarian gives advice on keeping pets healthy.4 DAVIS COUNTYS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER August 22, 1998 them. Both Councilman Darrell Home Kaysville will try and make improvements within budget By RUTH MALAN Standard Examiner correspondent KAYSVILLE - The city has not had a property tax increase since 1985 and it isnt getting a tax increase this year. More than 250 people crowded into the city council chambers Tuesday to see if their property taxes were going to go up. Following the public hearing, the city council voted unanimously to not raise the taxes, adopted the certified tax rate of .001744 and approved the 1998-9- 9 fiscal year city budget. Even though the people who spoke against a tax increase during the public hearing want better roads, they arent ready to accept a tax increase to pay for and Mayor Brian Cook both said a tax increase is not needed to pay for road repairs this year. And after hearing from many citizens, both those who spoke and those who voiced opinions through a survey, the councilmen who were for the increase voted against it. The residents won this battle, but if there is not enough money to pay for the road repairs next year they will be back in another public hearing. At the beginning of the hearing Scott Brian, a paid consultant for the League of Cities and Towns, made a presentation on the need for road improvements and the road improvement plan for the next five to eight years. Road repairs are paid for with C Road funds, the citys share of the gas tax, the general fund, a Community Development VOL 17, NO. 10150 CENTS Johnson said, naming the roads on the west side of Interstate 15. We have roads that are only 15 to 16 feet wide. These are major thoroughfares, he said. And councilman Reed Nelson said the roads would not get done any faster than they have in the past without the tax increase. I do not think we have sufficient funds in the budget to do it differently than what has been done in the last several years, Nelson said, noting that the city has not imposed a tax increase since 1985. Shain Case said he was not only against the tax increase but he is against the way the city maintains the roads. He said it wasnt an improvement when the roads are maintained with a layer of tax and gravel. The rocks break windshields and See TAXES2 Block Grant and money transferred from the Kaysville City Power Company. If the tax hike had gone through, the money would have been left in the power fund for other city needs. There are more than $2 million in road repairs either being done or that have been finished this year and have been funded through June 30, 1999. It will take another $8 million to bring the roads up to standard. The tax would have put another $450,000 into roads and accelerated the road repair while allowing the power funds to go to other projects. I am opposed to taxes, said councilman Home. Through my research I am confident that we can do the roads without raising taxes. But councilman Arthur Johnson disagreed with Home. We have a lot of major roads in poor CITY LIMITS condition, Layton New restaurant gets variance The Timber Lodge Steakhouse is too close to a school to serve liquor, according to city ordinance, but the city councils cutting it some slack. The council agreed to a variance Thursday for the restaurant at 1977 N. 1200 West, formerly JBs Restaurant, and approved an liquor license. Timber Lodge, under renovation and expected to open Sept. 3, will be located diagonally across Antelope Drive from North Layton Junior High. The location met the city's buffer rule by being at least 200 feet away from a school, but it did not meet another ordinance requiring it be at least 600-fewalking distance. City staff recommended the variance be granted because the restaurant only serves dinner and will not open until after 4 p.m. every day, after most students go home. The new Chilis, in the Heritage Park Boulevard area, received similar scrutiny when applying for its liquor license. However, it did not require a variance because a fence around the restaurant diverted pedestnan traffic enough to rule. meet the 600-foCommunity Development Director Scott Carter said that the rule was in place to cut down on the chances that alcohol will be sold to minors. Also, city leaders want to keep minors away from drivers who might be intoxicated. The state requires that for an restaurant liquor license, not more than 30 percent of sales can be from liquor. The state Alcohol Beverage Control board also must address the issue at an ot Planning commission undergoes change South Weber city council alters procedures, terms By LORI J. NAKAYU Standard Examiner correspondent SOUTH WEBER - City council members recently voted to eliminate having a city council member serve as a member of the planning commission. non-voti- The council also voted to adjust the length of terms of the planning commission members from four years to five years. Ad ditionally the city council voted to eliminate its review of preliminary subdivision plats and allow the planning commission to grant preliminary approval. In the past the council member who attended the planning commission meetings had to atfor the council tempt to what transpired in a planning commission meeting as it related to an item on the council agenda; but now, the planning commission has been asked to have a commission member present at council meetings where issues are brought to the council that have been before the planning commission. Previously, the planning commission members served a four-yeterm with two commissioners being appointed during the month of January in odd numbered years and three commissioners being appointed during even numbered years. This past January three seats on the planning commission were up for reappointment, but only one of the members, Joel Workman, wanted to continue serving on the planning commission. A fourth member of the planning ar commission submitted his resignation to the city because his workload as a police chief in a neighboring city had increased. As a result Tim Grubb, Carol Pluim and Mike Walling were appointed as new members of the planning commission, Joel Workman was reappointed, and Dclcnc Hyde was the only member who earned over. Although the South Weber d planning commission was mostly of newcomers, the planning commission was faced with some senous planning and zoning issues, including contro com-pnse- versy over the growth of Claude Nix Construction, which is located in a residential suburban zone. The planning commission, which acts as an advisory board to the city council on all matters pertaining to planning and zoning within and for the city, needs a certain degree of continuity in order to be effective, the council said. To avoid having so much turn- over on the planning commission at one time, the South Weber city council has decided to make the planning commission appoint- See PLANNING upcoming meeting. West Point Hearing consider rezone A public hearing will be held at 6 p m. Sept. 1 at West Point Elementary School to consider a rezoning request from Blake N. Hazen and Associates. The request would be to change the zoning for property at 3500 W. 1300 North from (agriculture) to LAYTON - Firefighters said quick thinking by a neighbor prevented a Layton home from being consumed by flames while the family was still inside. lay ton Fire Chief Allen Peek said it was around 8.30 p.m. Wednesday when a resident near 2289 N. 1125 Last looked at his neighbor's basement window and noticed the drapes were on fire. The man, along with several other neighbors, managed to break the basement window and put the fire out with a nearby garden hose and portable fire extinguisher before the flames spread to the rest of the house. By the time fire crews arrived the fiic had been put out. Peek said the exact cause of the fire has not been determined but the quick actions by neighbors not only saved the house but potentially the lives of the family living there. South Weber postpones amortization Ordinance being drafted to deal with construction controversy By LORI J. NAKAYU Sundard Examine correspondent - After weeks of scheduling, and several postponements, the city council held a discussion about an amortization ordinance but again postponed any decision on the issue. For months South Weber planning commission members have been working with the city attorney, and consulting with other attorneys as well, to draft a proposed new city ordinance dealing with amortization to present to the council for approval. Amortization, as applied m this circumstance, is a process to allow businesses to operate for a set length of time over which they could amortize their investments and find another place to operate. The amortization ordinance is being drafted to deal with the controversy that has arisen over the growth and expansion of the Claude Nix Construction Company, which is located in a residential suburban zone where only residential housing is permitted unless an exception, such as a conditional use permit, is granted by the city. Last I ebruary. South Weber City council SOUTH WLBLR members voted to deny Nix Construction a conditional use permit as recommended by the planning commission. Instead the council voted to invoke an amortization schedule which calls for the relocation of the Nix Construction Company within four years. The councils decision came after considerable discussion and debate, after holding a special council work meeting regarding the issue, and after talking to the business owners of Nix Construction and listening to the complaints from their residential neighbors. The conditional use permit that Nix Construction had requested would have allowed the company to continue to operate from Us current location at 1458 E. South Weber Drive for an indefinite period of time. Now, in order to enforce the amortization process, the city council needs to pass an ordinance that deals with amortization, but a struggle to articulate the ordinance has held up any action on the issue. The city is required to hold a public hearing before it can approve the new ordinance, but first council members need to agree on the language of the ordinance. Recently council members were presented with drafts of ordinances dealing with amoruse and an amendtization, ment to their business license ordinance. The planning commission suggested that tlx city didn't really need an amortization ordinance, and while some council members agreed with the planning commission, council member Jack I rost insisted, "We do need an amortization ordinance, otherwise we don't have a tool to deal with businesses. If we just adopt a nonconforming business ordinance then we will businesses foreverhave more. I rost said that the three ordinances (amuse and business ortization, licenses) needed to be lied together langthe other. so that one uage-wise Mayor Henry Dickamore told council members that the city attorney is trying to d give you what I would call a stool. Dickamore explained that one leg would be the business license guidelines, one leg is the use ordinance, and the third leg would be the amortization process. Dickamore said that if the council didnt pass an amortization ordinance it would end stool, which up with just a wouldn't offer much stability. Tlx mayor said he was deeply concerned that this thing has gone on and on and on. Councilman I rost proposed that the city Sec AMORTIZE R1-1- 2 0 (residential allowing 12,000 lots). square-foo- t KAYSVILLE City will part of Neighbors fast actions save home set to vacate street No one showed up at a public hearing to voice on opinion on the vacation of a portion of Shepard Lane. During the city council meeting this week, the city council voted to vacate a portion of Shepard Lane The Farmington Irrigation District owns land to the south side of the vacated portion of the road That portion of the road will be turned over to the District. Farmington Irrigation District plans to construct an office building on the land Shepard Lane used to lead to west Kaysville. but it became unused when the Interstate 1 5 overpass was built years ago. three-legge- two-legge- d V Coming Tuesday School progress Construction of new lementary schools moving along Road about it in the next Lakeside Review. |