Escalante City Council met on Tuesday, October 19, 2010. During the Personal Comment portion of the meeting, one citizen spoke of concerns about streetlights on 100 West. Although city workers have recently replaced the bulbs, some of the street lights have ceased to function. The City made a commitment to remedy the problem lights.
Planning and Zoning reported that Justin Fisher will be attending a P & Z meeting in the very near future to advise the committee on ordinances involving subdivision of property. Copies of the proposed ordinances continue to be available at the City Offices. It is possible that the new ordinances will be ready for final approval by the 16th of November, but will certainly be ready before year’s end. An “alternate” on the Planning and Zoning committee is needed in order to insure a quorum. The City will post this open position and anticipates making an appointment at the next City Council meeting.
A representative from the EMTs approached the Council asking for funds to assist with continuing education requirements for those who volunteer in the emergency program. There are now six EMTs on the team; previously there were five. Costs have gone up. Each EMT has been paying for some portion of his or her expenses, but with escalating costs, an increase in the amount provided by the City is requested. Mayor Taylor and the Council, after some detailed discussion, opted to authorize the full amount ($1,000) existing in the budget at this time. They recommended that the EMT representative approach the Council next May before the second education session is held. Funds in excess of the City’s annual budget may be available at the end of the fiscal year.
A design and a bid for the new Fire Department sign have been submitted. The bid was for $1,500. While the bid is not considered excessive for a metal cut sign, the City will look at other estimates.
There are approximately 600 accounts on the City water system. Of those accounts, twenty-two have been using the electronic payment system offered by the City. Of those who use electronic payment, most use the system offered by their bank. Recently, the company, which historically has billed each patron $49, has announced intent to also bill the City $9.95 per month for the service. The city workers were directed to negotiate with the company. The city’s electronic billing will be retained if the fee is waived. Letters will be written to the twenty-two customers to inform them of the situation.
The next City Council meeting has been changed. The date has been moved to Wednesday, November 3rd. Thereafter, meetings will return to the first and third Tuesdays of the month. As usual, citizens are encouraged to attend. One citizen was heard to comment, “This is a remarkably participatory meeting. It’s wonderful.”
Bodies in the dumpsters are against the law. Similarly, tree limbs, appliances, large furniture, mattresses and construction waste are all designated refuse for the Sanitary Landfill. (Some people in town call it the dump, but the politically correct term is “Sanitary Landfill.” Call the City at 826-4644 to arrange a time to go to the landfill or contact one of the many citizens who carry a key in order to make this resource more available.
The Escalante Canyons Art Festival Committee held a recruitment event this week. A number of bright, new people were present and other interested people who were unable to attend sent word. Committee goals for the forthcoming year include providing new ways for artists to sell their work, recruitment of additional patronage for the event and involving more people in the community, including teenagers, in the festivities. Anyone who wishes to be involved may do so by calling Dana at Escalante Outfitters: 826-4266.
“Health is not simply absence of sickness.” (Hannah Greene). The grant application for the expanded Kazan Clinic moves toward completion. Over 200 letters of support from Escalante citizens will be included in the application. People from Boulder have also written supportive letters and those who have spoken with Boulderites describe much enthusiasm for the new option for health care in Escalante. Because over 300 people from Garfield County seek services in Wayne County, the healthcare committee anticipates more patients at Kazan. This week‘s issue of The Garfield County Insider includes detailed articles regarding questions and specifics of the plan and proposal. In addition, citizens may contact members of the Healthcare committee with questions.
To Shred or Not to Shred. Many of us throw our routine paperwork directly into the trash which then goes to the dumpsters. Sightings of personal information in and around the dumpsters have caused concern due to the potential for identity theft. It turns out that once paperwork leaves the owner’s property, it is no longer legally private. Although dumpster diving is a misdemeanor, picking up somebody else’s personal paperwork from public property is not illegal (Supreme Court decision). We are fortunate, in this community, to have the option of burning some trash. Paperwork containing personal information should be shredded or burned. No one wants the two-year headache of having to re-establish his or her financial life following an episode of identity theft.
So That’s What the Guys at the Golden Loop are doing! Steven Johnson says that it’s what makes coffeehouse innovations so much more impactful than market-driven interventions. “If you look at the long view, the good ideas that underlie most of the great changes in our society—that have driven progress--more often than not actually have roots in the open kind of information commons of the [Escalante] coffeehouse…. in those environments, ideas are free to connect with each other and build on top of each other,” he says. “That remixing is really where great ideas happen.”
From the Mayor’s Desk: Mayor Taylor asks to be excused from Newsletter duty this week.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
News Around Town - October 8, 2010
This post contains a summary of the City Council meeting held September 21st as well as a report of the meeting held earlier this week.
The Escalante Newsletter is available in print, as well as online. For those who prefer to read from real paper, the newsletter will continue to be available in the usual places.
A number of comments were presented to the Council during the City Council meeting of September 21st. A citizen described concern regarding fire hazard due to the high weed population coupled with dry conditions. Continued difficulties with dogs in the City were also described: dogs chasing horses, dogs barking at night and disturbing sleep as well as upsetting guests in local businesses. Citation histories were described.
Main Street plantings and beautification were discussed and will be on a future agenda. Interactions between our City and the Federal government were addressed and a suggestion made that the City work to increase interaction with the Federal Agencies such that we may have input into decisions affecting our lives.
The Council passed proposals that had cleared Planning and Zoning. A representative from The Daughters of the American Republic presented a proclamation for Constitution Week. Our librarian described plans for the new library shelves and obtained permission to hmove forward. Fees for group use of the Lion’s Club
Pavilion at the City Park were discussed. Prior to establishing a procedure for making reservations, the City will review our contract with the state. Capital improvements and the Policy and Procedures Manual will be reviewed at the next Council work meeting. A city worker described the need for a new flow meter to replace the (finally) defunct model.
Officer Jared Dunton requested that all calls for his assistance be made through Dispatch, rather than his private phone. Dispatch number is 1-435-676-1134.
An efficient forty-five minute City Council meeting was held October 5th. New citizens to the community were recognized and welcomed by the Council. A representative of the Healthcare Committee described progress toward an enhanced clinic. IHC/Garfield Memorial Hospital, the Garfield County Commissioners, Wayne County Community Clinic and Escalante City are preparing to sign a memorandum of approval for the proposed grant. A community meeting will be held in Boulder to inform citizens there about potential clinic improvements. Planning and Zoning expressed thanks to those who attended the recent Public Hearing.
A Fire Department Auxiliary has been started. A representative from the group asked for and obtained the City’s permission to engage in fund-raising. The Auxiliary is open to everyone. Councilperson Torgerson will be evaluating the purchase of a lawn mower with bagger. Regarding the ‘weed issue’ (see above), the City determined that a letter would be sent to all residents as well as out-of-town property owners regarding the need for weed control. City Council announced the one and five year Capital Improvement Plans. Plans for Holiday Decorations were initiated, as were plans for an updated emergency plan including a “phone tree.” The Policy and Procedures Manual has been updated. Fire Chief Porter discussed water capacity and flow and described work with the Insurance Services Offices in rating the town of Escalante. These ratings affect the insurance costs to all of us. Councilman Allen described continued work with Armstrong Engineering regarding seal coating and asphalt for the airport. Due to recent weather conditions, these plans are on hold. Roads continue to be monitored by Mr. Allen and Mr. Dunn as abnormally high rainfall continues.
On Wednesday, October 6th, a public hearing was held in Panguitch regarding the impact on air quality by mining at the planned Alton mine. The meeting was reportedly not publicized outside Kanab. Because the three representatives from the State of Utah were restricted to discussion of air quality only and may not have had full information regarding monitoring criteria and processes, citizen participants are asking for an extension of the public comment period. Currently, public comments are welcomed only through the 14th of this month.
Heard Around Town: “He’s better than Nixon” (Referring to Mayor Taylor!)
The Healthcare Committee met twice this week. Endorsements from Chris Coombs, regional vice president (South West region) of IHC and Alberto Vasquez, administrator of Garfield Memorial Hospital have endorsed the plans for further improvement of the clinic. Letters from individual citizens have been sent to Boulder, to Gina Flanagan at Wayne County Community Clinic, to Escalante City and to Mr. Vasquez. At this time, more than 70 letters have been received in the city offices. Letters of support or those describing healthcare experiences in the community are being sought in the next two weeks. Lori Coleman has a form letter which may be used. She can be reached at the South Central offices or at loric@socen.com. Elaine Lott is available to help anyone who would like assistance in writing a letter. A “question and answer” informational form will soon be available. Collaboration with Boulder is occurring. Three members of the Community Healthcare Committee will attend a Boulder City Meeting to provide information about plans for an expanded clinic in Escalante. Particular concern regarding access to emergency medical care during winter months has been expressed. (Roads over Boulder Mountain and ‘the Blues’ will not be plowed during night hours due to state budgetary constraints).
Late Breaking News: Mayor Jerry Taylor announced the signing of the City’s portion of the letter to accompany the Community Health Center grant application. The City Council completed the letter by adding their signatures.
The Escalante Canyons Art Festival concluded its annual event on September 26th. The festival was a success and uncovered at least one more skilled artist: Arina Mortensen won the People’s Choice Award. City businesses were active. Community organizations & charities, new and old, made money for various causes.
Alton Coal Mine Air Quality Hearing
“The air quality monitoring at Alton Coal Mine will be performed by the coal mine operators. And they are doing it on a voluntary basis, because we cannot require them to do it.” – Jon Black, Environmental Engineer
Public comment on the proposed approval order (PDF) can be submitted in writing or in e-mail until Thursday, October 21 at 6:00 PM. Send comments to Jon Black at jblack@utah.gov. You can also read the DEQ information sheet (web page) and fact sheet (PDF).
Braving a driving rain storm, about 50 citizens of Garfield County gathered at the Panguitch High School Auditorium on Wednesday evening, October 6, to attend the Utah Division of Air Quality Public Hearing about the proposed coal mine in Alton, Utah. Alton, a town of about 100 people, lies 12 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon National Park, 25 miles northeast of Zion National Park, and about 36 miles south of Panguitch on Route 89.
The proposed mine will be the first above-ground surface strip mine in Utah. It will consist of 30 open-pit mines on 244 acres of a 635-acre private parcel. The mine is expected to produce two million tons of coal per year for three years. The coal will be excavated, crushed, and prepared for shipping on-site and then transported north on Route 89 toward Route 70 by a fleet of by 22-wheel trucks. The mine is owned by Alton Development Company, a limited liability partnership formed for the purpose by five businessmen from Florida and Colorado.
The Utah Division of Air Quality determined that the coal mine would be “minor source” of pollutants and prepared a proposed approval order, which was submitted for public review as required by law. “Minor source,” the attendees learned, is a technical category that anticipates lower levels of emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and PM-10 (particulates smaller than 10 micrometers), the types of pollutants that this Division regulates.
Attendees were exposed to a bewildering array of terms and data, including descriptions of a fractured bureaucracy where the Division of Air Quality establishes rules, practices, and limits for emissions of some pollutants, but not for water, or for more noxious chemicals, which are regulated by the Oil, Gas, and Mining Standards Agency. Also, the Division of Air Quality does not enforce the standards they set, which are, instead, enforced by the Compliance Division of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Trucking, traffic, and road damage estimates are handled by yet another agency, as is mine safety, and all were also beyond the scope of this hearing.
To satisfy federal and state regulations and obtain the Air Quality permit at issue, Alton Coal agreed to install two air quality monitors on site, to expose no more than two open pits at any time, to limit blasting to once per day for a total of 32 explosions in a rolling 12-month period, to limit operations to an average 20.5 hours/day, to use water and chemicals to control dust, and to make sure that the air is no more than 20% opaque on average, among other requirements (for complete list, see Proposed Approval Order). The air monitors will be read and maintained by the operators on a voluntary basis and the data will be sent to the department for review every 3 months.
Supporters and opponents expressed concern that the monitoring would be done by the mine operators and that the only scheduled air quality inspection would occur at some time within the first six months of operation. Any further inspections would be “random,” meaning both without warning and an undetermined number of visits, which could mean every day or never.
The public was given the opportunity to ask questions and comment, and many did. They included Garfield County Commissioner Malloy Dodds, who expressed concerns about random monitoring but said he that supports the mine and has faith in the process, although he thinks there are mine issues “more stressful than air quality.” Panguitch City Manager Allan Henry also expressed support for the mine in the hope that it will bring jobs to the community and said that he trusts the state to “make sure that the mine complies with state and federal law.” Panguitch businessman Arshad Desai called for “transparency” and asked that government-issued mine violations (“pink slips”) be made public so citizens can respond before an accident occurs. He also worried that local officials would use the mine as a replacement for a real economic development plan.
Panguitch resident Robert Cook said the benefits of the mine weren’t worth the risks, and that Utah didn’t know enough about the long-term effects of coal mining on our towns, especially health, traffic, and road damage, and the effect on businesses along the I-89 and I-70 corridors. He called for public officials with a conflict of interest to recuse themselves from decisions about the mine, alluding to the highly publicized $10,000 contribution from the Alton Coal owners to Gov. Gary Herbert, and the approval of their mine development petition just three days later. Panguitch businesswoman Bobbi Bryant voiced concerns that the hearing was advertised only in Kanab, and asked the Division to extend the comment period. She was especially worried that we didn’t know the effect of chemicals sprayed on the coal to control dust.
There were no public officials from Boulder or Escalante in attendance, but residents Mark Austin and Erica Walz both testified. Mark worried about the health effects of mining and said that having the mine owners read the air quality monitors was like “the fox guarding the chicken coop.” He was concerned that the Division did not measure the current air quality as a baseline and that the constant, high-volume truck traffic could harm vegetation in farms and gardens along the route. Among others, Erica noted that the beautiful landscape, clean air, and clear night skies that the mine jeopardizes are highly valued by residents and are crucial to our tourist industry. She asked that the coal development petition and plans that Alton Coal submitted be made public so that citizens could review them, just as the Division did, and provide more informed comments.
The Division managers said that no more documents would be made public without request, but citizens were welcome to request documents in accordance with the Utah Government Records and Management Act (GRAMA). For information and help with GRAMA requests, contact Teri Weiss at the Utah Division of Air Quality at 801-536-4000.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Important Air Quality Meeting
By Bobbi Bryant, Garfield County Insider, Thursday, September 30, 2010
(c) Garfield County Insider
Important Air Quality Meeting
October 6, 2010 - Starts at 6 PM
Panguitch High School Auditorium
This meeting is to talk about the air quality impacts from the proposed strip mine in Alton, Utah. The Division of Air Quality will be here to inform us how dust and pollutants from this mine will be monitored to protect those working at the mine, those living along the mine route, etc.
Please come to this meeting and get the answers to your questions or become informed of what will be in the dust particulates that will be emitted from this mine, how it will affect the respiratory systems of young and old in the area of the mine and the mine route (WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER DOWNWINDERS SITUATION) along with how our water aquifers will be protected from the mine dust left along the truck route, etc. INFORM AND PROTECT YOURSELVES AND OTHERS.
For more information, contact John Black, Utah Division of Air Quality, 801-536-4047 or jblack@utah.gov.
Disclaimer -No one from Utah Division of Air Quality informed us of this meeting. If the offices at Panguitch City or Garfield County were notified they did not publish it in the paper to inform the citizens of this meeting. -- Bobbi Bryant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)