Monticello considers Dark Sky, Recapture resolution

Two items generated much discussion and community comment at the first meeting of the new year for the Monticello City Council. The January 13 meeting was also the first council meeting for new City Manager Ty Bailey.
The city planning commission had developed a proposed Dark Sky Ordinance over the previous months that was forwarded to the city council.
After much discussion of the pros and cons of such an ordinance, Mayor Tim Young summarized the discussion by saying, “I see no imminent threat and no immediate benefit” to the city of a Dark Sky Ordinance. The council agreed, and the ordinance was tabled indefinitely.
It was noted that the new streetlights which go east on Center Street are considered dark sky compliant, as the light is shield downward.
Another example of new construction which is dark sky compliant in Monticello is the new elementary school. Both of these projects occurred without an ordinance in place, and the question was raised if this might be a natural “way things are going.”
Councilman George Rice said, “It is impossible to get a definition of dark sky.”
City resident Tom Wigginton said that “lumens” and other technical terms in a dark sky ordinance make it difficult to understand exactly what is required.
Bailey concurred with the decision of the council, pointing out that city buildings and infrastructure would need to comply with the ordinance, and it may require a budget.
Dark Sky Ordinances have been passed by a number of western communities in an attempt to “protect” the view of the night skies by community residents.
The Four Corners School had asked the City to look into such an ordinance because Night Sky programs will be offered at the Canyon Country Discovery Center, which is under construction on the north edge of town.
The proposal was developed by the city planning commission. Officials state there would be few, if any, current residences or businesses that would have been impacted by the ordinance.
The next item, which drew a lot of attention from the council and had several comments by residents, is whether the city would adopt a resolution regarding the closure of Recapture Canyon by the Bureau of Land Management.
The council will hold a work meeting before the first council meeting in February to discuss what could be included in a resolution.
Monticello took advantage of the low gasoline prices when they voted to fill the city storage tanks at the Hideout Golf Club, not to exceed $4,000. With gas prices as low as they are, city officials said this was an opportunity they could not pass up.
City Manager Ty Bailey is working to find out the fuel capacity in the airport tank to take advantage of the fuel prices and add to the tank at the airport as well.
Bailey was unanimously approved as the City Treasurer. The 2015 meeting schedule was approved, and two items were postponed until the next meeting. Items postponed are business license fees and the purchase of an airport courtesy car.
(Staff writer Roma Young contributed to this story.)