Plane and simple

DUST IN THE WIND
We received a number of letters and calls about the “flood plane” story on the front page of the February 15 SJR. They point out that the flood “plane” that FEMA says runs through the middle of Monticello should be a flood “plain”.
Our initial response was: “Thanks for the input. I’m sure wheel here from other subscribers who reed better than we right. Bill”
Anna Thayn, who wrote the story, points out that it isn’t quite so simple. She simply used the spelling from the documents provided at the meeting. They are apparently from the city and the engineers.
The dictionary says “plain” is an adjective, while “plane” is a noun.
We thought that we would settle the controversy once and for all by checking to see how FEMA handles the dilemma. This makes sense since FEMA triggered the controversy by drawing a map of potential flood areas that runs right through the middle of Monticello.
The enormous FEMA website contains countless documents and hundreds of opportunities to settle the controversy. So what is it: plain or plane?
FEMA apparently settled the controversy by avoiding it all together. They refer to it plain and simply as a “flood map.” We will do the same.
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We have to side with the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission on the question of access to recordings of San Juan Couny Commission meetings (see the story on page 1).
The Utah Open and Public Meetings Act clearly states that meetings must be recorded and the recordings released, if requested. The school district, health care district and Monticello City release recordings within a few hours of the closure of the meeting. Refusing to release a recording of a meeting that is months old is not within my reading of the statute.
As far as I know, the recordings in question contain nothing of particular value. There are always a few “cringe-inducing comments” at the meetings, but they generally come from spectators who are exercising their right to be there.
Statements from the gallery are no more an official action of the county than a letter to the Editor is an official pronouncement of the San Juan Record.