By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Mona’s application for a CIB grant in order to prepare and implement a city general plan has been submitted and is on the June funding cycle. CIB is a very important source of funding frequently utilized by eligible entities in Utah to implement capital improvements projects. The funding comes through what is known officially as the “Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund Board” but is more commonly referred to as CIB. Jeff Hearty, city council member, has been working with the Six County Association of Governments in getting the application on the CIB list. “We will need to put together a tiered water rate,” said Hearty. Jonathan Jones, city council member, said that it was a state law that all cities have tiered water rates. In the 2016 General Session, the Utah State Legislature passed the “Water System Conservation Pricing” bill which requires all retail water providers, including all cities, to establish an increasing rate structure for culinary water. Tiered water pricing is a critical tool used by water utilities to incentivize conservation. Tiered water rates must meet both conservation and utility revenue objectives. In order for Mona City to apply for grants, loans or bonding to help with city needs, the city must have an updated general plan. The one in place is no longer acceptable because it is several decades old and state requirements have changed since it was implemented. A general plan is a comprehensive, long-range plan for present and future needs of the municipality for growth and development of land within the municipality. It serves as an advisory guide for land use and the compass or planning tool for the community and is covered by Utah Code Section 10-9a-401. According to the state code, every municipality must have a general plan and it must include land use, transportation and traffic circulation, and moderate income housing. The land use element must designate goals, extent, distribution and location of land for housing, business, industry, agriculture, recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, open space and other categories as needed. “We have three bids,” said Katrina Long, city council member. Those bids were generated during the past year but none have been acted upon. “We don’t have to go back out for bids,” said Bill Mills, mayor. “I checked and found out that the bids can still be used.” However, the city should go back to the bidders and see if they wanted to stay with the bids they submitted earlier. Nevertheless, those early bidders probably would not be interested in bidding again because the lowest bid to come in was much lower than the others. “The last bid was less than half what the others had bid,” said Hearty. A candidate for the Brigham Young University Master of Public Administration is still willing to take the project on. An MPA degree is designed for individuals passionate about devoting their careers to service. Whether the goal is to become a city manager, lead a nonprofit organization, work in federal government, be a change agent in healthcare or educational institutions, or analyze and develop public policy, the MPA program will prepare students to improve the lives of people and communities. The candidate would use the project of developing a general plan for the city as his graduate project. “We are asking CIB for money to do the general plan,” said Mills, “so that we will be eligible for other grant money.” Hearty thanked Michelle Dalton, city secretary and treasurer, and Sara Samuelson, planning commission secretary, for their help in gathering necessary data.
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