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Nibley is first city to reap reward of county road sales tax money

November 23rd, 2009 Posted in Opinion

By Benjamin Wood

NIBLEY–Cache County Executive Lynn Lemon visited the City Council meeting Nov. 19 to present a $658,000 check for the recently completed construction on 3200 South. Lemon called the project a “worthy purpose” and said the funds came from the Cache County Road Sales Tax, approved by general election in 2007, which helps in projects that alleviate traffic congestion.

“Nibley is the first recipient of that [tax],” Lemon said. “We see 3200 South as one of the major corridors.”

According to a Nibley press release, 2.2 miles of road were widened in the project as well as rail crossing impovements. In all the project cost $5 million. 3200 South connects US 89-91 with State Road 165 and is one of the major east-west corridors in the south valley.

Later in the meeting the council discussed the finances of a 3200 South beautification project, proposed by city staff. City Manager Larry Anhder described some of the plans involved, including lining the road with snow crabapple trees, creating a city tree farm near Main Street and other roadside landscaping.

“I think [3200 South] is used as much by non-Nibley residents as it is Nibley residents,” Anhder said. He said that in cities, “perception is more important than reality,” and that beautifying the road would impact the overall appearance of Nibley.

“It’s going to be the type of thing people drive to our community
to see,” he said.

Mayor Gerald Knight requested that the council allow Anhder and city staff to prepare budget requests and essentially initiate the project, but in the absence of councilmen Shaun Dustin and Bryan Hansen the three members present failed to unanimously approve the plan.

Councilman Scott Larsen expressed concern with moving on with the project without the input of the full council. He also mentioned a desire for more information regarding the project and said other areas of Nibley might better benefit from beautification efforts.

There was some debate, mostly between Mayor Knight and Larsen,
with councilmen Thayne Mickelson and Larry Jacobsen expressing their support for the plan. “This is a proposal to plant trees, that’s good enough for me,” Jacobsen said.

All of the council members present appeared to be in favor of the tree farm proposal, while diverging in opinion regarding the entire beautification project. The preliminary approval motion failed with Larsen voting against, and Anhder and the city staff were instructed to gather more information for the topic to be readdressed at a later date with more members of the council present.

In other business the council:
–voted unanimously to delay a sewer rate increase until July 1, previously set to occur in January. After the increase, basic residences will be $40 per building per month.
–gathered information and discussed compensation options for members of the Nibley First Responder Unit; no official action was taken.

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