By Sandra Mangelson
Times-News Correspondent
The question of annexation raised its ugly head again at
the Levan Town Council meeting held on July 12, 2000. The
complex question of using metered town water to water stock
in the county was brought before the council also.
Mayor Robinson said he was approached by Marv Roberts.
Roberts owns the property north of Craig Bryan along the
county lane. He has 62 feet within the Town limits and wants
80 feet annexed so he could build a home 62 feet from his
property line.
In the opinion poll taken in November 1999, residents of
Levan were overwhelmingly against annexation.
Alden Shurtz said that this is a little different
situation than annexing two blocks. Heber Taylor said, "It's
still annexation and you are opening the door for continued
annexation."
Shurtz said, "We have had annexation already though."
"But you want to stop it." Taylor said. "You can drive
around town and you can see where you could double or triple
the population with the vacant lots that are already in
town. You can't regulate that kind of growth. If you start
annexing, somewhere down the line you are going to get in
the position where you can't support what you have."
Mayor Robinson said our only issue is basically water,
and he informed Roberts that if there was any annexing in
the future it would probably be to the tune of a share of
water for each acre.
Taylor said he had lived in Levan longer than "you guys
and a share of water doesn't mean anything in Levan. In some
places a share of water is so many gallons. Here a share of
water is IF we have any water."
The council felt that if they annex for one, then you
must do it for others.
Roberts also asked if he built his home partly in the
town limits and partly out of the town limits could he run
town water to it from his meter that is in the town
limits.
Mayor Robinson said he would report to Roberts that the
Council was against annexation, but if he built enough of
his home in town limits we might grant a variance on the
frontage and if the home was in town limits proper we might
let him have some water.
Heber Taylor questioned the council on several statements
that were made during the discussion about the Roberts
request. Taylor wanted to know if the people who are
building on the edge of town and have animal rights are
running town water into the county to water them. Alden
Shurtz said usually we try to keep our water hookups in the
town. Taylor said, "You shouldn't try, you should do
it."
Tim Larsen asked if it might be better to talk about his
request next month. Larsen asked for approval to run a water
line from his meter through the bottom of Brent Taylor's
property to water his cattle in the county. Larsen said,
"I'm paying for Town water and using Town water anyway." He
has an agreement with Brent Taylor. He pulls a tank in his
backyard and fills it, then he takes the tank to his
cattle.
The Mayor asked this question to the council, "If a guy
had a meter inside town limits and had a garden hose running
out of town limits and was going into a water trough, would
we have an issue with it? Having made that comment, I would
suggest that you treat it like a water hose. If you want to
buy an expensive plastic water hose and put it underground,
I wouldn't put a valve on it, I would still connect it to
your hydrant with the hose, so that it could legitimately be
called just a nice expensive water hose and you could
disconnect it real easy but you would have a nice water hose
running down there. What I'm saying, it's connected to a
plastic pipe underground with the rubber hose, so it's not a
permanent valve installation."
Someone said, "So you can haul it in a tank or get out of
a hose." Alden Shurtz said, "It's all the same water."
Larsen said the suggestion was asinine, because of
freezing in the winter.
Mayor Robinson said, "We are trying to get off of
permanent and more of a hose so that we don't get somebody
that says I'm just a quarter of a mile out there.
Sandy Brooks said they were told they could not do that
on their son's property.
The Mayor said that if the property were ever sold,
Larsen would have to be responsible to disconnect the
line.
A discussion followed on whether is was using irrigation
water or town water in this situation.
Craig Worwood will get a legal opinion and report
back.
•A question was raised about some property owned by
the Town. It was advertised as up for bid, but no one bid on
the property. Heber Taylor said it had been originally
purchased to use if the Town ever put in a sewer system.
Taylor said the property is an eyesore and something needs
to be done with it. The Mayor said he would re-post the
property for bid.
Bill Cusick told of the problems that Fredonia, Arizona,
was having with the sewer system put in by a particular
engineering company. Cusick suggested the council talk to
other small towns about their sewer systems before they put
one in using this company.
The Mayor said we are not going to have to put one in for
several years. Worwood said that Sunrise Engineering only
did a study and the reason it was done was because the State
would pay for the study. The report of this study is being
put together.
•Graham Misbach suggested that the clock on the west
wall of the council chambers be moved and a white board or a
chalk board be installed so that drawings could be made for
all to see when discussions were held about roads and
boundaries, etc. The Mayor put that on his to do list.
•Craig Worwood reported that Kay Carroll is going to
get some information for a Veteran's Memorial at the
cemetery.
Worwood had applied for a grant for the park but it was
denied because the amount was too small. A new application
will be sent next spring
•Ryan Aagard said people were parking in front of
the town shed on main street and there needs to be a no
parking sign installed.
•The Town is preparing a list of surplus and unused
items that are going up for sale. Bids will be taken on each
item.
•Building permits were approved for Rod Wankier for
a carport and porch, for Ryan Aagard for a for a garage.
Nathan Oliver had applied for a building permit, but was
advised that he needed a plot map with set backs before it
could be approved.
•Setbacks for living space and for garages were
discussed. It was felt that it should be uniform for both at
30 feet. The Planning and Zoning Committee will discuss this
at their next meeting and probably have a public hearing on
the subject
•The date for the next meeting will be August 16,
2000.
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