By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Nephi City Council members voted to adopt a resolution
authorizing the city to condemn property in order to allow
the airport expansion project.
All the property is within the proposed airport expansion
project boundaries.
The airport project has been boiling on the front burner
of the list of city council proposed projects for the past
two years, or more. Several meetings have been held during
the process to determine which lands were critical to the
project and to gather public emotions and input from land
owners.
"The object of the city is," said Chad Brough, mayor, "to
see that property owners receive fair compensation for the
land required for the project."
He said the action would make several options available
to the city and to those who are seeking fair compensation
for the property they own. "This action will make available
several options for an impartial determination of what that
fair compensation is."
Council member, Darin Peterson, has objected to the idea
that obtaining privately-owned property for city projects
through the condemnation process is in the best interest of
the majority of residents.
"I just don't like it," said Peterson. "I don't think
that is the right action to take." He said he intended to
vote against allowing the purchase of property by
condemnation and he did.
Peterson was the only member to vote negatively against
the resolution.
"The resolution authorizes Nephi City to follow state law
in using the condemnation process to acquire the property in
order to meet the goal of giving fair compensation for the
needed property," said Brough.
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