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Show Stntc? Press .... A A r : . v f ' ' VSSHtfi !', 1 1 V - - ' , , ' , -Z li t - "' : I A '" r -r-zZZZ- " :.rm f J I j it. .... 1 i- Mi Jut ' v. "POUR SITIi. Cedar City Mayor Jack Sawyers, far right, points out some of the destruction that has taken place in Highland Park Subdivision. On hand for the tour was Congressman Dan Marriott, center in light coat, and his assistant, Mike Leavitt. In background is City Manager Mike Embley. Other press and coun-cilmen coun-cilmen are at left. A committment to investigate the possibilities of Federal Aid in the form of grants and or low cost loans was made by Congressman Dan Marriott of Utah following a tour of the Highland Park area of Cedar City. Meeting with members of the Cedar City Council the Utah Congressman discussed efforts that have been made for assistance to those families who have had to relocate or who will be forced to relocate in the near future owing to the unusually high hydrocompaction problem in the area. The Congressman, after visiting with City officials, touring the area and meeting with residents at a public meeting identified the problem as one of serious magnitude. Meet Governor Congressman Marriott agreed to comunicate with Governor Scott Matheson relative to declaring the area a "disaster area" and to check with various federal agencies to determine the possibility of financial assistance. Mayor Jack Sawyers told the Congressman that the problem is not one that is covered in any of the existing legislative assistance packages and that Governor Matheson has agreed to cooperate to the fullest. He told the Congressman that the Governor has been hesitant about declaring the area a disaster area since that would require a more definitive boundary that the city feels they are not prepared to define at this time. Doesn't Qualify "Assistance from HUD seems unlikely, Mayor Sawyers stated, since qualification requires that it must be a hazard to both property and human life." Mayor Sawyers also identified to the Comgressman that they had met with representatives of the Small Business Administration to consider low interest loans to help with relocation assistance." The Congressman stated that it appeared that there are no defined benefits available and that it would be an uphill battle. He suggested that efforts be made, through his office, to contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to see if the area could be declared environmentally unsafe and thereby qualify for assistance of some type. Slow Process The other alternative is to introduce legislation that provides for and covers such unusual circumstances, but that is a slow process, he said. "When flooding occurs along the banks of the Mississippi River and creates havoc along the way, federal assistance is readily available to help those people," Marriott said. "It appears to me that we have a similar problem here and there ought to be some avenue that we could pursue to help in this situation," he said. "I believe that this problem is as much an act of nature as the flooding of the Mississippi River," he said. Congressman Marriott told those attending the public hearing that he has already assigned a staff member to look into and consider all avenues that might be available to help with this serious problem. Mayor Sawyers was quick to point out to Congressman Marriott that the city felt that the south Highland Park area was in fact a disaster area, but not to confuse that with the hydrocompaction problems that exist in other areas. "We feel that through proper testing and zoning we can meet and handle that program. Our request to you is to help us seek help for those some 20 families affected in the disaster area," he said. |