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Show School District Trade Disputed; Committee Pushes Property Switch cheaper to build new," adds Jacklin. Anderson challenges that. "Of course you can spend as much as you want renovating," he acknowledges, "but I think it's more a case of wanting to have a new home rather than an old one," he said. Anderson also said he believes that when the citizen's committee for the district came back with their $30.5 million bond recommendation that included money to build new administration ad-ministration offices, the school district's interest in the old hospital cooled off. Jacklin maintains that no doors have been closed - in fact are just opening now. He says he expects to sit down soon with the committee appointed ap-pointed in city council meeting and begin work. Mayor Malcolm Beck, Ted Barratt, Glen Anderson and Virgil Peterson will make up the negotiating committee com-mittee from the city side. Continued on page A-3 By SHARON MORREY Alpine School District has long J-own their district offices, and Tev need more space - some place L enough to house all the depart-1 depart-1 jts under one roof, and for a enable sum of money. American Fork City has an old topilal building that will be empty jjter December of 1981 when they B0Ve to their new facility. Glen Anderson, appointed by inerican Fork Mayor Malcolm Beck iiilispose of the hospital property, ; -uj a way to solve both the district's ' iid the city's dilemmas. He and his citizen's committee worked out a 1 iradwff wherein the city gets the old ' school district buildings in exchange lor giving the district the hospital property cost-free. But Anderson says Harold Jacklin of the school district has essentially tunied down the trade offer. Jacklin, assistant superintendent, ' ays he can't turn down an offer that hasn't yet been made. "We've not been offered anything formally," says Jacklin, "And until te have something concrete and i final, in writing, to take to the board i for approval, I cannot negotiate." jj Anderson made a recommendation I to the American Fork City Council Wy 14 on the hospital disposition, indicating that after seven month's work "in good faith" with the district, his committee was back to square , Mt," "I'm a bit miffed at the time we feel has been wasted," indicated An-teon An-teon in a later interview. "We felt lis was a pretty good offer, smething that would be mutually teficial. No cash need change i U, as both the city and the district -.eta-exempt entities." ' ' Jacklin sees no reason for Anton's An-ton's reaction. "He is not reading m response correctly, if he feels we've rejected anything. I, in fact, sent a letter to the mayor just recently indicating we would be interested in-terested in negotiating with a committee com-mittee appointed to do such." "Anderson's committee was not empowered to negotiate, simply to make a recommendation on the disposal of the hospital property and their recommendation was that they pursue the trade-off idea with us," . explains Jacklin. Anderson insists that Jacklin gave him the impression the board was not interested in the exchange - which would trade of the hospital and its surrounding real property plus three homes nearby straight across to the city for the old junior high building, the Harrington School, the present district offices and warehouse on North Center Street and school board room and office facilities. "I was led to believe the board was not interested," says Anderson. "Then I found the board had never even been approached about it. That annoyed me." Jacklin explains that the board has been apprised of the district's interest in-terest in the property. He claims the board has reservations because they don't see a need for two of the homes offered along with the hospital. "But I don't intend to negotiate through the news media," said Jacklin. "We're getting the cart before the horse here; we cannot discuss this until we can sit down with a group that's empowered to negotiate and indicate our reservations reser-vations and proceed from there. " Jacklin says there isn't any reason for the citizen committee to feel they've rejected the trade. "I ' have checked with our architects, ar-chitects, Fowler, Ferguson, Kingston'''; and Rubin, who assuming we would . have to buy the property and then renovate it, told us it would be Luedfrom Front Page T t tr,de-off should go through, i" n and his committee A the city raze both the Wmr School and the old junior 'Fjiise the land for recreational homes. They a d-f:tf.VhP d-f:tf.VhP city to move its overflow xrzLi district offices and thus f Cdty considerable building treating more space. ; ;nn says the razing costs will the city-which influences ' rf! "Because of the specialized Ithe various properties there TLs and minuses on both sides, ;&ingall of them we recom mend the change as outlined " he said. , we Jacklin notes that since none of the properties have been appriased at current market value, it's difficult to say if the trade-off is equitable to both sides. Anderson says if the district backs out now that leaves his committee "back on square one," with virtually no recommendation to make. Originally the committee pursued the possibility of the hospital becoming an extended care facility but had to drop their pursuit when the state refused to authorize more beds in this area. |