Green River City meet the candidate night

By PHIL FAUVER Guest Writer

Glen Dale Johnson: I have spent two years on the city council and six years as mayor of Green River, experience and knowledge are my best assets. The city has a need for more housing, the roads are becoming trails, we have a water and sewer system in need of updating. We have several homes in danger of being flooded again. There are children in the street going to and from school in danger of being hit by autos.
The new playground equipment and new kiosks at the museum did not seem as important as much needed street improvement, water lines and sewer repairs. Too many projects have been started and never completed. I would like to correct these situations.
We need to be looking at the future of Green River and step out of the past into that future without destroying the good things we have.
Pat Brady: I have lived in Alaska, Arizona, Utah and Colorado, I now teach at Green River High School. It took four-five months to find a house for my family in Green River. My wife says we are not going to move again.
My experience from living here five years and other places gives me the experience needed to be of great worth on the city council. I want to make the town safer for the citizens, to encourage job creation. There is not much in Green River to keep young people here after they grow up. When they leave that doesn’t help our community.
I agree the infrastructure needs repair such as roads, water lines and sewer lines. Some are being worked on now and need to be completed.
I want to help the community to progress, bring in new businesses, bring people in to enjoy our fine hotels, restaurants and bring more money into the city.
We need to bring in businesses other than service industry businesses. As a teacher, I see a lack of parenting in the home due to parents working two or three jobs and no time at home. Let us bring in an industry with high paying jobs with benefits so only one job is needed.
My main three things of interest are progress, protection and prosperity for all in Green River. Keith Brady: I am new in town. I moved here from Arizona, when I purchased the Robbers Roost Hotel, I have a bachelors degree in graphic design, marketing, and advertising. I am member of the South Eastern Business Council. I enjoy being in Green River and want to be more involved. I have been attending City Council to learn what is going on.
Green River has been through periods of boom and bust. Now Green River needs to get ready for a new boom as several businesses are looking to locate here. The quality of infrastructure and housing are important to these companies. These businesses if they come here will bring in more jobs.
We need an active Chamber of Commerce. Most of the people in the city want the infrastructure improved. They want better communications between city boards and councils and the mayor. Action items by the city council need to be followed up on and completed.
Dan Harrison: I have lived in Green River three different times. I have had three children born here. I have started eight successful businesses five of which I still own and operate. I have been a Green River City councilman for eight years and gained a lot of experience for this position.
We have some steel water lines underground, that we are using, that can blow at any time. They usually break in the coldest weather and at the worst possible time. Everything underground in the city needs to be updated or replaced. This needs to be done before we repair or reconstruct the streets.
We have concrete sewer pipe underground that has dissolved from the sewer gasses. That was the Longstreet Sewer Pipe that totally dissolved. Only the bottom half of the sewer pipe is left. The top half has totally caved in. The rest of this pipe is still underground and has never been repaired.
Our flood preparedness; we have been hit a couple of times in the past 10 years and nothing has really changed. We still have the 110th which is the old number 51 ditch West of North town which slowly shifts the water to the North and South from coming down on the city. But the people on the North get the brunt of the flooding. That ditch has breached before and flood water come through town. We are in a position where we argue with the BLM and the county over how to fix this problem.
We did have $800,000 dollars plus in our capital improvement fund, but now we have less than $700,000 dollars after putting in plastic playground equipment and plastic kiosks over at the museum. Neither of which I was in support of. Our priorities need to be guided into a direction that will make our lives better and safer. Not in the direction where it always service tourism.
Next year we will have a new main street as Utah Department Of Transportation is rebuilding it. We will be tempted to put new oil down on side streets but we need to be working on replacing the underground water and sewer pipes first.
A lot of times we are held up on projects waiting for new money to take on these projects. If we have money in our budget we should use it for necessary projects.
We need a city manager to make sure the city completes projects through several mayors and city councils. Instead of starting over with every new mayor and city council. A city manager could save the city money.
There is a need for housing in Green River. We have many people that are reluctant to sell land or rental property they say they are waiting for their kids to return. Possibly they are waiting for expected big money to come to Green River and purchase the property.
Six different companies are drilling in the area for uranium. The price of uranium is higher now than it has ever been. The price is about $175 a pound for yellow cake. In the past it was mined for a profitable $20 a pound.
We used to have uranium mining and the missile base, now we have great potential for oil refineries, a landfill, and other businesses. If and when they come this will bring an increase in wealth in this area.
Lucas R Shorts: I have lived in Green River all my life, I have built a house, I have two children. I own a business and am about to start another.
My interest in Green River is for the future and Green River is going in the wrong direction. We need new families, new businesses, large and small to bring in more money for the city. We have a lot of projects that need to be finished.
I know of several companies that would like to locate in Green River. Green River is in a unique situation with plenty of water, natural gas 13 miles away, I-70, and the railroad for transportation.
We need to change some things so these companies can afford to come to Green River. We charge some of the highest fees for companies wanting to relocate in Green River. We cannot expect a large company to come here and build a warehouse without access to the natural gas that is presently 13 miles away. I would push for these necessary changes. If we bring these companies here they will provide jobs that will help keep our high school graduates in Emery County. At present it is very tragic that our kids have to leave Green River because there are insufficient jobs here.
The city has let to many things fall by the wayside. We need to talk with the citizens of Green River about their concerns, to find out why they want or don’t want things the Council is planning. I don’t believe this has happened in the past. If we do not get input from the citizens of Green River on various issues we are not doing our job and not doing what is best for Green River.
Karen Silliman: I recently moved here from Elkhorn, Neb., I was educated at the University of Nebraska and BYU, I have a masters degree in family therapy. I feel I can bring many good things to the City Council. I have two teenage children. I am concerned about parents not having enough time to spend with their children. I will not be employed therefore I will devote time to City Council business. We have a lot of work to do in making Green River a place to grow and a safe place for raising our children.
I would like to speak up for the citizens of Green River. I do not have an agenda, I will listen to the citizens concerns, I will attend and listen at other community group meetings. I will be able to take as much time as necessary to do this. In doing this I will be able to understand what is going on all over Green River.
By spending time with the citizens I will be better able to serve Green River on the City Council. After listening to the citizens I will follow through on what people want.
I haven’t heard about a lot of follow through yet. I am not sure what the reasons are behind the lack of follow through, but that is neither here or there. We need to work together as a team for the betterment of Green River.
I would like to see the infrastructure and citizen safety improved and more housing made available. My husband had to make three or four trips here just to find housing, that was quite an undertaking. I am in favor of new industry moving here.
There are things that we can do to encourage the private sector. I believe we need to look into the future in a planned way so that we can maintain anything we build. Let us get rid of things that are meaningless and lets move on to things that need to be accomplished. Then let us follow through to make sure the projects are completed.
I would like to see written communications back to the citizens. Perhaps a newsletter every two months. This would help the citizens hold the mayor and the council accountable for what we want.