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Show CITY ..I ...... .V:r,-:,v,-...v,:,.,:,.:.;...,, ..... -. ' . .:: r Population Figures Disputed - Despite hundreds of hours ut in by census takers in thej area during the past few: months, city officials are still jh the dark as to Park City's j Approximate population, i The city has been recently jbasjng all of its . services, igrant applications and future: planning on an estimated' population of between 4,500 and 5,000. However, when: the results of the 1980 census were delivered at City Hall June 30 community leaders were shocked at the findings. The computor printout from the United States Bureau of the Census indicated Park City had an approximate population of 2,646 living in 2.278 housing units. Acting City Manager Rick Jentzsch maintains the find- ings are dramatically in error and is currently in the process of filing an appeal. Mr. Jentzsch is compiling evidence contrary to the findings of the census bureau in attempt ta get an adjustment or re-count for Park City.. Some of that evidence will include the number of telephone, electricity elect-ricity and natural gas con- nections in ark Lity as well as an updated count of number of dwelling units. Mayor Jack Green has called the telephone . company com-pany and has been told that there are over 4,000 separate : lines in Park City. He says he will contact electric and gas companies this week hoping-to hoping-to get similar information. Rick Jentzsch says the city might have to do a physical count of houses, condominiums condomin-iums and apartments in order to gain a more accurate estimation of Park City's population. Both Mayor Green and Rick -Jentzsch however admit that because of the transient and seasonal nature of the community, the number of units, telephone lines, gas and power connections con-nections might not be an acurate measure of population. popula-tion. Both; men agree that those figures do" indicate a population over 2,646. Mr. Jentzsch said he doesn't feel census . takers did proper follow work in Park City indicating many , households were not counted. count-ed. He also feels many people just did not return census forms and a general discussion with residents seems to support that theory. Mr, Jentzsch also -pointed out that the 1970 census showed Park City with a population around 600 when ' it was actually about 1,100. He also drew attention to a recent state estimate which . showed Park City's population popula-tion 4,240. If evidence supports the recent findings of the Census Bureau, Park City could find it difficult to get grants and government monies,, and impossible to justify almost 70 municipal employees. Other communities with a-round a-round 3,000 residents bper-ate bper-ate often on less than a dozen municipal employees. Mr. Jentzsch is however confident that evidence will ' show a tremendous dis-crepency dis-crepency in the census which will warrant some kind of adjustment. |