The City Manager, Ben Reeves is fond of saying: “[The City Administration] can do anything, but we can’t do everything.”
At the Budget Planning Session on Feb 12th, Ben presented ideas to the City Council of what the City could do in the future.
1. Prospector View Park
This park is a project that Mayor Olson has been spearheading. It wouldn’t cost the City much to utilize the 120 acres of property that it owns up Santaquin Canyon. The Mayor hopes to have hundreds of miles of trails that crisscross and loop around Santaquin and Pole Canyons.
2. Rodeo Grounds Parking
Interest in the Rodeo is growing each year but the parking lots are not. Last year, the Police Department assisted in the transformation of much of Centennial Park into parking space, but the process was labor intensive.
3. City Hall Block
With the new City Hall Building going in on the corner of 100 S and Center Street, the City is hoping to make the area a centerpiece.
4. Rodeo Seating
Along with the parking situation, attendance at the Rodeo is up. Building bleachers or building out seating in some way would help more people to enjoy the events held in the rodeo arena.
5. Demolish the old Jr High Building, current Senior Center Building, and possibly the Museum
While hundreds of previous students attended school in those buildings, the cost of upkeep or remodel of those buildings is nearly impossible with the current budget.
In fact, there is no structural reinforcement in the brick structure of the museum. A small earthquake could bring the whole structure down, not to mention the problems with the roof and insulation.
6. Reroute SR 198 to make the freeway interchange more manageable
The City has worked with the State to plan smoother Freeway exits and entrances in Santaquin. The State has said that the intersection of Main Street and SR 198 is too close to the interchange. So, to best solve the situation, the rerouting of SR 198 would be the best option.
7. Build a new Fire Station
The City would like to build a second Fire Station, this one nearer to Summit Ridge.
8. Develop land near the intersection of Summit Ridge Parkway and Highway 6 into a business park
The City proposed extending utility lines into the area. They have been approached by several businesses about the land, but unfortunately the cost of bringing the utility lines into the area has prevented business development on the property. This could bring a profit to the City upon sale of the property as well as increased sales tax revenue.
9. Build and manage a Solid Waste Transfer Station
This project is one that could provide the City with an income source. It involves building a large transfer station somewhere in the city and then compacting garbage for other cities and other organizations in the area. Mayor Olson reported that he visited the Waste District in Springville and was impressed by the cleanliness of the station. He reported that the State required the Transfer Station to be cleared out of refuse each night. There was no smell and no mess around the facility.
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Several other smaller projects were proposed and voted on.
As with the equipment, vehicles, and other needs and wants of the City Departments, all of these projects will be further discussed as the Council develops the budget. Details will be forthcoming in future edition as those plans become reality.