Sunnyside discusses improvements in city

By Sun Advocate

Sunnyside has received a $430,000 grant from the Utah Permanent Community Impact Fund Board for upgrading the city’s sewer system.
Mayor Bruce Andrews reported on the outcome of the funding request to the board in a regularly scheduled council meeting on April 19.
“As soon as the funding agency turns loose with the money, we’ll start with the work,” said the mayor.
Andrews explained that, as he and other representatives went to the funding meeting, the board approved a group of funding requests at once, without asking more questions to see if the governments making the request were in attendance.
“That’s the kind of meeting you like to go to begging for funding,” said the mayor.
The money will compliment a similar request by East Carbon to upgrade the sewer system the communities share.
As the city officials moved through the agenda, the proposed closure of East Carbon High School popped up repeatedly.
Councilmembers expressed their views on how the outcome of that decision will affect the community.
“I think the nail is going in the coffin,” commented councilmember Doug Parsons.
“Everything I hear about the closing of the school is about East Carbon. There is a Sunnyside City too, and this affects our community as well,” said councilmember Eugene Vernon.
Councilmembers encouraged attendees to solicit support from their friends and neighbors to support keeping the school open.
Citing what appears to be a 3-2 split in the vote to close the school, the mayor reminded Sunnyside officials and residents that the community needed to sway one of the board of education members to change stances and support allowing the high school to remain open.
Andrews encouraged the residents of Sunnyside to be heard and to contact the school board members.
And although the council was in agreement that the school is likely to be closed, many of the officials looked past the outcome of the school board’s decision to the future of their community.
“We’ll still be here,” said councilmember Tony Riffle.
With the drilling exploration in the areas between Nine Mile Canyon and the Book Cliffs, the mayor suggested that if drilling picks up, the access roads to those areas come out to the east side of Carbon County.
“We’re the doorway to those areas. People aren’t going to get to those areas through Vernal or Duchesne. They’ll come through Carbon County,” said Andrews.
The council discussed ongoing projects that may help improve the community, hoping for that growth.
The walking/ATV trail along Grassy Trail Creek continues, and the council addressed the placement of signs along the trail and to mark access points. Funding for those signs was approved at a previous council meeting. Signs will be placed at trail heads, but additional signs will not be placed along the trail indicating access point other than the trail heads.
“We don’t need those. People know where it is,” said the mayor.
Councilmember Sherri Madrid also reported on a proposal to apply to a grant for additional money for walking and ATV trails. The deadline for the grant application is May 1, and Madrid encouraged city recorder Sanderson to be sure to get paperwork completed before that date.