Firefighting funds focus of meeting
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007 | 
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No comments [ Add Comment ]By Bryon Saxton
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
bsaxton@standard.net
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By Bryon Saxton
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
bsaxton@standard.net
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By Bryon Saxton
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
bsaxton@standard.net
LAYTON -- Lawmakers took notes, asked few questions and made fewer assurances.
The annual luncheon meeting between Layton city leaders, and the state lawmakers who represent them, was held at noon Tuesday at City Hall.
Those lawmakers attending were Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights; and representatives Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights; Kevin Garn, R-Layton; and Doug Aagard, R-Kaysville.
On the agenda was the East Gate development, water share rights and mobile home park legislation, which could make it more time-consuming to relocate a mobile home out of the path of a future road project.
But the topic proving the most interesting was impact fees and how cities across the state need to be able to tap into that pot of money to pay for $1 million fire trucks.
Fire Chief Kevin Ward, who attended the luncheon, along with other city staff, said the concern was recently discussed at the State Fire Chiefs Association meeting.
Revenue generated from impact fees is now restricted to building fire stations, and not funding firefighting equipment.
The concern is, many cities in Southern Utah, and smaller cities like Farmington, Ward said, are facing challenges in equipping firefighters with the equipment they need. Those cities, he said, will likely not need another station for years.
Layton can afford such vehicles, Ward said. But a city like Farmington may have a difficult time coming up with $750,000 to $1 million to buy an aerial ladder truck.
The association is hoping lawmakers will consider amending impact-fee legislation to open up those revenues for that purpose, he said.
Garn asked if making a change to impact-fee legislation would result in higher impact fees being paid by the public, or could fire equipment be funded from the existing revenue already being collected.
"Nobody loves impact fees," said Bell, who has been working closely with the fire chief's association in addressing their concerns.
If the restriction is lifted, Ward said, studies conducted by some cities may show impact fees for fire protection are justified, which could result in an increase.
Making that change to existing impact-fee legislation should not be an issue, Garn assured Ward.
Fisher agreed.
Another issue touched on at the meeting included private waste haulers lobbying to lift the control on the commercial waste flow in Davis County and the impact it could have on residents' garbage collection rates.
By ordinance, all waste collected in Davis and Morgan counties has to be disposed of at the Wasatch Integrated Waste Systems landfill and garbage incinerator in Layton.
Mayor Steve Curtis said without the ordinance, private hauling companies could cherry-pick the county's garbage collection service, raising rates on residents.
Sen. Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, has pending legislation that would allow private waste haulers to bid for the county's garbage disposal services.
"It would affect the Davis County landfill," City Attorney Gary Crane said of the pending legislation.
Garn said he is aware of Eastman's legislation, and he doesn't believe it will "interfere" with the city's rights.
City leaders also briefly discussed whether the city has a ticket quota. Police Chief Terry Keefe informed the group it does not. Then talk turned to transportation.
"I appreciate your funding of transportation," Councilman Michael Bouwhuis told lawmakers. "Roads are becoming a critical expenditure of city government," he said, referring to the $9 million the city budgeted for the reconstruction of Gentile Street.
Because of the cost of that road, the project had to be spread over two city budget cycles, he said.
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