Manti plans on 10-percent revenue

increase next year

James Tilson

Staff writer

7/19/2018

            MANTI—A raise in revenues means Manti has more money to spend in the next fiscal year, with the lion’s share going to road work, a full-time sports director and equipment to maintain the new ball park on the north side of town.

            In its 2018-19 budget, Manti is projecting a 10 percent increase in sales tax revenues, coming primarily from a state agreement with online retailer Amazon, according to City Recorder Kent Barton.

            The budget, approved by the Manti City Council in late June, also shows the city pulling $129,000 out of a recreation savings account in the Public Treasurer’s Investment Fund (PTIF) administered by the state treasurer.

            The largest new highway item was about $20,000 for new equipment.

            In the recreation area, a $150,000 increase will go to hiring Josh Jensen as a full-time sports director (he was previously part-time) and for equipment for mowing and edging the fields and dragging the infield at the ball park, plus bases, pitcher’s mounds and safety nets.

            The city also expects to spend more money next year maintaining the city swimming pool. “The pool is now 10 years old, and we’re starting to see some wear and tear,” Barton said.

            Last year, the city replaced the boiler that heats the pool. Next year, it plans to build a structure to enclose and protect the boiler.

            In an interview Monday, Barton also gave an update on sports complex development. “The complex is about 90 percent complete,” he said. “The restroom and scorekeeping building is complete, the grading of the fields is complete, the fields have been hydroseeded and the grass is sprouting.”

            Still to be completed are installation of bleachers and scoreboards. Barton said there have been no major change orders during construction, and in many cases projects have finished under budget. “We’ve had no surprises with the construction budget,” he said.

            The biggest remaining challenge is getting the grass ready for use, he said. “We’re dealing with weeds, adjusting some sprinklers, and we may need to reseed a few areas. But we’re excited.”

            The fields should be ready for play in spring 2019. That means the city will have to keep managing growth of the grass for the fields. In the face of city watering restrictions, that has led to some questions.

            “We’ve had to keep the sprinklers going to keep the grass sprouting, and we’ve gotten questions about our water use,” he said

            The approximately $4 million for the sports complex is tracked outside the city budget. The fund is managed by the city council sitting as a municipal building authority.

            At the outset, the main funding sources were a $3 million combination grant and loan from the Utah Community Impact Board (CIB); $200,000 the city had saved up from pageant dinners; and donations from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, the Manti Improvement Committee and Ed “Big Daddy Roth” Inc.