HURRICANE — With a light agenda, the Hurricane City Council made decisions on power rates, the purchase of property for a power line route and a chip seal project Thursday at its regular meeting.
Power rates and property for a power line
City Power Director Dave Imlay recommended power rate changes to City Council during the meeting, saying, “We’re not gaining the revenues that we need to through our rates.”
Imlay said that if rates are not adjusted, the power department’s depreciation fund would suffer and presented a plan to implement rate stabilizations rather than revenue stabilizations. The plan Imlay presented was to raise the base rate from $11 to $17 but lower the per kilowatt hour rate by half a cent, which the council approved. The rate changes will take effect Nov. 1.
In a closed meeting, the council decided to purchase a 13-acre parcel, located at approximately 1150 W. 400 North, north of the Fox Hollow Subdivision, to facilitate a power line route. In the June 4 meeting, the city discussed and approved a potential deal that would have only required the purchase of a 30-foot section of the property along the roadway for only $11,000. However, the property owner refused, telling the city it would have to purchase the entire 13 acres or there would be no deal.
Ultimately, the council decided to purchase the property to avoid looking into other routes for the power line, Imlay said. The price for the property is currently unavailable because the contract has not been signed, Imlay said, explaining. What the city will do with the property is unclear. Imlay said the city would most likely hold on to the property and consider using it for trails or other uses.
Chip seal project
The council awarded a contract to do chip seal along 12.5 miles of Sand Hollow Road to Western Rock. Work on the project will begin in two weeks to a month.
City Engineer Arthur LeBaron assured the council that this chip seal project would not run into the problems another large chip seal project, along 600 North, ran into a few years ago because it is being done the right time of year and the contractor would run a test of the aggregate and oil before beginning. LeBaron said the project would be done with a smaller chip, which will make the road “more rideable.” The project will cost $394,935.
Dixie Regional Medical Center update
Terri Kane, administrator and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare’s Dixie Regional Medical Center, gave a presentation to the council to update them about the latest happenings with the hospital. She said the hospital will be expanding its River Road campus with three new additions, totaling 406,000 square feet, which would include 70 more beds. The project will double the size of the hospital and move labor and delivery and other services now at the 400 East campus to the newer location.
Construction will begin on the project next summer, and it is expected to be completed in 2018. Kane said the 400 East building will not be sold but used to expand its daycare and house its business office, finance office and senior services. When asked by the City Council if the Hurricane Clinic building would expand as well, Kane said the clinic will keep adding new physicians, but there are no plans to expand the facility right now.
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The chip & seal project on 600 North was a waste of good money. That road still sucks to ride on. I sue hope Mr. LeBaron is right. Better yet, redo 600 right this time.