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Show Saturday, June IS, mmoN 1971 Page 2 John Price resigned as Mayor of Park City on Thursday, June 13th. This action, which took citizens and city council members alike by surprise, was made public by means of a letter addressed to the citizens of Park City. Mr. Price stated that he refuses to be a party to underhanded and illegal methods which he felt were being employed by the City Council. The Coalition conducted an extensive interview with Mr. Price on Friday, June 14th and he proved to be excrutiatingly candid. The City Councils inability to constructively legislate in the best interests of the community was given as the primary catalyst in his decision to resign. Mr. Price, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that he felt Mary Lehmer to be the major obstruction preventing the City Council from taking definitive steps towards placing the town on a path of orderly and progressive growth. Coun-cilwom- No Major Decisions For the last eight weeks the only decisions weve made is whether to table or not to table something said Mr. Price. Two reasons were given for this failure to decide on pending issues. No one has done their homework. Weve talked these things over and talked them over and they dont even know the crux of what were voting on. Theyre afraid to vote. Secondly, Mr. Price said, Marys vendetta against the Resort is so strong that she has essentially filibustered any major agreements which would allow any building this summer. an Blackmail Citing what he feels to be indicative of the Councils attitude, and Mary Lehmers in particular, Mr. Price stated a demand for $20,000 from GPCC for the Main Street Improvement District had been made. In return, GPCC was to receive only the citys goodwill. The ultimatum was No money, no building, he said. This is blackmail and I dont want to be part of that type of politics. Compounding his frustration, said the resigned Mayor, was Councilman Clements Hansen, who he characterized as Mrs. Lehmers d puppy dog. Mr. Price remarked that Mr. Hansens votes were not based on the needs of the City but rather on the basis of his like or dislike for the personalities involved or on instructions from Mrs. Lehmer. If Mary says it, he does it. house-traine- He again related the personality-versus-issu- e vote to Councilwoman If we bring up an agreement with anyone other than Greater Lehmer. Park City Company, theres no hassle. We bring up an agreement that concerns Greater Park City Company, and theres a hassle. Its imn possible to get it passed. Its not Marys fault, its the fault of the who dont have the balls to vote on their ofn. Mr. Price did state, however, that he feels its actually illegal to employ such discrimination in voting. coun-cilme- Represents the Council The major reason I feel I have to resign as Mayor is that I have to represent the whole City Council, said Mr. Price. He related that when the council did give approval to an agreement he then had to fight to keep it from being rescinded. This, Mr. Price said, placed him in the position of approaching such people as Governor Hampton only to find that the Council had cnanged its collective mind. Look what the City Council puts the Planning Commission through. dont mind taking flack when its due or even when someone is uninformed, but when youve done something that costs people millions of dollars its a different story. So far, weve cost the Resort Theriot Spring I $250,000 in interest costs on the Holiday Ranch alone. The Council doesnt honor its contracts. As example of what inaction on the City Councils part can mean, Mr. Price said the City faces the possibility of losing the $150,000 state loan granted for the Judge Tunnel Water Project. No decision on the building permit contract has meant no prepaid water connection fees which in turn means the city does not have the necessary $20,000 still needed in matching funds to receive the interest free loan, he stated. When asked if there is any problem involved in raising the money, Mr. Price replied, No, the problem is the City Council. They have not made any decisions which would allow people to build. The building contract was enacted six weeks ago and theres no reason why it cant be amended to give satisfactory guarantees to builders. Its been filibustered, bullshitted over, and put off for such an ungodly long time that now, no one is going to be able to build this summer or take out building permits. The City Council is not allowing me to live up to the promises Ive made to the people who are giving up the benefits. Perhaps the one issue which brought Mr. Prices disillusionment to culmination was the Theriot Spring Water Source development. He feels this project epitomizes the detrimental effects Mrs. Lehmers obstructionist attitude and blind hatred for GPCC is having on the city. Marys stand on the Theriot Spring is uninformed, totally prejudiced, and irrevelant of the facts. The Resort has agreed to spend $450,000 for the Theriot development in return for 1148 equivalent hookups at no charge. A Holiday Ranch hookup would cost the Resort $900. Anyone else in the City would pay between $400 and $500. The City would realize a $400,000 profit from hookup fees. In addition, theres no wav the City could develop Theriot in that we dont have the bonding capacity. Mr. Price further explained that the Theriot would give the City a second water source, making the water supply one hundred per-cent reliable. Mr. Price stated that Mrs. Lehmers opposition to stem- - med from a contention that GPCC owed the Theriotthe.project to the City, that are existing pumps adequate, and that the meeting at which the was agreement approved was illegal. All of these, he said, are far from valid. Cont. on page four |