Huntington City receives Award from SEULOG

By COREY BLUEMEL Staff Writer

Huntington City Council met for its monthly meeting in city hall on Sept. 24. Councilwoman Hilary Gordon presided in the absence of Mayor Jackie Wilson.
Jeff Adams, from the SouthEastern Utah Association of Local Governments, was present to award Huntington City the 21st Century Community Award. Adams said that the council had worked very hard to accomplish this goal, and that he felt that everyone involved in the process had learned valuable tools for preparation for the future. Rural Utah is experiencing the fastest rate of growth in comparison to the size of the communities.
Gary Price, representing the Emery County Horse 4-H program, introduced five of the young people who participated in the program. Misha Johnson was first to do her presentation. She talked about what she has learned from her involvement in horse 4-H. Among the many things she mentioned, was the value of learning how to teach horses how to do the things a rider wants. Her horse, Gypsy, has learned new skills, and both horse and rider are improving.
Mandy Langston explained to the council the 17 ranks of the horse 4-H program. Cammie Whittle showed the council her portfolio and explained how each section is constructed. Amy Langston told the council about the state competitions that the group attends. Andrea Price informed the council of the community service projects, such as cleaning highways and painting bleachers, that the 4-H has done.
Gary Price told the council that there is an enormous amount of interest in horses in this county and that the young people involved work very hard to accomplish the things they have. He said that community support is extremely important to the group and asked for that support to continue. There are approximately 70 members of the Horse 4-H group countywide.
The council approved a $200 yearly budget amount for the Horse 4-H program. Several of the council members expressed their appreciation for the program and noted how valuable it is for young people.
The stray dog problem was discussed. There are several areas in the city where several dogs run loose and those dogs have no collars and no licenses. It is becoming a safety concern as the dogs are chasing children and adults. The council urged concerned residents to come into city hall and file a complaint if they encounter a problem with a dog. This is the only way the problem can be addressed and solved.
Another item approved by the council was that in the future all business license application will go before the planning and zoning board for review before coming to the council.
Gordon explained to the council that she had been to a meeting which concerned the enforcement of zoning ordinances for smaller towns. Each town in the county has its own ordinances and it is very difficult for the county zoning administrator to enforce all the ordinances. The SouthEastern Utah Zoning Enforcement Association (SEUZEA) has been organized to look into making the ordinances more uniform throughout the county and begin enforcement more regularly. The issue will be discussed at length at the next meeting.
Jimie Jones explained the questionnaires required by the codification company. The company needs to know exactly what positions and ordinances that will be left in force. The council approved the purchase of enough codification books so that all councilmembers and committee members can be in possession of the ordinances.
City beautification was next on the agenda. Fifty-two properties around the city that are not in compliance with the ordinances dealing with city beautification have been identified.. While many of the problems are safety issues, all need to be addressed soon. The council will send letters to the property owners explaining the infractions and urging remedy. The council agreed to allow the property owners 30 days to comply. If compliance is not met, the council will move to the next step in the process.