Sterling council tackles budget, potential zoning changes

By Collin Overton

Staff Writer

6-6-2019

STERLING—The Sterling Town Council discussed details for this year’s budget and potential zoning changes in a May 21 meeting at the community center.

With the town’s budget for the next year due to restart on July 1, city recorder Stacey Lyon suggested the council keep the same amount as last year. But a need for new water meters and leftover money from a $500,000 USDA grant will beef up this year’s budget.

The rest of the council agreed on incorporating the rest of the grant, and said the town could then install 30 to 40 more meters under the budget. Lyon said these are needed, as 60 of Sterling’s meters are skipping.

“We have pages of skipped meter reads when we get it,” Lyon said.

In zoning business, council member Marilyn Lyon expressed concern over a resident’s plan to develop four of his five, five-acre lots potentially located in the mile-wide buffer zone on Jensen Lane. The council was unsure if the lots were outside city limits. The council said Lyon would have to find out at the next county planning and zoning meeting on June 12.

The council also imposed a condition on a resident wanting to build another house on his property. Zeb Wignall, city planning and zoning administrator, mentioned a resident who wanted to build a 1,984 square foot-house to the northwest of his existing home on his two-acre property. The council approved, on the condition that the resident give the town another access the next time he or anyone else builds another house on the property.

The council also discussed condemning an aging house on East Center Street as a hazard, as to prevent others from buying it. Members discussed concerns over people getting hurt due to its condition, but did not take any action. The lot itself is not big enough to build on, as it amounts to less than half an acre, Stacey Lyon said.

Wignall mentioned another resident who lived by the Gunnison Reservoir, just outside the buffer zone, who wanted to build on existing property and stay inside the zone. A previous town commission meeting had put one acre of his property in the buffer zone, but Sanpete County Planning and Zoning wanted 2.12 acres included. Sterling will decide on granting the additional 1.12 acres at the June 12 meeting.

In other business, Yvonne Larsen of the council discussed options for a new town flag. The council settled on getting three 4’x6’ flags for $135 a piece, plus a $25 setup fee. They also settled on plans to buy a 10-to-12ounce popcorn machine for their Pioneer Day celebration on July 24 with proceeds from last year’s celebration. It could cost roughly $200 to $250, Larsen said. “We could probably make our money back on it from the 24th.”

As a final action of the meeting, the council paid a $27, 310.99 bill for expenses from April 17 to May 21.