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Millville council edits voter fact sheet for neutral description of proposed sewer By
Kyle Loosle MILLVILLE -- City Council members Thursday revised a fact sheet on a proposed city sewer to be sent out to residents under the council's name. They agreed the fact sheet, written by Sunrise Engineering, should have a neutral voice. Members revised the fact sheet to eliminate any opinion concerning the sewer. Councilman Mike Johnson said the fact sheet was biased toward supporting construction. The opinion should be taken out of it, he said. Councilman Duane Harvey agreed, saying nothing should be in it but facts. Council members removed more evident from a sentence saying, The need for a wastewater collection system becomes more evident and important for our community and those downstream from us. They also changed a sentence to read, "A wastewater collection system should be considered," instead of "makes sense." The decision to build or not to build a public sewer is not only an environmental decision but an economic decision, wrote the Utah Division of Water Quality in a letter to the council. The letter also said negligence in septic tanks, which Millville residents use, can cause health hazards because of nitrates in human waste. A sewer lessens the risk to health and environment because the waste is treated, it said. The fact that your present system still works well, is no reason not to seriously consider the merits of a sewer system, wrote the Bear River Health Department. The letter was in response to a request, from Millville City Council, for Bear River Health to evaluate the citys status for a sewer system. Council members debated whether the $5 million sewer was an attractive offer, and if they could get this rate again if residents vote down the proposal. "I think if it was attractive, they [state] would let us procure other funds. We cant go out and get additional funding, because they will penalize us," said Mayor Gale Hall. Two million dollars in a state grant and $3 million funded in a non-interest loan would pay for the sewer. The fact sheet and the letters from Bear River Health and the Utah Division of Water Quality, will be sent to residents before an open house at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. The council wants to use this information and the open house to inform residents of the facts, including the $40 monthly fee and cost to homeowners of extending the sewer pipe from the property lines into their homes. In all fairness to citizens, the council need to let them know what to expect, said Hall.
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