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Show -N $ W S- A6 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008 Spanish Fork Covering what matters most Understanding WHPOA Hilarie Orman STAFF WRITER ; Many people first learn ; about WHPOA when they : receive a bill. The Wood: land Hills Property Owners : Association is a low-profile '. operation, and its yearly as* sessments from each property ' owner can be startling. • What does the organization • do? Marianne Helvey is the - current president of WHPOA, • and she told us about the many projects approved by ; the association's board in ; recent years, as well as its ; history. Three years ago, ; WHPOA helped the city buy ; a new firetruck, a move that : .was greatly appreciated by : the volunteer fire department. . The year before that, when the : new mailbox facility was built, WHPOA contributed funds for the project. In the last year, - the city park got the benefit of field leveling, sprinkler placement, and gravel for the trail, all courtesy of WHPOA. It also paid for lano'scaping at the roundabout. When the long overdue firehouse/community center building reaches completion, WHPOA will pay for up to $65K in furniture, paving, and landscaping. Another exciting project will result in the installation fire lookouts in the form of digital cameras giving real-time information to the fire department about signs of fire in the forest and grassland areas near the city. WHPOA holds about $130K in a savings account. Helvey explained some of the association's long history. Prior to 1986 it was two separate organizations, one for upper Woodland Hills, one for the lower portion. In the days before the city was incorporated, the property owners associations were an important source of revenue for basic services such roads and snow removal. A long-time resident of Woodland Hills said that in the very early days the large property developers ran WHPOA with an iron hand. Because there was no city government, residents had little recourse when they disagreed with the large landholders, especially when owners got more votes for owning more land. After the city was formed, new revenue sources for some services became available, and WHPOA refocused. The two property owners groups merged into one and created bylaws under which the current association operates. All land that has been brought into the city comes with an agreement to maintain membership in WHPOA. New owners often wonder how WHPOA differs from city government, because their projects seem like city projects. Helvey explained that the assessment structure is different because the costs are spread evenly by owner, rather than by value. The board is independent of city government (though the mayor is a board member), they can be more flexible and responsive than a governmental body, and they are free to set priorities separately from the city budgeting process. Helvey told us that the board members try to listen to what residents want, and that in addition to making themselves accessible and considering proposals for projects, they have distributed a survey at Woodland Hills Day seeking more ideas. WHPOA holds an open meeting once a year. There will be an election this July for openings on the board. Christene Choate / Spanish Fork News CAPITOL TRIP: Pictured, left tQ right, are Youth Council members Mallory Kelly, Trevor Carter, Jacob Bunker and Matt Brown. SF Youth Council visits Capitol Christene Choate STAFF WRITER On Jan. 23, 2008, Spanish Fork Youth Council members, along with Spanish Fork's Council members Richard Davis, Steve Leifson, Ron Dart and Wayne Andersen, met up at the state capitol building to participate in the annual Utah League of Cities and Towns. Cities from all over Utah come together every year represented by their Youth Council members and advi- Business Partnerships in High School(s) Nebo School District is seeking to partner with businesses in order to provide high school students a more realistic (hands on) application for career skill development. The business-education partnership will be a relationship between the business and the school to provide training in a working business setting on site at the high school with shared responsibility for student growth and skill development. The business must identify specific educational objectives and must be a project-based and business training environment preparing students for employment. The partnership must include a financial contribution to the school, which may be rent, profit sharing, and or equipment donation. Businesses must propose a specific high school and program area. Proposals will be received until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 in the office of JoAnn Tuttle, CTE Supervisor, 65 South 630 West, Spanish Fork, Utah 84660. Questions regarding this proposal should be directed to JoAnn Tuttle at (801) 798-4069 or (801) 368-0256. The Board of Education of Nebo School District reserves the right to accept or reject any orallproposalsorto NEBOi/SCHOOL waive anyformaiity or technicality in i DISTRICT any proposal in ...your partner in education ^ the interest of the Nebo School District. Utah Schools... where learning conies first sors. They get an opportunity to meet with other Youth Council groups from all around Utah and collaborate on ideas. "Every group does things differently — it gives us a chance to learn from them," said Youth Council member Trevor Carter. The Utah League of Cities and Towns is held at a different location every year. This year it was held at the newly remodeled State Capitol building, where the group got the chance to take a tour. "It was amazing; I have never seen so much marble in my life. There were guys actually hand painting flowers on the steps. You could tell that a lot of work went into making it look perfect," said Youth Council member Mallory Kelly. Along with taking a tour of the State Capitol building, the Youth Council's itinerary included listening to awardwinning editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley talk on politics, media and cartoons. The group was then served lunch at the Grand America Hotel where Governor Jon H. Huntsman gave the closing remarks. Ending the day, the Youth Council was entertained by Steve Bridges who has appeared on the Tonight Show, Inside Politics, The Early Show, Good Morning America, and many others doing his impression of George W. Bush. "He was hilarious, but it was even funnier to see our Council Members laugh at his jokes," said Carter. "You Leave Satisfied. i While being in an accident is not a pleasant experience, Robarge Collision certainly tried to make it one for us. Last August, we were stopped for a school bus when we were rear-ended. Our vehicle was taken to Robarge Collision to be repaired. Not only did they do a great job at repairing the body damage, but they also helped ease the burden of being without our vehicle by picking us up and dropping us off whenever our vehicle needed repairs. Even when we noticed a leak and that our power windows were not working properly, Cary and his staff responded immediately with, "We'll get it taken care of for you." Robarge Collision goes out of their way to give you a great experience and quality workmanship at a reasonable price. They stand behind their work and are committed to making things right so that you leave satisfied. Thanks Robarge Collision, Dale and Susan Phelps Spanish Fork 99.38% Customer Satisfaction Rating Exceptional Care, Collision Repair 798-1967 • 570 SOUTH MAIN ST. • SPANISH FORK ; . |