By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Tom Newell told the Mona City Council that his two sons were no longer interested in building in Mona and informed the council that, in his opinion, the council had lost money which would have helped build a culinary line in the west area of the community.
Two weeks ago, the council determined that they could not afford to participate in the project at this time.
"When the lines are upgraded, is it the city's obligation to do that?" asked Newell.
Will the city have to, at their expense, build a loop line? he asked.
When the master plan for the culinary system is referred to, said Jeff Hearty, council member, it is a guideline as to when projects are done. It was in the five to 10-year plan.
Newell also handed the council two bids, which his wife retrieved at the end of the meeting, that were much lower than the $90,000 that the city had estimated it would cost to engineer the water line build.
"You finally beat us into the ground," said Newell. "We are not arguing with you."
He said he just wanted the city to understand that the city would have benefited $30,000 in water that would have come from his shares but now would not.
The couple also felt that their sons, Josh and Jeremy Newell, had been "clobbered" in the paper. In addition, they thought that some involved with the city were uncooperative and had put roadblocks in the road of the plan for the two Newell sons to build in the community.
"The boys decided to build in Nephi City," said Tom Newell. "I'm old and I wanted to see my sons living in Mona."
The Newell sons have been trying to get permission to build two homes on the acreage given them by their father, Tom. That land has special significance to the Newell sons since it belonged to their grandfather and has been in the family for generations.
Hearty was assigned to come up with an MOA with the Newells. Before doing so, he contacted Jesse Ralphs, engineer with Sunrise Engineering, the company that did the culinary water master plan for the city.
"Jesse estimated that it would cost $50,000, at a minimum, just for materials to run the line," said Hearty. "The engineering could be at least 10 percent of the construction costs. In addition, a fire hydrant was needed."
One of the lines coming into the proposed area is only a 4-inch line. An 8-inch line is needed. In addition, there was not a loop but a dead-end at the Newell property.
Hearty said that the issue of the water line making a loop was also important.
"We are willing to help pay for the line," Josh Newell told the council a month ago. "We thought we would be helping the city on a 45/55 percent split. We would be a team."
The young men had put out personal money on plans and had been moving forward on the idea that the line would be put in on the 45/55 percent of costs split.
"You have got to get the line to the Stringham property," said T. Newell.
That would need to happen at some point. He said that his sons wanted to work with the city and, in time, the area where the proposed building homes would have developed.
Hearty said that any offer made to benefit the Newell family would need to be offered to any other person or family who then came to the city. Anyone who came after such a deal would also be entitled to the same benefits.
The city currently expects developers to take on the entire cost of all infrastructure.
There is a plan to replace the old water lines in the city and that will be done as the costs can be worked into the budget. First on the master plan is that those internal city lines will be updated.
"I understand that we are becoming a city," said T. Newell. "They (his sons) wanted to work with the city and they wanted to build their homes in Mona."
He had always enjoyed living in Mona himself, he said, and wanted his sons to be part of the community he had loved.
However, he felt that they had been thwarted on every desire.
He had another question, he said. What was the city going to do about the old trees on the city's side of the property where the Newell sons were going to build? He said his sons had planned to do that cleanup but now would not be performing that service for the city.
It was now the city's problem.
The trees were on city property and they would have to be cleaned up by the city. However, the next time the city has trees removed, the list is full. The project will need to be taken care of later when the tree removal people come to the city again.
Jeff Smith, council member, said that the tree removal situation will be assessed and plans will be made to clean up the area.
"We are not here to argue," said T. Newell. "We just wanted you to know how we felt."
