| Elmo Town installs their new council for 2006, Ryan Jensen, Judd Jensen, Clark Atwood and Mayor Kurt Rasmussen are sworn in at a special installation meeting on Jan. 10. Betty Labrum is the fourth council member. |
The first order of business for the Emery Town Council at its January meeting was to swear in a new council member. Patrick Sundstrom was appointed to fill a vacancy left when Don Riddle resigned from the council in December. Sundstrom’s appointment will be for two years when the existing term for that seat is completed.
Darlene Erni from Active Re-entry in Price made a presentation to the council concerning the services provided by her company. Active Re-entry advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities and provides whatever they should need, whether products or services.
Erni displayed several of the products available to those people who are losing their sight or hearing. She had educational goggles that the council tried that enable a sighted person to experience what those people who are losing their sight go through.
“Another of our programs is the PAWS program. It is a program in which pets are used to provide comfort and companionship to those in need, Stockton, my dog, has been in service for 10 years. He goes to nursing homes, convalescent homes, school and hospitals.
“He has a regular stop at Cleveland Elementary School where he listens to students read. Many of the students need extra practice and Stockton is a very good listener,” said Erni.
Erni went on to explain the classes and services available at Active Re-entry. “We conduct cooking and nutrition classes for diabetics, and safety classes for those who are using scooters as transportation. Our goal is to reach Emery County residents this year and inform them as to what is available. Our hope is that if you know someone in your town who needs help, you will assist them in coming to us for that help,” finished Erni.
Emery youth city council member Taryn Baker informed the council about youth city council day at the Utah State legislature. On Jan. 17, the youth will leave for Salt Lake City. On the morning of Jan. 18, the youth city councils from around the state will have breakfast with the state legislators to begin their “day on the hill.” Baker stated that eight students are attending from Emery Town. Misti and Kirk Christiansen will accompany the students for the trip. Mayor Michael Williams said, “This is a great learning experience for the youth council. It is a good opportunity to learn the workings of the state from the legislators.”
Christiansen gave an update concerning the recreation center project. She said the plans for the concrete work will arrive soon. She has been in contact with the building company and they have set March 15 as an arrival date for the building. Royce Stilson will act as the consultant for the concrete work.
Following a short discussion concerning the purchasing policy for Emery, the council approved by a vote of three to one, to abolish Emery’s policy. “The laws of Utah govern everything we do and ultimately override anything we have on the books,” said Mayor Williams. “Our current ordinance is extremely outdated and is in need of updating. We can save ourselves the time and expense of the necessary update by using the state statutes. If a resident comes in with a question, we have the state statutes on hand for them to read.”
Glenys Sitterud reported concerning a meeting with the Bureau of Land Management concerning a proposed ATV playground near town. She has met with the real estate specialist for the BLM and requested information about acquiring a patent on BLM land around Emery. There are several locations available that would be suitable.
Sitterud stated the question remains about liability issues for the playground, The BLM will accept no liability for the activities on the property and the liability would fall on the town. Emery has been in contact with its insurance company and a rider for their policy would be $25,000 per year. The council approved further investigation before a meeting with the BLM is scheduled.
Councilman Eric Anderson informed the council of a childrens safety issue in Emery. He stated that since Christmas many children with scooters have been on Emery streets. These are small units and difficult for drivers of vehicles to see. Many of the young riders are not obeying the rules of the road and are running stop signs and not paying attention to cars. Mayor Williams instructed Anderson to contact the sheriff and find out what the state laws and ordinances are concerning scooters.
The next Emery Town meeting will be held Feb. 14 at 6 p.m.