Dalton finishes 20 consecutive St. George Marathons See B1 TOOELETRANSCRIPT S T C BULLETIN S TUESDAY November 27, 2018 www.TooeleOnline.com Vol. 125 No. 51 $1.00 County told to ‘tighten its belt’ instead of tax hike 17 citizens tell county commissioners to pursue other options than raising taxes again TIM GILLIE stop the 17 people who testi- STAFF WRITER fied at public hearing. All of Even though an actual prop- them opposed the tax hikes. erty tax rate can’t be set for Jeff McNeill, of unincorpo- almost nine months, state law rated Tooele County, suggested required the Tooele County that the net revenue from Commission to hold a public the sale of Utah Motorsports hearing on four different prop- Campus could be invested with erty tax increases last week. the interest used to cover the The county commission held cost of one of the tax increases. a public hearing on a proposed The property tax from UMC, 5 percent increase in the coun- now that it is privately owned ty general fund levy, the health and taxable, could be used Miss Tooele County Teen Kendall Redling is bundled up and ready to ride on the Miss Tooele County float. department fund levy, and to make up for the other tax the municipal services fund increases, McNeill also sug- levy, along with a 10 percent gested. 2018 GRANTSVILLE LIGHT PARADE & FESTIVITIES increase in the county’s assess- “That’s new growth that ing and collecting levy dur- wasn’t taxable last week, but PHOTOS FRANCIE AUFDEMORTE ing the commission’s Nov. 20 now it is,” he said. “Your prob- meeting at the Tooele County lem is solved by that little bit The community came together Building. of math. However, if you plan Saturday night to welcome Santa State truth-in-taxation laws on going down the road of Claus and the holiday season require government agencies, spending that money on some at Grantsville’s Christmas Light like most counties, that have ridiculous thing, then you’re Parade. a calendar year for their fiscal going down the road of spend- Now in its seventh year, the year to hold a public hearing ing your bonus money when light parade was founded in 2012. before they adopt a budget for the bonus money ought to go The Christmas Light Parade and the coming year if they might towards the future.” Santa Parade, another long-run- raise their property tax rate in Teresa McNeill, also from ning Grantsville tradition, were the coming year. unincorporated Tooele County, combined the following year. The tentative nature of the Citizens participate in the property tax increases didn’t SEE HIKE PAGE A7 ® parade by decorating vehicles, trailers or floats with Christmas lights and other festive decora- tions. The parade begins at City Hall and travels west down Main Street, ending at the Grantsville Fire Station. At the end of the parade, Santa was there to visit with the com- Erda developer munity’s children and treats were served. Members of the Shellie’s Dance wave from on top of their lighted float. worried public misunderstands his project plans Density, water, sewer, and traffic issues already addressed by county officials, White says TIM GILLIE successful at collecting enough STAFF WRITER Hazen Harrell (above) takes a long look at Santa signatures, all three of White’s before deciding on going back to dad in a hurry. With six petitions being cir- rezone requests will be put Kwade Anderson (left) gives Santa his Christmas list. culated around Tooele County on a ballot and voters will be that seek to give voters a given the opportunity to over- chance to overturn six different ride the county commission’s approved rezone requests, one approval. local developer is concerned Supporters of the petition that his projects may fall victim assert that a public vote on the to a campaign against high rezone requests is needed to density, additional water use, protect the county and its citi- county wastewater plans, and zens from changing the rural traffic congestion. character of Tooele County On Oct. 16, the Tooele and rapid growth in the county County Commission approved without the infrastructure in three rezone applications for place to serve that growth. three parcels in Erda submit- According to White, the ted by Joe White. The rezone county has already addressed approvals are the subject of the issues of housing den- three petitions, dubbed “Erda sity, water availability, sewer Kendellyn and Kinsley Betham (above) give Santa their Brothers 3,” by the petition service, and traffic concerns Christmas list. Miss Grantsville 2018 2nd attendant Halle sponsors. Cartwright (right) hands out cookies and hot cocoa at the If petition supporters are SEE PLANS PAGE A10 ® Grantsville Fire Station on Saturday night INSIDE BULLETIN BOARD B4 CLASSIFIEDS B6 Grantsville boys Public meetings Nativity scene HOMETOWN B1 win first home will focus on on display OBITUARIES A6 game sage grouse at Benson OPEN FORUM A4 See A8 See A3 Gristmill SPORTS A8 See A3 A2 TOOELE TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN TUESDAY November 27, 2018 Sewer, water project for Main Street on hold for winter STEVE HOWE fire hydrants, Marshall said. work in the spring is expected crews work on connections scheduled for completion project in March. STAFF WRITER Now, the project will be put on to be out to bid soon, with final with other lines and hydrants. prior to a Utah Department of Whitaker Construction of Construction on Grantsville’s ice until the weather improves, approval on the amount after a While work is halted on Transportation project to resur- Brigham City was selected for Main Street is on hold until with work expected to resume contractor is selected from the the project, the construction face the roadway in summer the first phase of the project, at next spring due to the weather, in March or April. list of qualified candidates. barrels on Main Street have 2019. a cost of $1.2 million. Whitaker according to Grantsville City Once work on the $8 million There will be four construc- been removed and asphalt has The Grantsville City Council Construction’s combined bid Mayor Brent Marshall. project begins again, the initial tion crews on the project in the been replaced, according to approved a contract for for construction on both phases During the construction focus will be on the sewer sys- spring, with two working on Marshall. A separate project $774,505 with Jones & DeMille of the project came in at $7.7 work this fall, more than 1,000 tem on the east side of the city, digging up and replacing the to replace a gas line on Race Engineering to provide engi- million. feet of new pipe have been especially on Durfee Street and city’s aging sewer and water Street is still finishing up. neering services on the city’s [email protected] installed, as well as a couple side streets, Marshall said. The lines, while the remaining The sewer and water is Main Street sewer and water Tooele RDA’s plan to sell 1000 N. property extended But groundbreaking still scheduled next spring for major commercial and retail development project DAVID BERN and some other project-related EDITOR concerns, the planned $4.2 The big retail development million sale of the 33-acre that has been talked about for property by the RDA to devel- years on the west side of Tooele oper M-53 Associates of Salt City Main Street near 1000 Lake City has been pushed back North is still moving forward to next month. with groundbreaking plans set On Nov. 7, the city’s RDA for next spring. — which is comprised of the Randy Sant, the city’s rede- city council and Mayor Debbie velopment agency consultant, Winn — approved Resolution told the city’s RDA last month 2018-07, which extends the and again on Nov. 7 that sev- due diligence period to Dec. 21 eral prospective tenants have with closing between the RDA FRANCIE AUFDEMORTE/TTB PHOTO signed letters of intent to lease and M-53 set for within 15 Tooele City’s Redevelopment Agency and developer M-53 have signed a sale extension to next month for the 33-acre property on the west side of Main Street near 1000 North because construction waste found buried at the site needs to be removed. A traffic study and site plan also need to be buildings associated with the days afterward. performed. M-53 has agreed to buy the property for $4.2 million from the RDA for commercial development. project. This is the second approved “I know I keep saying this extension since the RDA needed because approximately for the seller to be responsible letters of intent from several property for $5.1 million in every time you hear me, but announced plans last April to 40,000 cubic yards of construc- for such remediation work, but retailers. 2015 from Gilad Development we’ve made tremendous prog- sell the property to M-53 for tion waste was found buried on that concern is being discussed Meanwhile, work continues to assure the site — deemed a ress,” Sant told the RDA on Oct. commercial development. A the property in August during a between the RDA and M-53. to attract even more retailers prime commercial/retail loca- 17. “Except for the outpads, we real estate purchase contract geotechnical study. He said the extension was and restaurants for the overall tion in the city — wouldn’t be have letters of intent of tenants was signed between the RDA “We’re in the process of also granted because a traffic 140,000 square-foot devel- developed only for residential for nearly every building.” and M-53 on April 13 with determining how best to study needs to be done and opment.