Blanding City makes headway on splash pad, utility rates, airport lease and annexation

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the Blanding City Council continued conversations around a possible splash pad, discussed utility rates and approved another annexation at the latest meeting.
Members of the Blanding City Council made headway on discussions regarding a splash pad in the city at the July 23 meeting.
City Manager Trent Herring shared they received a quote of $150,000 for a splash pad and accompanying tank that would catch water running through the splash pad and reuse it on the grass.
City staff further estimated the additional costs to connect the tank and irrigation to sprinklers put the total project around $170-180,000.
City staff also estimated ongoing costs for maintenance of that form of splash pad was estimated at around $6,000 annually in labor.
City council, staff and San Juan County Commissioner Sylvia Stubbs all agreed the system that would reuse the water for sprinklers was preferable to a system that would recycle the water within the splash pad which would require continued costs of chlorine use as well as much more maintenance and cleaning than the preferred system.
Another identified cost for the project would be the need for fencing in of the splash pad to discourage vandalism as well as keep dogs off the splash pad.
Commissioner Stubbs has been working on pursuing the project with the San Juan County Clean Energy Foundation; the organization uses donations from Energy Fuels to provide grants in the county.
Stubbs shared the foundation had signaled it could support up to $110,000 for the project, with Stubbs committed to fundraising the rest of the costs.
Council members signaled support for Stubbs to move forward with pursuit of the grant and fundraising effort.
Blanding City Council also held a conversation related to future financial forecasts for water, sewer and power.
City staff spoke about the results of a water rate study which recommended substantial price increases, city staff recommended a $3 increase to bring the initial water base rate up to $25 annually as well as consideration for possible small rate increase as well, in all a household that uses 20,000 gallons a month would look at a $4 a month increase.
City council also discussed electrical and gas rates, much of the conversation revolved around out of city limit sales,  about 12 percent of city gas customers are located outside city limits.
Council discussed how to encourage annexation of properties into the city with one consideration being a higher base rate for city provided utilities for non-city residents.
Discussion about utility rates were ongoing with no action taken but council plans to revisit the issue at future meetings
At the meeting members of the Blanding city council also approved another annexation into the city.
The property was the third in the past two months to be annexed on the south end of town along 300 West. Staff and council noted the first domino of Utah Navajo Health System’s property has helped propel annexation forward in the area which the city sees as a good place for that to happen as they placed infrastructure in the area in recent years.
Members of the council passed the annexation unanimously.
Members of the Blanding city council also signaled support of a proposal by a private citizen to build a hangar on land leased at the city airport.
Herring shared a report pulled together that would recommend an annual lease rate of $3,000 a year, with council also asking for an opportunity to increase the price every decade or so as a possible option to keep up with inflation.
Still council showed support to the proposal as the landowner would take on the risk by building the hanger. City staff and council noted that the hangar would also mean an opportunity to sell additional utilities and fuel to the user. The city would also inherit the building on the property if the lease was ever not renewed. Council signaled support for city staff to continue forward on the project.
Members of the council also received a report on what a possible replacement of the city mayor may look like. Blanding Mayor Logan Monson won a primary in June to represent the Republican Party in the upcoming general election for Utah House District 69.
Monson will be facing off against fellow San Juan County resident Davina Smith, the Democratic Party candidate.
At the July 23 meeting, Herring explained if there were to be an opening for Blanding city Mayor the process would resemble what has been done recently for openings on the city council.
The city would be required to give a two-week notice with an open meeting interview of candidates. Council members would have the right to vote including for themselves if one of them were to apply for a position if the Mayoral seat were to become open.