OCR Text |
Show 67th Year Thursday November 13, 1980 No. 46 Roosevelt, Utah 22 Pages 20 Cents 1 Roosevelt and Utes come to agreement Rooaevelt City has agreed to accept an interim propoeal from the Ute Tribe to' increase the prices the city pays for tribal water. The price per thousand gallons will jump, retroactive to Jan. 1, 1980, from seven cents to a minimum of 14 cents. The interim agreement will be in force until March 81, 1981, when a permanent contract is expected to be signed. According to Mayor Ralph Shields, no customer rate increases are anticipated until the final agreement is made. Last spring Che Tribe approached Roosevelt with a proposal which suggested a 22 cent per thousand gallons minimum. The city council rejected that amount, saying that considerations such aa Roosevelts ownership of part of the delivery system, were not being taken into account. between the two Negotiations factions ceased with the Tribe ' Roosevelt at 22 cents per gallons and Roosevelt paying the seven eents stipulated by an original contract going back to 1967. Talks resumed after further investigations by the Tribe into ownership matters and into the prior contract Ray Murray, Tribal .Water Department head, met with the city eoundl several weeks ago to discuss Roosevelts need for increased water supply and to go over past agreements. Last week, Roger Burns, Tribal Enterprises Chairman, indicated that the of the completion of the Tribal Water System wu near and that its findings and recommendations would be carried to Roosevelt's coundL In an informal meeting held last Wednesday, Nov. 6, Murray explained the results of the study to Shields and City Administrator Glen Vernon. In the regular city council meeting held last Monday, the councilmen were informed id the findings and accepted the tribe's interim proposal. According to Vernon, the study agreed that the original proposal of 22 cents per thousand gallons was not fair, in that it ignored the partial ownership by the city of the tribes delivery system. The minimum price of 14 emits, per thousand gallons reflects that concession. However, there are two problems which were overlooked in past negotiations. First, the original 1967 contract stipulated that Roosevelt retire" an amount of water rights roughly equal to that used by the city. (Retiring is a method of returning water rights to areas which have lost water due to a water purchase.) The original agreement also did not take into account the large percentage of water used by Roosevelt which has amounted to approximately 75 percent of the production of Uriah Heap Springs. In to provide water to those deprived by the culinary use of those springs, the Ute Tribe has been order retiring its own shares. In addition, the tribe has been . paying maintenance and operation (M&0) costs on the retired shares. The payments made by Roosevelt in the past did not reflect the cost of retiring and paying maintenance costs on those shares. Second, the Arthur Anderson CPA . did not water system attach any value to the water delivered. Hence, the 14 cents per thousand gallons minimum only reflects the cost id delivering water to Roosevelt. According to Murray and Burns, the final agreement must at leaat partially take into account these two points. The Tribe has speed to ask Roosevelt of the retiring and to pay only one-hal- f M&O costs, along with paying the full, price of the water itself. If the city., agrees to the final proposal the tribe has suggested, the cost per thousand gallons of water would soar to between 25 and 80 cents. This price would still be approximately half as much as other Tribal Water System customers currently pay. Water has long been a sensitive issue between Roosevelt and the Tribe. We need each other, aaid Vernon, in reference to the citys purchase of about 75 percent of the tribe's water. We need their water but we don't want to become dependent upon their supply." Roosevelt is in the process of developing Continued on page 3 Duchesne to press case forJtetter medical care Duchesne City officials met last week with Frank Pronto, management consultant with the Small Business Center, Utah State Development University, .to hear the results of a study of Duchesnes medical care needs. Also present for the presentation was nurse practidaner Dan Bartholemew, Duchesne Valley Clinic. The preliminary feasibility study was undertaken to identify Duchesne service area health needa in relation to hospital care and to the Utah Health System Agencies health plans; perform a hospitalization patient origin study on number of patient days, number of admissions, retention rate and causes for leaving the Uintah Basin area for medical care; analysis id health aervkes offered with reference to what is available- and what is needed; and other related goals. It was the finding of the preliminary study of the service area, Le., Tabiona, Duchesne, Fruitland, Moon Lake, Bridgeland, and Altamont, that a hospital is not yet feasible. Pronto cited a number id problems encountered in small hospitals, including limited service capabilities, refer- ral patterns, etc. The report went on to consider in depth the subject of clinic services for Duchesne, citing the Utah Health Systems Plan statement that 95 - percent of a rural population should be within 80 minutes ground transports-- . tion id a hospital-base- d emergency or free-standi- room. There is up to ten percent of the population beyond this 80 mile goal in relation to Roosevelt, the report stated, but only 4.5 percent beyond this goal in relation Duchesne. This emphasises, the report said, the need for improving 'health delivery to the rural areas of ,to Duchesne County. Problems with services as they exist were outlined: Duchesne Valley Clinic hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday. The facility is closed weekends. No . other emergency services' other than Roosevelt are available. There is a need for additional Emergency Medical Technician train- ing. The clinic has delivered babies in emergency situations without adequ- ate facilities. e The physical plant is crowded and in generally poor condition. Physician visits by doctors from Provo and Heber are on Mondays only. Management is provided by Utah Valley Hospital, a division of Intermountain Health Care (IHC). This arrangement, according to Pronto, draws away county resources and prevents a working relationship with the county planning board, and thus tends to downplay or remove their responsibility toward the rural services area. Steps for improving health care in Duchesne were prioritised in the report as follows: 1. Administrative services provided by Roosevelt hospital. 2. Visiting physicians from Roosevelt hospital 3. Determination and implementation of shared services. 4. Expand clinic hours and attract needed personnel 5. Improve ambulance coverage. 6. Expand EMT services. 7. Construct new clinic. 8. Acquire a permanent physician. 9. 'Expand into full service as demand and population warrant. The final draft of the report will be forwarded to Dr. Ross Wooley, ' University of Utah, Family and Community Health Care, for his recommendations. According to Duchesne Mayor Ed Browning, Duchesne area residents would not be supportive of an expansion of Roosevelt medical facilities until and unless Duchesne gets something. Ute Water Chairman, explains the Ute Tribe's position concerning an interim agreement for the sale of water to Roosevelt City. He met with the city council last Monday to go over an extenof the Ute Tribe water sive RAY MURRAY system. The council agreed to an increase of double the old price of seven cents per thousand gallons until March 31, 1981 when a final agreement (to be negotiated) go into effect. Hancock Cove ground water under study Dee C. Hansen, state engineer, Di'';Vn . of Water Rights, met Ttfcrsday evening, Nov. 6, with residents of Hancock Cove and Roosevelt City officials to discuss the current ground-wate- r problem in the area west of Roosevelt Roosevelt currently has seven water wells in that area, and proposes to drill six additional wells. Thirty-nin- e in Hancock Cove have filed protests, claiming that drawdown from the existing Roosevelt City wells has necessitated the installation of pumps on many wells that were flowing until recent years. Hansen said that the Roosevelt filings are valid, and would have to be overturned in court. However, he went - on, the matter should be negotiable, with Roosevelt possibly buying out the present owners and agreeing to furnish them with water. The ground water characteristics are such, said Hansen, that the storage coefficient is low, which affects draw-dowalthough recovery well-owne- n, is good when pumping is halted for a timp. A question was posed as to whether some of the Roosevelt wells have Hansen actually been abandoned. replied that while five years continued non-us- e usually constitutes abandonment, wells must have been perfected prim' to being abandoned for the five-yea- r limit to apply. Hansen further explained that any pumping in an artesian well area will cause a decline in pressure. The water is still there," he said, it just isn't flowing and must be pumped out." Roosevelt would have problems in the Hancock Cove area, said Hansen, whether or not the individual wells were a consideration. The Hancock Cove area is just not good for heavy use wells, he said. The city is entitled to project water from the Upalco Unit, but it will be 1986 or 1987 before this water is available. Negotiations are in progress for water from the Ute Indian Tribe, Blood pressure clinic offered The Blood Pressure Screening Van, sponsored by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, will be in the Uintah Basin area next week. According to Pastor Willard James, Price, the van will be on the following schedule: Vernal: Tuesday, Nov. 18, .9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Safeway parking lot. Roosevelt: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Safeway parking lot Duchesne: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2 until 5 p.m., IGA Food Mart parking lot On the same days, the church will be conducting its annual campaign, a fond raising effort of the Seventh Day Adventists. Money generated during the campaign is used to support various community service projects, including camps for underprivileged children and for handicapped children. Saturday crash fatal to California man A collision Saturday, Nov. 8, five miles west of Myton on U.S. Hwy. 40, killed a California man and sent four Utahns to the hospital James Ferrell 49, Long Beach, Calif., was dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 2:85 p.m. According to Mrs. Kenneth SperSalt Lake City, who witnessed the accident, Ferrell's car had been swerving all over the road, and was struck broadside by a small pick-u- p truck driven by Kelly Marie Roberts, ling, 21, occupants of this compact pick-u- p truck were injured Saturday when the truck plowed broadside into a large sedan that crossed Hwy. 40 in their NARROW ESCAPE Four path. Mrs. Tracy Roberts, driver, of the pick- up, and the three passengers were hospitalized. The driver of the other car was killed in the crash. Price. Mrs. Roberts vehicle had been westbound when the other ear drove into her path as it crossed the truck highway. Also in the pick-u- p were Mrs. Roberts husband, Paul Roberts, 27, her son Chris, 2, and James Baker, 15. All four occupants of the truck were injured and were ' transported to Duchesne County crews from ambulance hospital by Altamont and Roosevelt Responding .to the call were Emergency Medical Technidana Gary Bolton, Connie Massey and Cindy and Rudy Becks tead, Roosevelt; Monsen, Kay Fausett and Craig Reagan, Altamont According to a hospital spokesman. Baker was treated and released from the Duchesne County hospital; Mrs. Roberts was transferred to the Uintah County hospital Vernal. At press time, Mr. Roberts and Chris Roberta remained in serious condition at the Duchesne County hospital Roosevelt Utah Highway Patrol Troopers Lloyd Mecham and Bruce Riches investigated the accident Trooper Mecham said that measurements indicated that Ferrell's car had gone, off the south side of the road and traveled about 250 feet along the ditch before returning to the pavement immediately prior to the collision. According to information furnished by the .officer, Ferrell had been enroute to Denver on vacation and may have fallen asleep at the wheeL The investigation into the cause id the accident continues. The Roberts family had been returning to Price after visiting relatives in Roosevelt. and other options are being considered as well Hansen emphasized that the city does have an obligation to those individuals with filings earlier than Roosevelt's, but said, The city doesn't have to shut down - it only has to provide (you) with water. Hansen offered his services as an arbitrator in any future negotiations between Roosevelt City and the residents of Hancock Cove. Public health office clbses The Public Health Office Immunization and Blood Pressure Clinic will be closed Friday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Dec. 26, because of the holidays. Sunday crash four injures West An Hwy. 40 in accident on Roosevelt, which occurred last Sunday, Nov. 9, resulted in the arrest of the drivers of the two vehicles involved. Thomas R. Malin, Roosevelt, and Roger C. Buist, Vernal were taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol Both drivers and two male passengers traveling with Buist suffered minim injuries. According to Trooper Joe Haslom of the Utah Highway Patrol an automo- bile, a 1972 Oldsmobile, failed to yield to a 1976 Chevrolet the right-of-wa- y truck. The accident occurred near Jacks Insulation at 9:45 p.m. Trooper Haslem said that only one passenger was hospitalized overnight with an aggravated back injury. He also estimated that both vehicles were totaled. Utility rate hike approved After a public meeting held Nov. 10, Moon Lake Electric Aasodation passed through a small increase to all Utah customers of the utility. Public comment was limited to a handful of people. ' The 1.02 mills per kilowatt hour (KWH) increase will mean only a $1.02 per month increase to a residential customer using 1,000 KWH. General Manager Steve Glaim reflecexplained that the ted "wheeling charges levied by Utah Power and Light to customers purchasing power from the Hunter H power plant. Wheeling charges are made when one power company uses another power company's lines to carry ita electricity. It was explained that this increase would have been dime in conjunction with the increase asked last month, had the dollar figures of the wheeling charges been available. pass-throug- h |