Thursday, March 30, 2006
Everyone who thinks it is time for the Basin to incorporate raise your hand!
At the suggestion of one of our bloggers I am adding a separate post on the topic of incorporation. Should the neighborhoods in and around Kimball Junction form their own municipal government? As you add your comments on this issue you might want to identify whether or not you live in the area that would be incorporated. Would forming another city just add a layer of bureaucracy (and taxes), would it offer more local control? And more to the point -- does anyone care? OK Basinites, Snydervillians and Kimballarians, let it rip!
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I have been a resident of Ranch Place for 10 years. And those of us who have lived in the area a while and have followed how growth has been mismanaged in the area know that there is a major connection to why Kimball Junction is such a mess and the lack of local control. Back around 1994 or so when the K-Mart was being proposed, it was opposed by most people, including the Summit County Planning Commission. However, it only took the one vote of Sheldon Richins, a Henefer resident to get it approved. By the way, Henefer is something like 40 miles away.
In addition, when Kimball Junction transportation alternatives were being considered around that time as well, it was voted down by the County Commissioners, NONE of whom lived in the KJ area. The three Commssioners were from Henefer, Oakley and Park City proper. So not one of them had to live with the decisions about KJ.
Then closer to about the time of the Olympics in 2002 a bus system was being proposed for the KJ area. It was postponed due to an alleged "lack of interest" again by a Commission whose members resided in Park City proper and the East Side. Even though by this time there were 20,000 residents in 84098, none of the Commissioners lived there. So what did they care about a bus that wouldn't affect them? Also, with regard to a "lack of interest" in 2002, nothing could be father from the truth. Most residents and businesses in the area were very eager to have bus service and the growing parking problem in Park City was exacerbated by the 20,000 residents in the KJ area who wanted to go to PC but had no alternatives other than their own car. So the millions of extra dollars that have been spent adding more parking in Old Town could have been partially helped by a transportation system which served the entire area and not just the small PC city limits.
Another issue is water. Summit County tried to illegally confiscate Summit Water Distribution Company, which serves parts of 84098, and not pay Fair Market Value for the Company. The County proposed paying book value for the equipment of the Company and nothing for the water rights itself. Also, when the County did buy other failing water companies serving Silver Springs, Sun Peak and other areas, they vastly overpaid for those companies since those companies didn't actually have water. The result was that the customers of Mountain Regional Water District are saddled with unneccessary debt used to overpay for those acquisitions of companies with no water, and therefore have much higher water rates. Again, not one of the Commissioners lived in the area affected, or was a Summit Water nor Mountain Regional customer. Had the Commissioners been customers of Summit Water or Mountain Regional would their actions been different? You bet. What could have happened that didn't would have been for the private Summit Water to take over the failing water companies and not overpay for them. That way everyone would have gotten water, there wouldn't have been a huge increase in rates and there wouldn't need to be another County entity of Mountain Regional.
All of these dumb decisions and more were made and directly affected the KJ residents by Commissioners not one of whom ever lived in the huge population area of 84098. I believe that had 84098 had its own city goverment and all of these issues were handled by people who actually lived here, the whole area would look very different today.
I keep hearing all this opposition saying it would double our taxes. If that were true then people in the cities of Kamas, Coalville, Henefer, Francis, Oakley all would have much higher taxes than unincorporated 84098. They don't and neither would this new city. Having local control does not necessarily mean doubling every public service. What would likely happen is that the County services provided by Coalville would be reduced and then be replaced by those services for 84098.
The main point here is that you have 25,000 people who don't get to control their own destiny while the much smaller incorporated cities of Park City and all the other cities rightfully do.
This country fought for independence partially on the issue of lack of representation by a far off Parliament. The issue for 84098 is the same.
Well put comment. I have lived in Pinebrook for 20 years, have watched the dealings with the County water system and have thanked those who organized and ran our successful local water company, but suffer through KJ daily.
Less we forget, incorporation would be good, but it's not feasible under the present state law. Perhaps those running for House and Senate seats which serve 84098 should be put to the task of explaining what they will do if elected to change that law.
Likewise, incorporation wouldn't solve the problems with county government. If we incorporate, we would still be living under a system that doesn't work well in this part of the county and in the future. Incorporation should be a goal, but isn't a fix for the county.
How difficult would it be to split from the rest of Summit County. Create a Park County, servicing 84060 and 84098.
By statute a new county can be created out of a portion of an existing county if a petition is signed by 25% of the number of voters in the last general election on each side of the existing county. That means that 25% of those on the east side and 25% of those on the west side would have to sign the petition. Then it would be put on the next ballot for a vote by all and would have to pass by a majority on each side of the county, old and new. Would the east side agree to give up the lucrative tax revenues from the real property values and sales in Park City and the Basin?
On the right track, but let's go a step farther, split the entire county off from Utah, and become part of Wyoming. It'll be easier to incorporate 84098, taxes will go down, liquor laws will make sense, and we'll have cool license plates with cowboys instead of the dopey new state slogan.
Seriously, I don't know why we put up with the state or the east side residents and their representatives.
Revolution!
Let's face it, the Snyderville Basin benefits from the real Park City. I would be concerned about not being able to refer to my home in the Basin as Park City, Utah. Would property values be compromised/diminished at all if we had to advertise our properties as Snyderville, Utah ? Although seemingly superficial, sometimes superficial things carry weight - people like name recognition let's face it and the name of the city you live matters to many, right or wrong. I'm not sure that values would diminish, but suspect they could. Anyway, I would be interested in others' thoughts.
I like the name of the city I put on my return address but think its criminal with the many examples of mismanagement that go on with officials who don't live in the Basin.
Why can't we get people that live here on the Commissioners payroll? Don't voters put these people in office?
I have lived in both Park City and Kimball.
I would say no, not at this time.
Yes, Kimball has nearly twice the population but not even 1/3 the income. Park City has 2 resorts and Main St. Kimball has 1 struggling resort and not nearly the local business income that Park City Proper has.
No, it should not become part of Park City either. Many of you may or may not know about legal ramifications. Taxes are different between PC and Kimball, as well as some laws. Business would have to tear down signs, charge and pay more taxes and increase prices to do so. Also there are the laws regarding big business we have in Park City.
Kimball junction is on the road to becoming it’s own city but it’s not ready yet, not for many years to come.
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