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Show Special Service District marks County "first" By Jay Wamsley When the garbage pick-up agreement between D & O Sanitation and Iron County takes effect January 1, it will mark the first time such a special service district has been conducted in the county. Special service areas involve everyone within the designated boundaries, as each is assessed a fee for service offered by the county government. In this case, the county has contracted the service out to a third party. All incorporated cities lying within the designated area, such as Cedar City, Parowan, Enoch and Kanarraville, are excluded from the fee assessment. Monthly Fee Set The agreement between Iron County and D & O Sanitation calls for a monthly fee of $3.75 to be assessed all residents within the boundaries, 25 cents of which goes to the county for billing costs. D & O will contract with commercial and industrial in-dustrial users on an individual basis. Cedar City Mayor Kerry Jones this . week commended the Iron County Commissioners for establishing the district, calling it a "move in the right direction. "The county was wise choosing a dumpsite with unlimited years of use,'" Jones said. "Down the road, this is the only way to go." "Smith Pit" Site D & O and Iron County negotiated with Utah International for a lease agreement on what is known as the "Smith Pit" in the Iron Springs area. As its charge, Utah International asked for a release on the taxes assessed the particular piece of property. Jones said the Smith Pit is best utilized by use as a dumpsite. He said the only problem that might arise is the distance individual users might have to travel in order to use the dump for their own use. The mayor said" the city presently "has a going operation" with its landfill. He said the city owns its own pit and the county budgets $10,000 yearly to the city for county residents who may use the facility. Jones said he does not forsee the , city contracting into the county special service district in the immediate future, unless the present city dump is filled. Bill Procedures In the agreement between the county and the sanitation company, owned by Claudell Orton and Sherman Dalton of Parowan, it is determined that Iron County is responsibile to make periodic billings to the persons receiving the services and the collection of the billings is the sole responsibility of the County. The contract also states D & 0 shall be paid its yearly sum from the county, $18,000,' regardless of whether or not the amounts are actually collected by the county. All equipment used in the county garbage gar-bage pick-up is to remain the property of D & O, the agreement states, but the county shall not be required to furnished equipment in the future. Outgoing Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Graham ,MacDonald, said the move towards special service districts should be viewed as a necessity. He said the garbage agreement "goes hand in glove with planning and zoning within the county." Purpose Explained The full purpose of the district and agreement, MacDonald said, is to get it (garbage) out of the general fund. He said such districts eliminate the dual taxation problem, that is, certain persons paying for a service they don't receive."These laws are enacted for this purpose," he said. "The same type of district is used for fire protection and other things in some cities." MacDonald said owners Dalton and Orton have reported to him that the majority of people they come in contract with are happy to have the service. He said he finds paying for garbage is "automatic" for city residents and he hopes it will be the same for county residents. Hopes to Eliminate Problem "So many times," he said, "we see garbage dumped alongside of the road or in a vacant lot and its just not the right thing to do." The sanitation company uses a systm of large disposal canisters located1 at convenient spots for pick-up. D O is required to clean the canisters not less than weekly during the winter months and bi-weekly during the summer, the contract con-tract states, "or as the same may become full or create obnoxious odors or other nuisances." The ordinance adopted by the commission com-mission states that it is unlawful for any persons to dispose of any garbage or refuse by any other means than those provided by the special service district-either district-either hauling it to the dumpsite or utilizing D 4 O's services. In other words, disposing of garbage along the road or in a vacant lot shall be punishable. |