School Board Representation Needs To Change

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah. February 15, 2014.  A meeting concerning representation for Garden City for the School Board membership was held to discuss the law deciding representation.  Currently there are two individuals from Randolph, one from Woodruff, one from Laketown, and one from Garden City.  State statutes states that five school board members are required for all schools with less than 10,000 students.

There were between 15 and 20 people in attendance at the meeting including all three County Commissioners, Becky Peart, the County Clerk, and Tammie Calder, a current school board member.  Bryce Huefner took charge of the meeting.  He presented some facts indicating that Garden City is not fairly represented.

Bryce showed a table showing the census figures from ten years ago and then the numbers from the last 2010 census.

City	10 Years Ago	2010 Census	Representatives
Garden City	501	824	1
Randolph	764	692	2
Laketown	317	347	1
Woodruff	401	401	1

There are different ways to determine areas.  The CCD’s (Census County Divisions) way is where the County is divided into districts.  Distance, natural barriers, and so forth are taken into account using this method.   There are actually two CCDs in Rich County—Randolph/Woodruff area and Laketown/Garden City area.  Using this method, there are 1038 from the Randolph/Woodruff District and 1226 from the Laketown/Garden City District. 

There have been estimates and projects made about the growth in the Rich County area as follows:

	2010 Census	Projection for Future
Rich County	2,264	2,532
Garden City	562	630
Randolph	464	519
Laketown	248	266
Woodruff	180	215
Balance	810	901

The County Commission is the governing body for Rich County.  It is their responsibility to make sure that things are kept fair and equitable.  In fact, the law states that a redistricting action needs to be taken every ten years.

Bryce Huefner has requested from the County the minutes from their meetings dealing with reapportionment, census information, and when realignment has been discussed.  He also asked for information that the County has about District 53 which includes all of Rich County as well as several other counties.  A list of registered voters was also requested.

The Commissioners noted that the districts have been kept the same because they have been using the number of registered voters and currently there are 647 voters in the Randolph/Woodruff area and 649 in the Laketown/Garden City area.  Census numbers are difficult because of the number of homes in the area compared with the number of homes that are primary residences.

Huefner noted that state law requires that population be used—not voter registrations.  Chris Coray noted that he had contacted the Attorney General’s office asking if it was legal to use registered voters to determine precincts or if the census was to be used.  The reply that was received indicated that census information was the data that was to be used in determining and not the number of registered voters. 

Huefner recommended that Garden City make sure that all eligible voters become registered and take advantage of the opportunity to vote.  Citizens need to become involved in the community and the county. 

Huefner had a copy of an ordinance written by Tooele when they did their last redistricting which spelled things out in a very concise and understandable manner.  The County does need five districts.  However, taking one person from Randolph and adding one to Garden City doesn’t solve the problem, it just moves the problem from the south side of the County to the north side.  However, State law does say that population numbers are what must be used to determine precincts. 

Those in attendance at the meeting were thanked for coming, for their input into the meeting and encouraged to attend the County Commissioner’s Meeting next week—March 6—to see how the Commissioner’s are going to make representation fair and equitable.

There are eight offices up for election for the County.  Hopefully people will become involved and be willing to run for the various open offices. 

Those individuals in attendance want the Commissioners to follow the law and use population data to determine precinct boundaries.  The group made it known that representation should be done in a fair and equitable manner.

Rich High School vs Duchesne

Photos by Tammy Calder

 

Rich High School JV vs Duchesne

 

Photos by Tammy Calder

 

Rich High School Freshmen vs Duchesne

Photos by Tammy Calder

 

Rich Middle School 8th vs Duchesne

Photos by Tammy Calder

 

 

Rich Middle School 7th Grade vs Duchesne

Photos by Tammy Calder

 

Fire Chief Contract

 

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times

The former fire chief  had problems with a small group of people who thought he was not spending enough time at his office, or was taking comp time for overtime worked.  There were also arguments in the board on whether he was on salary or hourly time.  When asked to give up a salary and just work an hourly wage it turned out that he was owed more money than he would have recieved on salary.  Therefore the Fire Board decided to make a contract with the new fire chief, Mike Wahlberg.  It states that he will be a salaried worker.

 

They are still working on the vacation and sick leave time he will be allowed and how much it will accrue.  They are looking at two weeks of vacation, the 10 national and state holidays and 12 days of sick leave.  Howard Pope, board member, said he wasn't opposed to carrying over three weeks accrued leave.

 

Randall Knight said that Wahlberg found the employee policies and procedure handbook and it should be cleaned up.

 

The draft employment contract follows.  It will be voted on March 4 after approval of the county attorney,

Employment Contract effective as of March 04, 2014, by and between Garden City Fire District of 145 W Logan Road, Garden City, Utah, 84028 and Mike Wahlberg ("Mike"), of  2421 South Park Circle, PO Box 326, Garden City, Utah, 84028.

A. Garden City Fire District is engaged in the business of providing fire protection services and Mike will primarily perform the job duties at the following location: 145 W Logan Road, Garden City, Utah.

B. Garden City Fire District has offered the Fire Chief position to Mike and he has accepted based on an equitable salary and benefit plan.

Therefore, the parties agree as follows:

1. EMPLOYMENT. Garden City Fire District shall employ Mike as a Fire Chief to provide Garden City Fire District the following services: duties that are common and normal for a fire chief as specified in the job description. Mike accepts and agrees to such employment, and agrees to be subject to the general supervision, advice and direction of the Garden City Fire District Oversight Board.

2. OWNERSHIP OF SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS. Any social media contacts, including "followers" or "friends," that are acquired through accounts including, but not limited to email addresses, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or other social media networks used or created on behalf of Garden City Fire District are the property of Garden City Fire District.

3. COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEE. As compensation for the services provided by Mike under this Contract, Garden City Fire District will pay an annual salary of $42,500.00 payable by twelve monthly payments on the last day of each month or by-monthly on the fifteenth and last day. Upon termination of this Contract, payments under this paragraph shall cease; provided, however, that Mike shall be entitled to payments for periods or partial periods that occurred prior to the date of termination and for which Mike has not yet been paid, and for any commission earned in accordance with Garden City Fire District's customary procedures, if applicable. Accrued vacation will be paid in accordance with state law and Garden City Fire District's customary procedures. This section of the Contract is included only for accounting and payroll purposes and should not be construed as establishing a minimum or definite term of employment.

4. EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT. Garden City Fire District will provide reimbursement for "out-of- pocket" expenses incurred in accordance with Garden City Fire District's policies in effect during the contract period.

5. BENEFITS. Mike shall be entitled to employment benefits, including holidays, sick leave, vacation, health insurance allowance, disability insurance and pension plan as provided by Garden City Fire District's policies in effect during the contract period and as specified in the Garden City Fire District Employee Handbook.

6. TERM/TERMINATION. Mike's employment under this Contract shall be for an unspecified term on an "at will" basis. If Mike is in violation of this Contract, Garden City Fire District may terminate employment with a 30 day written notice and with compensation to only  the date of such termination.

7. TERMINATION FOR DISABILITY. Garden City Fire District shall have the option to terminate this Contract, if Mike becomes permanently disabled and is no longer able to perform the essential functions of a fire chief. Garden City Fire District shall exercise this option by giving a 30 day written notice.

8. RETURN OF PROPERTY. Upon termination of this Contract, Mike shall deliver to Garden City Fire District all property which is Garden City Fire District's property or related to Garden City Fire District's business (including keys, records, notes, data, memoranda, models, and equipment) that is in Mike's possession or under Mike's control. Such obligation shall be governed by any separate confidentiality or proprietary rights agreed to and signed by Mike.

9. APPLICABLE LAW. This Contract shall be governed by the laws of the State of Utah.

EMPLOYER:

Garden City Fire District

Quagga In Lake Powell...Bear Lake Next?

From an article in The Salt Lake Tribune by Brett Prettyman

First Published Feb 25 2014

"Like a bad rumor spread with malicious intent, invasive and destructive quagga mussels have finally taken hold at the massive Lake Powell reservoir on the Utah/Arizona border.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area officials announced Tuesday that "thousands" of adult quagga mussels have been found from Glen Canyon Dam to Bullfrog Bay, some 95 miles up the lake.

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The mussels have caused extensive damage across the country since landing in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. State officials estimate an infestation in Utah would cost more than $15 million annually if the 6,000 miles of pipes and canals and numerous dams become coated with the creatures.

The mussels can also severely impact fisheries, aquatic life and tourism as a result of sharp shells lining the beaches of popular recreation areas.

"I can picture what Lake Powell is going to look like and it isn’t pleasant," said Greg Sheehan, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR). "Every beautiful sandstone outcropping will be encrusted with snails. The days of running barefoot on the beaches will be gone.""

Bear Lake has reported a small amount of Quagga mussels already, but with care we can stop more from coming to the lake.  It is important that every boat be inspected, steam cleaned and dried out before and after leaving the lake for another lake.  Even boat toys can be carriers.  If you are going to be in any lake but Bear Lake take special precautions.

The Un-muddled Mathematician

The Un-muddled Mathematician

Chris S. Coray

Cold doesn’t bother me.  Having to shovel snow doesn’t bother me either, and my wife, unlike Ann, the wife of the Muddled Male, never helps with a snow shovel so I don’t have to sneak around trying to regain my breath after a nearly fatal exertion.  That isn’t to say I don’t occasionally lean on the shovel and ponder the beauty of this place, which coincidentally allows me to suck in enough air to continue.  But I confess the nearly relentless hard wind of the past two months has made me cranky.  Besides undoing all the snow clearing with deep and hard drifts, the long night time howling keeps me from sleeping.  It has even gotten to Bobbie.  The audio signal of the wind makes it impossible to get enough rest.  I was even talking today to a neighbor who told me that instead of a panic room in their house they have designed a “quiet room” in which most of the wind noise it muffled.  It is the only way they get by.

I wrote that the wind has made me cranky and that attitude needs an outlet.  It is an easy hunt.  I have come to the unremarkable conclusion that the strength of a storm has nothing to do with actual meteorology.  For earthquakes, we have the Richter scale, a well-defined physical quantifier.  On the other hand for the weather we have the IBS, or the “idiot in boots scale”.  National news sources, especially the visual ones, measure the strength of a storm by the number of people over whom the storm travels, not any intrinsic quantifiable storm physics.    So as we watch the storms in the east they are disproportionately exaggerated compared to even bigger ones out west because there are lots of people living in the east.   So the talking head on TV cuts to a camera trained on their local idiot, who is wearing rubber boots of some length and colorful jacket (with logo), standing in water or in snow, and we get a great but local video of a dummy who is too stupid to come in out of the storm (I suspect only for two minutes).  I have reached the point where I hope for a giant wave sweeping the guy out to sea or a snowplow going by and just burying the guy in a really big splash.  “You stay warm out there, Sid” come the words of comfort and warning from the anchor.  Meanwhile, I am chanting, “Big wave, giant wave, please”.   It hasn’t worked yet.

To be fair, this inequity in storm reporting is not confined to faraway places.   For example, the Salt Lake channels pretend that they are covering the weather statewide instead of what they are really doing, observing just outside their studio.  An occasional reference is made to “small disturbances” along the Idaho border, not even noting that the laminar cyclone is living at Bear Lake, Utah.  For these folks I’ve often dreamed of a yet-to-be-developed technology.   This device would allow me to hurl a banana cream pie through my television set, magically striking the local weather person in the face, with the words, “Bear Lake says Hi” on the crust and visible on the screen.  I’ll pay big money to the developer of this technology.  And I’ll buy the pies.

Now I’m going to work on my plans for the safe room in my house from which I cannot hear the wind.

Snow Doggie

Photo by Tammy Calder

Notice Of Election

COUNTY OF RICH 

NOTICE OF ELECTION 

I hereby inform you that candidates are to be elected for the following offices at the upcoming General Election to be held Tuesday, November 4, 2014.  The candidate filing period for these offices begins on Friday, March 14, 2014, and ends at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, March 20, 2014.

 1. FEDERAL

• U.S. House of Representatives.  One Representative for a two (2) year term in each of the following U.S. Congressional Districts.
• First District: The First Congressional District consists of Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, part of Davis, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich, Summit, Uintah, and Weber Counties.

2. STATE

• State Executive. The following position will be elected for a two (2) year term:
• Attorney General
• State House of Representatives.  One member of the Utah House of Representatives for a two (2) year term from each of the seventy five (75) state legislative districtd.
• State Board of Education.   One member for a four (4) year term from each of the following State School  Districts: 1,2,3,5,6,9 and 14. 
• District One (1) is located in Box Elder, Cache, Morgan, Rich and Weber Counties.
• Local Boards of Education.  Members of the local boards of education should be elected as determined by individual school boards or districts.  

3.  JUDICIAL                      

 

• Supreme Court.  There will be an unopposed retention election for three (3) Supreme Court Judges, provided that the incumbent(s) whose term is expiring files during the filing period.
• Court of Appeals. There will be an unopposed retention election for six (6) Court of Appeals Judges, provided that the incumbent(s) whose term is expiring files during the filing period.
• District Court.  There will be a retention election for three (3) District Court Judges in the following districts, provided that the incumbents(s) whose term is expiring files during the filing period.
• First District.  Two (2) Judges in the First Judicial District, which consists of Box Elder, Cache and Rich Counties.
• Juvenile Court.  There will be  a retention election for nine(9) Juvenile Court Judges in the following districts, provided that the incumbent(s) whose term is expiring files during the filing period.
• First District.  One (1) Judge in the First Judicial District, which consists of Box Elder, Cache and Rich Counties.
• Justice Court.  Any Justice Court judge whose term is expiring shall be subject to an unopposed retention election in the county or counties in which the court to which the judge is appointed is located.

4.  COUNTY  

                  Assessor

                  Attorney

                  Clerk/Auditor

                  Recorder

                  Sheriff

                  Treasurer

                  Commissioner(2)                                                                                           

                                                                       

        Rebecca M. Peart

        Rich County Clerk/Auditor

Beach Access And Parking

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

GARDEN CITY, Utah. February 13. Council Member, Darrin Pugmire, reported that engineering for 150 South and 75 North road needs to be completed.  Currently, 150 South has a 44 foot width down the entire road.  That is not wide enough for two way traffic and people backing out of parking along the sides.  He noted that 75 North needs the information from the Army Corps of Engineers in order to make that access available.  The current plan appears to be unable to handle emergency vehicles.  If both streets could be completed, there would be a circle that would allow ingress down one street and egress out the other.  This would really help and would make much more beach available to the public.  Parking could be provided on both roads, perhaps parallel instead of angle, which would make ingress and egress much better and safer. 

Busses and/or trolleys or other types of vehicles could perhaps be used to move people from parking areas in town to the beach and back.  A transportation tax could be used to pay for such items and again make the beach much more available than it currently is.  This is definitely something to work toward.  Mayor Sphuler recommended that Pugmire talk with Debbie Eames about public access vs. city roads. 

Darrin also noted that the City has spent a great deal of money on Hodges Canyon in building the trail head there.  The County should probably fix the road, but according to what was said at Planning and Zoning, that road may be blocked by some of the land owners.  Again, access to the trails needs to be protected as much as possible.

Pool And Kiosk Problems Addressed

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

 

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  February 13, 2014.  Council Member Chuck Stocking noted that there are some problems with the pool.  He feels that the pricing for swimming in the pool needs to be brought current, especially the information that is currently on the web site.  Also he noted that small children need the area to be warmer than for the adults.  They don’t like to get into the water if the air around the pool is too chilly.  The chlorine level is very difficult to tell if it is at the proper level or not.  The pellet stove has not been in the pool area long enough to determine whether it is going to save the City money or not.    If the City is going too far behind, the price for swimming may have to be raised by 25 or 50 cents.  The Council needs to look into that.  He recommended that all workers at the pool have a background check prior to hiring.  The human resource book must be amended to take this into consideration. 

The Kiosk is going to be very expensive if the type of computer system that the City wants is actually purchased.  It would have to be made vandal proof, there would need to be a printer and computer.  Also because it is in the open, there is a problem with moisture. 

Stocking noted that they are currently working on an Ipad application interface that would do almost exactly what the City desires.  This application, however, would require business to have their information available and an Ipad at their location.  It would be a lot cheaper and more usable without the outdoor Kiosk.  

The Mayor asked if any of the Council Members know of any individuals who work with the Chamber that would be willing to man the Kiosk during the summer.  It would take several individuals, and hopefully they would be willing to volunteer their time.