Price clarifies city employee education issue

By Sun Advocate

Price officials have clarified a discussion that had taken place at a previous council meeting, a topic which had created a stir among some Carbon County residents and city employees.
In the May 12 meeting while finalizing changes to hiring documents for internal positions that were to be laterally transferred, the council had discussed the education requirements of the job.
Councilwoman Jeanne McEvoy had indicated that the job description should require that applicants have at least a high school diploma or equivalent or be working toward one to be considered.
However, in the following May 26 meeting, McEvoy said she had never meant her comments to be interpreted as they were and that her emphasis on education was directed at future, unknown employees.
“Everyone has their story and all contribute to our diverse community,” she pointed out.
She added that she would like to give her most sincere apology to any resident or employee who misunderstood her meaning.
Mayor Joe Piccolo expounded on McEvoy’s sentiments, emphasizing that Price City was trying to benefit the company and the individual.
“We have value here in an employee,” Mayor Piccolo commented. “We don’t want to dismiss him because of a verbage problem.”
City attorney Nick Sampinos recommended that the council word the document to indicate that a high school diploma or equivalent was preferred.
The council agreed with the city attorney’s recommendation.
According to the mayor, by indicating that a high school education is preferred, the council sends a strong message but still leaves the decision up to the hiring committee and makes room for qualified applicants without a high school degree.
In other council business, former Carbon High athletic director Charlene Dupin was presented with a visionary service leader award for her efforts with the youth of Carbon County.
Dupin was the first woman to coach several Carbon teams and was recently the first female to be inducted to the Utah Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
“We’re privileged to have you in our community,” Piccolo stated. “We know you and Paul [her husband] have been actively involved in changing children’s lives for over 40 years.”
The council is also considering a proposal by the Price Community Progress Committee to add enhancement lighting to the downtown area.
The committee asserted that by lighting downtown with the white, Christmas-style lights, the area could be made more vibrant and inviting and that residents and visitors would be more likely to window shop and explore downtown Price in the evening hours.
The council agreed to light one downtown tree with the proposed lighting to get cost and labor estimates and then consider lighting the entire area.
Finally, Harvey Howard of the Desert Thunder Raceway approached the council to ask their opinion about scheduling a dirt track race over the International Days celebration weekend.
“In Carbon County, we’re not a large community and one function can step on the toes of another function,” he stated. “But the raceway has been becoming a bigger deal in Carbon County and southeastern Utah.”
The only concern the council had as to adding another event to the big weekend was hotel accommodations.
However, councilman Richard Tatton supported the idea of adding the races.
“I think the more activity the better,” he said.
Piccolo also added that a solution for overbooked hotels could be the College of Eastern Utah dormitories, which will be vacated for the summer.
Howard was directed by the council to attend the next International Days committee meeting to discuss the idea, but the council voiced that there was no objection on its end.
International Days will take place the end of July.