Will River Heights be able to stay a city? Residents of two minds on the issue

By Paul Kelley

Aoril 28, 2008 | RIVER HEIGHTS -- People who live in River Heights love their little city, but it might not always be their little city.

In 1974, Mayor Ralf Olsen worked out a contract with Logan city that fixed the sewer charges for the next 50 years. It is partly because of this contract that River Heights has been able to stay a city for this long.

River Heights city councilman Robert Gines said, "Logan city wants out of that contract and we don't, we are benefiting by that." River Heights residents pay less for their sewer services than any other city in the county.

Eventually, the contract will run out and River Heights will have to renegotiate a new contract. It is highly unlikely they will have such good rates then.

In an interview, Gines said one of the main reasons he joined the city council five years ago was to do his part to ensure that River Heights stays a city. "We have never had an official poll," he said, "but 90 percent of the city feels the same way I do."

Gines asks the question, "How do you take the wishes of the community and put them into play?"

The main problem River Heights has is the lack of commercial business generating sales tax. Mayor Bill Baker said that River Heights has no businesses that generate any sales tax.

That being said, there is not a feeling of serious worry. Baker said, "We are pretty close to being a debt free group were maintaining a pretty low tax base, and we would like to keep it that way."

Keeping it that way will eventually require River Heights to find some kind of commercial business. It has been talked about trying to incorporate some kind of businesses into River Heights, around the 100 East area. Gines talks about the importance of the businesses, with the increase of property tax and the sewer agreement ending in the near future.

"Without some kind of sustainable commercial development property taxes in this city will raise exponentially if we want to maintain our structure as an open city with River Heights as the name," Gines said. It is sales taxes from businesses that will help even out these property tax increases.

According to Mayor Baker, the long-term plan is to have 100 East as a business area. He is fast to mention, however, that the last thing they want to turn the area into a huge commercial area.

"We want to keep it a village concept where you have both low density housing and low commercial area," said Baker.

If River Heights were to join another city the question remains, whether to join Logan or Providence. Gines mentions the benefit of the Logan City Library. Currently it costs $163 for a family living in River Heights to get a Logan city library card. "The biggest mentioned benefit to joining Logan is that we would have access to the Logan city library," said Gines.

Other people feel there is not much benefit. "I cannot see a tangible benefit for the citizens of River Heights," said Baker.

Logan Municipal Council member Herm Olsen says he has never heard of any talk about River Heights joining Logan. "I don't think River Heights would be interested, but if they were I am sure Logan would be," he said.

Plans have been in motion to keep River Heights a city, and residents hope it stays that way. Mayor Baker feels like the city is in great financial position now, and "has always been financially stable."

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