Temporary use permit fees and a business license have been discussed by the Taylor Town Council in the past. At the regular June 6 council meeting, Town Attorney Sterling Solomon presented a resolution for council approval that lowered temporary use permit fees from $50 to $10, excluding carnival fees. The first reading of the resolution was held, but there will be some changes made prior to the next council meeting.
Solomon and building official Jeff Johnson both expressed concern that all fees would now be $10, because several fees had been no cost. Examples of no charge fees were temporary housing during construction and temporary construction office fees, which Johnson includes in the cost of the building permit and 4-H animal projects.
During the call to the public, Sharon Smith addressed several things, including the business license, which she felt would be a problem enforcing because they can’t enforce drugs and other things that go on in the community, she said.
Smith mentioned that she took business cards to the Chamber of Commerce office and said that number one, the chamber didn’t care unless she joined the organization.
Smith also objected to the proposed increase in water rates. “I know a lot of this has to get done before the first of July, because the citizens are allowed to vote on it then, she said.”
“I know a lot of people don’t like to listen to the citizens,” she said, looking directly at Town Manager Eric Duthie, and then said that he rocked himself to sleep during a council meeting.
“I don’t sleep during council meetings, I listen. I don’t make the decisions, this group makes the decisions,” said Duthie, indicating the council members.
Solomon interrupted when Smith began getting personal about Duthie, and noted that she had not filled out the required public request record form. He further commented that two of the items she wished to discuss were on the agenda, and suggested to council that it would be more appropriate to discuss them when they discussed those items.
Johnson recommended the items that were no charge be kept at no charge, since the council’s purpose in changing the temporary use fees was to keep them as low as possible for citizens.
Duthie reminded the council that Smith had wanted to discuss this item and suggested she have an opportunity to make remarks.
“How are you going to enforce that? Our police have enough to do,” said Smith. “All of this law, law, law stuff gives them more work to do and they don’t need it.”
She then commented that she had gone up and down Main Street beginning at Pinedale Road and it wasn’t hard to figure how many businesses were there if the chamber needed more businesses.
“I know there are a lot of mom and pop businesses,” said Councilman Alan Ramage, who is a member of the chamber board and the Snowflake-Taylor Tourism Board. “That’s the reason we were asking for a fee.”
“We’ve talked about it and discussed your concerns, and that’s probably one reason we haven’t passed this yet,” said Mayor Fay Hatch. “We want citizens’ input. You’re the first one to come and talk about it,” though it has been on the agenda for several meetings.
Ramage explained that the Tourism Committee is trying to bring industry here and promote the existing businesses, stating, “They have some great ideas coming up, but they can’t invite you if they don’t know a store (or home business) is sitting there. We need a way to accumulate those and right now we have no way.”
When Mayor Hatch asked if there were any other citizens who wanted to comment on this item, no one responded.
The council held the first reading of the resolution and asked that Solomon make the change to leave the no charge fees in the resolution in time for the next council meeting.
