By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The mayor of Mona has been quiet as Josh and Jeremy Newell have repeatedly attended city council meeting seeking some way for culinary water to be brought to their property in west Mona.
Though their father, Tom, had told the council that the family was giving up on the plan to split development costs with the city on a 40/60 percent split in getting the water to their properties, the two Newell brothers were back at council meeting on Tuesday. They still want to build on property that once belonged to their grandfather.
"I've kept my mouth shut," said Greg Newton, mayor. "In my opinion, we have not been very fair."
The old families, which includes Newton's family, the Newells, Jeff Smith, council member, and many others, paid for the original infrastructure of the town. For more than 150 years, they had built the town from the untamed territory it was until what it was currently.
"The old families put in the infrastructure," he said. "New residents have moved in and taken advantage of the work done by those original families."
The city history began with 30 families, said Newton, and now they have descendants who want to live in the same community. Those old families had paid to put the infrastructures there in the ground.
"I think they have paid their dues," he said. "A lot of others have come in and taken advantage of what was done. That's not fair to the old families."
Newcomers had, said Jeff Hearty, council member, paid impact fees. At first, there were no impact fees charged but there were currently and had been for some time.
An impact fee is imposed by a local government within the United States on a new or proposed development project to pay for all or a portion of the costs of providing public services to the new development. Impact fees are considered to be a charge on new development to help fund and pay for the construction or needed expansion of off-site capital improvements. These fees are usually implemented to help reduce the economic burden on local jurisdictions that are trying to deal with population growth within the area.
Jeremy Newell said he thought the city should step up and put the water line into the Newell property. The line is part of the city's 10 year plan. He thought the city should hurry into their 10 year improvement plan earlier than they had planned.
"I don't think I should pay for your 10 year plan," said J. Newell.
He questioned what had been done to help the Park's service station/convenience store.
"That was a completely different ball game," said Molli Graham, council member.
Katrina Long, council member, asked if it would be possible to build the new line from the existing connection and then connect the water pipe along the way with the many different sizes of water pipe in the ground.
In one area, the pipe is four inches, in another it is six inches.
She wondered if that would not require more extensive ground work so that all the delivery pipes would match up.
"We could upgrade the eight-inch pipe from the east where the pipe connects," said Hearty. "That should have enough grade."
Newell said that the new bid which was submitted by Troy Painter was much less expensive than the test bid submitted to the city by another contractor.
Hearty said that the pipe needed from 200 West to Mike Stringer's home was 1,000 linear feet. It was estimated that it would cost $15,000 to take the pipe just that distance. Going down and around Stringer's property would be closer to 1,100 linear feet and would cost approximately $20,000.
The new addition to the line was in the 10-year plan, said Newell. The city would need to update the water delivery line within that period of time and would need to use the 8-inch pipe rather than the smaller pipe which had been used in other places.
Eventually, the plan calls for all the pipe that is undersized to be upgraded.
"We just want you to do it quicker," said Newell.
Newton said that the Newells could pick up the pioneering fee for those who might connect to the line after it was in the ground. Any persons coming later and who wanted to connect on the line would pay a certain portion of the cost of the construction.
"A pioneering fee lasts for 10-years but the percentage you would be paid would go down each year," said Newton.
J. Newell said that Painter was doing them a favor in the price he had bid.
He said that the two brothers would get the project engineering.
Newton said that Union Pacific Railroad had not responded, as yet, to the request to allow an easement along the tracks on the west of town in order for the line to run alongside the railroad's easement.
Lynn Ingram, planning commission chairman, said that he was told that the railroad handles 250 crossing requests every week.
"I would still like to see a proposal on paper," said Hearty. "It will protect both you and the city. We can add a clause about pioneering rights."
"I agree that it should be in black and white," said Newton.
Ingram said that he knew that the Newells had a sister who was very good with computers and could easily help them write up an agreement. That agreement would then be sent, via email, to Hearty. He would put that together with the city's part and would have it ready in two weeks.
Newton said the Newells have been working on this project for more than two years.
