County approves revenue bond issuance

By Sun Advocate

Carbon County lawmakers voted to issue $750,000 in lease revenue bonds at the regular commission meeting on March 5.
“These bonds are in regards to the new shooting range that the county intends to build,” said Commissioner Mike Milovich. “There are still some questions as to exactly where the indoor and outdoor ranges will be located, but it appears the fairgrounds location for the indoor range and somewhere in the same general vicinity for the outdoor range are the best possibilities.”
The new facility, which will replace a range that has been taken out of service near Four Mile Hill, is expected not only to be an important addition to the recreation infrastructure in Carbon County and at the fairgrounds for local residents, but may also attract shooting competitions .
In another matter, the commission discussed how business licenses are issued, particularly to people in professions that work in the county only part time, but have established types of practices in other areas.
The issue surfaced based on a business license request from Dr. Glen Jensen, a veterinarian from Emery County.
Jensen was willing to pay for a license, but questioned why he should have to do so when so many other types of businesses and people who work in the county that are here from other places do not need it.
“It is not that I don’t want to obey the law. But I just question how all this is being done,” said Jensen. “For instance, attorneys from Salt Lake come here and defend clients and architects come here and design buildings and work, but their offices are not here and they don’t have to have a business license.”
Jensen, who provides veterinary services to some local residents and conducts several clinics, has an established practice in Emery County.
During the discussion, the fact that state law allows contractors to work in any county without having to buy a business license as long as they have the state license was mentioned.
“But that is only for state licensed contractors,” indicated Milovich.
Jensen pointed out that veterinarians, doctors, lawyers, architects and others have state licenses.
The commission decided to look at the local ordinances and review the problem. Approving Jensen for the license , the officials told the veterinarian the money would be refunded if the commission changes the ordinance or the county attorney clarifies the stance after study.
In an unrelated action, the commission approved a contract with AVAYA, the company that maintains the county’s telephone and communication systems. The company asked for an increase of $100 per month for the provision of the services, raising the fee to $827.69 per month.
The commission also opened bids for runway maintenance at the Carbon County Airport. The maintenance will consist of crack sealing and a fog coat for the existing system. Bids were submitted by AT Asphalt for $66,565, M and M Asphalt for $81,830, Superior Asphalt for $76,088, Intermountain Slurry Seal for $62, 355, Bonneville Asphalt for $62,463 and Gordon paving for $65,150. An incomplete bid from Maxwell Asphalt was voided. The commission decided to have airport officials review the bids and recommend the lowest expenditure fitting the specifications.
“This is a unique situation,” said Commissioner Bill Krompel. “Usually, the state grants on this kind of thing are on a 50-50 match. But in this case, the state is willing to pay 90 percent of the cost to maintain the runways.”
The commission also was presented with an example of the new county flag. The design was approved by the commission a few months ago and the flags have been manufactured.
“We bought 12 of them,” said Patti Pierce, who headed up the flag selection committee. “This will portray a good image of the county.”
Last fall when the state fair decided to fly a flag from every county, officials discovered that Carbon did not have one. As a substitute, the state fair basically took transferred the Carbon County emblem onto a blank sheet and hung it as a flag.
“I told them we now have a flag and they were very happy they would not have to do that again,” noted Pierce.
Last Thursday morning, the flag was flying in front of the county courthouse on Main Street.