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| Photo by Brent Hirschi |
Monday, May 28, 2018
Garden City Start-up Wins SBDC Award
Julene Reese, Writer
Utah State University
The Small Business Development Centers Network
A Garden City start-up was honored in the USU Alumni Magazine and with the Small Business Development Center award. It was the highlighted business of ten. The following is from the magazine.
"John Spuhler could be described as a serial entrepreneur. After selling a tech company in Denver, he and his wife, Melissa, decided to semi-retire by moving with their three sons to Garden City, Utah,
to be near family. That was 11 years ago, and not only did his retirement not happen, but he became mayor of Garden City for two terms and started five new companies. Not exactly the life of leisure he had planned, but with his ingrained entrepreneurial spirit, it was a perfect fit for him.
And for numerous residents in the Bear Lake area, this entrepreneur is making it possible for them to be able to live and work from home.
Spuhler’s professional background running information technology and software sales companies integrated nicely with his responsibilities as mayor. One of the first challenges he faced was managing a rural town with 800 people on the voting roster that expands from 12,000 to 20,000 in the summer.
Then add in the 3,000 residents who live there mostly year-round in their second homes, and there are three groups of people with very different needs.
The growing short-term rental market – the Airbnb’s,VRBOs and privately rented properties – quickly surfaced as a much-needed answer to the huge seasonal influx of visitors, but also came as a challenge for the city, he said. With over 300 short-term rentals, averaging 24 people per rental, there were an additional 6,000 or more people a night staying in Garden City in the summer.
“This brings into question the need for public policy and parity related to safety and taxes,” he said. “Without a method to manage these things, it was becoming a challenge to our small city staff and a concern to our professional providers of short-term rentals as well as our full-time residents.”
Spuhler, Bob Peterson, who was then-Garden City manager, and Kenny Jacobson, a Garden City second homeowner, got their heads together in July of 2015. They talked about the need for a solution that could address the challenges of the city’s rental boom.
“We just started throwing ideas around, and we felt like instead of a sparse few people doing the ‘heavy lifting,’ we should let technology do it,” Spuhler said. “We all have software backgrounds, and that, combined with our experience in city government, helped drive the project. Garden City is like the perfect worst case scenario. Very few cities in the country have 90 percent of their population
living outside their city.”
For the next year-and-a half, the trio worked to create STR Helper, a software solution for the regulation of short-term rentals. The software was designed to scan the data for all area short-term rentals each night from 40-plus internet platforms and compare it to the city’s business licenses, voter registration, parcel data, geographic information system (GIS) and even social media accounts
to discover the city’s rental inventory. The data is publicly available information, and the software combines key data points and makes recommendations that are then verified by employees.
“It also allows us to get a picture of whether or not the rental owners are in compliance with local ordinances on things like noise, trash, and parking,” he said. “It keeps track of these things, and if you ever end up with something unfortunate, like going to court, all the information is there.”
Spuhler said as STR Helper began to unfold, he met with Mike Young from USU Extension’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Young provided business assistance for Spuhler and his wife earlier for Elite Education Global, LLC, a business they started in 2012.
“When we launched our education company, we were looking for marketing guidance, because that’s not our strong suit,” Spuhler said. “Mike consulted with us and helped us find a marketing intern from USU who is now a full-time employee for us, and she is tremendous. So I contacted him again in the early phases of STR Helper. Mike has forward-thinking ideas and has given us great direction for promoting our business. He’s also helped with general analysis – looking at where our business is,
and where we want it to go.”
Young said the SBDC of Cache Valley is proud to be part of the STR Helper journey. “They were able to leverage their experience as civic leaders in a small resort town to address a specific, timely, critical market need,” Young said. “Our primary aim is to help businesses drive economic growth and development in Utah, and STR Helper is certainly doing that. The founders saw a need and filled it. They’ve shown that with the right combination of hard work and entrepreneurial drive, even companies in rural Utah can achieve explosive growth and success. They are on track to hit around $2 million in annual renewable contracts in their first year alone, and they just received a $1 million investment.”
After STR Helper was launched, it quickly became apparent it would be a valuable tool for Garden City. Complaint calls to the city went down by 85 percent, room tax revenues came up 52 percent in just 2 years, and the compliance rates now approach 100 percent. The Utah League of Cities heard about the software and wondered if it would be applicable for other communities. The city of Moab, and Grand County Utah, signed on first, and now there are 50 cities around the country using it. The software may be used overseas if the language can be translated into Icelandic.
“Now we are just trying to keep up with the scale,” Spuhler said. STR Helper currently has 16 staff members and will be hiring more personnel next year when their new office space is completed, he said. By the first quarter of next year, the company will have 20 employees in the Bear Lake Valley alone. With new sales coming, that number will likely be doubled.
Underground fiber optics and high-speed wireless installed and where we want it to go.”
STR Helper currently has 16 staff members and will be hiring more personnel next year when their new office space is completed, he said. By the first quarter of next year, the company will have 20 employees in the Bear Lake Valley alone. With new sales coming, that number will likely be doubled.
Underground fiber optics and high-speed wireless installed in Garden City in recent years make it possible for nine of the employees from Bear Lake Valley to work out of their houses, many of whom are at-home moms.
Spuhler is happy STR Helper can provide Garden City residents with year-round work that doesn’t shutter in the winter. He encourages people to think globally and outside the box, and realize that they can do almost anything from anywhere with technology."
Utah State University
The Small Business Development Centers Network
A Garden City start-up was honored in the USU Alumni Magazine and with the Small Business Development Center award. It was the highlighted business of ten. The following is from the magazine.
"John Spuhler could be described as a serial entrepreneur. After selling a tech company in Denver, he and his wife, Melissa, decided to semi-retire by moving with their three sons to Garden City, Utah,
to be near family. That was 11 years ago, and not only did his retirement not happen, but he became mayor of Garden City for two terms and started five new companies. Not exactly the life of leisure he had planned, but with his ingrained entrepreneurial spirit, it was a perfect fit for him.
And for numerous residents in the Bear Lake area, this entrepreneur is making it possible for them to be able to live and work from home.
Spuhler’s professional background running information technology and software sales companies integrated nicely with his responsibilities as mayor. One of the first challenges he faced was managing a rural town with 800 people on the voting roster that expands from 12,000 to 20,000 in the summer.
Then add in the 3,000 residents who live there mostly year-round in their second homes, and there are three groups of people with very different needs.
The growing short-term rental market – the Airbnb’s,VRBOs and privately rented properties – quickly surfaced as a much-needed answer to the huge seasonal influx of visitors, but also came as a challenge for the city, he said. With over 300 short-term rentals, averaging 24 people per rental, there were an additional 6,000 or more people a night staying in Garden City in the summer.
“This brings into question the need for public policy and parity related to safety and taxes,” he said. “Without a method to manage these things, it was becoming a challenge to our small city staff and a concern to our professional providers of short-term rentals as well as our full-time residents.”
Spuhler, Bob Peterson, who was then-Garden City manager, and Kenny Jacobson, a Garden City second homeowner, got their heads together in July of 2015. They talked about the need for a solution that could address the challenges of the city’s rental boom.
“We just started throwing ideas around, and we felt like instead of a sparse few people doing the ‘heavy lifting,’ we should let technology do it,” Spuhler said. “We all have software backgrounds, and that, combined with our experience in city government, helped drive the project. Garden City is like the perfect worst case scenario. Very few cities in the country have 90 percent of their population
living outside their city.”
For the next year-and-a half, the trio worked to create STR Helper, a software solution for the regulation of short-term rentals. The software was designed to scan the data for all area short-term rentals each night from 40-plus internet platforms and compare it to the city’s business licenses, voter registration, parcel data, geographic information system (GIS) and even social media accounts
to discover the city’s rental inventory. The data is publicly available information, and the software combines key data points and makes recommendations that are then verified by employees.
“It also allows us to get a picture of whether or not the rental owners are in compliance with local ordinances on things like noise, trash, and parking,” he said. “It keeps track of these things, and if you ever end up with something unfortunate, like going to court, all the information is there.”
Spuhler said as STR Helper began to unfold, he met with Mike Young from USU Extension’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Young provided business assistance for Spuhler and his wife earlier for Elite Education Global, LLC, a business they started in 2012.
“When we launched our education company, we were looking for marketing guidance, because that’s not our strong suit,” Spuhler said. “Mike consulted with us and helped us find a marketing intern from USU who is now a full-time employee for us, and she is tremendous. So I contacted him again in the early phases of STR Helper. Mike has forward-thinking ideas and has given us great direction for promoting our business. He’s also helped with general analysis – looking at where our business is,
and where we want it to go.”
Young said the SBDC of Cache Valley is proud to be part of the STR Helper journey. “They were able to leverage their experience as civic leaders in a small resort town to address a specific, timely, critical market need,” Young said. “Our primary aim is to help businesses drive economic growth and development in Utah, and STR Helper is certainly doing that. The founders saw a need and filled it. They’ve shown that with the right combination of hard work and entrepreneurial drive, even companies in rural Utah can achieve explosive growth and success. They are on track to hit around $2 million in annual renewable contracts in their first year alone, and they just received a $1 million investment.”
After STR Helper was launched, it quickly became apparent it would be a valuable tool for Garden City. Complaint calls to the city went down by 85 percent, room tax revenues came up 52 percent in just 2 years, and the compliance rates now approach 100 percent. The Utah League of Cities heard about the software and wondered if it would be applicable for other communities. The city of Moab, and Grand County Utah, signed on first, and now there are 50 cities around the country using it. The software may be used overseas if the language can be translated into Icelandic.
“Now we are just trying to keep up with the scale,” Spuhler said. STR Helper currently has 16 staff members and will be hiring more personnel next year when their new office space is completed, he said. By the first quarter of next year, the company will have 20 employees in the Bear Lake Valley alone. With new sales coming, that number will likely be doubled.
Underground fiber optics and high-speed wireless installed and where we want it to go.”
STR Helper currently has 16 staff members and will be hiring more personnel next year when their new office space is completed, he said. By the first quarter of next year, the company will have 20 employees in the Bear Lake Valley alone. With new sales coming, that number will likely be doubled.
Underground fiber optics and high-speed wireless installed in Garden City in recent years make it possible for nine of the employees from Bear Lake Valley to work out of their houses, many of whom are at-home moms.
Spuhler is happy STR Helper can provide Garden City residents with year-round work that doesn’t shutter in the winter. He encourages people to think globally and outside the box, and realize that they can do almost anything from anywhere with technology."
Senior Project Honors
Kati Mena, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist, Director of Special Education
Rich County School District
Kyler Jackson, a senior at Rich High School, achieved a high accomplishment. He completed his senior project in a Jobs Skills class, which was assembling a working replica of a 4-cylinder combustion engine. Kyler has worked hard labeling the many engine components, and learning how each part works to make the engine function. We are all very proud of the hard work Kyler has put into his studies and are excited to see his continued achievements.
Janet Ramirez, a senior at Rich High School, has worked hard all year in a Job Skills class. She completed her senior projects while learning the “ins and outs” of sewing. From piecing together a quilt, to sewing an apron from a pattern, Janet has become quite accomplished as a seamstress. We are extremely proud of Janet and the projects she has completed.
Eighteen Wheel Memorial Day Philosophy
Memorial Day Memories...of the people that played an important part in my life from ages 5 to 19.
By Mel Hansen
As I drove through my hometown early yesterday morning it pained me to see so many things that have changed in what once was a truly beautiful place. For me...it’s lost 90% of its beauty! Personally...starting today until Labor Day...Bear Lake is the last place I want to be.
So many of the homes that I thought would stand the test of time are now gone. The many, down to very few, lush meadows of hay...gone. The once large family gardens...gone. The once productive dry farms ...overcome with weeds or dotted with houses. Fields that once held various livestock....now hold very few or empty! Remembering how things used to be...well!...leaves me feeling...empty...as well!
But I realize that recreational growth is now the surviving staple in Garden City...and it is up to me whether or not to stay and watch the Valley truly become what people professed/profess they came/come here to escape from...A City...or leave and find another small quite ranching/farming community.
I was blessed to have been born and raised in what once was primarily two very beautiful small ranching/farming towns...my hometown of Pickelville...and a mile to the north...Garden City. Two towns where everyone knew..cared for/about...and helped each other when needed or asked. Two towns where you addressed your elders as either Aunt/Uncle (even if they actually weren’t) Mr. or Mrs. or Brother or Sister. If I ever wanted to incur the wrath!!.. and a stern talking to from my parents or Grandmother Hansen...I did so by calling/referring to my elders by their first name! To this day I still cannot bring myself to talk about them in society calling them by their first name...for fear my Angle Mum and Grandma will reach down from Heaven above and cuff me upside my head!...due to my lack of...respect!
I grew to know everyone in town by having the opportunity...no!..a Blessing!..to get on my bike and peddle from the south end of Pickelville to the north end of Garden City once every month gathering..Fast Offerings..for the church. At first, I really didn’t like doing this...ok!, I hated it! But after a while it became...bearable!...and then it turned out to become a...blessing! I became personally aquatinted with...and fell in love with the people of my little town! I liked seeing/visiting with them... and I think that most of them liked seeing and visiting with me too?
I learned something new...ate great homemade cookies/cake etc...every time I peddled my 5-speed bike to their homes!
So today...being Memorial Day...and since what once was...home...is now more or less a place where I..live...and is all but dead as to what I experienced growing up here...but at the same time having a new birth, for a new mindset, to begin making memories for this new way of thinking and planning for now/future families here in Garden City....maybe that’s a good thing??...and I truly hope their memories will be as meaningful to them in later years...as mine are to me of just a few short years ago.
I grew to know everyone in town by having the opportunity...no!..a Blessing!..to get on my bike and peddle from the south end of Pickelville to the north end of Garden City once every month gathering..Fast Offerings..for the church. At first, I really didn’t like doing this...ok!, I hated it! But after a while it became...bearable!...and then it turned out to become a...blessing! I became personally aquatinted with...and fell in love with the people of my little town! I liked seeing/visiting with them... and I think that most of them liked seeing and visiting with me too?
I learned something new...ate great homemade cookies/cake etc...every time I peddled my 5-speed bike to their homes!
So today...being Memorial Day...and since what once was...home...is now more or less a place where I..live...and is all but dead as to what I experienced growing up here...but at the same time having a new birth, for a new mindset, to begin making memories for this new way of thinking and planning for now/future families here in Garden City....maybe that’s a good thing??...and I truly hope their memories will be as meaningful to them in later years...as mine are to me of just a few short years ago.
The people who’ve moved into the community and are trying to gut it out here year round and still make a living...are great people! I sincerely wish they succeed in their endeavors. I’ve become friends with many...they’re great and fun assets to our community. Babies are being born...which life is all about! Occasionally I even come across a person or two who’s been living here for awhile that will ask me...” Haven’t seen or met you before...are you new in town?”...I grin to myself and say...”No..I was born and raised here and with the exception of 10-12 yrs have lived here my whole life.” After telling them my name...it’s been the same ol thing since I was born...with one exception now...they no longer ask or say...”You must be John and Noreen’s boy!”...but they ask...”Are you related to Randall and Ken Hansen?”...these two ol boys are still somewhat known in town. I just tell them...”They won’t claim that I am...but they’re my older brothers!”
I’ve been to the cemetery this morning...I’m amazed at the number of head stones with names that I personally remember. Quite a few have brought tears to my eyes in remembering them. So I’d like to remember those who have past away...but there’s a tiny few still here...that helped mold...influenced me..in so many ways...by naming those that I personally went to every month...starting at age 14 - 16.
I kinda hate to do this in fear I might miss someone and hurt feelings...that’s the furthest thing from my mind...so if I’ve missed someone during those years...forgive me and add your/their name to the list. And because my memory isn’t the greatest these days at recalling everyone’s name I called my two brothers, Ken and Glen (4 and 2 yrs older than I) for help in remembering. (Randall’s too damn old to remember his own name these days!..so I didn’t want to confuse him any worse than what he is!😉)
Please forgive me if I misspell names also.
Starting as I did every month...south end of Pickelville.
Bart/Elva Satterthwaite
Theora Hodges
Bishop Dale/Pam Weston
Ben/Marie Weston (Aunt Marie is still very much with us...in her late 90’s!)
Paul/Delila Hodges
Clint/Theora Tremelling
Allan(Coach)/Gaylene Wamsley
Heber/Gladys Kimball
Russ/Althea Satterthwaite
Ross/Millie Hansen
LaVere/Ruth Hansen
Jay/Margaret Hodges
Delbert/Dolly Hansen
Tom/Rula Hansen
Vern/Pat Everette
Russ/Lila Hansen
John/Noreen Hansen (Dad’s still with us...coming 95!)
Beatrice Hansen..my Grandma
Dave/Vonda Malcolm
DK/Genie Malcolm
Earl/Dorothy Stringham (Sister Stringham is still very much with us...in her mid 90’s)
Dave/Julie Stringham (Julie is on a mission)
Theora Hodges
Bishop Dale/Pam Weston
Ben/Marie Weston (Aunt Marie is still very much with us...in her late 90’s!)
Paul/Delila Hodges
Clint/Theora Tremelling
Allan(Coach)/Gaylene Wamsley
Heber/Gladys Kimball
Russ/Althea Satterthwaite
Ross/Millie Hansen
LaVere/Ruth Hansen
Jay/Margaret Hodges
Delbert/Dolly Hansen
Tom/Rula Hansen
Vern/Pat Everette
Russ/Lila Hansen
John/Noreen Hansen (Dad’s still with us...coming 95!)
Beatrice Hansen..my Grandma
Dave/Vonda Malcolm
DK/Genie Malcolm
Earl/Dorothy Stringham (Sister Stringham is still very much with us...in her mid 90’s)
Dave/Julie Stringham (Julie is on a mission)
Those above were in my hometown of Pickelville at the time.
Scott/Toni Pugmire
Clyde/Ilene Kennedy
Edna Wamsley
Doug/Sally Potts
Bob/Maxine Calder
Arvel/Maxine Dustin (my Aunt and Uncle)
Merril/Merle Sprouse
Mack/Lyle Thornburg
Otto/Sue Mattson
Ross/Mae Hodges
Irene Calder
Don/Bess Huefner
Ross/Claudia Pope
Milford/Leone Loveland
Reed Wamsley
Afton Spence
Doug/Merle Spence (Doug’s still with us...late 80’s??)
Mayon/Maureen Pully
Lowell/Merlinda Gibbons
Stan/Ann Hansen (my Uncle and Aunt)
Bill/Vergie Negus
Barry/Elaine Negus
Lena Hilt-Charlene Lutz
Bud/Mary Rich
Harry/Barbara Bennion
Bishop Mitch/Alvera Sims
LaVoy/Jennie Hilt
Ivan/Phyllis Hilt
Bishop Arlo/Mattie Price
Harold/Sue Negus
Dorothy Whicker
Bishop Kae/Bee Cook
Joe Cook
Glenn/Oral Lutz
Ray/Sue Lutz
Walt/Rose Nelson
Frank/Maureen Jensen
John/Nancy Murphy
Sherm/Cora Lutz
The Finnly Family
DeVerl/Virginia Whittington
Fatt Whittington
Jennie Lutz
Stella Benson
Nina Sorenson
Drew/Viola Cook
Vern/JoAnn Anderson
Terry/Carla Allan
Russ/Ramona Harris
Mack/Lee Madsen
Bishop Brian/Darlene Booth
Clyde/Ilene Kennedy
Edna Wamsley
Doug/Sally Potts
Bob/Maxine Calder
Arvel/Maxine Dustin (my Aunt and Uncle)
Merril/Merle Sprouse
Mack/Lyle Thornburg
Otto/Sue Mattson
Ross/Mae Hodges
Irene Calder
Don/Bess Huefner
Ross/Claudia Pope
Milford/Leone Loveland
Reed Wamsley
Afton Spence
Doug/Merle Spence (Doug’s still with us...late 80’s??)
Mayon/Maureen Pully
Lowell/Merlinda Gibbons
Stan/Ann Hansen (my Uncle and Aunt)
Bill/Vergie Negus
Barry/Elaine Negus
Lena Hilt-Charlene Lutz
Bud/Mary Rich
Harry/Barbara Bennion
Bishop Mitch/Alvera Sims
LaVoy/Jennie Hilt
Ivan/Phyllis Hilt
Bishop Arlo/Mattie Price
Harold/Sue Negus
Dorothy Whicker
Bishop Kae/Bee Cook
Joe Cook
Glenn/Oral Lutz
Ray/Sue Lutz
Walt/Rose Nelson
Frank/Maureen Jensen
John/Nancy Murphy
Sherm/Cora Lutz
The Finnly Family
DeVerl/Virginia Whittington
Fatt Whittington
Jennie Lutz
Stella Benson
Nina Sorenson
Drew/Viola Cook
Vern/JoAnn Anderson
Terry/Carla Allan
Russ/Ramona Harris
Mack/Lee Madsen
Bishop Brian/Darlene Booth
I never went to their homes to gather Fast Offerings because others took over that responsibility...but I visited often the homes of Bill/Pauline Bailey and my great friend , Jeff Hilsman’s family.
And even though my best friend, Kris Price, lived in Round Valley...I spent a lot of time in his home...Gary/Mary Price.
I can still see in my mind's eye every one of these people! They were a constant/comfort to me. If I were ever to try to write a book about anything... it would be about my growing up years in my hometown...what it’s residents taught and meant/mean to me. And even though my best friend, Kris Price, lived in Round Valley...I spent a lot of time in his home...Gary/Mary Price.
I cherish the memories of these people! I often smile and chuckle to myself when thinking of them.
I can only hope...that when I depart this earthly existence...that I’ll be blessed to be greeted/welcomed (maybe even Aunt Dolly Hansen will wrap her arms around me and say to me..”It’s about time you showed up!...Ya damn little devil!!” ...then give me a hot slice of homemade bread smothered with butter)...once again....in those two same beautiful little ranching/farming towns by the lake..in Heavenly Paradise...by these great people and catch up on what’s new.
I can only hope...that when I depart this earthly existence...that I’ll be blessed to be greeted/welcomed (maybe even Aunt Dolly Hansen will wrap her arms around me and say to me..”It’s about time you showed up!...Ya damn little devil!!” ...then give me a hot slice of homemade bread smothered with butter)...once again....in those two same beautiful little ranching/farming towns by the lake..in Heavenly Paradise...by these great people and catch up on what’s new.
Cisco’s Sonar
Spring Observations
By Bryce Nielson, The Cisco Kid
Frequently, my mind fills up with things that are interesting, educational, educational or observations that I want to share. Here are a few.
As a birder, I am always watching for new sightings. About a month ago I was on the north end of the lake and was looking at a large nest, which many birds have used in the past and I thought I saw a white head. I dismissed it because I knew bald eagles didn’t nest here. I was wrong because a few weeks later I observed the two mature (white head) bald eagles feeding chicks. Apparently, there are no records of bald eagles nesting in the Bear Lake Valley.
Speaking of raptors (hawks/eagles), they typically feed on Uinta Mountain ground squirrels (potguts). There was a large population last year, but I have only seen a few this spring. None squashed on the road. Their numbers may be been reduced by disease which is common. The birds may have to find something else to eat.
As the Rich County Emergency Manager, I have been involved in CodeRed, an Emergency Alert System which is funded by northern regional Homeland Security funds. It would be great if everyone, locals or visitors, signed up for emergency notifications. You can just Google CodeRed to sign up and add the mobile app. You can also go to the Rich County website, richcountyut.org, and sign up there and look at the other information about the County.
An update on the Bear Lake Watch/USGS monitoring stations in Bear Lake. They have survived some tough weather and are collecting data. The data may not be that interesting to you, but it fascinates me. When we collected water profiles years ago, you had to suspend a water collection bottle at depth intervals and collect samples. The samples were then preserved and sent to the lab for analysis. It was labor intensive. Now, solar powered instruments lower probes through the water column collecting data as they go. The attached data shows the early development of a thermocline in Bear Lake 1.5 miles off Gus Rich Point. Data is now being streamed from the USGS website, nmis.waterdata.usgs/nmis/uv?site_no=415411111301601.
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| The graph illustrates the change in water temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll over the last two months from the top to the bottom. |
Flowers Blooming in Randolph
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| Former home of early Randolph Mayor, Adolph Larson Photo by Steve Larson |
Garden City Council Reports
Anita Weston, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
GARDEN CITY, Utah. May 10, 2018. Councilman Darrin Pugmire noted that he works with the roads. He thinks it will be possible and probably necessary for realign some of the proposed road between Buttercup and Hodges Canyon.
Howard Pope reported some pool problems. They have spent $59 on meters. The pool is to be drained and cleaned in the next few days. There is a Trails Meeting on the 16th. He will be attending that meeting. He also asked that the City buy plastic bag dispensers to take care of “doggy do.”
Ken Hansen noted that he missed the library meeting and apologized for it. The library is currently working on their budget for next year. They will have it ready for the next Council Meeting. Hansen reported that Riley Argyle, Manager of Public Works, is working on getting the water piped down Third West.
Pat Argyle reported that the design for Heritage Park looks good. It will be put out to bid soon. She will be working with the Mayor on this project. Raspberry Day plans are moving forward.
Mike Leonhardt, Mayor, reported that he is setting up a monthly meeting for all the Mayors in Rich County to see if they can’t be of greater service and help to each other.
The cleanup day was successful. There were 65 people who turned out to help. It went well.
Parsons got the bid to complete Third West. They will be starting in June. The water tank purchased from Norm Mecham has been paid for. WiFi should be placed into the new buildings. Centracom has a whole new system with hard fiber wire.
Garden City Council Actions
Anita Weston, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
GARDEN CITY, Utah. May 10, 2018. The Council Members discussed several ordinances. Ordinance #18-11 needed to be changed to allow the Building Inspector to use the current international code standards instead of the outdated ones listed in the Ordinance. The Council approved this change.
Ordinance #18-12 is an ordinance updating the administrator’s Code Enforcement and Procedures. The changes were approved.
Ordinance #18-13 updates the short-term rental requirements. The Council felt some items in the ordinance needed to be clarified. The Council made a motion to approve this Ordinance with clarification as well as determining that the City needs to follow the Infraction Fine Schedule.
Ordinance Chapter 12-200 concerning animal control was postponed till next month’s meeting.
Resolution #R18-04 is a resolution to update the Code Infraction Fee Schedule. The motion was made to put into effect immediately the suggested changes to the Code Infraction Fee Schedule. The motion was passed.
The motion was made and passed to approve the 2018 Certification of Delinquency of Assessments and Charges for the Buttercup Special Improvement District. The Mayor noted that he will sign this document immediately.
The tentative budget for the General Fund, Enterprise Fund, SID Fund, Capital Projects Fund, and the Beach Access Fund for the fiscal year July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 was discussed. The Council Members went through each of the items and made suggestions and ideas. The budged will be on the next month’s agenda for the Council Members’ approval.
Rich High School requested a donation from the City for scholarships for students coming from Garden City. After a discussion, it was noted that the City does not currently have any policy that covers this item. It was decided that a policy needs to be written so that requests like this can be treated in a logical and consistent way.
The Planning Commission needs a new member. Jack Mckee has resigned. The Mayor talked with Dan Kurick, and he accepted this position.
The Board of Adjustments also needed a new member. Barbara Turnbow was asked to fill this position. She accepted.
The City has contracted with Miles Jensen, an attorney, to work for the City. He will bill the City according to the amount of time spent on City business.
The City has purchased a truck for the City’s Ordinance Officer—Glen Gillies. It was purchased from Montpelier City. It cost $12,400. It is white Dodge, 4-door, 4-wheel with 105,000 miles on it. It has a big bumper, and there is a place on the console for the installment of a radio.
It was decided that plastic bag dispensers need to be placed in the parks and other places where people allow their pets to run. It is becoming a problem in several areas of the City. They will be placed in convenient and visible locations.
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