| OCR Text |
Show MAYOR ROY BULLEN ON CITY LIGHT PLANT 1 ; t Favors Careful and Complete analysis by Committee Representing all Interests Inter-ests of the City to Insure Unbiased Recommendations. Now is the Time to Act. On the electric light matter heretofore discussed by former Mayor Preston A. Thatcher and others, Mayor Roy Bullen, when asked for an interview, dictated the following: ' Of course it is a well known fact that the depreciation de-preciation of our plant in Logan canyon, and of the distribution system in the city has been a source of worry during the last two or three years to all the city officials and workmen who have been connected con-nected with it, in fact many private citizens have noted the delapidated condition into which the whole system is getting, and no doubt their anxiety in the matter is the cause for the present agitation that is being put out through the local newspapers. The thing of importance at the present time, of course, is what are we going to do about it. About a year ago, when I was city engineer, I recommended recommend-ed to the city commission that the city engineer be authorized to secure the services of a competent electrical engineer, and the two together proceed to make not only a complete appraisal of the plant's present actual value, but to make a definite and itemized statement of the materials and machinery necessary and the cost thereof to rebuild or partially parti-ally rebuild it, and without doubt materially increase in-crease its efficiency and present output. Further to report upon the present distribution system, determining the extent and cost of repairs and renewals necessary to bring it up to standard and to cover all matters appurtenant or incident to the entire power system, including an auditor's report on what the plant had done in the past; in short, the report should be complete and exhaustive in every respect. With this information, it can then be determined what it will cost the city to make power and deliver it to its customers in the future. The auditor's report was made last fall and is now available. The engineer's report should be made without further delay. With the advent of a public utility law in this state, a new situation confronts us in the marketing market-ing of our electric power. We are no doubt safe in assuming that we may forecast with a reasonable degree of safety what price we may expect to be able to market our power at. The installation of meters is probably one of the very first requirements. require-ments. After the above information, consisting of the auditor's report, the engineer's report, the installation install-ation of meters and the probable marketing price, together with other information, has all been collected; col-lected; it is of vital importance that it shall be examined ex-amined and analyzed carefully by a large enough committee so that there will be no chance of a biased recommendation being made to the taxpayers. taxpay-ers. I therefore would recommend that a committee, commit-tee, at least nine in 'number be appointed, probably from the Commercial-Boosters' club, to work with the city commissioners in determining upon the future policy of our entire electric installation. This committee should be carefully selected so that every taxpayer in the town will be personally rep-resented. rep-resented. A final joint report and recommendation from the city commission and the committee would then enable the taxpayers to act intelligently upon any policy which might be recommended. |
