A Foul East Wind

Another proposed wind farm east of Firth? No, bad idea and no, it doesn't matter if it creates 80 short term jobs or more permanent jobs for a small handful of people. Long after the land owner walks away with his pockets full of cash and the developer is on that wonderful European vacation, sponsored in part by government subsidies, we, our children and our children's children, all of the residents of Bingham County for generations to come will be here, day-in-and-day-out, and we will have to live with the sight of those ugly, ecosystem-damaging eyesores.

And why? To produce a negligible amount of energy to be shipped off to another state? To kill off eagles and osprey and damage the wildlife and threaten the living standards of those around the wind mills? If we want to put people to work in the wind energy sector, let's start by dismantling the eyesores that already exist in Bonneville County. That would be work worth doing.

 If the county is that desperate for revenue then propose to raise taxes but do not sanction the approval to raise those turbines.

A Hefty Loan and a Spray Park for Shelley?

Last council meeting the City's representatives voted to set the term for the loan from the Department of Environmental Quality at thirty years. Recognizing the opportunity cost of the thirty year term as a smaller interest payment and a faster retirement of the debt but a higher yearly rate, the council members voted to keep pace with Ammon City. So what does this mean for the citizen-tax payers of Shelley? From the Shelley City website:

The sewer ordinance has just been amended which will charge the minimum base fee for debt service (loan repayment) and treatment plant Operation and Maintenance to all buildings whether occuppied [sic] or not. The entire city bill will not be charged, just the base minimum. This amount still has to be established by resolution but will be approximately $35 per month. If you would like further information regarding this ordinance please contact Sandy at City Hall.

Also there was some talk about a spray park and that a Mrs. Foster was thinking of pulling her $350,000 contribution of nothing happens soon. How much does a spray park cost? Can one be built for$ 350,000? If so, I propose we place it near the skate park area which has seemed to have been already designated as a "fun" zone. Of course by the pool would be a logical choice but there does not appear to be much room (I guess the pool could expand and eat into some of the grass toward the play ground and swings). But in the end, I would advocate tabling a spray park if it costs much more than $350,000. But that's just me.

photo from http://www.ballantraeliving.com/default.asp?page=1249