By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Tempers flared slightly when Juab County Commissioners
conducted a meeting to appoint a board for the special
service district created to provide fire protection in Juab
County.
Commissioners and fire district board members met
following the hearing and ratified the budget for the fire
district and agreed, since the board currently serving was
only temporary, to cover the appointment of a permanent
board by commission action.
In November, voters approved the fire district and
gave permission to the commission to raise property taxes in
order to fund the district by a three to one vote in
favor.
It was the make-up of the board that had tempers high
at the Thursday evening public hearing. The 11-member board
is comprised of one member from each community, and from
three to seven members at large.
Three of the board members will be county
commissioners at the discretion of the commissioners.
Chad Brough, Nephi City Mayor, brought the problem to
a head when he asked why the board had to be set up the way
it was proposed.
"I sit on the UMPA (Utah Municipal Power Association)
board and we have a six member board. We also have a
technical committee which provide help for the board when
there are concerns&emdash;legal advice, technical
advice."
Board members serving at present are Chelom Leavitt,
attorney; Neil Cook, Nephi; Jim Maxwell, Nephi; Brett
Ostler, Nephi fire chief; Eugene Poulsen, Eureka fire chief;
Bruce Rowley, Levan fire chief; Kendall West, Rocky Ridge
fire chief; and John Sutherland, Mona fire chief. Sutherland
was the only member of the board not present at the
meeting.
The board is designed for a county special service
district along strict guidelines set by the state, said
David Leavitt, county attorney. The board had to have no
more than one member per community and had to have other
members appointed from the area in general.
In this instance, more members do come from Nephi.
However, said Robert Steele, commissioner, that was
fair.
Rocky Ridge has a population of 298, Levan a
population of 595, Eureka a population of 670, Mona a
population of 952, and Nephi City a population of 4,635.
Basing board make-up on population would result in
each of the communities having one representative from each
community except for Nephi. That community would qualify for
six members.
"We don't even have a representative for the West
Desert communities except for the commission," said Steele.
Of course, the commission should represent the smaller
communities of the county, he said.
"No one ought to impugn the impartiality of a board
that has never acted," said Leavitt. "The board has no track
record and it is unfair of anyone to denigrate the
competence of the board until such time as they do establish
a track record."
No one, to date, had received any money for serving on
the board. In the future no one would receive any recompense
for serving on the board. It was a volunteer board, as were
most boards.
At present the board is not a permanently-appointed
organization. It was designed to act until the permanent
board could be appointed. Nevertheless, there will be 11
members when the final board is approved.
The board was needed to draw up a budget and to begin
the process of getting the fire district underway. Until the
budget process is completed, no loans nor grants can be
applied for. First, before a tax can be legally levied, the
board must determine just how large a budget will be needed
to bring in the necessary funds. Only when the tax is
established can the board pledge funds (such as matching
funds) to obtain grants.
"We were working under time constraints," said Wm.
Boyd Howarth, commission chair. "We need to have a budget
designed by the first of January but will not get funds
until the end of 2001."
Brough said at heart of the budget issue were the
salaries proposed for the secretary/treasurer and for the
legal counsel.
"Are you (David Leavitt) being paid for the work you
are doing to set up the fire district?" asked Brough.
"I am volunteering my time for this as I have done for
the last three years. I have received no recompense for my
service, and frankly, it is offensive for you to suggest
that I might be taking money under the table," said Leavitt.
"I am not here for my personal gain."
As for the rumor that his friends were ending up as
members of the board, it was true that one of his friends
and his wife were on the board. They were not there, he
said, because of the relationship they had with him
(Leavitt).
"Neil Cook is a friend of mine, but David Leavitt did
not appoint the board," he said. "Neil (Cook) has good
credentials and has sat on an important state board for 10
years. Chelom (Leavitt) is my best friend and my wife. She
is a member of the bar, is an attorney and was wanted for
that reason."
Brough said there were also concerns about Mike Seely,
county administrator, receiving money for the work he had
done to set up the board and work on the budget.
If the work was done during county time, he said, then
the county shouldn't be paying Seely more money. If it
wasn't being paid for on his salary, and he was receiving
extra money, then the job should be put out for competitive
bid.
He did think Seely was highly capable and was not
questioning him on the grounds of competence, said
Brough.
"It is one thing to take your hat off to him with one
hand and quite another to punch him with the other hand at
the same time," said Leavitt. "I'm not certain Mike Seely
will want anything to do with the job after this."
Seely said he would like to respond. "I had
accumulated 120 hours in comp time in 1999," said Seely. "I
used my comp time to help sell and put together the fire
district."
In addition, he had put together an application for a
financial package from the Community Impact Board (CIB). A
request was made for a 30 percent low interest loan and a 70
percent grant to fund the fire district and help get it off
the ground.
Tax money will begin to flow after tax collections in
2001.
He had made it clear from the beginning, Seely said,
that he did not want the fire district job on a permanent
basis. He had quite enough work to do in his day job.
"The only vested interest I have is that the fire
district will make life safer for my family," said
Seely.
In the future, there was much work to be done. When
the money began to come into the coffers of the district,
someone would need to manage and keep track of it.
"It will take 60 and 70 hour work weeks to get the
fire district fully operational," said Seely. "I don't need
another full time job."
Steele said, while the subject of money was being
discussed, that it should be noted that the commission had
not raised taxes. The three commissioners had promised to
not raise taxes and they had not. The budget for the county
was actually reduced by $26,000.
"One thing all of you need to know," said Joseph
Bernini, commissioner, "is that the commission is weighted
in favor of the whole county. We are here to serve and are
in favor of everyone getting a fair shake from the fire
district."
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