Beach Access, Rec Center, Other Issues At Garden City Council Meeting

Anita Weston, reporter

Rich Civic Times

GARDEN CITY, Utah.  November 10, 2016. Jason and Jill Johnson own a home at 640 Cambry Drive.  They have requested a short term rental license.  Their property will be managed by Bear Lake Project Management.  The motion was made and approved to grant their request.

Time is always set aside during the Council Meeting to allow anyone present to ask questions or request information.  There were several individuals at the meeting who live in the Shore Lodge Home Owner’s Association.  The City had opened up six beach accesses through this subdivision.  The Home Owners Association sued the City and were allowed by the court to close these beach accesses.  They had heard that the City was going to again attempt to open those accesses to the lake.  They were concerned and wanted to know what was going to happen in the future concerning these walkways to the beach. 

A couple of the individuals stated that they will fight to keep the City from taking their property.  They said they would do everything they can to stop the City before it gets started again.  One individual asked why the City didn’t buy property along the lake.  This individual thought it would actually be cheaper to do that than to try and take their property from them.

Mayor Spuhler noted that people coming to this area should be allowed to get to the lake.  He also stated that the City did not agree with the judge.  No one owns the lake, and there are so many people coming into Garden City that more accesses are needed.  He noted that eminent domain allows property to be taken legally in order to allow individuals to gain access to public areas.  This is the action the City is going to take in the future to assure that people can get to the public areas—which is the lakeshore.  There will be a meeting in December—a public hearing—which is standard procedure in using eminent domain. 

There was a discussion held concerning ordinance 16-07.  This ordinance is updating requirements to obtain a transient merchant license, which includes the transient vendor license, the beach vendor license, and the special event vendor license.  It was decided that instead of giving three warnings to vendors who do no comply with the ordinance, only one warning would be given.  It was decided that upon a second warning, the license would be revoked and forfeited.  It was determined that the ordinance officer will be the person monitoring these kinds of activities.  The ordinance was approved with the above changes.

Two individuals’ names were presented to the City Council to be appointed to the Planning Commission.  Jordan McKee and Jared Hislop were approved by the Council.  The motion was made and passed to have these two individuals serve on this Commission.  They will be sworn into office at the next Council Meeting.

Harper Johnson wanted to speak to the City Council regarding the recreation center.  He said he knew that the bond issue did not pass.  He noted that he is a second home owner.  He had been very concerned when the issue was on the ballot, and second home owners had no say or vote concerning financial items that would really affect them.  He said that he and his family really enjoy coming to Bear Lake.  They come for the lake and would probably never use a recreation center.  He asked that the City give families in his situation an opportunity to have some say in financial issues that would have such a big impact on them.

Mayor Spuhler noted that the City has to follow state law.  Primary home owners are the only ones allowed to vote on such issues.  If secondary home owners would like the law changed, they would need to work through the State.  Garden City has to follow the laws concerning these types of items.

Mayor Spuhler noted that it was good to let people vote on such issues.  He said that it was good to let the people make the decision.  The voting certainly made their desire known.  Almost ninety percent of the citizens voted that they did not want the recreation center.  He felt putting the issue up to vote was a good exercise and certainly let everyone know how the people felt about this issue.

Mayor Spuhler said that he had talked with Commissioner Cox concerning TRT (transient room tax) revenues.  He reported that the City took in $170,000 in 2014.  The amount was $229,000 in 2015.  The amount so far this year is $300,000.  The money is sent to the state and comes back to the County.  It is a state law that a third of the amount goes to police, ambulance, and search and rescue.  A certain amount goes to infrastructure and twice that amount must go to advertising. 

It was noted that Garden City generates 98 percent of the money that comes back to the County.  The Mayor felt that Garden City should receive perhaps a larger amount of the money than the City currently gets.  Commissioner Cox said he would look into this matter.  Commissioner Cox did note that the grants that the cities apply for from the County (TRT money) has always required that the city match the amount they are given.  He noted that a change has been made.  Instead of requiring a money match, a match in kind could be used.

Chuck Stocking reported that the library is doing fine.  However, there is a new member on the board—Natalie Ottley.  She will serve in Chuck’s place.  The library asked if they could use the property on the west of the City Offices for youth gardens this next summer.  The Council asked that the library board make some plans that can be presented to the Council to see exactly what they will be doing.  It was noted that the youth gardens will be used as a part of the summer reading program.

Darrin Pugmire noted that he had wanted to do something with the young kids to use the fish pond this past summer.  He couldn’t find anyone interested in helping.  He is going to try again this next summer.