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Show The Ogden Valley News Your Community Newspaper March 15, 2023 USPS MARKETING MAIL POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Closures Announced for SR 158 Near Pineview Reservoir Dam By Shanna Francis A closure of State Road 158 across Pineview Dam has been announced. The closure is needed for the reinstallation of the last of two refurbished radial gates at the spillway. The closure is planned for March 15, 16, and 17. If the work is completed earlier, the reopening date will be moved up. There are two radial gates at Pineview Dam CLOSURES cont. on page 3 The above photo shows work being done fall of 2021 for the reinstallation of the 昀椀rst radial gate. Picture courtesy of Pineview Water Pictured from left to right are cousins Janie Gerritsens, Moriah Wight, Jaelyn Vause and Rachel Wight. They built Mr. & Mrs. Snowman on String Systems General Manager Benjamin Quick. Town Road in Eden! Photo courtesy of Tiffany Vause. The Future of Short-Term Vacation Rentals in Weber County By Laurel Dudley Note: This article ran March 1, 2023 in “The Voice of Local Utah” and is being reprinted by permission. To Eva Dennis, there’s a good side to shortterm vacation rentals and a bad side. During a recent trip to Europe, Dennis used AirBnb to find places to stay—an old French farmhouse, a Tuscan villa, a small castle surrounded by a moat. “You get these opportunities to stay in some pretty cool spots,” she said. “We’re a family of seven, so hotel rooms are not ideal.” Weber County residents attend a meeting to discuss changes to short-term rental policies. Photo by Laurel Dudley. Dennis is also an AirBnb host. She uses the platform to advertise a condo she owns on 25th Street in Ogden, where short-term rentals—stays less than 30 days—are allowed by law. Her AirBnb guests pay more per night than would long-term renters. They typically stay less than a week, which means Dennis can schedule more frequent cleanings and keep a better eye on wear and tear. For the past two years, however, Dennis has experienced the flipside of short-term rentals. She lives 15 miles from her condo, in an area of Eden where rentals of less than 30 days aren’t allowed. Still, she says, a house nearby operates like a hotel, sleeping 25 people, according to the AirBnb listing. “It’s a constant family reunion the whole summer,” Dennis said. People play games and make noise late into the night. Bright lights are left on and stream into her bedroom. Cars come and go in what’s usually a quiet neighborhood. When guests leave, garbage sometimes overflows from trash bins. The property owner, who resides in Kaysville RENTALS cont. on page 10 Legislative Wrap Up 2023 By Jason Kyle, Utah House of Representatives This legislative session was historic. This is not hyperbole. The decisions made will affect our state for generations. Everyone knows that the last few years have not been normal socially or economically. We also know our wonderful state has been discovered. People love Utah and the population is growing no matter what Charles Barkley says. As policy makers, we decided we needed to tackle these issues and plan for not just the next 10 or 20 years, but potentially 50 years and beyond. We want a state that will be as good to our children and grandchildren as it has been to us. We want them to have a state that has the natural resources we enjoy and a better infrastructure. We also want our state to be affordable and prosperous. We decided that education was a necessary The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center is located at 6450 E. 1900 N. in Eden. For other area donation locations and dates, visit redcross.org/give-blood.html. Whole blood donations may be made every 56 days, up to six times a year. To donate, you must be in good health and feeling well, weigh at least 110 lbs., and be at least 16 years of age. Additional parameters may apply. LEGISLATIVE WRAP cont. on page 10 How to File a Complaint or Request for Service on a Short-Term Rental Property Give Blood March 23! A community blood drive is being held Thursday, March 23 at the Huntsville Utah Stake Center in Eden. Donations will be taken between the hours of 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. While appointments are advised, drop-in donations are also welcome. Appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org. investment for the future. Education inspires upward mobility, fosters innovation, and opens the doors to the future. Our children are our priority, and we made that clear. Nobody will now be able to point to the salaries of teachers in Utah and say that they are paid less than most other states. Teachers received the largest pay raise in Utah history, and they will make more, on average, than the average teacher in the United States of America. We provided avenues for additional learning opportunities for students, provided the option for all-day kindergarten, and passed multiple bills related to school safety. As we look to the future, it is clear we need to safeguard our natural resources and have a plan for our energy and infrastructure. We accomplished many goals concerning water this session. We invested in increasing water capacity, expanded conservation efforts, and enhanced outreach efforts. Solving Utah’s On March 7, Weber County posted information on how to file a complaint regarding illegal short-term rentals (STRs) or nuisance STRs that are operating in unincorporated Weber County—including Ogden Valley but excluding Huntsville Town proper. The notice reads that complaints may be made by calling the Weber County hotline at 801-528-1230. Complaints may be made around the clock—24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The notice notes that all complaints related to short term rental properties, or violations, should be reported through this hotline phone number, which is, again, 801528-1230. Fire District Reminds Community to Keep Huntsville Town Announces Financial Award Driveways, Sidewalks & Hydrants Cleared ardous conditions, risking injury, which can By Rock Toone, Captain, for Community Center: Provides Project Update Huntsville Town received some exciting news recently. Notification was given that the community has been preliminarily awarded $640,000 for the construction of the town’s Community Center from the Weber County Recreation Arts Museums Parks (RAMP) grant. Combined with a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awarded in 2021, the town now has $1,066,000 in grant funds to be used for their new community center, which will be built on the former school ground property. The grants may be used for the community center aspect of the project, but not for office or meeting space. It was noted that the RAMP committee had been very impressed with, and supportive of, the town project, according to a Huntsville Town newsletter, and gave the town the full funding requested for the project. Special thanks were given to Wendy McKay, Beckki Endicott, Steve Songer, and others who worked to successfully acquire the funds. Project Update - The town project has been evolving for several years in preparation for the construction of the center but anticipate preliminary plans will be completed in coming months. Nearly a year ago, a Town Hall/Community Center Committee was organized to help guide the process. A “Request for Qualifications” (RFQ) for a design/build team to design and ultimately construct the building was also sent out. Several very qualified architectural firm/ contractor teams submitted their proposal. Each of the committee members reviewed and graded the applications, and a design/build team was ultimately selected. Over the next couple of months, the architect created some plans for the building. The only problem was, rough estimates for construction exceeded the town’s alreadyextended budget by more than $1 million. According to town representatives, “We were then forced to make cuts and changes to the design to try to get back into the range of our budget, which was not an easy task, as we had to eliminate features and elements that the committee felt were necessary. We loved the design and the design team, but we soon realized that we could not afford it. At some point, we began looking at alternatives and ultimately chose to go a different design direction. We essentially started over in December and used some of our local experts to come up with a new design, rough draft. Wendy McKay and Steve Songer drafted some rough sketches that included the spaces, features, and elements that we felt were important. Many community members provided input as well. The committee met a few times and ultimately agreed upon a preliminary design that we were all happy with. We then passed it onto the Town Council for their review and approval. Next, we sought out a group of designers and engineers that would take our rough plans and make them into reality. The first drafts from the designer should be available in the next week or so, and the committee will once again meet to submit input and recommend changes to the plans. We look forward to sharing the plans with the community in the near future.” further delay medical assistance. Fire hydrants are critical components of The winter season firefighting infrastructure, and their location brings with it a snowy wonFIRE DISTRICT cont. on page 3 derland, but it also brings safety concerns that we must take seriously. One of the essential safety measures we must take is to keep our driveways and sidewalks clear of snow, especially for emergency medical services (EMS) like Fire Crews and Ambulances. Snow and ice can create significant challenges for EMS, causing delayed response times and, potentially, putting lives in danger. In emergencies, every second counts, and ambulances must arrive at the location as soon as possible. Snow-covered driveways can make it difficult for ambulances to reach the patient quickly, leading to delays in medical attention. Slippery sidewalks and piles of snow can also make it challenging for paramedics to transport patients safely, increasing the risk of accidents. Moreover, snow and ice can pose risks to EMS teams as they navigate through hazWeber Fire District Pictured right are Teagen Spencer Dakota Kistler digging out a snowcovered filre hydrant in Huntsville. Photo taken by Captain Rock Toone. |