Scholars in the News

SPRING LAKE -- Spring Lake residents found out the results of their feasibility study Tuesday, but not everyone is happy about what the results will entail.

"With these residual funds, it is financially feasible for Spring Lake to incorporate," said Scott Payne, a USU student who participated in the study.

The study was conducted by comparing the rates for necessary services if Spring Lake were to contract with nearby cities or with Utah County. Most of the numbers came from the bare essentials, such as three hours of patrol from the county sheriff and an hour and a half each for animal control and detective work, said Lance Larsen, another student involved in the research. However, Larsen said administrative estimates --- approximately $130,000 or more per year -- were on the high end to account for services the town may or may not use, such as office space.

"A lot of these numbers are a little bit generous," he said. "We just wanted to make sure everything was covered."

Although Spring Lake will most likely now become a town, some residents who attended the meeting were not happy with the outcome. Richard Saunders, a resident of Spring Lake, said he does not know if many people knew they were signing a petition to incorporate. In the first town meetings, before the county held a public hearing, residents were told to sign a petition asking for a feasibility study. Many were told early on they would have the opportunity to vote on whether to become a town after the study was done.

"There was a lot of information that was not correct," he said.

Deputy County Attorney Robert Moore said an area will be approved to become a town if a petition is approved and a feasibility study shows the revenues do not exceed costs by more than 25 percent. Residents first submitted a petition for incorporation in September, he said, but the petition was rejected. The petition was fixed and resubmitted, and in turn was approved in December. Now that a feasibility study has been conducted and meets the requirements, Moore said the County Commission has little choice but to approve Spring Lake as a town.

Saunders said he signed an original petition before the July public hearing, believing he was supporting a feasibility study. However, after attending the county meeting and learning what the process really was, he did not sign the petition for incorporation.

"I don't think there's any advantage to (becoming a town)," he said.

Saunders said the public meeting in July with the County Commission was very informative and the process was explained well. However, he said he does not know how many residents did not attend the meeting and were thus confused about what the petition meant. Saunders said he does not believe anyone intended to mislead people, but a lot of people may not have been well-informed.

Spring Lake resident Jim Saunders said he does not know if the petition for incorporation would have been successful if all residents knew what they were signing. He said he called a handful of residents Monday night and had a list of 10-15 families who believed they had signed a petition only for a feasibility study.

Despite some residents' desires to remain unincorporated, commissioners reiterated that they no longer have a choice but to approve the town. Commissioner Steve White said the entire process was laid out in the public hearing, and residents had the opportunity to learn what was involved.

"We laid out exactly how this would follow and exactly what would happen," he said.

The County Commission will vote on the measure next week, and commissioners said they may try to inform residents where to go next. An election must be held by 45 days from Feb. 20, when the study was first given to the commission. If enough residents do not want to be a town, they can vote later to unincorporate again. As for becoming a town in the first place, Commissioner Larry Ellertson said there is not much leeway.

"We don't necessarily have the ability to say no," he said.