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Joshua Frazier
for
Nibley City Council


Let's ask the candidates!

‎10/‎10/‎2011

Scott Larsen's Questionnaire to All Candidates

Land Use   Nibley has grown at 9.5 % on average for each of the last 11 years largely due to family farms being sold to developers.  Land owners have a right to develop their land and simply saying “no development” is not an option. No one wants the City to tell them what they can and can't do in their backyard, but when their neighbor is doing something they don't like, residents expect the City to step in and stop the behavior. Nibley City is guided by a General Plan, State Code, and City ordinances. All of which come into play when making land use issues decisions.

  1. Have you read and do you know what LUDMA is and how it directs cities in Utah?
  2. What do you feel is the balance between allowing land owners to develop their land as they choose and seeing that development is done in a way that benefits the whole city?
  3. Have you read the General Plan and how does your vision for Nibley match or differ from the current Nibley City General Plan?
  4. How would you help preserve open space or agricultural zones within Nibley and within our Annexation Declaration area?
  5. What is the proper place for regulating residents and how much regulation is OK?  

Why I am Running   Candidates for public office often run with a specific agenda, personal issue, out of anger or frustration.

  1. What is your primary motive for running for city council and what do you hope to learn, and accomplish, during your service?
  2. What is your greatest concern with the direction Nibley City has taken the past 4 years? How would you change this direction?
  3. What do you feel are the biggest issues facing Nibley City within the next 4 years?

Money Issues   One of the greatest misunderstandings people have is what money is available and what can be done with that money. There are strict regulations and auditing processes on public funds.

  1. Do you know what the annual budget is for the City and what is the largest source of revenue for the City?
  2. What line items or departments of Nibley City's current budget do you feel need to be adjusted if any?

Parks, Recreation, and Community   Nibley City recently adopted a Parks and Recreation Master Plan that was developed by consultants and a committee backed by citizenry input. The study showed Nibley is far younger than the national statistics with a third of our population under the age or 12. It also showed that there are not enough facilities for national standards of a city of our size. Based on all the information certain recommendations were made and presented in the plan.

  1. Have you read the Parks Plan?  What do you think of it? What are your ideas for parks and recreation planning?
  2. As the City continues to grow, we will see an increasing diversity in the demographics of our residents.  What can the City do to make sure Nibley is a place where everyone feels included and welcome?

Candidates' Responses To Questionnaire:


Kathryn Beus

Land Use

A.  LUDMA refers to Land Use Development Management Act. It is a portion of Utah state code that directs land use development. Any city ordinances that are passed regarding land usage have to conform to LUDMA code.

B.  Because of LUDMA property owners have the right to develop their land. As a city we should assure that it is done in an orderly manner and plan for the utilities and the impact of growth. Nibley city made large steps to provide for orderly growth by adopting the Nibley City General Plan with input from hundreds of residents.

C.  Yes, I have read the General Plan and I like the way that it provides for future sustainable growth.

D.  The Nibley City conservation subdivision ordinance needs a chance to work.

E.  In an ideal society we wouldn’t need regulation because everyone would take care of themselves. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. There needs to be some judicious use of regulation.

Why I am Running

F.   My primary motive for running for Nibley City Council is to represent a demographic of Nibley that hasn’t been represented on the Council. I am a mother of a young family. In this questionnaire it is stated that one third of the population is under the age of 12. This means we have a lot of young families here. I know the issues that we face as we raise our families. As a mother, I am interested in the future of our community and the direction we are heading. I do not have a preconceived agenda. I am a studious, thorough person and my goal is to study the issues and vote with our futures in mind.

G.  I don’t have any major complaints with the current course of Nibley City. In fact, I see a lot of good things in the works. I like our plans for beautification that I have seen with my involvement on the Tree Board. We have great parks, soccer fields, pavilions, and schools. Our Nibley City Heritage Days programs are traditions that I participated in as a youth and I love that my kids will have the same opportunities. I would like to see even more community involvement and more programs aimed at strengthening our sense of community.

H.  In the next four years our biggest issues as a city will most likely center around growth. We are the closest city to Logan with the largest capacity for more growth. Currently there is a lull in growth with the recent economic conditions. This is an opportune time to prepare for the future and ready ourselves for the inevitable growth that will come. We have a parks plan that is in the planning stages, trails plans, and beautification projects that are all needing more attention to be further pushed along in their progress. Taking advantage of this time to prepare for future growth would make us a more prepared and even better place to live.

Money Issues

I.    The entire Nibley City budget is $5 million with the sewer fees being our largest source of revenue. The General Fund is around $1.8 million and is supported from tax revenue with sales tax being the main supply of funds.

J.   I feel generally pleased with the budget and city expenditures. Currently there is about $14,000 that is allotted for the Nibley Heritage Days program. Spending more money on the festivities could be a great opportunity to celebrate our community and bring people together.

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.  Yes, I have read our parks plan. It is a great plan for Nibley’s future and feel we should go forward with it. Providing parks for our residents is a great way to boost our community and bring people together whether it be through baseball games, soccer games, or a splash pad. The current funding proposal to pay for the parks with impact fees is a good solution for future parks.

L.   The demographic of Nibley is predominantly members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Being a member myself, I can see how it has some great advantages in our community. However, there is a disadvantage in that if people aren’t members of the faith they could feel isolated as most of our interaction is between members of our wards. As a community we need to reach out to everyone regardless of their ethnicity, religion or other differences in their backgrounds. This is why I am such a proponent of Heritage Days and instigating other community events to help enrich our sense of Nibley. The more events we have the more involvement is needed by volunteers and as we get an increasingly more diverse population we will be able to reach out to everyone. The volunteer spirit is on fire in Nibley, evidence of that can be seen in our amazing presentations at the County and State Fairs, as well as the “volunteer park” on 250 West. As we cultivate this spirit and encourage it more we will help make Nibley a place where everyone feels welcome and included.

 

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Carry Cook

Land Use

A.  Land Use Development and Management Act. The Utah League of Cities and Towns' is there to aid cities in keeping the education of land use regulation.

B.  There is a balance here and that is the reason we need members of the council to come from all areas of experience and understanding to get a good mix of perspectives. 

C.  I have and agree with most of it. I do not agree with a few road realignments. I would like to see all the commercial stay with SR-165 and 89-91 area. I like the feel of the walking paths and the look of all the communities within our city.

D.  I think we have some great choices on the books now for developments to go through. We have had a lot of great discussions for the newest developments and I feel they are going to look great. These give great ideas for open space.

E.  We regulate zoning and land issues. 

Why I am Running

F.   My motivation to run for city council came from my enjoyment of planning and zoning. I feel that I can bring good ideas, council and maybe even common sense. I would like to work on water issues (Subdivision retention/ detention ponds, storm water removal, field drain/ land drain issues), completion of roads and lighting for our major streets.

G.  I would like to see the public be informed at the onset of change. Such as when the Manager, Mayor, Council are in the stages of deciding on something, bring the public in on the discussion for more ideas and input from the citizens.

H.  As Nibley continues to grow I think we need to work on our operating procedures, chain of commands for our staff and citizens. We have a great staff. I would like to see them equipped with the tools to work efficiently.

Money Issues

I.    No response given

J.   For both questions,  this is the area where I would like the opportunity to learn more.                                                                                                                         

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.  This is part of the cities obligations to our citizens and planning is essential to the future of our city. I believe this is a great set of ideas. I like that we have many parks to use all over the city. This gives our citizens the ability to have a park within walking distance. I love the trails plan! 

L.   This is the great part of living in Nibley we already have the great people that make up our city. As part of these great people we all get to know our neighbors and get to understand how each one of them like to interact.


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Joshua Frazier

Land Use

A.  LUDMA means Land Use, Development, & Management Act.  It details things such as the process the city should use to notify the public, how land is supposed to be used or developed (zoning, wetlands, subdivisions etc...),  how to receive an exception (variance), how to appeal decisions, and explains enforcement and penalties. 

B.  I feel that LUDMA is meant to help keep order in a city, but it is also what gives that city the ability to hang a noose over personal property rights. In the name of “Neighbor’s Rights” or “Community Rights,” personal property rights can get intruded upon. I think that a city’s responsibility should be to provide the basic layout of a city, but then leave the citizens alone to be free to act for themselves within those bounds. For sure there are benefits to regulating all the little details, but those benefits come at an expense to freedom and personal property rights.  

C.  I have the General Plan saved to my computer desktop and have reviewed it several times as well as highlighted sections of it.   The city plan says that Nibley is a “…community that encourages the preservation of open space and the rural heritage of Cache Valley.” I support that goal and would make decisions with it in mind. 

D.  One way to preserve open space and agricultural zones is with zoning and basic land use & size requirements. For example: It is difficult to maintain a bedroom community if you create a lot of high density housing and then need to supply the needs that come from high density. 

E.  That is actually a very difficult question to answer. A foundational freedom- based approach would restrict government to supplying only the basic protection of life, liberty and property. But in order to accomplish that, the people first need to choose to live the principles of self government in their own lives.

Government is a reflection of “We the People”. Many people verbally say that they want limited government, but aren’t willing or truly able to step up and live the required lifestyle. Self government is an ideal, but it is hard work and time consuming.  As a society we have moved away from this ideal in large measure. 

Because there is an ever increasing number of people who turn to the government for solutions, government regulations and involvement increase.  If the people desire, the trend can be reversed by learning, living and teaching the principles of self government.  Although returning to ideals could not happen overnight, an educated paradigm shift can, and steps can be taken to move in that direction.

When faced with a decision to regulate Nibley residents on an item, I plan to err on the side of caution; regulating less and relying on residents to self- govern more.

Why I am Running

F.  My #1 reason for running for city council is based on my interest, love and concern for America as a whole. The shedding of personal freedom has increased exponentially in just the last few years and it’s been a wakeup call to many.  Although well advanced in our progress away from the dreams of our Founding Fathers, I feel a desire to rise to the occasion and serve my country with optimism.  While limited in what I can do on a national level, I believe that city council would provide me an ability to be a watchperson for freedom within my own community.

G.  My greatest concern for Nibley City’s direction is not only directed at those in city government, but to the residents as well. The problems within the city government don’t seem that different than the problems many people are comfortable with inside their own lives.  If the people will educate themselves on correct principles, then the government will have no choice but to fall in line, because the government IS the people. But if people cannot govern themselves, then the government will have to do it for them. If a basic unwritten law is not lived by all, then that law needs to be written, and an accompanying freedom is lost. The problem is that the same corruption which keeps citizens from being able to govern themselves also corrupts the government that was hired to fix the problem.

H.  I do feel that Nibley City still has some growing pains to recover from; however the biggest issue I see will be surviving the economic downturns ahead.   Just because we have come this far through the front end of the economical challenges does not mean that they are almost over.  In fact all data shows that we are currently only in the eye of the storm and that the back end will be much worse. Our greatest challenge therefore will be preparing for much larger economic challenges still to come. As these continue to affect individuals and families, Nibley City will undoubtedly feel that burden, too. 

Money Issues

I.    The operating budgets are the proposed expenditures as well as the means for paying for them. Details can be found on the city website in these documents:
Nibley City 2010 Audit  (It seems like some pages are missing on this audit)
Nibley City 2010 - 2011 budget 

2010 General operating fund had a balance of $851,307.  The Cities 2010 revenue was just over $3 million and the bulk of that came from charges for services and from sales tax. Taxes are the largest source of revenue for Nibley.

J.   That is difficult to answer. I’ve spent some time reviewing the city’s financials, but am still working on finding where improvements can be made. The best answer to this question I can give is that my foundation for making decisions are to be frugal in spending and look for ways to limit programs and government growth, which in turn, will reduce the need to spend.

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.  I have visited this site, as well as looked over the Parks Plan located here.  These links provide a lot of information and it looks like an impressive amount of time has already been dedicated to planning for Nibley parks.

In meeting with and talking with residents, I have heard many express their desire for parks, particularly those with kids who are involved in soccer, baseball and other sports.  Parks add a nice atmosphere to a community and provide needed space and equipment for children to develop.  I value parks and generally support them.   I would want to make sure that there are adequate funds for building them, and that acquiring those funds does not burden the community with unnecessary taxes.

L.   One way for the city to help residents of differing backgrounds feel welcome is to A) provide a way for every voice to be heard and B) know that their opinion was used in the decision process.   An attempt I have made to start this has been to make an online discussion group for the residents of Nibley City. Any citizen can contribute to this site.  This has the ability to bridge the gap between the residents and city government. http://www.nibleycitycouncil.com/openforumm  

Already, I have been giving out this address and encouraging citizens visit and give their feedback. So far the response has been wonderful. There are currently 10 topics with almost 30 responses and over 300 views!   I really believe that this will be a great tool for the City Council to get community feedback.

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Larry Jacobsen

Land Use

A.  LUDMA is the Land Use, Development, and Management Act in Utah Code for municipalities (Title 10, Chapter 9A) and counties (Title 17, Chapter 17A).  The municipal chapter grants the authority and defines the process through which Nibley City may influence and control land use, land development, and land management. 

B.  Finding the proper balance between individual property rights and community property rights was the issue that first interested me in city government 15 years ago when I applied for a permit to build a barn for our goats and chickens.  The final act of receiving the building permit was anti-climatic compared to the fascinating process of applying for the permit.  Because of that interest, I accepted a five-year appointment on Nibley’s Planning Commission and I have served for five years on the City Council.  Finding the right balance between individual and community property rights is still central to my desire to serve another term on the City Council. 

As I see it, the first key to finding this balance is to follow Utah Code; the second key is to write, refresh, and live by a General Plan that captures the vision of what we want our community to be; and the third is to enact and enforce ordinances that implement that General Plan.  The common theme running through all of these is the importance of being fair, consistent, and willing to listen to the other side.  Our family has nothing to gain from additional development in Nibley, because I am not a realtor, developer, nor contractor.  However, by realizing that the community allowed us to move to Nibley 15 years ago, it is not fair to say that no one else can do the same. 

C.  Nibley City updated its General Plan in 2007.  I had just finished serving on the Planning Commission, and I thought my official role in city government had ended.  However, I still wanted to be active as a resident, so I participated as such (as did many other residents) to help write the General Plan that was eventually adopted.  I found that activity – the coming together of Nibley’s residents to decide the vision for our community – exciting enough to make me seek a position on the City Council.  The new plan was adopted in 2008, and I am proud to be listed as one of the adopting members of the City Council.  The General Plan’s vision for Nibley City matches my own, and based on the process that produced that plan, I believe it also matches the vision of Nibley’s residents.  That is not to say that our present plan should not ever change.  We need to review the current plan to see if it still matches our residents’ vision and adopt appropriate changes in the next two years. 

D.  I believe conservation subdivisions are the key to preserving open space and still allowing landowners an appropriate avenue to development.  Conservation subdivisions encourage clustering of houses while setting aside open space deemed valuable to the community.  Although the housing market has slowed subdivision proposals during the past couple of years, we approved a conservation subdivision for the Neighborhood Non-Profit Housing Corporation last February.  By working in concert with the proponent, this subdivision set aside 9.7 acres of open space.  The developer’s design, made possible by our Conservation Subdivision Ordinance, received one of three national Rural Sustainable Housing Development Awards given by the Housing Assistance Council.  I look forward to similar successes when subdivision proposals again pick up.

E.  The proper method for regulating the activities of Nibley residents is by enacting and enforcing reasonable ordinances.  I believe our current ordinances strike a good balance.  Admittedly, local ordinance enforcement is not easy because no one, including a representative of the city, enjoys policing friends and neighbors.  We have admittedly fallen short on enforcement at times, and we must do better in the future.

Why I am Running

F.   I mentioned earlier that my first interest in city government was finding the proper balance between individual and community property rights.  This is still my biggest motivation for serving. 

Because I am an incumbent, I have the comfort of talking about what I have learned during my service rather than predicting what I hope to learn.  The most important thing that I have learned in service to Nibley City is that it is easy to decide what is best for me and for my family.  However, it is not so easy to decide what is best for all of Nibley’s residents.  I have found representing other people to be an incredibly humbling experience.  I believe I have the proper motivation for running for a position in local government: a motivation of service to the community rather than self-promotion or self-interest. 

G.  It would not be right for me to say that Nibley has taken a wrong turn during the past four years, as I have had as much opportunity to set that direction as anyone has had.  I believe we are on the right track.  Certainly, the growth that we have experienced can be challenging.  However, ignoring growth will not make it stop.  The best things we can do are to plan and shape that growth.  In addition, our growth has provided us a young, enthusiastic, and energetic community.  I am proud that our family is a part of it. 

H.  I will answer this question by first addressing challenges and next speaking to concerns. 

First, the challenges…

I believe the biggest challenges for Nibley during the next four years are succession of city staff and encouraging the right level of economic development within our city.  Larry Anhder, Nibley’s City Manager, plans to retire during the upcoming year.  Larry has played a major role in efficiently providing municipal services to our residents, and he has been an important part of planning our city.  Thanks to Larry, we have a sound financial standing and the right infrastructure is in place to continue to provide municipal services.  It will be the City Council’s job to find Larry Anhder’s replacement – not an easy task. 

Economic development is important to improve our property tax base and to help corral sales taxes paid by Nibley residents (please see the chart in a later question).  In addition, I believe commercial services aimed at local needs build our community character.  I enjoy crossing paths with other Nibley residents while stopping at the Maverik on Highway 165, in spite of the angst we all had during Maverik’s application process.  I am not interested in reinventing our community to achieve commercial development, and our challenge is to find and attract the right economic development of which we can be proud. 

Now for the concerns…

I am concerned that “open space” and “sustainable development” have become bad words when discussing land uses and land development in Nibley. 

I am concerned that national issues that truly need addressing at the national level are being pushed as local issues in Nibley. 

I am happy that local elections are non-partisan elections, and I am concerned that others prefer to bring battles between political parties to Nibley. 

Money Issues

I.    Nibley’s income divides into two general categories: revenue received as the result of providing specific services to its residents and revenue that goes to the general fund.  The general fund revenue is the one with which the city has the most discretion.  Our anticipated general-fund revenue for fiscal year 2011-2012 is $936k, with the largest part, $380k, coming from sales and use taxes.  The other major income provider is property taxes at $323k, and the remainder of the general fund comes from franchise taxes.  Given the lack of commercial activity in Nibley, most of our sales tax revenue comes from regional distribution of one-half of the local one percent sales tax.  The following charts shows Nibley’s low ranking when compared to other cities in per resident annual sales tax received 2010.

J.    I participated in adopting the current budget, and I am happy with it.  Our budget is fiscally conservative, and we have a strong financial position. 

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.   I have read it.  I did not help write it, but I helped adopt it.  It is aggressive, justified, and doable.  The key to financing this plan is revenue collected through park impact fees.  The commentary leading to this question talks about the challenges of our young population.  We have a responsibility to promote healthy communities, and we are doing well in engaging those young people in healthy activities, thanks in a large part to our parks.  I have heard people worry about open space devoted to parks after the kids grow up, but I believe the open space in our parks will never go out of style. 

L.   Our family is a bit different than most of Nibley’s residents because we are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America rather than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  In spite of that difference, we have found Nibley to be an incredibly welcoming and accepting community.  Although I sometimes worry if we can accept one another with different ethnic backgrounds, I am strongly encouraged to see kids of different ethnicity engaged in healthy, cooperative play on the sports fields in Nibley’s parks.  I believe it is easier to teach our children to accept one another than to not accept one another.  Our children are our hope. 

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Shawn Platt


Land Use

A.  LUDMA = Land Use Development Act. The area I believe you are alluding to is: Utah Code – Title 10 – Chapter 08 – Powers and Duties of Municipalities.  I have read through most of it.  It is a rather lengthy document and I do not have it memorized but I can find anything in it with time and research to determine how it directs cities in Utah, particularly Nibley.

B.  I believe that the individual land owners have the right to do what they want to with their land, but also that the growth rate of the city should be limited and better planned.  The city can agree to a certain amount of growth per year, determined by the ability to maintain a solid infrastructure and the goals of citizens living within the city limits, and a sustainable financial revenue stream to support the growth.  The city will allow development on the order of application of the individual land owner and the amount of development.  If the land owner is first in line, then that development will obviously be first if it is within the defined parameters.  If the land owner is 12th to apply, then they will have to wait till the other 11 have had their opportunities and the city has maintained the sustainable growth. If the previous applicants do not meet the guidelines of sustainable growth, then the order will shift.

C.  I have read the General Plan I believe that the plan is very fluid in nature. It does mention the fact that Nibley is getting less rural as time goes by, but I do not see any specific references on how Nibley plans on keeping the rural environment its main priority. I get the feeling from reading the plan those drafting it were more concerned with generating revenue than preserving the rural environment.

D.  I believe we need to preserve farms and agricultural lands with land use planning and a regulatory framework to minimize competition over the open space or agricultural land.  Such a plan would describe the importance of farming to the local community and identify where future development should or should not be located. The plan should also include support to the land owners by the city to fight against development on their land if they so choose to keep their land un-developed. To implement such a plan, effective agricultural zoning can control the intrusion of non-farm residences and commercial uses into farming areas, and compel growth to locate elsewhere – Urban growth boundaries.  Together, agricultural zoning and growth boundaries can help to protect existing farms or land that has been preserved through the sale or donation of development rights from conflicting non-farm developments.  Agricultural preservation works best when the land is preserved in large blocks that are almost gone in Nibley. Large blocks of agricultural land minimize non-farm development and complaints about the noise, dust, odors, and farm machinery. It also creates an atmosphere of greater certainty for agricultural land owners, in which they become more willing to invest in their operations because they know they will not have conflicts with neighbors.  When land owners invest in their farms, it’s more likely that family members of the next generation will be interested in taking over the farm operations.

I don’t feel we should be trying to dictate what we want to happen in annexation areas. Those areas are not within Nibley’s realm now and may never be, so we should leave them alone.  I would not be happy if I lived in a neighboring community with property bordering Nibley and I found out that Nibley wanted to take my land and use it for their own purposes.

E.   I believe we have too much regulation right now – too big of government with too many ordinances. Just looking at our existing regulations it gives you a headache and they are more of them than in municipalities much bigger than ours. What happened to the concept of teaching people the correct principles and letting them govern them selves? Yes there is a place for ordinances, but too many do not do anyone or anything any good. Why do we need an ordinance if something is not an issue or problem? For example, the just passed ordinance making it illegal for dogs to leave decorations behind in public parks or on private land. Does anyone not know to pick up after your dog in a park or on somebody else’s yard? When the Mayor was asked why this ordinance was being considered or if there was a problem, the Mayor replied there was not a problem, but that Hyrum had a similar type law so he thought it would be a good idea for Nibley to have one!  Just because somebody else does something does that mean we have to? Just an example of regulation gone too far.

Why I am Running

F.   I do not have any personal gain or agenda in my pursuit of a council position. My primary motive for running for Nibley City Council is I am tired of my own apathy toward the city government and my frustration with the city government ignoring the people and doing what it feels is best for us!

I realized I could either try and do something about the decisions being made in addition to my voting by pursuing public office, or try and pretend the city government didn’t exist by ignoring it.  Ignoring as we know only makes the problem worse. I don’t want to ignore issues I don’t agree with anymore, I want to do something about them. 

I want to have peoples wishes heard and to have a government that actually is ran by the people for the people, not by the government for the government!

I hope to learn more of what the great people of Nibley want their city to be and to be the catalyst for making that happen. We often here the question of what can one person do to make a difference?  I hope to show what one person can do in making a difference. If elected and when my time on the council would come to an end, I want people to remember me for being an advocate for them.

G.  * The greatest concern I have is the growing sentiment of the city government not listening to the people. The way the city has grown over the last few years it often appears that Nibley is out of control and half hazard in its growth. From what I have heard people in Nibley feel as if the revenue brought in from growth is more important than being able to handle the growth.  I want Nibley to remain a bedroom community not a south Logan. The majority of us who live here do so for a rural environment and want it to stay that way – we did not move here to be able to walk to work at McDonalds for example!

H.  Biggest issues facing Nibley City

  • Listening to and being governed by the people of Nibley

  • Financial responsibility to the citizens of Nibley when asked not to do things

  • Managing growth / Urban Sprawl and associated development

  • Keeping utility rates affordable for all. I have a hard time understanding why Nibley’s water rates are more than our neighboring communities?

Money Issues

I.    The annual budget is available for all to see and download from the Nibley City web pages.  Based on the Audit June 30, 2010, Page 7 under the Fund Financial Analysis, Paragraph 4 it states “Taxes continue to be largest source of revenue…” (Also see page 10 in PDF or Page 13 of the document page numbering).

But based on page 3 from the Nibley City Corporation Balance sheet it is individual property taxes that are the greatest source of revenue.

J.   This would require a great deal more analysis on my part to elaborate in great detail. I would seriously look at the costs of maintaining the parks to determine lower cost alternatives and ways of getting some financial return on those investments.  I would also want to look at our maintenance department staffing and costs vs. actual needs. Additionally I would like to look at the cost of a full time City Manager vs. a part time City administrator at a much lower salary and compare the pros & cons associated with it.

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.  Yes I have read it. What do I think of it? Overall I think it is an alright plan and should only be used as a general guide. I find it limited in its scope and very costly. Pulling data from the Parks & Trails Master plan August 2010, it shows Nibley had approximately 31.67 acres existing parks. The Plan also shows an estimate of $3,183 per acre of park maintenance cost. That totals to $100,805.61!! That is just for the maintenance of existing parks – new park development and maintenance not included.

While I love traditional sports such as football, baseball and soccer, I believe this plan is limited in its scope because it does not take into account other sporting activities such as a skate park or an equestrian center. Every time I drive by the skate park in Logan there are always kids skating boarding.  What a great place for kids to get together and be active.  Why an equestrian center? 2 general reasons – 1) There are many people in Nibley and thousands in Cache Valley that have horses and enjoy them and would utilize such a center. The indoor arena in Logan is always booked.  2) Look at what is in the planning phase outside of Franklin Idaho – a very large equestrian park that is projected to bring in millions of dollars and new associated businesses that would generate a sustainable revenue source.

L.  We need to work harder at being more open and listening with our government. Nibley needs to define itself and then stick to that definition. Do we want Nibley to be conservative and remain a bedroom community with a rural flare – I know I do – or do we want to have urban sprawl with fast food restaurants and 18 wheeled vehicles cruising along our residential streets? I dread those thoughts.

Once we agree on what we (the citizens and government representation) we need to promote those ideals and stick to them regardless of the temptations of more money from commercial sources. Nibley does not openly support the individuals who want to keep agriculture as a living or as a hobby. We need to support those ideals and advertise that.

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Mike Smith

Land Use

A.  Yes, Land Use Development Act gives guidelines on how a City should be developed.

B.  Use management strategies, such as agricultural preservation techniques, transfer of development rights and subdivision regulations that preserve the natural setting and resources of the rural character of Nibley City.

C.  One of the primary components of the General Plan is the future land use map.  These range from the zoning of property, to incentives programs that encourage certain use.  This document is not intended to commit the city council or planning commission to specific courses of action, but rather to define the end results which the city desires.

D.  Agricultural areas are intended to protect agricultural uses from encroachment of urban development until such a time as residential, commercial, or industrial uses in such areas become necessary and desirable by the city.  The agricultural preservation land use, in conjunction with land use tools and strategies can be used in areas of the city where open space preservation is a high priority.

E.  I live in the 3rd phase of Country Cove.  When we built in this area, we signed covenants with the builder.  We have lived up to these covenants, whereas other residents within the project have not.  I like this type of thing because of the beauty it adds.

Why I am Running

F.  Most important is service.  It’s important for any and every one to perform.  People need to know what goes on at the local level of government.  They should not be kept in the dark on important matters of the city where they live.  Everyone needs to be involved or notified.

G.  What has happened in the past is gone, and you can’t undo what has been done.  Most citizens feel that they aren’t provided with proper notice, whether it is about zoning changes that impact farm lands or when Nibley city is choosing to spend resources.  Example New City Building.

H.  Nibley has grown a lot in the last 40 years since my family moved here.  When my uncle was building a house on Hollow road, you could count on 2 hands how many houses where there, and Big J Arabians had a lot of pasture to roam.  When my parents built on 3700 South which was Bertha Yeates’ old farm.  Things have changed, and you can’t tell someone how to sell their land.  I’m sure that some of the older Nibley residents hate what has happened to their town.

Money Issues

I.    Per May 5, 2011 minutes:

“Mr. Anhder said the general fund is funded mostly with tax revenues and was therefore the general fund was 1.8 million dollars.  The next budget anticipates 50 single family homes built next year; a property tax adjustment to the rate of .001667; and projected sales tax revenue holding steady.

Mr. Anhder said the budget also anticipated a 1.5 salary schedule increase; landscape of the new city hall and other contingencies.”

J.   Storm water will need some tweaking in the near future, because the city will have to purchase a pump truck to clean out storm drains as they become clogged.

Parks, Recreation, and Community

K.  Yes, I like the park plan, but we need to strive to meet the present and the future recreational demands of all sectors of the Nibley community.

L.   I think diversity is a good thing.  It makes us all think outside of the box.  We all need to work together and be involved, and understand needs vs. wants.

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