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Emergency Low Income Heating Funds Available

HEAT PROGRAM  STILL HAS AVAILABLE  FUNDS
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 

The H.E.A.T. (Home Energy Assistance Target) Program has funds available through April 30,2014. Those who have not already applied for HEAT funds this program year are welcome to apply. This program year started on November 1, 2013 and goes through April 30, 2014 or until federal  funds are exhausted.  HEAT benefits are a one -time payment and will not cover your entire winter heating costs. The amount paid is based on type offuel used, household size, family income and your  energy burden. 

To schedule an appointment call the HEAT Office at the Bear River Association of Governments located at 170 North Main, Logan-713-1444. If you are elderly or disabled and unable to come into our office we have someone who can come to your home.  If you live in Box Elder County please call 1-435-723- 1116. If you live in Rich County please call 1-877-772-7242 and ask for Laura or Jodi.

The Un-muddled Mathematician

The Other Osama Sees Bear Lake Snow

Chris S. Coray

The Un-muddled Mathematician                               

We have had visitors from the Middle East with us for the last 3 weeks.  One from Syria, one from Jordan.  Our dear friend, Itedal, from Syria couldn’t get over how cold it was.  She is currently living in California where it has been warm.  We didn’t think it was very cold during her visit, which included the Cisco Disco.  She walked around in our house wearing a blanket.  But she survived and is probably telling stories about the freezer we call home. 

The second visitor (Osama) has been with us for two weeks.  He is from Jordan.  He has seen snow there but whatever falls is very rare and is gone by noon.  He is a charming man who can and does talk as much as my wife Bobbie, which is pretty much continuous unless sleeping.  However, after a couple of days in SLC we brought him to our home, traveling up the Logan Canyon at night.  For 40 miles we saw only one car.  Osama got very quiet during the trip and I didn’t help by telling him about the bears, mountain lions, and other creatures.  To say the least, he was happy when we pulled into our garage.

I took him out on the ice near Cisco Beach.  He didn’t seem to mind it much (pay attention, Kam and Bob) and watched Eldon and Dwayne fish through a hole and even catch a rainbow.  He did wander out far enough that he heard the ice crack so he hustled back near the shore.  

Then it began to snow.  Serious snow.  He made a video on his phone so his wife could learn how he died.  The snow got deeper.  Osama shoveled my deck.  A nice job except for the immediate drifting that followed.   

We had appointments in SLC so we actually left Saturday, barely making it off the hill.  For a while the canyon to Logan was closed but after about an hour we were able to get behind a plow and made our way to Logan.  During the trip Osama had the rear window down, making more phone videos of the snow.  He was in sort of shock.  It’s a good thing we went Saturday since the avalanche closed the canyon and it is still closed as of this writing.  Now he can talk about the journey because he lived, whereas he was stone silent during most of the driving excepting for a few fervent Al HumdAllahs (Praise be to God) as we reached Logan.  I think he will kiss the ground when he goes home tomorrow.  Nobody will believe his story, even with the visual evidence.  You have to admit that this storm has been unusual, even preventing skiers and snowmobilers from getting to destinations.  It has been a real adventure and we have been happy to have been part of it. 

 

Welcome to Bear Lake, Osama.

Record Snowstorm Closes Logan Canyon

Brett England Plowing Driveway
Photo by Jenny England

 

A long lasting snow storm  in Rich County has stressed both public and private snowplowing efforts.  Many home owners report having to plow or shovel several times a day to keep driveways open.  Logan Canyon was closed three times on Saturday and an avalanche closed the canyon on Sunday.

Short Term Rental Units In County To Be Taxed

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times.

RANDOLPH, Utah. February 5. 2014, Kim Wilson, Assessor, noted that House Bill 67 requires that residential exception for personal property on long term furnished rentals can be granted a 45 percent reduction on taxes for that property.  Household furnishings are exempt from taxes if they are used exclusively by the owners living in the home.  However, furnishings become taxable if there is not exclusive use which means short term rentals must be taxed for all furnishings above $10,000.  A list of all furnishings along with their purchase cost and purchase date must be created and submitted to the County in determining current value. 

Kim Wilson and Geo Peart have been looking into the short term rental issues.  They reported that there are over 300 short term rentals on the west side of Bear Lake.  Transient taxes need to be collected on these businesses.  Garden City has a list of most of the short term rentals within the city limits which they have shared with the County, but those short term rentals in the County need to be listed and treated in a similar manner to Garden City’s current practice.   

Peart noted that instead of issuing a short term rental license, a conditional use permit would allow for easier tracking and would let neighbors next to the short term rental business know what is happening in their neighborhoods.  Peart noted that there will be an increase in paperwork at the county which will perhaps require additional manpower.

The Commissioners noted that they need to do something soon and will work on this problem.  They will make contact with the County Attorney and get some advice on this matter from him.  They also asked to Wilson to begin work on the personal property area.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 5, 2014.   Justin Dolling of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources hand delivered a check to the Commission in the amount of $1,156.21.  This check is payment for using properties in the County in lieu of taxes.   Dolling also informed the Commission that there will be a new conservation officer hired who will be assigned to Cache and Rich Counties. 

Dolling also reported on the coyote bounty program.  After the first full year using the bounty, over 7,000 coyotes were taken in the State.  The bounty is $50 and will be continued.  Also, special contracts will be given to those hunters who are especially adept at getting coyotes.  There will be an incentive included with that contract because these individuals will be assigned to very difficult areas.    

The sage grouse program is still being worked on.  There will be a summit in Salt Lake City later this coming spring.  Bill Cox indicated that there is a problem in the Tooele depot area.  He gave Dolling the name of the individual to contact to try and work out this problem so that the entire state will be on the same grouse program. 

 

County Land Issues

Anita Weston, Rerporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah. February 5, 2014.  Blaine Hamp, Area Manager of the Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, along with Dustin Richards, Area Fire Management Manager; Jennifer Hansen, Sovereign Lands/WUI Coordinator; and Morgan Mendenhall, Area Forrester; appeared before the Commission to update them on the State Programs. 
 

Morgan Mendenhall works with Forrest Stewardship Planning.  He helps individuals with their private lands to make forest plans that will increase the value of their land and increase productivity of that land as well.  He noted that he had worked with five landowners and two others are in process.  This coming summer 5,000 trees will be planted.  Last year 1,500 were planted.  There will be a diversification of the kinds of trees to be planted.  Currently the Lodge Pole Pines are not healthy and Douglas Firs had trouble last summer.
 

Jennifer Hansen reported that she has been concerned about a wildfire plan in the Bear Lake Area.  She has sent letters to individuals over the subdivisions of Sweetwater, Bridgerland, and Elk Hollow.  She got no responses from her letters.  She is continuing to make a plan to help in case of wildfires.    She thinks that the Forrest Service will want to cooperate with this plan. 
 

Jennifer noted that the sovereign land area is contributing some monies for lake access.  Wet land delineation needs to be done along the entire lakeshore.  She will be hiring a surveyor to get a definite line all the way around the lake on the Utah Side to determine the high water mark.  Currently there are 600 different landowners who are not certain of their property lines.
 

The final plan for the Bear Lake Plan will be completed.  It will be presented in May 17 in Garden City at their Bear Lake Days.  Mitch Poulsen will be spearheading that activity.  She noted that there are still issues with boat ramps.
  

She also reported that there will soon be a full time sovereign lands job position for the Bear River area and will cover Bear Lake.  That person will work out of the Logan Office.
 

Currently Jennifer is working on a project on the east side of Bear Lake.  It is critical that an area there be protected, and motor vehicle use must be limited.  The area was posted, but individuals destroy the signs.  She is now putting up a cable barrier.  This will close off the area and is in the best interest of natural resource values.  Posts have already been placed.  They will be cut off at three feet height and a cable will be strung this spring.  She had a map to show areas that are heavily used (marked in red) and other area where people group (marked in purple).  She asked that the County give her permission to finish this project.  The cable barrier is entirely on sovereign lands.  The Commissioners asked that the cable be marked in some way so that it can easily been seen and won’t trip or cause problems.  
 

Dustin Richards is the Fire Management Manager over four counties:  Rich, Cache, Tooele, and Box Elder.  He reported that cutting of dead trees around the lake is finished, and they will be burned early this spring. He talked about catastrophic wildfires may occur in the various County areas, and plans to mitigate this possibility are needed.
 

If funds are made available, there may be a fire burn on the east side of Bear Lake near the cell towers.  There are 640 acres in that area included in this project.  Dustin  is also looking at making a large water storage tank above Woodruff.  There needs to be a County-wide education program about fire suppression and fuel mitigation programs. He would like to see some fuel brakes created in several areas but will need to get land owners’ permission.
 

It was noted that there needs to be some ordinance work done.  Burning the trees and fuel around the lake is important.    He noted that most of the cutting has been done on the west side.  Most of the piling has also been completed.  The workers will need to get a few places that were missed.  If the water is lower, they may even attempt to cut a few more trees as time permits.  
 

The County Fire Chief noted that a fire workshop will be held in the County which is a good refresher course for the volunteer firemen and gets them ready for the summer season.

Rich County Commission

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  February 5, 2014.  A motion was made to amend the current policy dealing with new employees.  New hires are placed on six month’s probation.  After the probation period, they may be given a $0.50 per hour raise.  Cost of living raises are only given at the beginning of a new year. The employee must work an additional six months and will be given the cost of living raise after their full year of work at the next time cost of living raises are given. 

Mitch Poulsen of the Bear Lake Regional Commission requested that a representative be appointed for the Bear Grant.  Mitch will be conducting a survey of local businesses and creating a data base and needs county support.  Norm Weston was asked to continue as the\county contact person on the BLRC (Bear Lake Regional Commission). 

Mitch also indicated that it was suggested that the County Planning and Zoning Commission use a hearing examiner in place of a variance board.   A hearing examiner is generally chosen and hired from outside the area. Apparently most of the counties in the state are following this plan.  It was felt that perhaps Rich County should follow this new plan as well.  The Commissioners noted that they would look into this idea. Mitch explained that there is a variance request coming up, and the Commissioners will need to make a decision fairly soon to either get a hearing examiner or appoint individuals to the variance board to handle this matter.  Mitch also noted that he is currently updating the code book and suggested that a transportation plan for the County be created. 

Bret Argyle reported to the Commissioners that he has made arrangements for evening entertainment for the Rich County Rodeo.  He had several contracts for the Commissioners’ signature. There is a company that will come and take care of the sound for the concerts that will be held.  Due West will be brining a girl singer along with the gentlemen that play.  This will cost about $6,000.  Charlie Jenkins will also be performing on that same night.  There will need to be a generator for the speakers and, it will take an entire day to get all of the sound speakers set up to the desires of the performers. 

Bret also noted that he needs to get the letters out in order to raise money.  He would like to include information about the concert and asked that the Commissioners act fairly soon.  Bill noted that the attorney will look over the contracts prior to their signing them.

 

Bret reported that it will take at least 1200 people at the concert to break even.  He suggested that tickets be $10 per adult and $5 for young individuals. 

The motion was made to have the attorney review the contracts. 

Bret also suggested that the County show veterans that their service was and is appreciated by giving them a free ticket to the Friday night activity.

Lou Jean Argyle, the County Treasurer, appeared before the Commission.  She noted that one couple had paid twice for the 2013 taxes.  She noted that a refund of one of the payments needed to be made.  She also asked for advice on answering several letters that she had received concerning charges by the Sanitation Department.  The Commissioners noted that anyone who owns property containing any type of dwelling pays sanitation charges twelve months of the year, whether they are in residence or not.  This is the County policy and is necessary in order for the Sanitation Department to be self sustaining.