Boy Scout Trent Wilkenson led the Price City Council in the Pledge of Allegiance to open the regular meeting of the council Wednesday.
After council committee reports, a public meeting was held to explain the two pending Community Impact Board (CIB) grant requests that will be up for consideration on April 3. Community Director Nick Tatton said that both of these projects had been discussed in previous public meetings concerning CIB funding, but this would clarify the city’s position on what could be done if they did not get a grant, but were offered the funding as a loan instead.
The first and most critical project entails the removal of the underground gas storage tanks at the Price City Domes complex in west Price. Because the city now uses a system of gas cards and do not fill up city vehicles at the domes anymore, they are required to be removed.
The city asked for an extension so they could seek funding for the removal through the CIB process. This was granted. Tatton said there are no leakage or contamination issues, it is just a federal requirement to remove them. The entire project will cost approximately $80,000.
The project will have to be completed even if Price City receives the funding as a loan rather than a grant, but a cost recovery fee would have to be implemented to pay for it. Tatton feels positive about the chances of getting the funding as a grant.
The second project is work that needs to be done on phase one of the 1900 East road project. The city has secured over $1.4 million in matching funds from U-DOT and RDA (Rural Development Area) funds. The city needs $200,000 as a CIB grant. There is no money in the class B roads fund budget to pay for a loan. It was recommended against any tax increases for loan repayment. If the city does not get the grant, then the project will be put on hold and the matching funds would be forfeited.
Tatton said that he was always available to answer any questions about the CIB process or the projects and anyone wanting more information can contact him at (435) 636-3184 .There was no public input and the public meeting was closed.
Sherrie Gordon and Darryl Horspool were sworn in as new members of the Community Progress Board. Gordon grew up in the area and is the daughter of the late Corky Nichols. She has worked with Pacific Corp and for the State of Utah and has recently moved back to the area.
Horspool is new to the Price area. He took the store manager position at Smith’s Food and Drug 10 months ago and wants to become active in the community. He sees his involvement as a way to also get the store employees more involved in community activities.
In other business, water levels at Scofield remain well below normal, but the water content in the snow pack is good. City Engineer Gary Sonntag warns that even with the good water content, the reservoir may not fill as much as needed. He recommends an active media campaign to have local residents thinking about good water conservation habits.