Ferron clean-up and tree planting event

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Ferron City has beautification on its mind as residents have been helping with various improvement projects around the city. The clean-up day was a success as the Mayor’s Park was cleaned and the gutters along the city streets. The red was repainted at all of the intersections. The Ferron youth council helped with the clean-up. A new baseball field has been prepared on the junior high grounds and is ready for teams to use for practices.
Trent Jackson said the baseball field has been a real team effort as individuals around the city have worked to make the field usable by dragging the infield and now it’s ready for the bases. Jackson said they are looking for a grant to put in a new ball field there, but for now they are thankful for the improvements which have been made. Benches will also be installed behind the backstop for the players to sit on. Jackson said the city council is looking at redesigning the city website.
Marvin Garrett will operate the Snack Shack at the Millsite Golf Course throughout the summer months. He will be opening the new business on May 15 at the course. They will have fast food, hamburgers and hot dogs, drinks, candy, etc. and will also operate a snack cart to drive around the golf course to accommodate the golfers on the course.
A junior golf clinic is planned for the golf course and will involve Jordan Leonard, golf pro and the high school golf team as they instruct junior golfers.
Councilman Joe Trenery reported eight new hook-ups for trailers have been installed at the fairgrounds.
Mayor JoAnn Behling reported the work on the Millsite expansion is moving along quickly and top soil is being laid out at two of the new holes. “It’s just wonderful to see this project moving along,” said Mayor Behling.
Ferron welcomed its newest council member, Garrett Hansen to his first council meeting. He expressed a concern that more information needs to be obtained on the water for the golf course expansion. The engineers need to be more specific to address where the water is coming from. Three new pumps are being installed and those issues need to be addressed.
Ferron City reminds its residents that no outside watering should be done between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to conserve water.
Mayor Behling reported the city closed on the bonds for the golf course expansion.
During the public comment portion of the city meeting one resident wondered if Ferron City has any plans for a skate park. They replied not at the present time. She also raised a question about the dog rules for the town. She wishes these rules to be written in a town newsletter and distributed to remind people not to let their dogs run loose.
Another resident said he has been talking to Price Mayor Joe Piccolo and when Piccolo became mayor there were a number of vacant businesses in Price and now there are only 11 vacant businesses. He believes Piccolo should be consulted about economic development and to follow his suggestions to help Ferron City.
Chanele Atwood from the Castle Country Regional Information Center asked the council for a donation. She said the information center is located in the Prehistoric Museum in Price and supplies tourist information to everyone stopping into the center. She mentioned several partners involved with the financial support of the center and wondered if Ferron would be interested. The council said they would consider making a donation and they are working on their next year’s budget now.
Atwood also explained a new project they are involved with which includes an information center at the Buckhorn Flat pump house. The new center will include a restroom and a place where brochures can be distributed. The area will be fenced off and will be manned on the weekends.
Ferron City has been asked to partner with Emery County on the training of EMTs. A possible solution to the EMT shortage might include helping residents become certified by helping out with the expense of taking the training. Currently the training costs $650 and a partnership where the city pays one/third, the trainee, one-third and the county one-third is being looked at. Mayor Behling said they will need more information before a decision can be made, but they said it sounds like a good idea. “We are in desperate need of EMTs to take the training,” said Behling.
The council signed a contract with Rocky Mountain power to have street lights installed along 100 East and 200 East from 400 to 600 North. The city will need to dig the trench.
The city council held a work meeting for the budget after their regular meeting. They also had a closed session with their lawyer at the beginning of the meeting to discuss pending litigation.