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Show WASATCH COUNTY COURIER — JANUARY 10, 2001 “needs of North Village ers and Heber’s businesses UVSC 2 CONTINUED FROM A1 - ties to the site before we get too far down this road,” said Beers “One board member indicated he thought — the issue should be resolved with the city. I can see how (Romesburg) could make that assumption from what the board member said.” eae ownwill be bal- Le ~ Currently, H. L. & P has contracts _ ELECTRICITY with five different companies who pro- © anced. CONTINUED Many have voiced concerns that the district’s growth would halt the city’s, especially Heber’s Main Street.. City Planning Director Allan Fawcett “We just couldn’t afford to pay mountain fuel prices to recover said the district is “outrageous,” and cited expense and a “hodgepodge” of growth scattered throughout the val } ley as a deterrent. FROM AL vide fuel. The Heber plant has an interruptable, industrial service pact with the: our Questar. It also uses kilowatt percentages from Deseret Generation and. Transmission, Colorado River Storage Project, Hunter 2 in Huntington Canyon and a St. George system. Questar Gas recently made headlines when it raised its prices $167 million, citing soaring energy prices costs.” But the conversion expense wasn’t lost on the residents of Heber Valley. Beginning in October, local electrical bills included a charge for “fuel adjust- _ ment.” According to Davis residents “‘T've never seen more of a hodgehave been paying 20 percent more for podge than the recent plan for the across the country. The 29 percent the past three months to offset the development released by (Wasatch — increase, which went into effect in cost H. L. & P incurs to run its gener- _ January, will translate into $17 a Planner) Sharon Atkinson. The concern is UVSC has the utilities ators. In a Nov. — Dec. billing cycle, available before the college gains - County. Commission is not planning month for the typical residential cusone bill with a approval. He said counties don’t prothat correctly and it could destroy tomer. With fuel ~ §92.07 total, includvide municipal services, normally — Main Street businesses,” Adams consources tight nationed $19.50 for the cities do, which is why he referred to curred. “I am hoping the county will _ wide, wellhead prices fuel adjustment. municipal control. However, Jenkins work with us whether we annex it in or for natural gas are up Davis _ insists, ~ said the board does not object to a not, so the city has the opportunity to | 200 percent comhowever, the 20 special service district ae the plan the corridor. As we look south on pared to this time last percent increase is utilities. Highway 40 it is a terrible hodgebetter than the “We want to make sure the utilities podge. We want north to be our interlike this bef ore” Pe ce alternative — buyare there. SSDs do have water. They ~ est and remain beautiful.” & P. witnessed its nat‘ing in the “volatile” aren’t a problem for us, we just need to Robyn Pearson, |= Economic ural gas bill double BRENT DAVIS, open market. After make sure we've got the utilities,” said Development Officer for the Heber since November. The > Heber Light & Power Co. Jenkins. “If UVSC was the only one in Valley: Chamber of Commerce and | CONSECUTIVE general manager problem appears months: of the the SSD, costs would be high. We've © Wasatch County, who researched long term as long as charge, H. L. & P - got to look out for the interests of the _ growth for the county, said the effect energy companies continue to operate ran a notice in a local newspaper for ~ ona monthly basis. taxpayers of Utah.” | of the development depends on two weeks in December, notifying reswhether “they are carving up the pie Romesburg- was out of town and “There’s nobody | out there that idents of what is now considered a rate into smaller pieces or providing could not be reached for comment. - wants to give you a long term contract increase. With fuel prices remaining But Heber City Mayor Lynn resources currently not available, | because of the volatility of the marhigh, the fuel adjustment is now perAdams, an UVSC business instructor - which would enlarge the pie.” ket,” Davis added. manent. | and administrator, said some state UVSC Dean and Assistant to the The general manager said that In addition, beginning Jan. 15, elecagencies have expressed their preferPresident Barbara Von Diether said while he expects high prices to be a tric bills will increase .22 cents, which _ problem for “at least two years,” H. L. ence that the development be serviced she was “delighted” to hear the state is reflects a kilowatt-hour rise from 7 to — & P. is working on a deal with the new by a municipality, primarily because not requiring municipal control of the 8.5 cents. But Davis points out the hike SSDs are more expensive. In a city, development. “Obviously it makes it | Jordanelle hydro project, which may marks the first appreciable change easier to go ahead and proceed with there are more connections to the commence by summer, 2002. since 1982. “We’ve been almost 20 ‘sewer line per foot of pipe, and the our plans,” said Von Diether. She was “That should be a real stabilizer for years without a rate increase,” he said. closer the structure is to the plant, the concerned, however, UVSC Bet the our system,” Davis concluded. less expensive the service. requisite utilities. “There are a lot of state entities “Tt is not easily solved. Heber Valley involved. I think the city should Sewer District is near capacity. Either annex north. My personal preference © one will cost money and therein lies would be to run the sewer lines to the | the issue. Without that, we will flat out not have a college. We have a narrow Heber Valley sewer district. I think it window of opportunity that will close in would be cheapest. If the develop-— _ The state building board member who made the suggestion was Jo Jenkins. Jenkins told the Courier his “Tye been in this business for 30 years and I’ve never seen it Diether up with millions of dollars. We’ve done a great deal toward making this college happen, but it is now time for the commu- Quality may put pressure on the situ-. nity to also step forward and show they ation. and say, ‘we don’t want you to put a plant there.’ An alternative would be to pool money with Heber’s sewer district and Jordanelle to work together to get a line to the college that could serve Jordanelle and the college.” : The district, three miles Ge of Heber, has the backing of at least 16 of its homeowners who filed a petition of | support. Wasatch . County Commissioner Mike Kohler said developers would have to present projects for consideration before commer- support the college in a real way.” Adams said UVSC would boost the valley’s economy, citing Orem’s campus as an example, and the expected approximately 2,500 students would offer a plentiful labor pool for the Soe tourism industry. “We've got to have jobs to go with the houses. We’re really going to slow down the housing annexations because we want to. create jobs and a said. “I Seeere. sonia pene, isons goose - - . ‘Hiring and Terminating Employees _ _ S be | _ eines . -- See Th 2 +TAX R Reporting and W. 2 Forms. teint - Seether 3- Workers Compensations sittin Risk Management tay Mita) : e + Insurance iti aie =: 401(K) latins Eee Nala eer Adams 8 , Cafeteria Plan . » Government and Nit, atte community,” hope they don’t strangle the that is laying the golden egg.” - Regulatory comptiances = 2 . ne La 826 East State Road — "American Fork 84003. ile viable . shee cial zoning occurs, but he added the fern tesco | tae, iti documents for Heber’s sewer district said it would be the only plant in the valley,” said Adams. “The Division of Water six months or less or this valley will never have a college,’ Von said. “The college has come cen SO original be :; sewer longer and . 4 ee expensive. The take ‘. to create its own it would ee ment had plant, ——————— ¢ } eee _ |