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MINUTES OF THE SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING HELD
OCTOBER 4, 1982
The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, the 4th day of October at the hour of 10:00 a.m. in the Courthouse at Monticello, Utah.
On roll call, the following members were present: Chairman Calvin Black
Commissioner Robert Low Commissioner Kenneth R. Bailey was excused.
Minutes of the previous week were read and approved with the specified corrections upon the motion of Commissioner Low and the second of Commissioner Black and it carried unanimously.
CLEAL BRADFORD RRPORTS ON B.I.A. BOARD MEETING;
Mr. Cleal Bradford reported to the Commission on the recent Division of Indian Affairs Board meeting. Because it will require special action, the Board would like to recommend that their proposal for an exchange of State school lands on the Reservation, also include the request for lands at Halls Crossin; The Commission had no objections and would also support combining the two requests.
CLEAL BRADFORD REPORTS ON DEVELOPMENT BOARD BUSINESS:
Mr. Cleal Bradford reported that the next Development Board meeting will be held October 5th and asked for any input on the agenda from the commissioners. Chairman Black suggest that perhaps more could be done to promote 4-wheel drive recreation in the county and also to inform the public that highway 95 is now paved and is a good access route between Southeastern and Southwestern Utah.
Mr. Bradford requested that the commission attend a special meeting on October 26th , at which time the Development Board will be setting goals for the coming year.
Chairman Black reported that representatives from the State have been invited to a meeting at Halls Crossing on October llth & 12th regarding the proposed ferry at Halls Crossing and Bull Frog.
FIRE WARDEN REPORT;
Fire Warden, John Baker, asked how he could find out about the cold mix for the Mexican Hat fire station floor. The Commission requested that he contact Bernal Bradford at the Road Department for more information.
AGING PROGRAM REPORT:
Mr. Al Haskins attended meetings in Salt Lake City last week and reported that the Aging program's
funds have been cut by 2% and may be cut again.
The Commission discussed the Aging bus drivers program and recommended that drivers be qualified similar to the school bus drivers program for qualification. Commissioner Low will investigate and report on what testing requirements would he beneficial to the Aging bus drivers program.
A letter was received from Ruth Hyde requesting that she be released from the Aging and Title XX Boards. After reviewing her request, the Commission accepted Mrs. Hydes resignation request and expressed their appreciation for her many years of service and leadership in the County.
SU-CAP PROGRAM REPORT;
Mr. Al Haskins reported that funding from Community Service Block Grants will come directly to SU-CAP rather than through the State. Mr. Haskins recommended to continue with Southeastern Utah's Association of Local Governments' contract to manage the fiscal programs for SU-CAP. The Commission felt the contract was equitable and will approve its continuation.
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NUCLEAR REPOSITORY GEOLOGY MEETING REPORT;
Commissioner Low reported on his attendance at a Geology work group meeting in Salt Lake City con-cerning the storage of spent nuclear fuel in Southeastern Utah. From the geology reports, the Department of Energy feels that of the 12 areas studied in the Paradox Basin, the Gibson Dome site would be the most feasible for storage of spent nuclear fuel. Its salt formation has the slowest creep rate and is of adequate thickness.
NUCLEAR REPOSITORY TESTING AND NEWS ARTICLE SUPPORTING LOCAL DECISION MAKING;
Times Independent, September 30, 1982, "Community Comments..." by Sam Taylor;
The Best way to keep a firsky, young wife under control and in the kitchen where she belongs, is to keep her barefoot and pregnant. We've all heard that old saw over the years, though admittedly we hear it less and less in this era of the liberated woman.
A parallel to that saying seem to be prevailing these days along the Watsatch Front with respect to the future of rural Utah.
The best way to keep Utah rural communitites small, picturesque, underdeveloped underprivileged in terms of income and opportunity and sleepy, is to do the decision-making for them in the state's capitol, since residents of those communities obviously don't have the intelligence to do their own decision-making. I've become convinced of this growing protectionist attitude upstate more and more in the past year, and my feeling was again reinforced this week with the release of a report from the Utah Energy Office which concludes that for "socio-economic" reasons, Green River, Utah should not be considered as a possible home for a major nuclear energy generating complex. "Based on the analysis in this study and the suggestions and impressions suggested...the balance of socio-economic impact considerations seems inclined against the concept of locating a nuclear generating center in a remote, rural area like Green River," the report says. It goes on to suggest that if such a complex IS built somewhere, it should be placed near a large city, where the larger population could provide additional services for thousands of new residents at a reduced cost.
That kind of hogwash mentality appalls me. Big brother decisions up-state like this one- like testing at Gibson Dome—like abandoning the Kaiparowits Power Project—like locating the IPP power plant not near Hanksville where it belonged, but in the unlikely town of Lyndell—will keep rural Utah "barefoot and pregnant" forever. Why they don't let their over-abundance of "socio-economists" worry about the already-existent problems in Utah's metropolitan cities and keep them out of the Utah boonies is beyond be.
Ask anyone in the town of Kanab today if they are better off "socio-economically" than they would have been if the do-gooders with jogging shoes and funny shirts from Salt Lake City and Provo hadn't killed the Kaiparowits Project. They'll tell you that economic opportunity is just as bleak in the Kane County community today as it was twenty years ago, and that except for some tourism potential, their future really doesn't look all that good either.
I don't know whether or not I would like the idea of 30,000 people living in Green River rather than the 1,600 who live there now, but then I don't LIVE in Green River, and it really isn't any of my business. I'm sure that much of that impact would be felt in other Southeastern Utah communities near Green River. Remember that when the missile base there was operating at full blast a whole lot of those folks lived in Moab and commuted back and forth.
All the technical portions of the Green River study seem to check out OK, as is detailed in our page 1 story this week. What turns Utah off on the proposal is its possible socio-economic impacts.
Moab was impacted like carzy during the 1950's when it grew from 1,080 to 6,000 in less than a year. Socio-economic impacts were here aplenty, but we managed to cope. The bottom line is this; Moab is a heck of a lot better town in every respect today than it was before the uranium boom, whether Robert Redford, Mayor Wilson and Stew Udall want to believe it or not. —Sam Taylor.
AIRPORT HANGAR LEASES APPROVED;
Airport hangar lease agreements were approved for; Pete & Arvid Black for Blanding hangar #14
Roy Johnson for Blanding hangar #4 R. Dean Benedict for Blanding hangar #3 Clint Howell for Blanding hangar #9 Scenic Aviation for Blanding hangars #1 & #13 Canyonlands Dairy for Monticello hangar #4
Commissioner Low reported that the beacon light at the Monticello Airport was on at 11:30 p.m. September 30th, and no lights were on the wind sock.
BEER LICENSE RENEWED FOR LA SAL STORE;
Upon the motion of Commissioner Low and the second of Commissioner Black, it was unanimously voted to approve the renewal of the Beer License for the LaSal Store, LaSal, Utah. The license was signed by Commissioner Black.
BRUCE SHUMWAY REPORTS ON SOCIAL SERVICES;
Social Serivce Director, Bruce Shumway, reported to the Commission that the 3rd priority on the list of Building Priorities for the State Department of Social Services for legislative consideration will be site acquisition for a regional secure facility for adults in Southern Utah. The decision for locating the facility will be made within the next 4-5 months. San Juan,Beaver, and Millard counties have expressed an interest in the facility.
Mr. Shumway wanted to make the Commissioners aware that the State's committee will recommend to the Legislature that the Mental Health and Aging programs be administered by the counties.
NUCLEAR WASTE INFORMATION OFFICE NOT TO BE BILLED FOR COPIES;
The Commission agreed that because the State's nuclear waste information office in the Monticello courthouse is performing a service for the county, that the county will not charge the office for the few copies it has made on the courthouse copy machine.
INITIATIVE PETITION VOTER PAMPHLET;
The Commission reviewed the 300-word argument for the ordinance proposed by initiative petition, authored by Mark Peterson and Bruce Terry. The County Attorney, Bruce Halliday, was present to advise the Commission oh the 300-word argument against the ordinance proposed by initiative petition. The Attorney also reviewed the laws concerning the mailing of the pamphlet containing the arguments for and against the initiative to each registered voter in the county. It was felt that it would be in accordance with the laws to mail the pamphlet at bulk rates addressed to "Postal Patron."
Social Service Director, Bruce Shumway, was present and advised the commission on the relationship of alcohol to some social problems. Having delt with problem -drinkers, Mr. Shumway stated that he had not found any type of legislation that has helped solve their problems. He stated that the State Social Services is moving toward establishment of alcohol prevention programs in the schools and community.
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Mr. Mark Peterson called to request that the ballot contain a pictorial portion to illustrate "For" and "Against" for the initiative. This could not be done as the wording - for the ballot had been submitted to the printers and the Commission also felt that it did not want to set this kind of precedent.
Working together, Burce Halliday, Carl Eisemann, Robert Low and Calvin Black prepared the argument against the ordinance proposed by initiative petition for the voter pamphlet.
BILLS PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL AND PAYMENT:
First Security Bank Of Utah Federal Tax Withholding 14,352.40
San Juan County Road Dept. Petty Cash 99.10
J.B. Grain & Bean Company Poison Pellets ' 800.00
Joseph Barnett Tool Allowance 25.00
Robert Bryan Tool Allowance 25.00
Oley Black Tool Allowance 25.00
Wheeler Machinery Company Caterpillar 130G Motor Grader (and Wing) 115,433.00
Clytie Barber Travel 195.00
First Security Bank Of Utah Atlas-Civil 4216 TCD 641,919.72
San Juan County Justice Of Peace Petty Cash 60.00
John Baker Travel 50.22
Bancroft-Whitney Company Books, 279.00
Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. Books 79.50
Alvin Black Travel 90.00
Blanding Mercantile Company Rubber Gloves 3.98
Cleal Bradford Attending Meeting with UDIA 412.00
Nancy Bradford Coding & compiling the Economic & labor
Profile for San Juan County 191.55
Caun-Co.,, Inc. Supplies 1,027.84
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Gasoline 96.54
City Of Monticello Utility 184.00
Colonial Life & Accident Ins. Co. Insurance 109.80
The Copy Shop, Inc. Signature Stamp and Supplies 176.02
Mike Crittenden Weed Control 150.00
Carl Eisemann Meeting in Mancos and Salt Lake 174.76
The Flower Shop Flowers for Queen Contest 23.05
Garrett Freightlines, Inc. Freight 25.25
Al Haskins Travel 172.92
W.S. Hatch Company Asphalt etc. 3,198.29
Hogie's Restaurant Luncheon for Fair Judges, and Senior Citizens 299.95
The Home Store Building Materials 27.24
Modern Display Fair Supplies San Juan County Fair 384.68
Monticello Mercantile Company Supplies 93.10
Montella's Repair Welding 21.50
Harold Mosley Weed Control 90.00
Motor Parts Pro Mart Home Center Supplies 1,513.99
Northern Electric Fixture 82.00
J.B. Grain & Bean Company 18' gate for Fairgrounds 210.10
George Kensley Standby Warden for Sept.1982 40.00
Wilbur Laws Weed Control 150.00
Lyman and Thompson 70 copies San Juan Development Board 7.00
Redex, Inc. Freight 83.05
San Juan County Raod Dept. Gasoline 33.71
The San Juan Record Supplies 100.00
John Scorup Weed Control 150.00
Southeastern Public Service Co. Freight 31.03
State Tax Commission Of Utah State Tax Withholding for September 3,732.00
J.J. Steffens Janitor work 160.00
Bill Todacheenie Reimbursement for Repairs to Bus 14.00
TraveLodge Travel 78.00
USU Extension Service Supplies etc. 84.82
Utah Gas Service Company Utility 275.37
Utah Navajo Industries San Juan Fair Cover 175.00
Utah Power & Light Company Utility 45.34
Utah State Library Service on the Bookmobile 11,577.00
Utah State Retirement Fund Dist.Clr.& Judges Retirement 21,627.57
Utah State Social Security Agency Contributions for September 16,988.37
Western Auto Supplies 39.31
Continental Tel Co Of The West Telephone Charges 1,200.46
Empire Electric Association, Inc. Utility 2,110.73
There being no further business for this day, the meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Calvin Black, Chairman Mary Jane Phillips, deputy clerk