Manti City Library contributing computers for ‘Census Saturdays’
By Suzanne Dean
Publisher
12-19-2019
MANTI—The Manti City Library will be playing a central role in making sure all Manti residents participate in the 2020 Census, the city council learned last week.
City Manager Kent Barton said there will be no paper entry of census information this year. All responses must be entered online.
Councilwoman Mary Wintch, the council liaison with the library, said the library was planning two “Census Saturdays,” with extended hours, during April 2020. On those days, residents who don’t have a computer at home will be able to come to the library and use PCs or iPads to report their Census information.
“It’s very important that we get an accurate count,” Barton said, adding that every person counted in Utah is worth $1,800 in federal funds.
In other discussion, Mayor Korry Soper said the city had received input from several property owners about proposed zoning changes in the Main Street commercial zone. He said the proposed ordinances changes had been modified based on the input.
Another meeting with property owners was set for Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. to present the changes.
On another topic, Barton projected a chart showing city revenue and expenses as of the end of October.
He said expenses were a little ahead of revenue, which is to be expected at that point in the year. The chart showed the city had brought in about 29.5 percent of budgeted revenue and spent about 34 percent of the expense budget.
Barton noted that most of the annual budget for the swimming pool had been spent over the summer. The city also paid a large interest payment on the softball complex, which contributed to more than 50 percent of the recreation budget being spent. Another factor was the city garbage truck breaking down. The city had to contract for garbage pickup for a couple of weeks, plus pay the cost of the repair. That resulted in a little over half of the waste control budget being spent in the first four months of the fiscal year.
The county collects property tax on behalf the city. Barton noted that the city hasn’t received its 2019 property tax revenue from the county yet, but when it does, the money should bring revenue and expenses into alignment.
Barton also told the council that the city attorney had advised that owners of short-term rentals, such as Airbnb units, need to have business licenses and need to pay sales tax on their sales.
The city manager said he planned to send a letter to owners of short-term rentals reminding them of those requirements.
Barton also projected a photo of the MIBA building demolition site. The building, which was a parachute factory during World War II before becoming a city-owned industrial building, was gone except for the front entrance.
“They’ll start working on the Cox building next,” he said.
The state is clearing about half of the interior of the block bounded by Main Street and 100 North for a new state court building.
