Escalante City Council: City Council met on February 15, 2011. During the Personal Comment section of the meeting, when citizens may express opinions or concerns, the issue of the speed limit on the southern portion of Center Street was raised. Reportedly, many are speeding on Center Street. This issue will be formally addressed at the next City Council meeting and action may be taken. Another citizen extended thanks to the Council for the courtesy shown during the dam-building project.
Planning and Zoning: The Planning & Zoning Board representative reported that the last section of the new ordinances has been completed. A final approval meeting will be held in the near future. A citizen sought and was given permission to change a boundary within his property. A discussion was held regarding a non-conforming building. The Council opted to defer action until issues are clarified and the property owner has returned from a family emergency and can enter into the discussion.
Russian Olive trees: in the sewer lagoon need to be removed. One citizen who owes community service hours may be assigned this project. Alternately, he may be assigned to other work and the city workers may work with the Escalante River Watershed Partnership which has expertise and experience in removal of this challenging plant. Mayor Taylor encouraged the City to work with the partnership. Alternate duties can be assigned to the community service worker.
Impact Fees: A citizen and business owner spoke regarding her letter requesting (partial) refund of impact fees paid last fall when water meters were released, saying that those who paid $5,700 last fall should have the amount adjusted downward. At the last City Council meeting, the Council reportedly lowered the impact fees in order to recruit more businesses and people to Escalante. (The Newsletter did not cover the previous meeting; please request a copy of the transcript at City offices if needed: 826-4644.) According to the citizen, the impact fee cannot be adjusted without a legal process (public hearing etc.). Since such a processes was not utilized, individual citizens have the right to legally challenge the City in order to get money returned. Mayor Taylor stated that the impact fees had been lowered following consultation with Barry Huntington, Esq. and representatives from the League of Cities and Towns and that no such law was described. There will be further consultation with the attorney and the League and until such discussions are completed, no water meters will be released. The citizen requested that the Council respond to her concerns in writing. The Council agreed to do so.
Other issues, events and announcements discussed at City Council were as follows.
- A City employee expressed appreciation to Councilman Graham for filling-in when another employee was absent.
- Mayor Taylor spent time in Boston promoting our area. The cost of the trip, he clarified, was covered by Garfield County. City coffers did not support the trip.
- The airport project will be completed in early March.
- Escalante and surrounds will be covered by a special publication of Sunset Magazine in early May and has been featured in the Boston Globe.
At the end of the meeting, a citizen expressed her concern to the Council, stating, “ I hope you can get this impact fee [lowered] without going to court. We are losing people to Tropic [and other places nearby].”
Cleanup Project by Local Citizen: One of the city businessmen made the decision to devote time to cleaning up winter’s mess along Highway 12. On the 13th of this month, he removed all trash found between mile marker 61 and mile marker 64. In this three-mile stretch, running through the middle of town, he found the following items:
- 28 beer bottles
- 27 pop & beer cans
- 37 plastic bottles
- 2 coolers
- 51 cigarette packs
- 1 car fender
- 4 steel fence posts
- 3 feed bags
- 2 milk crates
- 2 election signs
- 1 welding helmet
- 5 gloves, 7 socks, 3 shoes
- 6 boxes
- 3 ft. chain
- 2 door hinges with nails
- 3 animal carcasses
The New Escalante Irrigation District held its annual meeting on 2/19. Jay Branson, engineer for the dam project, stated that, "The dam is finished; the project isn’t." Completion of the project requires slope protection and other construction detail by ASI as well as the "in kind" tasks required of the irrigation company members. The basin of the structure is being filled in a controlled manner and there should be adequate water for members assuming adequate moisture during the remainder of the winter and spring. Mr. Branson suggested that, unlike previous years, water be conserved in April in order to insure water to last through the summer. The Dam Project brought $1.6 million into the local economy in the form of payroll. Local purchase of fuel, groceries, other services and gasoline and sales tax may have increased local revenue another one million dollars, more or less. The financial status of the irrigation company was explained as well as the current status of an embezzlement case in which an employee illegally used NEIC funds. Although the penalty phase of the legal proceedings has been completed, the restitution plan has not yet been established. For this reason, Mr. Carter did not expand on the details of the case. Finally, Bart Carter and Dale Wilson were elected to the Board of Directors.
