East Carbon Council Discusses OHV Trails

By Sun Advocate

During a regularly scheduled meeting of the East Carbon City Council on Aug. 9, the officials discussed the proposed off-highway vehicle trail that is to be made through the city.
East Carbon Mayor Dale Andrews informed the officials that the county’s OHV trail committee was asking for volunteers from the council to help decide where the trail would go through the city.
Andrews said he would be willing to work with the OHV trail committee and wanted other volunteers from the council who could also be appointed to the county panel.
The committee was made by Carbon County to decide where the trail would go through different parts of the local area.
Volunteering by the East Carbon councilmembers would be beneficial for the effort and give the city the chance to decide where the trail would go through the town.
While discussing the county OHV committee, the conversation shifted to a trail already in East Carbon with which the city has had problems. The problems are due to the OHV riders having to intersect a city street to follow the trail.
Rumors indicating that Union Pacific was possibly abandoning a railroad line from Columbia Junction to the trail were discussed by East Carbon officials.
If the rumors are true, the railroad’s actions would possibly give East Carbon a safe alternative to having OHV riders use city streets.
If the property were given to the city, East Carbon would be able to remove the rails and pave the site to make a trail for the OHV riders who use the current trail.
The trail would need to be paved in order to cut down the dust caused by OHV travel, noted the East Carbon officials.
East Carbon mayor and council has received several complaints about the dust formed from OHV use in local areas near houses at several of the city’s previous public meetings.
“We get so many complaints constantly,” pointed out Andrews. “The biggest complaint we have with four -heelers is the dust.”
In an unrelated matter, East Carbon City Council Member Dave Maggio discussed the youth football league after attending a Carbon County Recreation meeting on the previous night. The league is being run by two East Carbon City residents and is not city affiliated.
Maggio discussed the problem with East Carbon’s team not being able to practice with equipment yet since they have not received it. This problem was due to not all of the participants paying their $75 participation fee for league participation to Carbon Recreation.
Participants from low income families might not be able to pay the full $75 fee to Carbon Recreation but it was mentioned that a reduced rate of $37.50 or 50 percent of the normal fee was available for those participants who showed financial need.
When asked how participants got a discount from Carbon County Recreation, Maggio explained that if parents could show financial need, like showing a Medicaid card, would be allowed to pay the half price cost.
If a family showed extreme need, it was possible that their child could play on the team for free if they talked to Carbon Recreation and provided proof that they were in need. This deal is not just available to East Carbon City residents, but was available and used by residents county-wide.
“If they have other low income needs, they go to Carbon County Recreation and explain their dilemma and they’ll write the whole thing off. It’s not that hard to do,” Maggio explained to the council.
Carbon Recreation requires the youth football team to have a minimum of 16 players in order to play. East Carbon City currently has 18 players signed up for their team.
To help the team get on their way to playing with equipment, Maggio asked the council to donate money from the city’s recreation budget.
Darlene Kuhns proposed giving the youth football league enough money to sponsor two players, or $150 from out of East Carbon City’s recreation budget. This motion was met with high regard by other members of the council and by Mayor Andrews. The council voted on the motion and it passed unanimously.