The Hanksville Town Council meeting convened its regular session on the 7th day of March 2024 in the Hanksville Community Center; meeting commenced at 6:00 p.m.
Present: Mayor Jeffren T. Pei, C. Morgan Roberts, C. Mona Wells, C. Eric Wells and C. Robert Gilner
Absent: Treasurer Jessica Alvey
Employees: Clerk Lisa Wells
Public in Attendance: Doug Roberts, Katie Roberts, Chylene Whipple, Tyson Hunt, Tony Bell, Sandy Bell
Meeting to Order: Mayor Jeffren T. Pei
Pledge: Mayor Jeffren T. Pei
Prayer: Lisa Wells
Roll Call: Mayor Jeffren T. Pei
Motion to approve minutes of February council meeting: C. Morgan Roberts; Second C. Robert Gilner. Aye: All in attendance.
Council member Mona Wells:
Nothing to report.
Council member Morgan Roberts:
The annual Easter Egg Hunt will be on Saturday, March 30th at 10am at the town park.
Council member Eric Wells:
Report on the Rural Water Conference he attended in St. George, UT. The Lead & Copper inventory law requires an inventory of what type of material is used for piping the water to each home and business that is served by the Hanksville water system. The deadline is October 2024, there is funding through Sunrise Engineering to pay for the cost to become compliant; Eric Wells will contact Sunrise Engineering. Cross connection is another certification that is required for our system.
Hanksville Town received a donation from Lou Ann Barton Charity Foundation in the amount of $10,000. She read an article in The Insider, written by Adus Dorsey, outlining Hanksville’s rodeo ground improvements and gave the information for Hanksville if anybody was interested in donating. She read the article and the funds have already been received through Schwab Charities at the request of Lou Ann Barton. A thank you note was distributed to all council members to sign that will be sent to Ms. Barton. Eric has a small group of Hanksville citizens that are helping with the ideas for the rodeo equipment. The first phase of upgrades will be a holding pen and a return alley for the stock for roping events. Repair the lights, PA system and purchase a laser light timer for the starting line. The second phase of upgrades will be a groomer to care for the dirt in the arena before events, mobile restrooms, better concession stand, and better steps up to the announcer’s stand. Eric has already found a roping shut to purchase for the start of the upgrades.
Council member Robert Gilner:
Nothing to report.
Mayor Jeffren Pei:
Food bank – the mayor and council discussed opening space for the food bank again but agreed that they did not want to do that for now due to problems (mice, calling for food in off times, storage of the food) with the way it was managed last time. Tony Bell and Sandy Bell discussed with the council that they would like to pick up the food boxes from Bicknell and then deliver them directly to the people who have signed up. This would eliminate the need for a place to store the boxes. They will be getting nonperishable food only for right now. They discussed with the council to use the patio space on the west side of the community center as a gathering place for people to get their boxes. But today, Tony and Sandy need a place to store the boxes that they just picked up so the mayor said they could put them in the back room. They will contact the clerk to let them in when they can deliver them.
Mayor Pei has heard some discussion at the county level regarding the Hanksville landfill and individual dumpsters, he said Wayne County wants to discontinue all dumping and expects Hanksville to run their own dump.
Clerk Lisa Wells:
Bills presented to council for approval (spreadsheet attached)
Motion to approve bills for payment – C. Eric Wells; Second C. Mona Wells. Aye: All in attendance.
A horse group is interested in using the arena to camp overnight and put their horses in the arena. The council agreed that they could use the facility for $250 but only 2 truck/trailers could stay on the park property to watch the horses.
Lantis Fireworks has increased their fee by 15%; the same show as usual will now cost $7168. C. Eric Wells would like to contact other organizations to compare pricing.
CIB Capital Improvement list – Informed council members that projects must be on the list by March 31, 2024, to be considered for funding in the next year.
Planning Commission:
Katherine Roberts - The planning commission has found it beneficial to learn how the water/sewer system works. The water and sewer ordinance language does not match the application language. The commission would like an updated map of both the sewer and the water so they can make better decisions when approving permits and subdivisions. They discussed the difference between a sewer masterplan and a capital facility plan. Brock with Six Counties is looking into how small communities can implement an impact fee without the study required of communities over 1500 people. Katie would like Eric Wells to be involved in the approval of permits for buildings or subdivisions from the utility standpoint.
Building permits will now be issued at the town level. The process for a building permit is first obtain an application from clerk’s office. Next, a request is to be on the agenda for the next planning commission meeting for approval of the permit. When the planning commission has signed the permit, it goes back to the clerk’s office and will be submitted to the building inspector, Eric Torgerson. He will set the fee on the permit and the clerk will notify the customer of the amount and collect that fee. He will invoice the town for 68% of the fee, quarterly the town will submit a report to the state and pay a 1% fee of all building permits issued.
Brock Jackson with Six County is providing the planning commission a trailer park ordinance for the P&Z to review.
Accessory dwelling units – P&Z would like the opinion of the council regarding smaller accessory dwelling units on property – should it be allowed to rent for personal use, like a mother-in-law unit or should it be allowed to rent as a short-term rental? The council discussed this, and long-term rental is, in their opinion, the better use of an accessory dwelling.
Tabled Business:
Tyson Hunt & Maring Pei Affordable Housing Apt #2 – Tyson was in attendance and requested of the council that he be able to continue renting from the town. His account has been past due 4 months, the council directed that an eviction notice be sent in January, and he was given until February 1st to pay his back rent in full or he will be evicted. At the February council meeting no money had been paid by the tenants nor any contact from the tenants. The council then directed the clerk’s office to send an eviction notice and collection of past due rent. The mayor was given permission at that time to talk with Tyson and Marina and give them notice of eviction. He gave them until March 1, 2024, to move out. They paid the mayor $700 towards their back rent on 2/3/2024. On February 29, 2024, Tyson paid $1850, which was the amount to bring all past due rent paid in full through February 2024. The council agreed that Tyson and Marina could continue to rent apartment #2 and that March rent needed to be paid by March 12th and that all future rent needed to be paid on time.
Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Wayne County and Hanksville Town regarding Emergency Medical Services – Council discussed that a lease agreement for the use of the Hanksville EMS building needs to be collected by Hanksville in exchange for the use of the building to house the ambulances and the fire equipment. They discussed $15,000 yearly and they are required to pay the utilities. The mayor feels that Hanksville citizens are being double taxed for this service and that it should be fair to Hanksville or the upper hand.
New Business
Discussed the building permit process change earlier in the meeting.
Public Comment:
NONE
MOTION TO ADJOURN: C. Mona Wells; Second C. Morgan Roberts. Aye: All in attendance - meeting adjourned at 7:27pm
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