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Show Page 10 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume IX Issue VI January 1, 2004 HIGHLIGHTS cont. from page 2 meeting of the 2003 Interim with a report analyzing whether health care in the state’s prison system should remain in-house or be contracted out. The study focused on three aspects—personnel, pharmaceuticals, and inpatient care—and showed plans to privatize the prison system’s health care would not result in savings or improved inmate care. Agreeing with the findings, committee members voted unanimously to accept the recommendation against privatization. From jails to an enhanced 911system, the committee then turned its attention to the Management, Enhancement, and Funding of 911 System draft legislation. The proposed measure would institute a fee to all telephone users—cellular and land-based—in order to create a statewide unified emergency 911 system capable of geographically locating a wireless telephone user’s location in an emergency. With the issues it previously had with funding seemingly resolved, the committee voted to endorse this piece of legislation for the 2004 General Session. Next, the committee unanimously approved a bill that recognizes the relationship between drug abuse and crime by extending treatment options to felons as a primary part of their sentencing. With hard facts on the numbers of inmates who are addicted to drugs, crimes committed to acquire drugs, and the numbers of inmates and parolees currently receiving drug treatment, committee members felt confident in the need to address drug abuse as a major component of rehabilitation and sentencing. The new legislation would impose “smart sentencing” wherein drug problems are treated at the onset and with various levels of programs. Offenders are screened after their first crime, at which point their level of addiction is determined. Rather than putting offenders in a correctional facility costing thousands per inmate and not treating the problem, inmates could be diverted into programs to address their root drug addiction(s). In another drugrelated matter, the committee also voted to support legislation that would enforce stricter penalties for outsiders bringing drugs into the prison system. Finally, the committee accepted a report on the consolidation of training facilities for the Departments of Corrections and Public Safety. Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment A highlight of the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee was a report from Representative Styler and the state engineer on dam safety, wherein committee members were told that Utah is set to realize savings in dam repairs across the state. The savings stem from a finding that safety modification requirements have been too stringent and can be reduced—this would result in savings because the state is required to reimburse dam owners when they upgrade their facilities. With lesser requirements, costs to upgrade dams across the state will be reduced, resulting in millions of dollars in savings. The committee endorsed these costsaving dam regulation changes. Another point of interest in this month’s meeting was the report from the Impacts of Gravel Pits Task Force. The task force was charged with, among other things, helping to find a balance between the economic benefits of gravel pits LOCATED IN THE VALLEY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE Dick Manley Realtor / Member of Eden Planning Committee 391-1800 Paul Judd 5460 E 2200 N Eden Utah Real Estate Done Right! Call (801) 745-6000 745-6000 Office 814-5667 Cell Manager/ Broker Sales Master/GRI Chairman OVBA and the rights of their owners, and the rights of the surrounding communities. While no legislation resulted from their work, the task force was confidant in the progress made by both sides on this issues—the municipalities better understand the legal challenges and case law on the side of gravel pit owners with regards to amortization and the gravel pit owners better understand the needs of the communities in which they operate. The committee also heard about two other pieces of draft legislation, about which they took no action—an instream flow measure and legislation that would establish state land use policy as part of a broader effort to use local land use plans to influence federal resource management decisions. Political Subdivisions In addition to receiving a report from the ad hoc workgroup discussing conflicts between governmental entities while sighting a regional facility, the Political Subdivision Interim Committee also heard from the Quality Growth Commission. The latter presented the “Utah Quality Growth Communities” Initiative at November’s meeting. This initiative is designed to foster smart growth principles in areas such as housing and infrastructure in the state’s rural communities. The commission cited one potential benefit of good planning as real dollar savings—maybe even as much as tens of millions of dollars. In addition to hearing reports, the committee voted to recommend several pieces of legislation. The first such measure, later advanced by the entire body as a special session bill, eliminated the requirement of counties of the first class to include a municipality when proposing a 2003 CLOSED SALES VOLUME UP 102% OVER 2002 We need homes & land to sale call 745-6000. 100 2003 CLOSED SALES 80 Up 102% 60 Susan Hansen Realtor 710-3833 Wendy Anderson Realtor 430-7064 Nicole Kester 40 Realtor 745-0290 Connected to the Community The Valley is our Business 20 10 0 county service area for fire protection, paramedic, and emergency services. The other endorsed legislation included a Rail Corridor Provision and Property Rights Amendments. Public Utilities and Technology While considering a number of pieces of legislation ranging from a sales and use tax exemption for energy related equipment and machinery to reauthorizing the energy task force, the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee only voted to endorse a governmental internet information privacy measure in their last meeting of the interim. Besides specific legislation, the committee also talked about issues of cost allocation of the multi-state process with PacifiCorp, wireless telephone number portability, the Blue Stakes program for utility line safety, and then heard a report on the state of the telecommunications industry within Utah. The committee discussion moved from the state of telecommunications to the need of the fiber optics industry to get in line with other utility companies in their respect of farmer’s irrigation and secondary water ditches when laying their equipment. Revenue and Taxation The Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee received a number of reports from the Utah Tax Commission in their last meeting. First, it received a report on the amount of individual income tax voluntary contributions (check offs) made during the 2002 tax year. Next, they heard from the commission about its efforts to unify and streamline its collection efforts. The commission also reported that less than $85,000 of sales and use tax exemptions was claimed last year for certain semiconductor manufacturing and fabrication equipment. While only considering draft legislation to alter sales and use taxes imposed by municipalities and counties, the committee did recommend three other pieces of legislation, including the property tax confidentiality bill later passed in the special session. Additionally, committee members supported Individual Income Tax Amendments and Resort Community Sales and Use Tax legislation. Regarding the former, lawmakers endorsed exploring disconnecting the state income tax from the federal income tax. Under current law, the state’s tax system is dependant upon the federal system for provision like deductions and exemptions. The newly endorsed legislation would enhance the control local lawmakers have over the state’s tax system. Transportation The Transportation Interim Committee supported five pieces of legislation as committee bills at their November meeting. DUI Amendments, Motor Vehicle Code Revisions, Scenic-byway Designations Process, Motor Vehicle Title and Registration Amendments, and State Highway System Changes will all go to the 2004 General Session with the support of the transportation committee. The DUI Amendment measure seeks to stiffen the DUI laws by making those who are convicted of a DUI crime more accountable and making them ineligible for conviction expungement in certain cases. It also provides for an education/treatment incentive option for individuals meeting a series of six conditions spelled out in the legislation. The Motor Vehicle Code Revisions and the Title and Registration Amendments seek to resolve discrepancies between the Utah Traffic Code and the manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, and provide for electronic delivery of title certificates respectively. The scenic byway legislation creates the Utah State Scenic Byway Committee in order to determine scenic-byway designations and to administer a state scenic byway program. While the committee once again considered draft legislation dealing with fuel taxes for clean-fueled vehicles, they took no action on the matter. In this last meeting of the interim, the committee also heard from the Transportation Planning Task Force. Through their work this interim, the task force developed a number of findings ranging from the fact that local needs for transportation improvement continue to outstrip available resources to the fact that a long-term transportation funding vision, one that extends in vision beyond the Centennial Highway Fund (CHF), is needed. These findings were then the foundation upon which the task force built the following recommendations: 1. The Legislature must adopt a comprehensive finance plan. 2. The CHF should receive additional general fund infusions through the completion of the projects and retirement of the debt. 3. Refine financial estimates of the longterm transportation needs. 4. UDOT should broaden criteria for pr-i HIGHLIGHTS cont. on page 11 |