Opening:                                                                                                                                                                            Presiding:  Mayor Ronald Allred Present from the Town Council:  Ronald Allred, Shannon Allred, Lucy Gold, Forrest Lewis, and Dallin Mangels   Present from the Town Staff:  Marilyn Bronson, Bethany Sturgeon, Terry Allred, and Casey Reynolds. Rachel Bronson, and Catherine Lummus arrived late. Others Present: Bryan Allred, Andrea Allred, Marilyn K. Reynolds, Sarah Allred, Derek Andre, Valerie Andre, Jessica Mangels, Aaron Bronson, Amy Bronson, Scott Mangels, Susie Mangels, and Carol Mangels. Invocation was given.   Meeting was called to order at 7:34 p.m.   Approval of Minutes                                                                                                                                               Council Member Dallin Mangels motioned to approve May’s Minutes and Council Member Lucy Gold seconded the motion. All others voted in favor. The Agenda went out of order due to staff arriving late. Unfinished Business 1. The Monthly Expenditures were not printed out. This will have to be done next month, along with June’s expenditures.   2. Increase of Water Rates The Water Rate Structure was reviewed and discussed at length. Derek Andre suggested that the research he had done did not warrant an increase of water rates for our Town due to the amount of people that share a home. Water Department Head, Casey Reynolds, addressed Derek’s issue and shared the current information of costs to pump the water as well as all other maintenance needed to keep the pumps in good working condition. The State Legislature has some changes in the works that will affect this same issue in the future. For now, we need to address the current problem of excessive water use within the Town. With the current use, our Town cannot continue to grow. Derek asked that more extensive research be done before a Water Rate Increase is made. He asked more questions concerning his lot and the amount of family within his home as well as other homes in the Town; whether this information had come into the decision-making process or not.  Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   2  Scott Mangels somewhat agreed with Derek. He asked the question – “If the State is going to change this in the future, why not wait until then to change the water rates?” Casey commented that the Water Department did not know when the State would be making those changes. The current base rate just covers the costs of operation to run the water to the homes.  Council Member Dallin Mangels commented on how many new homes were being built now and the current need for more water for those homes. With that, he motioned to adopt the Water Rate Structure as presented. Derek asked about the need to beautify the community and how to do that with having to pay a much higher water bill than he currently pays. Aaron Bronson commented on the population moving south. How will they have enough water? He also somewhat agreed with Derek in regards to beautifying the community and asked if there was a direct connection with the lots that have been beautified extensively and water usage. Casey commented on that, saying that there was a connection in some ways. There are, however, many exceptions. Some lots use a lot of water but do not have the same characteristics in regards to lawns, trees, shrubs, etc. Mayor Allred asked to be excused and gave Casey the floor, then Forrest Lewis would have the floor. Clerk Bethany Sturgeon asked to comment when Mayor Allred returned. She conveyed to those present that the Town itself has done extensive research. After this was done, all information was handed over to the Water Department to propose a Water Rate Increase according to the Town’s current use and future needs. Mayor Allred referred to the motion made by Council Member Dallin Mangels to adopt the Water Rate Structure by Resolution. Forrest Lewis seconded the motion. All others voted in favor with an understanding that the rates were still going to need to be evaluated when the State makes changes. 3. PUBLIC HEARING for the FINAL BUDGET for the Fiscal year of 2021-2022 A Fraud Risk Assessment was signed by Mayor Ron Allred.  Our CPA, Greg Ogden suggested that the fund balance as a percentage for revenue was too high and would need to be reassessed. This has been amended and is now at an acceptable percentage level. An amendment was approved for $40,000 to be put into the budget for Capital Projects to cover remaining expenses needed for the CDBG Sidewalk Grant.   A new line for Recreation Revenue and Expenses was proposed and put in the budget. Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   3  There was some accidental overspending in the Road and EMS Departments. Amendments were made here because last year we went over the budget in these two departments.  There is a $6,000 increase in property taxes making it $30,000 in revenue.  Council Member Dallin Mangels motioned to remove the Recreation Budget voicing his concerns that Recreation is not a proper Town function and that he would like to see it run privately.  Lucy Gold suggested the Town keep the Recreation Budget; giving it a year to see what comes of it. There are many Towns that fund these things. If it is not usable or beneficial, we can remove it next year. Council Member Forrest Lewis expressed his concerns with the Recreation Budget as well; feeling that it was not something the Town needed to pick up. He felt that it was only expanding self-government, which, he suggested, should not be done. He asked for reasons why this was being run through the Town instead of being done privately.  Mayor Allred asked Deputy Clerk Marilyn Bronson to give an explanation. Marilyn let the Town know that according to Melinda Matheson, who has run the Recreation Program for Mona now for a number of years suggested that the best course of action for a Recreation Program would be to run it through the Town. This resolves any issues that may come up regarding questions of where monies went and who is the Recreation Program supporting. Running this through the Town ensures safety in this regard because it is a public record. Because there are already checks and balances in place a lot of Municipalities run these programs. Council Member Dallin Mangels again expressed that it was not the proper role of government to have Recreation run through the Town. He was not in favor of the Town being involved in the Recreation Program at all. Lucy Gold again communicated her approval of the Town being involved in said program. Citizen Scott Mangels was given the floor by the Mayor. He informed the Council that he has lived in a lot of different Cities and Towns and that every one of them had a Parks and Recreation Program. He asked how you would draw the line between the two; one is utilizing the Park and the other is the Park. Having the Town involved in the utilization of the Park seemed to fit hand in hand. He disagreed with Council Member Dallin Mangels. Council Member Lucy Gold agreed with the comment made. Marilyn conveyed to the Council that no money would be put into this fund by the Town itself. Council Member Dallin Mangels communicated his disapproval. He feels that there is not as much of a risk to the Town if this was run privately. He also felt that the individual, if run privately, could do more Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   4  with the Recreation Program. They could run it how they saw fit. He suggested that if it is public money then it puts a lot more restrictions on the individual running the program. Council Member Lucy Gold pointed out that all of the events that have been done in the Town; activities and programs that have run in the past, that the excess monies were kept by the individual(s). The money did not go back to the Town. Mayor Allred asked for a vote for those in favor of removing the Recreation Budget. Council Member Dallin Mangels and Council Member Forrest Lewis voted in favor of removing it. Mayor Allred asked for a vote for those in favor of keeping the Recreation Budget. Council Member Lucy Gold and Council Member Shannon Allred voted in favor. Mayor Allred cast his tie-breaking vote in favor of retaining the Recreation Budget. Mayor Allred asked for all those in favor of approving the current Final Budget as amended for the Fiscal Year of 2021-2022. All Council Members voted unanimously in favor.     Aye Nay  Absent   Abstain Mayor Ronald Allred   X   ____ ____    ____ Shannon Allred    X   ____ ____    ____ Lucy Gold    X   ____ ____    ____ Forrest Lewis    X   ____ ____    ____ Dallin Mangels    X   ____ ____    ____  New Business                                                                                                                                                                                  None Departments 1.   EMS/CERT: None 2.  WATER:  None 3.   ROAD:  Gas and power to the new storehouse is being done. 4.  P&Z:  None  Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   5  5.  ADMIN:  The office needs a new shredder. 6.  PARK:  None 7.  LIBRARY:  A summer reading program has been going on. The kids love it.  Citizen Items:    Bryan Allred had a call from Josh Bronson, a friend of his, concerning Army Recruiter representatives that came to Town Meeting last month in regards to permission to set up a booth at our next event. The representatives were told they could not set up a booth. He came to ask why these Army Recruiters were turned away after having been encouraged from the Town Council to be there. Our American Patriotism as a Town was questioned. Water Department Casey Reynolds explained the reasons why the Town Council had turned this event over to a private citizen to run years earlier.  A lengthy discussion followed.  Scott Mangels shared that he felt it was his duty that he stands for our Country and encourage more Patriotism within our community because we were losing it, according to his memory of a personal conversation he had with the Town’s founder. Council Member Dallin Mangels clarified that the Town Council did not deny their request. He would like the Town Council to show a vote of support and motioned that the Town Council recommend them to come.  Council Member Forrest Lewis advised the Council not to override those organizing the event. Deputy Clerk Marilyn Bronson asked if it would be beneficial to those present to read the minutes from the last meeting. Minutes were read regarding the issue at hand. Support had already been given. Mayor Allred suggested that whomever would like to petition the individual in charge of organizing the event to let the Army Recruiters come to do so.  A citizen comment was made as to where the answer “no” came from. Mayor Allred commented that concerns were raised by mothers within the community against having the Army Recruiters there. Due to these concerns, he suggested that Jacob Bunker not give the Army Recruiters permission to be at the event. Those whom Mayor Allred had talked with felt that allowing them to be in our community was providing a format that gave the impression that we, as a community, were encouraging our children to go into the military. Mayor Allred afterwards received a phone call from Josh Bronson, the father of one the Army Recruiting Officers that came last meeting, Eric Bronson. Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   6  In this conversation, Josh accused our community of being un-American, non-patriotic and anti-military. The Mayor then reached out to over 20 citizens within the community. The feedback he received was that most were not in favor of having them here in our community. Some of those he spoke with were neither for nor against it. The Mayor got word before this meeting tonight that Josh was going to go to the news media and have the media here for this coming event. One of the citizens called Josh and talked him out of doing that. Josh explained to this citizen that it was the Sherriff that had told Josh to go to the media. Mayor Allred called the Sherriff in regards to this and received a call while in the present meeting. He was un-able to answer the phone due to the current conversation being had. The Mayor expressed his concern that the Towns’ citizens’ own rights about not wanting the Army Recruiters here could be overridden by threats of this nature before mentioned. Carol Mangels expressed that this was not necessarily a threat to do harm. She felt that other communities, at large, see us this way. She put forth similar experiences she has had within the LDS Church; that this same perception existed there. By saying no, Carol felt that, as a community, we fed this perception.  Mayor Allred expressed that this issue had turned into a lot bigger problem than he intended it to be. He felt that if the Town Council wanted to contact Jacob Bunker and encourage the Army Recruiters to be there, then they could do so. Council Member Dallin Mangels remarked that Josh Bronson was not a member of the U.S. Army. That these threats were irrelevant to what the Recruiters were asking for. The Mayor felt that his duty was to the Town as a whole in regards to the issue. He did not mean to overstep his bounds in telling Jacob to tell them no.  Council Member Dallin Mangels motioned that the Town Council encourage the Army Reserve Recruiters to be here within our community on upcoming event. Forrest Lewis seconded the motion. All others voted in favor apart from Mayor Allred, who voted against.  Town Council Items:     Casey asked for the floor to discuss upcoming changes to State requirements in regards to meters and fire code. New Legislature was passed October, 2020 regarding single dwelling homes with an apartment; the property owner CAN require another meter. The Town CANNOT. This information is for future discussion.  Council Member Lucy Gold asked where things were at in regards to the CDBG Grant for the Sidewalks; whether that had gone through or not. Clerk Bethany Sturgeon responded that it is ready to go sometime after the 21st.   Rocky Ridge Town Monthly Meeting June 16, 2021 7:30 PM MLA Building   Approved   7   Adjournment:     Council Member Lucy Gold motioned to adjourn the meeting and Council Member Shannon Allred seconded the motion, all others voted in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 9:11 p.m.    /s/ Marilyn Bronson__ Deputy Clerk