By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Mona Town Board still, after years and years' worth of
discussion, knows what to do about a standpipe the city owns
which ranchers use to fill water trucks for their
cattle--tear it out.
City council members were discussing a new fee schedule
to be put into place for the coming year. In the past, a
standpipe key cost $35 for a resident of Mona, $60 for a
non-resident, and $10, of either fee, was refunded when the
key was returned to the city.
"What are we going to do about the standpipe?" asked
Darlene Fowkes, council member.
Mayor Bryce Lynn informed the council that he was tired
of discussing the same item over and over, month after
month, with no resolution being proposed.
"Make a motion, let's vote, and let it be settled once
and for all," said Lynn.
At that point, Fowkes did make a motion to shut the
standpipe down and council member, Glenda Buchanan, seconded
the motion.
The vote, however, was split three to two in favor of the
action.
Rick Schnurr, Buchanan, and Fowkes all voted in favor of
terminating service via the standpipe.
Doran Kay and Lynn voted in favor of keeping the
standpipe.
"There will be heck to pay," said Kay. "This will not be
a popular decision." He said Mona was still an agricultural
area and predicted that ranchers would not like having the
standpipe removed.
Mayor Lynn said he did not think the decision to do away
with the standpipe was the best solution. "I agree with
Doran (Kay)."
Fowkes said she has favored doing away with the standpipe
for several reasons. One of those reasons is that she
doesn't think cattle should use culinary water. This is
especially true since the city, in the recent past, has had
water-shortage problems and had imposed a moratorium on
building until the water supply could be increased.
Another is that the standpipe fee does not pay for upkeep
and over usage. Keys are a problem, as well, with some keys
being passed around rather than for the several individuals
who use it coming in to purchase a key of their own.
Some keys are not turned in.
The standpipe has just recently been metered, and is
still not metered on an individual basis.
She reminded the council that she had told them the city
council was vulnerable where the standpipe was concerned. It
had been discussed at previous meetings that anyone wanting
water could come into the city and pay the fee for a key and
then use as much water as they wanted.
For example, if a company wanted to purchase a key, the
city could not stop them because the council has not written
the language into ordinance or has not designated that to
have a key the water-user must be a towns-person.
Therefore, anyone may go to the standpipe with a paid-for
key and a water tanker. "What they do with the water,
after-the-fact, is no longer our business," said Fowkes.
"They could sell it for a big profit and we couldn't do
anything about it."
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