Ferron City Council discusses Peach Days and garbage collection

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Ferron City is busily preparing for their annual Peach Days Celebration. In the recent city council meeting they went over the final plans for the event which will be held Sept. 2-6.
During the board of equalization requests, an adjustment was made for Matt Meccariello for a water leak which occurred while they were out of town. The leak was fixed upon their return. The adjustment was granted. The planning and zoning recommended a business license be granted for Tony Tomsich for Precision Painting and the council approved the action.
Councilman Ron Bloomer brought up the matter of allowing the planning and zoning to approve minor business licenses without bringing them to the city council for approval. He thinks this really slows down the process and prospective business operators are forced to wait weeks sometimes for approval.
JoAnne Behling, council member thought it was good for the business licenses to come to council meeting for approval.
It was noted in other cities the planning and zoning does all the paperwork and then the office clerk checks to see that all the needed paperwork is completed.
Bloomer said any major businesses would be brought before the council. Right now the planning and zoning is working on a new business license application form and when that is completed they will bring the form to the council for approval and the council will act upon any changes in business license approval at that time.
Shaun Swasey brought a water meter reading problem before the council. He has two meters near his property and he’s never really sure which one is read. He requested the old meter be taken out. The council agreed to waive the late fees on the water bill and will look into having the old meter removed.
Emery Telcom was on hand to ask for the approval of a franchise agreement with Ferron City. They will be running TV service over the phone lines and any revenues from this will be taxed at a 3 percent rate which will come into Ferron City. Emery Telcom will be implementing video on demand and a local content TV channel in the near future. High school sports and other county activities will be broadcast and they are looking at adding a cooking show. Ferron City approved the agreement.
Mark H. Williams reported the Arapeen ATV jamboree is coming to town Aug. 31-Sept. 5. He requested the use of the multipurpose building at the rodeo grounds to host their registration and some meals. On Sept. 5 will be the drawing for the ATV and other prizes. Williams said, “We are using local Ferron City is busily preparing for their annual Peach Days Celebration. In the recent city council meeting they went over the final plans for the event which will be held Sept. 2-6.
During the board of equalization requests, an adjustment was made for Matt Meccariello for a water leak which occurred while they were out of town. The leak was fixed upon their return. The adjustment was granted. The planning and zoning recommended a business license be granted for Tony Tomsich for Precision Painting and the council approved the action.
Councilman Ron Bloomer brought up the matter of allowing the planning and zoning to approve minor business licenses without bringing them to the city council for approval. He thinks this really slows down the process and prospective business operators are forced to wait weeks sometimes for approval.
JoAnne Behling, council member thought it was good for the business licenses to come to council meeting for approval.
It was noted in other cities the planning and zoning does all the paperwork and then the office clerk checks to see that all the needed paperwork is completed.
Bloomer said any major businesses would be brought before the council. Right now the planning and zoning is working on a new business license application form and when that is completed they will bring the form to the council for approval and the council will act upon any changes in business license approval at that time.
Shaun Swasey brought a water meter reading problem before the council. He has two meters near his property and he’s never really sure which one is read. He requested the old meter be taken out. The council agreed to waive the late fees on the water bill and will look into having the old meter removed.
Emery Telcom was on hand to ask for the approval of a franchise agreement with Ferron City. They will be running TV service over the phone lines and any revenues from this will be taxed at a 3 percent rate which will come into Ferron City. Emery Telcom will be implementing video on demand and a local content TV channel in the near future. High school sports and other county activities will be broadcast and they are looking at adding a cooking show. Ferron City approved the agreement.
Mark H. Williams reported the Arapeen ATV jamboree is coming to town Aug. 31-Sept. 5. He requested the use of the multipurpose building at the rodeo grounds to host their registration and some meals. On Sept. 5 will be the drawing for the ATV and other prizes. Williams said, “We are using local business for the catering and spending money in the county. Most of the people who have been to the jamboree have let others know and Gilly’s has been filled. One of the couples that came last year from Canada rode clear to Mexico and their story appeared in a national magazine with two pictures from here, one of Millsite and one in Ferron.”
Williams asked the council if they could help with the establishment of a trail from Ferron to Emery. Utah State Parks is trying to connect the towns to the ATV trails and the state parks. State parks has some money to help with trails. Williams said they would like Ferron to be a sponsor and help with the right of way issue to allow a trail from Emery to Ferron. The forest service has come up with the money to fix Black Dragon. Ferron council said they appreciated the ATV Jamboree for the publicity it draws to Ferron.
Wade Williams from City Sanitation was on hand to discuss the recent garbage bid in Ferron.
The current garbage collector in Ferron is City Sanitation. Their contract will run out on Aug. 31. On June 6, Ferron City sent a letter to City Sanitation which stated the bid would be for a three year contract. “We would like to give you an opportunity to re-negotiate your contract with Ferron City for continued garbage collection. We would like to suggest that we change the date of increase of monies collected from our citizens to match the date that water, sewer and secondary water increases happen. This is July 1 of each year. Please send us your bid as soon as possible. Ferron City reserves the right to reject any or all bids.”
On July 8, a Ferron City Public Notice went out for an Invitation to Bid. “Notice is hereby given that Ferron City Council is currently accepting bids for Contracted Garbage Service. Interested bidders may submit their bids to the Ferron City hall no later than 5 p.m. on July 15, 2008. The bids will be reviewed at a special Ferron City Council Meeting on July 16, 2008. I the undersigned duly acting and appointed Recorder of Ferron City certify that the foregoing notice was posted in three public places on July 8, 2008.” Adele Justice.
This notice was also sent to City Sanitation and Emery County Sanitation. Williams contended the bid from City Sanitation was the lowest. The confusion occurred within the bidding process. Emery County Sanitation included a bid for garbage collection and roll-off dumping for a five year contract. The City Sanitation bid just included the can pickup and the roll-off dumping at $175 per roll off. They have a trailer which can take two rolloffs at a time.
The Ferron City Council said they have never questioned the quality of the service from City Sanitation they have used City Sanitation for the past 25 years. The discrepancy occurred when City Sanitation didn’t have a hard number on the number of roll-offs within their bid. Ferron City said the public notice was faxed to both companies. Emery County Sanitation was awarded the bid based on their bid being the lowest.
City Sanitation contended their bid was the lowest when the cost of the roll-offs were factored in. Ferron City council said their legal counsel said they must award the contract to the lowest bid. City Sanitation said they were not clear what they were bidding on as the letter sent on June 6, said a three year contract. City Sanitation presently had an eight year contract with Ferron City. The public notice sent out also did not have a length of contract mentioned.
Bloomer said the next time the bidding process comes up it must be solid and clarified to make everything clear on exactly what is being bid.
The Ferron Council said they are legally bound to accept the lowest bid. Both businesses stand to lose and it is a terrible thing that shouldn’t happen again, but now that Ferron is in the situation, they have got to stick with the decision made that night. Emery Sanitation will now be the company removing garbage from Ferron.
Williams said they will dump the cans on Aug. 29 and will again dump on Aug. 31 and pick up the cans from the Ferron residents.
Ferron City said they appreciate the service of City Sanitation these past years. In the Ferron City Council special meeting on July 16 at the bid opening, the bid was originally awarded to City Sanitation on a five year contract. After this initial award then the bids were examined again and it was learned that Emery County Sanitation was the lowest bidder. So a special meeting was held where the contract was reawarded to Emery County Sanitation. Emery County Sanitation’s bid included unlimited roll offs for $400 per month. On the date of the city council meeting Aug. 14, Ferron City had 73 roll-offs recorded at the Emery County landfill. Emery County Sanitation will assume the garbage collection responsibilities in Ferron on Sept. 1. Three hundred new cans will be delivered by Aug. 30 with the remainder by Sept. 15. Currently Emery Sanitation is looking at two options for pick-up until the cans are all in place. They might place enough roll offs throughout the city to handle the collection or will just pick it up from the curb at the residences.
Ferron City is looking at fairground improvements and would like to apply for a CIB grant/loan. Joe Trenery said cost estimates are $669,000 for fencing, new stalls, landscaping, bleachers and bathrooms. The stockshow committee said they will help with the bathroom costs.
The fairground improvements will be put on the agenda for a public hearing so public comments can be made concerning these improvements and the proposal to apply for CIB monies.
Bloomer said they would like to get interested citizens involved on the fairgrounds committee. They would like to start small with community involvement in the clean-up of the fairgrounds and work into the bigger improvements. He is concerned with the condition of the fairgrounds and would like to see effort put into cleaning it up.
Ray and Maribelle Wareham were chosen as the honored citizens/grand marshals for Peach Days.