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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.
Have you read and do you know what
LUDMA is and how it directs cities in Utah?
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?
Have you read the General Plan and how does your vision for
Nibley match or differ from the current
Nibley City General Plan?
How would you help preserve open space or agricultural zones
within Nibley and within our Annexation Declaration area?
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.
What is your primary
motive for running for city council and what do you hope to
learn, and accomplish, during your service?
What is your greatest concern with the direction Nibley City has
taken the past 4 years? How would you change this direction?
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.
Do you know what the
annual budget is for the City and what is the largest source of revenue for the City?
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.
Have you read the
Parks Plan? What do you think of it? What are your ideas for
parks and recreation planning?
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.
Top of page
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.
Top of page
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.
Top of page
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.
Top of page
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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