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Show Address Correction Requested P.O. Box 224 - Milford, UT 84751 cen EELS TIGRGGGEN | Bulk Rate ORsH Postage Paid Wii cela 31/9 Asoy Permit No. 15 | Formerly Dodge City News | Serving Beaver County Since 1991 JUNE 28, 1996 /OL. Vi NO, 25 A Few Words From Past Administrations This letter & mailing has been paid for by the undersigned, former Mayors and Councilmen of Milford - not by the _ taxpayers as the City Councils mailing was last week. This letter is in response to the present Milford City Council blaming past Councils, recorders, and the public for their present problems, which is absolutely absurd! Those who ‘served in 1986 thru 1993 on the Milford City - Council’ as Mayors. and Councilmen are appalled at their accusations. |} These are some of. our accomplishments during our so cated "frugal " and "no fore-sight" administrations: “1, Brought Milford City from a $120,000 deficit, to a - $220,000 in the black- were still able to complete the fea! S following projects with the help of many organizations in - we ->. our county and city. |. 2:, Completed: Swimming Pool Project - Coordinated with Schooi District to black top surfaces, plant : shrubs, lawns, flowers, install sprinkler systems, build _ retaining walls, ‘curbs & gutters around the ae pool complex = ; 5. New 40! X70! City Shop . 6, Main Street project- new streets, sidewalks, sewer, water, The Centennial Wagon Train rolled down the trees, curb & gutters Manderfield road and made its way into Beaver about 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, June 25th. : 7. Additional 6 blocks of oiled streets, many streets overlaid, chipped and sealed - all from B&C Road funds 8. Purchased new S- I 0 Truck from interest account Purchased new Police Vehicle 9. 10. Reduced police budget from $80,000 to $50,00 per year » 11. Raises for city employees ie Implemented a disabilityi insurance program for the city ‘employees _ 13. Yearly Christmas Bonus for the city employees ~--"~ 14. Library renovation- parking lot and driveway| The Journey — As told to Barbara Mayer by her sister, Carole Walker Marquardson: “What a sight to see all of those horses and wagons trailing along.” I meet the wagon train in Beaver purposely because my sister, Carole, was riding with them. She, along with her grandson, Dustin, was in the. wagon driven by: Don Clement. 15. Reduced drinking water pumping costs by $1 0,000 ke year 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22, Recreation Complex- $95,000 was raised for this project 4-H 17.4-H Horse Arena & Lighting Tennis Court Lighting Caboose Park & Information Center Backhoe Purchase - Lease City Shed purchase- lost in fire- $10,000 Gave Circle 4 Farms the Industrial Park- on conditions not yet fulfilled. 23. County Economic Development Donation-$10, 000 per year 24, Closure of City Dump 25. Moved into a county wide garbage collection to meet State & Federal regulation i 26. Airport runway renovation 27. Purchased a modem garbage truck 28. Purchased dump truck 29. Irrigation water system to the golf course, schools, city park & Hospital- resulting in a reduction of water pumping costs by $3,500 per year 30. Engineered new pool heating system- purchased by present administration with 1993-1994 budgeted money 31. Implemented city fiinding for golf course, EMT, Fire Dept., Little League baseball and other recreational activities 32. Reduced auditing costs from $14,000 to $8, 000 per year (present audit costs $20,000+) 33. Eliminated fire district 1 insurance from city finds and moved them to the fire district- Site Milford City $1, 500 per 34. year Sent various employees to Seminars to stay abreast of new laws for improving their skills. \ 35. Spent time finding Grant Funding 36. Worked with Five County Association to change a $220,000 loan to a grant on the Industrial Park 37. Sent future Police Officers to Police Academy To say that we were frugal - yes, we were. When you _ are spending money, especially city funds, you better be frugal- money doesn't grow on trees. Saying we had no foresight- The Circle 4 Farms project : that is impacting the City and the County wasn't known to us until late 1992 - construction wasn't started until fall 1993. What has happened in the last 2 1/2 years should not be blamed on the past councils or the citizens of Milford: IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT - GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN [POLI TICS] Sincerely, Samuel Florence Nolan Davis Eugene Mayer Wayne Wiseman » Bill Romine Max Mayer Russell Holm Les Whitney ; | The folks on the Beaver County Centennial Wagon were jubilant as they neared town. Who Represents The People? By Alice Smith: Somewhat chastened, Milford City Council members were less confrontational, at the June 25th public hearing regarding franchise tax. The tax, which is expected to be levied at the next regularly scheduled council meeting, will add 5% to Utah Power and Light, Mountain Fuel, and U. S. West bills, in addition to adjusting the percentage rate on Nevada Cable bills. Opinion was divided among approximately 150 residents gathered in the high school auditorium. _ Gene Mayer, a former Milford mayor, was the first to register a protest. “Under proper management this (the franchise tax) would not be necessary,” he We were concerned about Carole going on the wagon train because, as many of you know, 4 % years ago she- thanks to local generosity and help- had a liver transplant. She commented, “It was a personal challenge, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do the real oe as the pioneers did years ago. Carole said of the 100 wagons that started, there was an average of 50 wagons a day ie Some rode horses and mules all the way. “It was a rough and rugged ride, especially for the horses and mules. In some areas we had to get off to lighten the. load at mountain elevations,” Don Clement added. _ There were hardships along the way. Four horses said. Mayer added that when he took the office in 1985, the city was $120,000. in: died. A wagon rolled . debt, with no funds. He and his council still managed to support and fund all civic _and recreational needs of the city- and leave $312,000. for future councils to use. over an 80-year-old He was deeply offended bya letter mailed to all city residents last week, in which man as he was trying the current council attempted to pass blame for their financial woes to prior to stop it. He and his wife had to be administration and former city employees. The present council has failed to adequately explain why the city is now in such dire straights. Gloria McDermott, long time Milford resident, cut right to the heart of the protest. “You had the foresight to get infrastructure upgrades. Why didn’t you have the foresight to have impact fees in place so that industry could share the cost?” she asked Recent water and transferred Councilman Larry Sower confirmed Wednesday that he is, and has been for some time, registered with the State of Utah as a lobbyist for Circle 4 Farms. He was registered in April of 1995 when S.B.1004, Impact Fees Act, was passed. In sewer || 9ddition to his position on the upgrades have raised utility, rates and || city. council, Sower sits on the lowered minimum gallonage. Although | Beaver County not applicable to upgrades of. old infrastructure, impact fees could have Zoning Board. Planning S and been levied on water and sewer lines ; around the parameter of the city- those ee for new growth- lessening the financial burden on existing residents. Sower said Wednesday that he doesn’t remember any serious discussion of impact fees in the study phase of that project. Impact fees were not pursued when the city donated the Industrial Park to Circle 4 Farms and annexed the additional Circle 4 property where the feed mill is now under construction. The city council chose to ignore a 240-signature petition presented June 18 by irate residents. Spirit of the petition was a protest of the fact that impact fees were not set in place at the proper time for at to share a portion of the cost burden of new growth. It was Bob Thieme, Circle 4 mill manager, ae delivered the bottomline comment. The mill, which he says will be in operation by December or he will be out of a job, is expected to use 1.1 million electrical kilowatts per month. Franchise tax on that power, plus profit on the million gallons of water ‘per month required to run the mill, should provide a considerable increase in _city revenue. Ironically, a year from now when the tax is to be lifted or || reinstated, residents- now protesting- may be clamoring to keep the tax in place while Circle 4 protests. (The tax is not legally bound by yearly review. Harlan Thomas || The Council did, however, indicate that they would do so as a good faith gesture. ) to a hospital. The couple had = sold ___ their personal possessions to purchase a wagon Chaplin —_— Colorado traveled with the train, and held - Services on Sundays. There was also wedding along way. Each along with the © way the train food | and entertainment. Carole County residents prepared to help with another illness. Noel Davis has . been fighting Leukemia for. several months. Medicaid has denied funding for a needed bone marrow transplant. There will be a dinner Monday, July 1, 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. at swimming the pool Beaver park. Menu: Pit BBO beef and pork, Dutch oven potatoes, | ‘baked beans, green salad, rolls, drink and dessert. $10. Adults; 85. Children; county the welcomed a Carole traveled on the Centennial Wagon Train, Beaver benefit for the trip. A from While $1. Swimming. Noel is the son of. the late Brad Davis and Kathy Davis, and grandson of Ray and Emma Davis. would especially like to thank Beaver County for their hospitality. As she rode along the way- knowing that she would be back to the comfort of her home, and the bosom of her family in a few days- Carole thought of the many pioneers who had left their homes and families, never to see them again. Especially bittersweet was the thought of those who embarked on the journey, but never reached their destination. Carole has met her challenge.....perhaps because she inherited some of the stamina of her pioneer ancestors. |
