OCR Text |
Show Standard Rate U.S. Postage Paid Milford, UT. 84751 P.O. Box 224 ' Milford, UT 84751 Permit No. 15 VOL. VIII NO. 12 P. O. Box 224 ¢ Milford, Utah 84751 Caucuses Well Attended BSA FASHION SHOW 1998 Neighborhood Precinct Caucuses throughout Beaver County drew more attention than usual, possibly due to the importance placed on election of two county commissioners. _ Delegates who were elected ‘Tuesday evening will vote at their respective party county conventions. — Idealisticall that vote will represent the views expressed Precinct Caucasus. "1998 MHS Junior Prom: “Today's Dreams- Tomorrow's Memories Mrs. Miller, advisor for the 1998 Junior Class since they started in the 7th Grade at MHS, described this year’s event as “truly a junior prom.” “The Class did all of the decorating themselves,” she explained. Mr. Gay, the other prom advisor, has helped students. with prom planning for 31 years. Special thanks to Tiffany Rollins who sang “My Heart Will Go On Without You.” And, to Anne Griffiths and Tiffany McGinn for their help in choreographing the promenade. See page 2 for more photos. in_ the Delegates, however are not bound by law, and can vote their choice. The Democratic Convention will be Thursday, April 9th, at P.M. in the courthouse. Republicans wili hold held 7:30 The their convention on May Ist at 6:30 P.M. in the same location. Wanted: 75 new families to strengthen population base _ Ina special meeting called for March 20th, the Milford City Council voted unanimously to approve an Inducement Resolution that ~ would allow the city to lend out it’s tax exempt bonding ability to Nevada Star Resources Corporation. Councilmen Mark Dotson, Russell Smith, and Nolan Davis attended the meeting along with Mayor Mary Wiseman. Councilman Doug Garrett arrived late, after the vote - had been taken. He did not stay for informal discussion after the vote. Councilman Junior Davis was not in attendance. Dotson has met with bonding representatives from both First Security Bank and Zions Bank. He said they had informed him that almost every city and town in ‘Utah has attempted to make their taxfree revenue bonding: ability available to any industry want to settle there. “There is no liability to the city at all. There is a very rare opportunity available here,” he said before making a motion that the city authorize the mayor to sign an inducement resolution to offer the city’s ability for tax free bonds to either Zions or First Security Bank. Dotson added that he lhad asked that they (Nevada Star Resources) try to use First Security iff they can because there is a branch in Milford. The city is trying to negotiate a deal with Nevada Star Resources Mining corporation. “They have funding in place for the copper mine, and I have asked them to allow the city can step in and offer them some tax free bond money from the State of Utah in exchange for which they. will require all 75 of their first year employees to live in Milford. If we are successful in getting the tax-free money on bonds, they are willing to negotiate with the city and pay the city a tariff which could equal an awful lot of money for the difference between what their money is costing them now and what they could get on the revenue bonds” Dotson said. “The bond council pointed out that the idea of revenue bonds iis as old as sin itself, and every city and town has done it, but no city has every gotten anything back from it like we are about to do,” he added. “We have a problem in Milford,” Dotson continued: “All of this industry around here...but the people who are employed in the industry don’t live here. The reason they don’t live here is not so much that the employees object, but the wives object. The wives object because there isn’t any shopping around here. The city can’t support shopping without population base.” Dotson speculated that if the work force of the railroad, Circle 4, the Geo-Thermo plant, and the ballast plant actually lived in Milford, the city would be about the size of Beaver. How do you get people to live in Milford? “You can’t hire somebody and then after you have hired them say you have to move to Milford or loose your job. But you can hire somebody and say that the requirement is that you live in Milford. What I saw here was an opportunity to expand our population base,” he said. Dotson said that Nevada Star Resources already has the ability to finance the $7 million needed for construction of their project. Interest, however, is based on risk factor....and industrial loans for mining range between 13% and 15%...or about $1,120,000 per year in interest. Tax free revenue bonds, using the city’s tax free capability, carry an interest rate of about 7%. This translates to an interest saving of about $600,000 per year for Nevada Star. Dotson said the company is willing to negotiate a tariff where a portion of the interest savings.....possibly $300,000 to $400,000 per year.....would be paid to the city. His vision for use of the money includes subsidizing water and sewer bills for low income households....and set up an economic development fund to provide loans and grants to help small businesses establish themselves in Milford. Main Street storefronts remain empty and school enrollment is down: The real financial and social benefit could, however, be through the school district if Nevada Star brings 75 families to Milford. According to Don Willden, Beaver County School District Assistant Superintendent, weighted pupil unit (WPU) is $1,854 per student this school year. If each of the proposed 75 families enrolled just one new student in the district, WPU payment would increase by almost $140,000. With half...or approximately 37....0f the anticipated enrollment increase added to the current 191 students at Milford High, curriculum could be expanded to enhance the choice of classes for ‘Sara efferson, a senior, assisted by two little helpers from Dance Unlimited, models one of the beautiful wedding dresses provided by Bridal Elegance of Cedar City. Monday evening was full of excitement for the Junior and Senior girls. It was the ESA Prom and Bridal Fashion Show. Traditionally every two years the ESA Sorority hosts a fashion show for the community to come and see the Junior and Senior girls model their prom dresses. This year in addition to the evening gowns, two of the Bridal shops from Cedar, Bridal Elegance and Occasions, came with wedding dresses for the girls to exhibit. . Also. participating in the program were the Dance Unlimited girls as well as musical numbers by Charis Carter and Tiffany Rollins. Everyone was able to stand and stretch for a bit and visit during intermission and enjoy some refreshments. The. Willden estimates that student enrollment has stabilized sound system and music for the event was provided by Nancy somewhere in the neighborhood of 1470 students district-wide. This Carter. is down Slightly from the October I, 1997 official head count of 1,487, Various vendors set up displays 30 minutes before the which was the basis of funding for the 1997-98 school year. District enrollment peaked in 1996 at 1,516 students, but dropped to 1,491 by show for patrons to browse and visit. Booths offering services in Photography, Floral Designs, Catering, Invitations, Jewelry, and the ending day of the 1996-97 school year. In addition to bolstering the school district, 75 new families more were available. Throughout the show door prizes that were donated by should not only bring real estate values back up to the 1996 boom figures, but enhance local business. Main Street store fronts remain local business in Milford and Wal Mart in Cedar were awarded. empty. A number of goods and services simply aren’t available. “You The big prize at the end of the show, the Hope Chest drawing was can’t even wash a pair of Levis here,” one resident complained. won by Emily Durrant. Population base does not warrant investment to provide services Thank you to all the businesses for their generous support locally. of our fund raiser, and to North East Furniture for helping us with What are tax-free bonds? Dotson says all Milford City is doing i is purchase of the cedar chest at a great price. Thank you to all the lending their tax-exempt status to the company so that they can borrow for this event, at a lower rate of interest. “Before they can get the money farm the the vendors who went to the trouble to set up bonds, the project itself has to provide the credibility for the loan. It is especially those who traveled from Cedar to join us. And a great the collateral,” he explained. The project is reportedly required to pass big thank you to the community for your continued support of our the same credit checks with the bank, and to prove financial viability in ESA activities. students. exactly the same manner as it would for any other type of borrowing. Ty Burgess, bonding officer with First Security Bank, further explained: Through agreement with the IRS and the State Legislature, acertain amount of tax exempt money is allowed. Most of it is used for housing. A few million, however, is set aside for manufacturing or such labor attracting investments. Cities can make application for these tax-free funds through an inducement resolution like the one Milford City approved last Friday. Although the city is not bound to pay back the bond dollars in the event of a default, Burgess did indicate that there is a possible relationship between such a default and the city’s credit reputation. Wrestling Results Local Little League wrestlers place well in Hurricane on March 21st. Dannon Wood, Ist grade, placed 1st, as did his uncle Jesse Wright, 2nd grade. Landon Maples, 1st grade, placed 3rd, and. brothers Zac, 4th grade, and Kyle, 7th grade, placed 4th after hard competition. Bryce Petty, of the Attomey General’s office, explained that, there were no caps on city induced bonds used to build 1986, before private facilities. Because of excesses in the procedure, tax-free bond capability available to cities has been limited. Petty added that he does not know of anything that precludes bonding companies or cities from extending tax free status to an entity solely for the reason that they are not a Utah corporation, or even a U.S. Corporation. Who is Nevada Star Resources Corp? Nevada Star Resources Corp. (NEV on the VSE) is a Canadian corporation, based in White Rock, British Columbia. Current proposal is to construct a plant for solvent extraction of copper ore. The plant and pad would be located west of Milford on approximately 80 acres of pattened land. A “I'd like to ride up and down reported drilling program, Main Street in it,” Mayor Mary posted on the Internet, Wiseman said of the giant Liebherr indicates that mineral reserves Mining ore truck pictured in the Fall in various sections west of 1997 issue of the Mining Opportunity Milford could be classified as Bulletin, which Dotson passed out to productive grade ore to be processed extraction. via solvent | council members. The trade paper carried a feature story about copper production at less than 40 cents per Recent technology | pound. advances in the bio-oxidation process, previously most widely used for gold production, allows electrowinning of nearly pure cathode copper. The product is marketable without smelting and refining of intermediate products, keeping cost at a minimum. A little history: On December 17, 1997, Bill McCombs, representing Nevada Star Resources, appeared before the Beaver County Planning and Zoning Board with a request that Nevada Star be permitted to take over the O.K. Mine Conditional Use Permit (496-7) from Centurion Mines. The Board approved the request with the condition that all permits including those from Division of Oil, Gas & Mining would need to be changed over to Nevada Star. Rick Havenstrite was listed as the project manager at that time. Original applicant for C.U.P. 96-7, signed by Mark Dotson, was Dotson Exploration Company. Purpose of the permit was listed as: to develop and operate a-copper mine and haul road in Beaver County. Bill McCombs, accompanied by Mark Centurion Mines-Dotson Exploration, Dotson and representing was before the P & Z Board on June 18, 1997 for a continuation of permit #96-7. Dotson said neither he....nor his company, West Hills Exploration..... has any affiliation with Nevada Star Resources. His , only benefit, other than helping Milford, could come from whatever work he may or may not be able to contract with the company. (Further information regarding Nevada Star Resources Corp. and Centurion Mining is available on the Internet. Entering “Milford, Utah” as a query in your search engine will access a number of hits on both companies and the method of copper extraction proposed.) Trivia: General purpose tax limitation for Milford City is .007 It now stands at .002285. |