Plutes create Halloween carnival display See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT S T C BULLETIN S THURSDAY October 10, 2019 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 126 No. 38 $1.00 School bond hearing draws one speaker School board called out by bond opponent for ‘lack of planning’ TIM GILLIE not been a budget in place. EDITOR There’s been no research done The first time there was one, on the cost of what you’re and the last time there was doing. No mention of the fact one. that we’re going to have to The Tooele County School redo new bonds as soon as this District held a public hearing one is expired.” on its bond proposal during Brown claimed some of the the school board’s regular information about the bond meeting Tuesday night at the has been misleading. school district office in Tooele “It’s not being told to the City. public that you can increase Just one person spoke at the tax rate to pay it off faster,” the public hearing. She was she said. opposed to the bond. Only one The district does need new person spoke at a Sept. 10 pub- schools, but it needs to plan A truck sized hiring banner is parked at Walmart’s Distribution Center in Grantsville Wednesday afternoon. lic hearing on the bond. She better and build bigger schools, was in favor of it. according to Brown. “My concern with your bond “I agree we need the is the lack of planning that schools,” Brown said. “We Jobs up and joblessness down has gone into it,” said Mandy need bigger schools for a bet- Brown, Tooele, during Tuesday night’s public hearing. “There’s SEE BOND PAGE A6 ® in Tooele County, report says ‘Overall, the picture of Tooele County economy is positive’ Tooele County PHOTOS SUE BUTTERFIELD TIM GILLIE ended water year EDITOR The number of jobs available in Tooele County grew in August 2019 and the unemployment rate dropped, according to preliminary state data. ahead of normal The 1.7% increase in jobs in the county for the month followed the statewide trend of a 3% increase in non- farm jobs statewide. “The Utah economy continues functioning as a strong Snowpack was ‘fantastic’ in 2019, societal support,” said Mark Knold, senior economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “Job says state snow supervisor growth remains as one of the nations’ best, and that growth’s scope is extensive across the industrial spec- trum. One of the few areas not increasing employment is TIM GILLIE Averaged together, SNOTEL brick-and-mortar retail establishments due to the rise of EDITOR sites in the Tooele Valley- e-commerce.” While the National Weather Vernon Creek Basin ended the Service’s current forecast for 2019 water year at 126% of Tooele County includes a hard the normal annual precipita- SEE JOBS PAGE A6 ® freeze warning with the sea- tion, according to SNOTEL son’s first snow, the Utah Snow reports from the USDA’s Survey Office reported that the National Resources and state and county both ended Conservation Service. the 2019 water year on a good SNOTEL reports include note. data from three sites in the “The 2019 water year Tooele Valley-Vernon Creek ended on September 30,” said Basin: the Mining Fork site in Jordan Clayton, Utah Snow South Willow Fork, the Rocky Survey supervisor. “Despite the Basin - Settlement Canyon site, relatively dry summer, it was a and the Vernon Creek site. good year.” The 2019 snowpack in Statewide, the water year Utah was also above average, ended with an average total according to Clayton. precipitation in Utah of 39.1 Statewide, the 2019 snow- The Villa Motel sign (above) advertised help wanted on inches, roughly 122% of nor- Main Street in Tooele. A post card (right) announcing jobs mal, according to Clayton. SEE WATER PAGE A7 ® is available in the lobby of the Tooele Post Office. Police investigate counterfeit money at Tooele Walmart DEVAN GOWANS Walmart. they were using counterfeit investigations officer hands bills. All counterfeit money is Counterfeit bills are then STAFF WRITER TCPD made the community money, said Detective Ross over the bills to the evidence passed over to the evidence reported to the Salt Lake office The Tooele City Police notice Monday via social media Mableson. department when handling department where we attempt of the U.S. Secret Service, Department sought help from on its official Facebook page. “Individuals who use or pass counterfeit money. to track similar bills by using which also handle investiga- the public to help identify two The customers recognized counterfeit currency are noti- “The bill retrieved in this the serial numbers printed on tions into cases of counterfeit customers seen in security themselves in the photos and fied usually in an interview case was a $10 bill,” Mableson the bill.” money. photos who were believed to went to Tooele police for ques- at the police department,” he said. “It’s rare to see counter- The $10 bill is currently in If a person is successfully have information about coun- tioning where it was deter- said. feit bills valued that low. We evidence storage at the police terfeit money used at Tooele’s mined that they were unaware As per TCPD procedure, an usually see $20, $50 and $100 department, Mableson said. SEE MONEY PAGE A7 ® INSIDE BULLETIN BOARD B5 CLASSIFIEDS B8 NTFD holds GHS state Tooele HOMETOWN B1 open house tennis preview volleyball hangs OBITUARIES A8 See A2 See A10 tough SPORTS A10 See A10 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN THURSDAY October 10, 2019 Planning Commission OKs update to moderate income housing element Update is to make sure Tooele City’s General Plan complies with SB 34 DEVAN GOWANS ing with transportation access to incorporate not only three STAFF WRITER and employment centers,” of these, but seven of them,” The Tooele City Planning Aagard said. he said. “Seven of which we Commission on Wednesday “Second, requires that all are already actually doing so approved an update to the cities now must choose from the city is in good shape in moderate income housing a list of 23 moderate income regards to this requirement.” element of the Tooele City housing planning strate- Aagard listed the seven General Plan. gies and implement at least strategies the city is currently The proposal was made three of these strategies in implementing, which include: by the commission to ensure their moderate income hous- rezoning for densities neces- the city’s General Plan is in ing plans,” he said. “Third, sary to assure the production DEVAN GOWANS/TTB PHOTO compliance with Utah Senate requires 82 cities to adopt a of moderate income housing, Tony F. Graf, the Tooele City Planning Commission chair, convenes with Andrew Aagard, the Tooele City planning and zoning administrator, over the Moderate Income Housing Element of the Tooele City General Plan during a Bill 34: Affordable Housing moderate income housing encouraging higher density meeting at Tooele City Hall, Wednesday, Oct. 9. Modifications, which was plan. Tooele is one of those 82 or moderate income residen- passed in February 2019 and cities. Four requires an annual tial development near major rehabilitation or expansion Aagard said the plan dation to the Tooele City addressed a statewide concern report on housing plan imple- transit and investment cor- of infrastructure that will remains largely unchanged Council. of moderate-income homes. mentation in 2020.” ridors, creating or allowing for encourage the construction regarding housing and income Following approval of the Tooele City planner and The amendment to the reduced regulations related to of moderate income housing, statistics as not enough infor- plan by the City Council, zoning administrator Andrew city’s General Plan addresses Accessory Dwelling Units in and considering general fund mation was available to war- it will be sent to the Utah Aagard presented the update the second criterion of choos- residential zones, and apply- subsidies or other sources of rant changing it at the time, Department of Workforce proposal to the commission. ing from a list of 23 moderate ing for or partnering with an revenue to waive construction considering the upcoming Services detailing the city’s “The update requires cities income housing planning entity that applies for State or related fees that are otherwise 2020 U.S. Census. compliance with SB34 and to meet the following criteria: strategies and implementing Federal funds or tax incentives generally imposed by the city The planning commission posted on the Tooele City web- The first is to plan for housing at least three of them, Aagard to promote the construction of and reducing impact fees unanimously approved the site, tooelecity.org, for public for residents of all income lev- said. moderate income housing. related to low and moderate amendment, moving forward viewing, Aagard said. els and coordinate that hous- “Our plan is being amended Also, facilitating the income housing. with a positive recommen- [email protected] Tooele approves preliminary plans for townhomes DEVAN GOWANS STAFF WRITER ing three, five and six town- The Tooele City Planning homes. Commission approved a pre- According to Tooele City liminary plan and site plan code, the purpose of MR-16 design review for a proposed residential zoning is to provide new subdivision Wednesday at an environment and oppor- City Hall. tunities for high density resi- Tooele City planner and dential uses, including single zoning administrator Andrew family detached and attached Aagard presented the plans for residential units, apartments, the proposed multi-residential condominiums and town- subdivision called Mountain houses. Valley Townhomes. Multi-family residential The proposed townhouse developments are required by subdivision plan, submitted by Tooele City Code 7-11a to have Matt Carter of Mountain Valley amenities in the common area, Townhomes LLC, outlined a Aagard said.