Letter to the Editor: Asking for input

By Sun Advocate

Editor:
A public hearing will be held before the regular council meeting of East Carbon City on Feb 13.
The purpose of this hearing is to hear East Carbon citizen’s opinion on the proposed building of a joint public safety building with Sunnyside City. The real question is where the citizens of East Carbon feel this building needs to be located.
Having been on the city council for some years now, I feel that I am sensitive to the needs and feelings of East Carbon City citizens. However, on this issue direct input from the citizens is very necessary.
There is no question that a $1.2 million building in the area will be a plus to both cities. Especially since the money is totally a grant and has no payback. The building would also show the CIB and county that we recognize the value of their help and can work together when necessary.
The building would house both fire departments and the ambulance service. Both fire departments would essentially be one building with the ambulance house in its own bay. The maintenance for the ambulance would be the responsibility of Sunnyside City. The maintenance for the rest of the building would be split 50/50 by both cities.
From my viewpoint, I have a number of problems with the joint venture.
•This is not a building that East Carbon was active in planning. Sunnyside City planned the building to be part of their economic development. If it is built as planned, Sunnyside City will eventually move their city hall to an adjacent lot and Sunnyside Credit Union will also be moved to the area. This is not necessarily a negative but I don’t like having Sunnyside plan a building and then we are told we get to use part of said building.
•Our fire department has some safety concerns in this location. The field is home to 40 or 50 deer in winter. The firemen getting to the building will have to be careful to avoid these animals. Eventually, the deer should get the point that they will move to another place but no one really knows how long that will take. The firemen don’t really like having to worry about that many deer to get to the firehouse.
•Traffic is more of a concern since this is on a major road. Now our firemen can get to the truck without worrying about large Savage trucks, people going to the new elementary school to get their children, school buses, or people going to the store and such. Understand that these concerns are in our firemen getting to the firehouse. Once there, the noise from the alarms should help with these concerns.
•Our firemen need training. Now we have a small budget for the fire depart-ment and they have to leave work (take vacation days) to get needed training.
This new building will require maintenance money. Maybe not a lot but I feel that an increase in the fire budget needs to go for training of the men not for a building we do not have to have.An increase of $3000 to $6000 in our fire budget would go a long way toward bringing the training to our men instead of having to send them away.
The CIB Board has indicated that if we do not build a joint building they will not fund a building for either city. I am not sure I like having that kind of pressure exerted on the planning of East Carbon City. Maybe I am over sensitive,
The basic story is that I think the building is great but I would like it built on a more centrally located lot. East Carbon City owns land at the top of the dugway heading to Columbia. The Butler property across from the senior citizens center is open. Mr Butler would let us have the few acres this requires at a reasonable rate.
The city council needs your input_ Should the building be built at any cost even if Sunnyside will not budge about its location or should we do it only if Sunnyside will agree to build it in a more central location?
Call your council people and be at the public hearing.
This is your city, and we need your help.