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Show : Cemtovffle Council Coesidleips Cemetery, Gomitract With Auditor 'i By GARY R. BLODGETT i'. News Editor ! " (f CENTERVILLE - It was an eventful evening for the Centerville City Council last Tuesday night. ,9 THINGS went pretty well as the council i either approved or delayed for further ac- i ton all matters it heard. Two agenda items ' that required the most discussion-public concern over flooding in the city cemetery, J: and talk about hiring a new city auditor - were tentatively approved, (j Approved by the council included such 0 things as: n GREG HOLLINGSHEAD getting j approval to rezone four-tenths of an acre of land at 88 E. Jennings Lane from Agricultu- & fal-1 to Residential 1-10 so the property can e used as a building lot; approval of 1 i $200,000 in tax anticipation notes at a prime interest rate of 7.75 percent; acceptance of nej Centerville as a development area - not to be confused with redevelopment agency Projects - final approval of Parrish Park Subdivision; and approval of temporary !(Jj signs to advertise Chase Lane Village Sub- f., dlvision- jy,' The council also heard concerns from a 1 "i jocal resident who said he suffered about i V $7,000 damage in the flood because "over-sized "over-sized equipment was used by the city during emergency efforts." i ABOUT A dozen concerned citizens dis- $ cussed at length with the council problems flooding in the cemetery, j They asked the council what improve- loS4 ments are going to be made and how long it, Giei Wo"ld be before fill and landscaping of the cemetery would be completed. . RESIDENTS TOLD the council that the J c"y cemetery has been "an eye sore" for many years, and is often used as a site for deposit of garbage and debris. The council agreed. Public Works Director Randy Randall told the citizens that work is progressing rapidly with filldirt being hauled in and cemetery landscaped in such a way as to reduce potential flooding. "WE ARE aware of the situation and have two or three alternatives to the flood problems," he said. He told the delegation that water could be collected and piped to 400 South or it could be diverted through easements between homes bordering the cemetery. "WE FEEL better about the first alternative alterna-tive although it may cost more," said Mr. Randall. "It will take a lot of work, but I think it's the best solution." Mayor Neil Blackburn agreed. "WE WANT to maintain as much useable cemetery property as possible, but there is a need for considerable sloping and filling," he said. "I'd like to see the water taken to 400 South. I don't think it's right to carry drainage water onto anyone's property unless un-less absolutely necessary." Mr. Randall said city crews will finish hauling and leveling filldirt soon but that seeding of the slopes and installation of curbs, gutters, etc., probably will not be completed until next year. THE COUNCIL accepted a proposal to have a dumpster placed in the cemetery, or to have city trucks haul flowers and containers contain-ers from the cemetery immediately after Memorial Day. Mayor Blackburn said attempts are being made to drain water away from homes and to slope the cemetery in such a way as to reduce potential flooding. "OUR MAIN objective is to control the runoff now and do what we can later to landscape and beautify the cemetery," the mayor said. Residents said they appreciated the opportunity to meet with the council and provide input into the problems. "THE CEMETERY has improved greatly in the past few weeks and we appreciate what the city is attempting to do," said one resident. Others agreed. The question of how much emphasis should be placed on the fee rate when a city auditor is being considered was raised by the council. ALL OTHER things considered equal, should a city retain its auditor of four years if another auditing firm submits a lower bid? How much emphasis, if any, should be placed on a firm if members doing the audit are local (Centerville) residents? Centerville opened its audit position to public bid and received eight offers, ranging from $2,600 to $8,000. But there were a few "twists" to the proposals. THE LOWEST bidder of $2,600 was not recommended to the council. Instead, a Salt Lake firm which was second lowest bidder was first choice of the city's finance committee com-mittee and was recommended to the council. But this did not meet with approval of the council. At least three council members disagreed. dis-agreed. THEY WERE of the concensus that if an auditor is doing a good job and his fee is not extensive, there is no reason to change. "We (council and auditors) have gone through a learning process together and I don't think we should change," said Councilman Coun-cilman Lee Duncan. COUNCILMAN Dennis Knoles added: "I've been pleased with our current auditors au-ditors and see no reason to change unless the change of our financial procedures to computer has a bearing on what the auditors can do. I suggest that we hang onto the auditors we have." COUNCILMAN Norman Wright noted that he was the only council member serving serv-ing when the city changed from its former auditors of 17 years to the firm that has served the city the past four years. "We changed then because we felt a need to get new input and perhaps a different view of our financial procedures," said Councilman Wright. "But this is different. We are in the middle of a new procedure and need all the help we can get." MAYOR BLACKBURN noted that there was some discussion about rotating auditors au-ditors each three or four years so as not to "fall into a comfort zone." "The city has changed its bookkeeping and financing procedures and now might be a good time to make a change of auditors," he said. BOB STEED, representing Hansen, Steed, Bradshaw and Malmrose, Salt Lake City auditing firm, the company presently doing the city's audits, told the council that "now is not a good time to make an auditing change." "We bid $5,000 - the same fee that we have charged the city in pas.t. years - and feel that this is a fair offer for the work accomplished," said Mr. Steed. "If you like what we have done, then our past services should be sufficient." THE COUNCIL agreed that the matter would be discussed again by the Finance Committee at a meeting scheduled for last Thursday. A final decision is expected at next Tuesday's regular Council meeting. |
