oliday Due to the H the Week r o f s e n li d Dea ing will be iv g s k n a h T of Nov. 22 at y a d s e n d e W NOON
Vol. 43 No. 46
Postal Customer PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Permit #12 Uintah Basin Standard Shopper
November 14, 2017
435-789-4531 Like us on Facebook
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Page 2 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
Reporting Local News Get your News in our newspapers or online at UBMedia.biz
UTTSD in violation of open meeting laws LeeNichole Marett lmarett@ubmedia. biz
Sweetwater Events Complex Rock Springs, WY
The Uintah County Transportation Special Service District (UTSSD) repeatedly violated open meeting laws and failed to adequately control spending, according to
FRIDAY, November 24th 3pm – 7pm SATURDAY, November 25th 9am – 5pm SUNDAY, November 26th 9am – 3pm Call Lisa for more info 208-420-2295
HigH ScHOOl
Seniors The Elks MVS scholarship applications are now available at: enf.elks.org/mvs
Final Application Deadline November 27th 2017 All Applications Online Only!
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a new report from the State Auditor’s Office. The report was published by the office of State Auditor John Dougall on Oct. 31, 2017. It contained the results of an audit performed for the period of time from January 2015 through September 2017, and the results were not encouraging. Auditors found that the UTSSD had repeatedly violated open meetings and open records laws, exercised inadequate control over finances and failed to maintain appropriate independence from the Uintah County government. The audit initially began at the request of one of the District’s board members. The report states that he expressed “several concerns he had with the financial operations of the District.” Over the course of the investigation into the initial complaints, the auditors uncovered other matters that warranted their attention and expanded the investigation accordingly, the report states. According to the report, they reviewed accounting records, board meeting minutes, certain compensation and payroll data and all district disbursements from
January 2015 to June 2017. A portion of the investigation focused specifically on Executive Director Adam Massey. Auditors reviewed all of his credit card purchases from the time he was hired in May 2015 through June 2017, “for appropriateness and compliance with policy.” They also examined his contract. Massey was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 11, 2017, the same day the state auditor’s office planned to launch their investigation. The decision to place Massey on leave resulted in mixed feelings from the Uintah County Commissioners, as reported in an article by the Vernal Express. Massey’s contract was made public at that time by Commissioner Bill Stringer. It was discovered that it is only signed by three of the UTSSD board members; Duane Shepherd, Stan Gordon, and Dave Haslem. There is no date on the contract, next to the signatures or otherwise. The only date that appears on the contract is that of the terms of the contract being May 4, 2015, through May 31, 2020, and the
opening paragraph stating “the employment agreement is made as of the 4th day of May, 2015...” This, as well as the terms of Massey’s compensation, was part of the cause for the investigation. The auditor’s office found there had been multiple occasions when the UTS SD board violated open meetings laws. Those have now been referred to the Utah Attorney General’s Office for possible legal action. “I n Ma y 2 015, three Board members signed an employment agreement with the Executive Director (Massey). The final terms of the agreement were not discussed in an open meeting, nor was the agreement voted on by the full Board, yet the signing of the agreement by the three Board members appears to constitute an action by a quorum of the Board,” the report states. In November 2016, the chairman of the board approved a salary and benefits schedule for Massey which included a $14,500 commission for procuring grants and completing projects, as well as a one percent pay increase. A
performance review of Massey was conducted in January 2017, but there was no record of the results being reported to the board. In May 2017, three members of the board met with district managers about accounts payable issues. The next day, the board took action based on that meeting. Auditors pointed out, this was no chance meeting--it was coordinated. Meetings of that nature should be designated as workshops and should be open, public meetings. In September 2017, three board members made the decision together to place Massey on paid administrative leave. The other two board members were informed of the decision via text message after the decision had been made and acted upon. The auditors also noted in the report that placing Massey on leave made it harder for them to conduct their investigation and obtain needed documentation. “Repeatedly, we have heard various Board members claim that particular actions were administrative as justification for not
SEE UTSSD on Page 10
Basin Nickel Ads / November 14, 2017 / Page 3
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Page 4 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
Autos • Real Estate • Help Wanted • Farm & Pets Autos
Autos
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1973 Dodge Motorhome 22ft. Runs good. Sleeps 5. $1,800 OBO. 435-7908716, 435-789-8719
Duplex 3-bdrm 1-1/2 bath. Stove, fridge, dishwasher, garage, patio, fenced yard. We pay water & garbage. 6/mo. lease. $650/mo. Cleaning deposit negotiable. 435-789-4538, 435-6214538, 435-828-4538.
Commercial Property
All appliances including and washer/ dryer. $495- $595 monthly. 435789-9666. www.guardrightproperty.com Realty Choice.
Cars for Sale 2005 Cadillac Escalade long base runs great in great condition $7500 435-733-0416 Misc Auto Need Automotive Technician for full time position. Will be installing electronics, performance parts, accessories, and customization. Pay starting around 14/hr depending on experience with room for growth. Call (435)789-2204, or stop by 945 W. Highway 40. Hours are M-F 9to6.
WANT TO BUY compact car or small truck with air conditioning. Please call 435-789-6183 and leave message. Real Estate Apartments for Rent MOVE IN SPECIAL 3 bdrm 1 bath centrally located. Newly remodeled apartment in Vernal. $500/mo. 1100 sq. ft. spacious and pet friendly. Call Nelson 435-6214007.
Winter Special!!! 2Bed 1Bath $375. 3Bed 1bath $500. Pet and non pet units available call us for details. Basin Best Apartments 435-789-8426 CLEAN, CUTE 1 bedroom apartment. Perfect for 1 person, $350/mo. No pets, no smoking. In Vernal. 435-650-0354.
VERNAL MAIN Street office space available. Various sizes, 1st or 2nd floor. 435-790-4960. OFFICE RETAIL SPACE for lease - Increase your visibility on West Highway 40. Great location, great parking, first month free Call 435-789-3362 For Rent FOR RENT: 3 bedroom, 1 bath 1,100 sq ft, washer and dry hookups, parking, $500 month 435-6214007 VERNAL 3 bedroom, 1.5 to 2.5 bath town homes. Available immediately.
The Vernal Chamber of Commerce
Trees for Charity 2017
ALTAMONT 2 TRAILERS for rent. 2 bdrm, 1 bath $675/mo. and $575/ mo. $600 deposit. Very quiet. Ask for Ganiel 435671-8795. VERNAL 3 BDRM, 2.5 baths, +office/4th bdrm, 1,600 sq ft nice, quiet neighborhood. Large lot. Large laundry, 9 ft ceilings, nice kitchen pantry, garage. Plenty of additional parking. $950/mo + deposit. Pet considered. 1 year lease preferred. Call/text 801-558-3883 or 208-661-1632. Roosevelt Commercial 2 bays available for $600/ month each or both for $1000/month, 12x12 rolling doors. Email ncrescentproperty@gmail.com for application or leave detailed message at 435823-0445. 3 BEDROOM, 2 bath home, fenced yard, double garage, new paint and carpet, unfinished basement, built in 2007. Call Dart Realty Inc. 435790-4960.
Empty nester? Single? Long term tenant? I want you! Remodeled, clean, 3 BR 2 bath twin home, single level, attached with opener, no stairs, no noisy neighbors 7906525
Trees for Charity
Tree View
Friday, November 24, from 11 am to 8 pm Saturday, November 25, from 11 am to 6 pm Uintah Conference Center 313 E. 200 S.
Auction Gala
Monday, November 27 Doors open at 5 pm Dinner served at 6 pm with live auction to follow $30.00 per person Tickets available at Chamber office 789-1352
2 BEDROOM 1 bath apartment in Vernal. Starting at $450. No smoking. Pets considered. Washer/ dryer hookups. Water, garbage, sewer paid. $450 deposit. 435-7896918, 435-790-4808
Furnished Rooms for Rent in semi-rural, east Vernal, 3bdrm home. $450/attached bath, $400/unattached bath. Price includes all utilities/WiFi/washer/shared kitchen/large deck and yard. 435-828-0114
NOTICE: VERNAL MAIN STREET (FROM 700 WEST TO 300 EAST) WILL BE CLOSED ON NOV. 24, 2017, AT DUSK FOR THE HOLLY-DAYS PARADE. main st vernal ut
134 West Main Vernal, Utah 84078 Phone: (435) 789-1352 Fax: (435) 789-1355 Imagery ©2016 DigitalGlobe, State of Utah, USDA Farm Service Agency, Map data ©2016 Google
500 ft
Real Estate
3 BDRM, 2 BATH HOME, pets allowed, $1300/mo. First month’s rent only to move in. Fenced backyard, beautiful decks and view right behind Walgreens, 91 S 1350 W, Vernal. 801-657-8586. D A R L E N E D IM IC K VERNAL UTAH. 4-plex for rent. 3 bedroom 1 bath with storage unit. Near Vernal Rec. Center. Large rooms. $500/ month, $400 security deposit. 435-790-4463, 435-790-0434.
2 bdrm house in Dinosaur. Fenced in yard for rent. Call 435-790-3736 TRACY CRANE - 2 BEDROOM, 1.5 bath townhouse. 2nd month free rent with 6-month lease. Covered parking, midtown Vernal location. Good condition. $300 cleaning deposit, $500/ month. 830-308-7380
For Sale 3bdrm 1bath home for sale. Totally upgraded, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops. A must see $145,000 OBO. Call LaDonna 435828-7210 Three 2.5-acre lots. North Ballard area. Septic approved. Water and electric at property line. $20,000 each or $50,000 all three. 760-646-4707. INTOWN 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom, central air, on-demand hot water, new carpet, new kitchen, fenced yards, garden spot, well, large deck. Building out back with heat. 828-2230. Mobile Homes EAST MEADOWS - MOBILE HOMES for rent. Both single and double wides available for rent or purchase in the East Meadows Mobile Home Park. All homes are newly renovated, cleaned and in great condition. Great downtown Vernal location. Rent from $500$650 for single-wides and $650- $900 for doublewides. Call Teressa at 435-790-3018 MOBILE HOMES For Sale! Four renovated singlewides available between $5,000 to $17,000. Other single and doublewides requiring renovations available between $1,000 and $8,000. Call Jamie at 801-860-9240. Misc Real Estate TA K I N G R E S E R VA TIONS for three prime residential lots overlooking Vernal. Terms available, ask about the drone video for online viewing Call Bob 435-781-8146 Help Wanted Drivers CRUDE
HAULER
Help Wanted
WANTED Truck driver. Great pay and benefits, home daily, contact 435823-8887. Oil Field
Now hiring roustabout foreman. Experience is a must. Please call James at 435-621-9443 after 5:00 pm Misc Help Wanted
DO YOU enjoy watching and nurturing children as they learn and grow? Becoming a child care provider may be the career for you! For information and details on setting up your own business, to request a Child Care Licensing Packet, to obtain the time, location & to reserve a spot at the upcoming orientation class call: 800-894-2588 for Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Uintah, Emery, Grand & San Juan Counties.
55 OR over? Have extra time? RSVP needs your skills and experience to help our community. Call 722-4518 or 789-7270.
UINTAH BASIN ASSOC OF GOVT’S - 55 OR over & could use a little extra tax free income? Grandparents tutor children in the schools. Get out of the house a little and make a big difference in a child’s future. Call UB Association of Governments 722-4518. Farm & Pets Livestock
KENT OLSON - GRASS HAY for sale, round bales, $60 and $70 per bale. Call 823-1150 in Neola.
HAY FOR SALE. Small bales. Grass with 2530% alfalfa in Montwell and Farm Creek. $100 / ton, $80/ton. Some grass hay, $1/bale. 435-8232910, 435-823-4862 Pets
GIVE A DOG - DOG GROOMING and boarding available at Give A Dog A Choice. Call for information, 435-789-7833. 41 South Vernal Avenue.
$1,000 REWARD for return of 2 Mini Pins missing from Painted Hills since Sept. 8. Seen South of Vernal Temple October 24. Edie 801-602-8963.
L E S L I E B O LT O N HELPFUL RESCUE for the Basin Post. Lost your pet? Search shelters and vets. All the info you need. Myspace.com/basinlostandfound or Email basinlostandfound@live. com
Basin Nickel Ads / November 14, 2017 / Page 5
Reporting Local News Get your News in our newspapers or online at UBMedia.biz
Page 6 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
Personals • Miscellaneous Personals Personals Health & Nutrition
ACCEPTING MOST preferred provider dental plans. Ashley Valley Family Dental, Dr. Brian Abrams and Dr. James Harman Call 435-7891748
GRIEVING PARTNERS S U P P O R T G R O U P. Wednesdays 5:307:30pm at the Uintah County Library in the multi-purpose room, upstairs. Losing a spouse, partner or significant other is one of the most painful and stressful experiences of a lifetime. Together we can make a difference, give comfort and offer hope and heal-
Personals
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
ing. There is no charge to be a member of this group. For more information, call Carolyn Henry at Basin Clinic, 789-1165
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Misc Personals BARBER SHOP. Haircuts $10, men, women, children. Walk-ins welcome. House-keeping, reasonable rates, immediate Vernal area only. 435-621-3495 or 435630-1184. JAMES JOHNSON FACED WITH a drinking problem? Perhaps Alcoholics Anonymous can help. Call 789-0914.
Misc for Sale PAINTING, PAINTING, PAINTING. Brighten up your interior walls with a new coat of paint! Two Gals Painting “hand rolled finishes” Lee 435-7664949. Lori 970-629-8801. WILLIAM BARTON GOLD, GUNS, silver, coins. Buy, sell, trade at Basin Pawn and Gun. Highest prices paid. Free wholesale appraisals in Vernal. 81 West Main Street. 828-4653. Sporting Goods Mission Bow Ballistic IBO 330 fps Axle to Axle 31”, Draw Length 29” $350.00 set up. 435-789-3174
GOLD AND SILVER. Top prices paid for coin, jewelry and scrap. Jiffy’s, Vernal and Roosevelt. BUY 4 get 1 FREE video game sale on all PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii games. Jiffy’s Vernal, Roosevelt. Come see what’s new at Old Crow Collectibles, 64 E Main, Downtown Vernal. Jewelry, tools, primitives, London Fog coats, parrot perch. IF DRINKING IS a problem for a friend or loved one try AL-ANON, meetings held Tuesday 8 pm at Vernal City offices. Hardwood floor nailer, Porter Cable, 4 boxes nails w/mallet. Used once. $60. 435-789-
Christmas Concert
Miscellaneous 3174 CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL - FREE CHILD CARE referrals for parents! Whether you work full time, part time, during the day or in the evening, we can help you locate regulated child care close to home. There are two different ways you can receive referrals: Instant online referrals at www. ceu.edu/childcare or contact our Referral Specialist at 435-613-5619 or 888-637-4786. DIRTY WINDOWS? Call Bohn Window Cleaning. Over 30 years experience in residential window cleaning. Locally owned and operated. Jacob Barboza, 970-6403313 or Kenny Bohn, 801-358-4750. MODENA BELL - GOLDEN AGE CENTER DANCE every Friday night! 7-10pm. Classic country live band. Ages 10 and above. 330 South Aggie Blvd, Vernal. JODIE ROBERSON MASONIC LODGE Ashley #20 meeting, 2nd Wednesday, 7:30pm, 166 South 100 West, Vernal.
STEEL ROOFING installation. For a lifetime roof call for free estimate, call 789-4113. Ashley Valley Construction. Lifetime protection for your home!
UPHOLSTERY WORK done locally at Creative Decor & Upholstery, 638 East 1500 North, Vernal 435-789-3075 Residential, Commercial, Auto, Boat, ATV, etc. Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
CUSTOM VINYL porch
Miscellaneous railing. Add safety and curb appeal to your home. Over 10 years experience. Call Jason 435724-3086. GUITAR LESSONS Frustrated trying to learn on your own? Learn to play your favorite songs faster with premium guitar lessons that are fun and effective. Get your first session free. 435-7899544 GuitarlessonsinVernal.com NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS - IF YOU have found that drugs are causing you problems, there is a solution. Narcotics Anonymous is a program that works if you want to stop using. We can help. At the American Legion Hall, 340 North Vernal Ave, every Sunday, thru Saturday at 8pm. PHYLLIS ANN JONES PIONEER MUSEUM, Admission is free. 200 South 500 West, Vernal. Daughters of Utah Pioneers, open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm. June thru August. Local ancestor histories available, come check it out! After hour tours available by request, call 435-789-5742 MOVING SALE upright piano, billards table, air hockey, fooseball, microfiber sectional couch, desks, bedrm set, tv’s, treadmill, stereo, love sacs, recliner, cabinet, silk plants and more. Pictures texted. 435-7907207. Leave message. BBB for Complaints, reports, charity appeals, consumer education, advertising review and business services, call the Better Business Bureau, 1-801-892-6009 or write BBB , 1588 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT, 84118,or check the national website at www. bbb.org.
Miscellaneous
FAMILY HISTORY - FIND YOUR ROOTS! Visit the Family History Center at 480 West 500 North. Open Monday 9am-5pm, Tuesday-Thursday 9am9pm, Saturday 9am-1pm, closed Friday. Everyone is welcome!
WHAT’S NEXT? Get the answers at the Family History Center. For more information call 789-3618.
REMODELING: BATH, Kitchen, Whole house renovation, Decks, and New House Construction. Licensed and Insured General Contractor. Call Dan at 435-781-8376.
SAME DAY dentures in Vernal. Ashley Valley Family Dental, Dr. Brian Abrams, & Dr. James Harman. Call 435-7891748
DVD, CD and game cleaner! We will clean your scratched discs for only $3 each at Jiffy’s! Vernal and Roosevelt.
SCOTT ALLRED SCREENED top soil or fill dirt delivered in the Vernal area. Call Scott 435-828-4445.
PATIO COVERS, awnings, carports, all metal, maintenance free. Call Ashley Valley Construction 789-4113.
GUITAR LESSONS Frustrated trying to learn guitar on your own? We are here to help you become an awesome guitar player faster! Your first session is FREE! 789-9544. GuitarLessonsInVernal.com
MOBILE ATV, MOTORCYCLE, snowmobile, small engine, agricultural equipment repair 435790-6018. “Remember the longer they sit the worse they get”. Call today.
ATTENTION Uintah Basin
Orchestra andChorus Concerts December 2 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Vernal Middle School
Tickets at www.uboc.org and Vernal Davis Food & Drug
WATER USERS 2017
Ashley Water User’s Association yearly assessments were mailed out on October 16, 2017. Assessments are due on or before Thursday, November 30, 2017. As per Fee Schedule mailed with assessments late fees are $25.00 per account and after publication $100.00 per account. Just a reminder we only take cash or checks. If you have not received your assessment please call our office 435-789-3212. Ashley Central Irrigation Ashley Valley Reservoir Ashley Upper Irrigation Highline Canal Island Ditch Canal Co. Rock Point Irrigation and Canal Co.
Basin Nickel Ads / November 14, 2017 / Page 7
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Page 8 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
Reporting Local News Get your News in our newspapers or online at UBMedia.biz
Eagle Scout earns 143 merit badges Bruce Tippets btippets@ubmedia. biz There isn’t a lot of open space, to stay the least, on the sash James John wears across his chest. That’s because
just about every inch of it seems to be taken up by the Eagle Scout’s merit badges – 143 of them, in all. “It’s a super long sash,” John said. “We had to lengthen it because they all didn’t fit.”
John earned his final merit badge last month right before he turned 18. “There is no official BSA (Boy Scouts of America) count,” John said. “There is a site that has all the people who prove
they can get them all. On that site, there is 343. Just six percent become Eagle Scouts. It’s a tiny percentage.” The bird study merit badge was No. 143. “When I started it, we went and talked with a Division Wildlife Resource person,” John said. “He talked about different kinds of birds. I didn’t do anything on it for three years.” John knew it was time to complete the merit badge last month. “That one was really hard because you had to go out and learn bird calls,” he said. “You had to identify 20 birds. It just took me a while.” The avid scouter had a message for the rest of the scouting world. “It’s not about the merit badges, but I learned so much,” John said. “Learn as much as you can and that is in general. Go experience as much as you can.” John comes from Troop 235 where he had a support group from his troop members and his family.
Now is the Time! The Vernal Chamber is accepting applications
“I was in the same troop my entire life,” John said. “My dad has been the scoutmaster the whole time. He would take us camping every single month. He was my whole support and that was really awesome. My family is super heavily involved in scouting. It has been a family legacy. My grandfather was very involved in scouting. It has kind of carried down from there.” John earned his Eagle scout just after turning 13. “Af t e r y o u g e t your Eagle for three months, you get five more merit badges, you can get a palm,” John said. The first one is the Bronze Palm, followed by the Gold Palm and the Silver Palm “It goes on for every three months,” John said. “They add up in a strange way. Now, I have six silvers.” John said his favorite merit badge was signaling. “It was discontinued
BRUCE TIPPETS UBMEDIA.BIZ
in the early days,” John said. “It was brought back in 2010 as a centennial merit badge. They brought them back for a year and you only had a certain time to get it.” In his time frame, while working on the merit badge, John had an opportunity to learn Morse Code. John will remember his time while working on the badge. “We talked to a
person who was in the Army,” John said. “He used Morse Code all the time as a form of communication. Nobody can get it anymore.” Another top merit badge was robotics. “We heard that the library had Lego robots,” John said. “We jumped on board with the Lego robotics class. We were a part
SEE MERIT on Page 11
LEGAL NOTICES Send your legal notices to legals@bnads.com
REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS AND PROPOSAL The Uintah Transportation Special Service District seeks a statement of qualifications and request for proposal for recording Transportation Board meetings and preparation of Board meeting minutes. Meetings are held for approximately once a month with additional Special and Closed meetings three to four times a month. Regular meetings generally last 2 ½ to 3 hours. Special meetings last 1 to 1 ½ hours. Regular
meetings are generally scheduled at 5:30 PM the second Wednesday of each month. Special meetings are often held at 7:00 or 8:00 A.M. weekdays as called. Either video and audio or audio recordings are acceptable for Regular meetings and Special meetings. Closed meetings require good quality audio recording. Typed minutes are needed within 7 days of the meeting. Recordings are kept for District records. Proposals should be submitted to: Tammie Mecham Uintah Transportation Special Service District 320 N Aggie Blvd
STE 138 R Vernal, UT 84078 Telephone: (435) 789-4636 Facsimile: (435) 789-3125 Email: tammiem@ utssd.utah.gov The proposal should state the qualifications and experience in handling of recording equipment and preparation of meetings along with schedule of fees, estimated charges and availability. Statements and proposals are due before November 15, 2017 at 5:00 P.M. Published in the Basin Nickle Ads on November 7 and 14, 2017.
“Home is the most important place.” -Joanna Gaines
And as Joanna knows, the feeling of being “at home” comes from an intimate relationship between us and our most personal place and it shapes us just as we shape it. We spend our money, time and creativity on our homes in return, they give us comfort, pleasure and sanctuary. Home is where the heart is Come to Ashley Creek Village Apartments Vernal’s Premier Multi-Family Community!
Call (435)789-5000 for more information or stop by to see your new home at 210 East 600 South Vernal.
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Basin Nickel Ads / November 14, 2017 / Page 9
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Page 10 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
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UTSSD
Continued from Page 2
waiting until a public meeting to take these actions,” the report states. “We find these justifications baseless.” In a written response to these findings, the district admitted that the board “has failed to properly comply with the requirements of the Open and Public Meetings Act. The District commits to get training on this subject for the Chairman and other Board members so that communications and decisions among Board members only
take place in properly called open and closed meetings.” Auditors also found that there was inadequate independence between the operations of the UTSSD and the Uintah County government. The UTSSD was established in 1988 by Uintah County as a legally-separate entity to oversee the use of the local share of federal mineral lease funds dedicated to transportation projects. As such, it is intended to be politically independent. The county is to have no part in the decision making processes of the UTSSD board. However, inves-
tigators found that in November 2007, UTSSD entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Uintah County stating that it would not fund or engage in any project that was not on a prioritized list submitted by the county, except in the event of an emergency. “To facilitate this arrangement, the County agreed to submit a prioritized list every six months to the District,” the report states. “However, the last prioritized list that was received from the County was in 2015. Since then, there have been no less than nine letters sent by the County
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to the Executive Director of the District with specific proposals and requests. Under these circumstances, the District Board has little choice other than to work from the 2-year-old list of projects with ongoing directives from the County, leaving a diminishing opportunity for the Board to make independent decisions regarding the use of mineral lease funds.” Auditors also cited concern that it is difficult to maintain independence from the Uintah County government since Commissioner Brad Horrocks sits on the UTSSD board. The district acknowledged that it has struggled with independence in the past, but wrote that they “consider maintaining this separation as our highest priority.” Additionally, auditors found that the UTSSD failed to adequately exercise control over finances, from payroll to credit cards to travel expenses. According to the audit report, Massey cashed out 116 hours of paid time off (PTO) in December 2016,
amounting to a total of $6,090. He also cashed out 80 hours of PTO in April 2017 for a total of $4,800. Neither payment appeared to have been approved by the board. Massey’s contract did allow for the accrual of PTO, but contained no provisions for cashing it out. Massey also received a bonus of $4,200 in 2016 that was not approved by the board. Additionally, auditors found that Massey’s commission bonuses as stipulated in his contract were approved only by the board chair, and not any of the other board members. He received a total of $14,500 in commissions in 2017 which were distributed as part of his bi-monthly salary. The investigation also discovered that the district had inadequate policies in place to avoid overspending on meals and travel. Auditors randomly selected three months worth of credit card transactions to see if adequate supporting documentation had been maintained. “There were 55 transactions totaling $5,211.76 during the three months
observed,” the report states. “There was insufficient supporting documentation for 10 (18%) transactions, totaling $769.48. Without sufficient supporting documentation, the District cannot perform an adequate review and approval of transactions. Also, for an additional 17 of the 55 transactions reviewed, the District did not have documentation on hand and it had to be obtained from the Executive Director for review.” The auditors recommended that UTSSD establish written policies for credit card use and reimbursement. They also recommended that each transaction be reviewed to ensure that it is “necessary, appropriate, and approved in compliance with procurement policies.” The district agreed to follow the recommendation. Additionally, auditors reported that the district had violated open records laws by failing to appoint a records officer and failing to provide adequate training. “The Executive Director has typically handled GRAMA re-
quests for the District. However, the Board Chair has responded to GRAMA requests since the Executive Director has been placed on leave,” the report states. “None of the board members or District employees have been trained in responding to GRAMA requests.” The board chairman responded to a request for all texts between himself and two other board members. He denied some of them, stating that they were personal or that they were subject to attorneyclient privilege and involved possible or pending litigation. The auditor’s office was not able to find any evidence related to pending litigation. “Given our observations, we have concerns when entities improperly withhold records from the public,” the report states. The full report from the state auditor’s office, including all findings and responses from the district, can be viewed online at https://reporting.auditor.utah.gov/servlet/ servlet.FileDownload ?file=01541000001z mutAAA.
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Basin Nickel Ads / November 14, 2017 / Page 11
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I got a really sharp pain in the leg. It was at least an 8/10 pain! Now, after treatment, my sciatic pain is gone away.
-Shirley H.
•••••
I had sciatic pain going down my leg for a month. It was painful. I couldn’t dress myself, I had a hard time lifting my right leg, and it was difficult to move around. If I was shopping, and leaned on the cart, I got a really sharp pain in the leg. It was at least an 8/10 pain! Now, after treatment, my sciatic pain has gone away, I still get a pain every now and then, but not like it was. Now, I can dress myself easier, I can lift my leg, I can bend over better, Now my pain is only about a 2/10 pain, its way better! I’m happy with my care and I’ve already recommended it to somebody else! I think the beds really help! They stretch my back out and I think that has made the biggest difference for me. I’ve noticed a real difference.
“
I had been told by another doctor that I would have to have back surgery, and with this treatment, I told him no I won’t have to do back surgery because it has helped so much and I have so much relief.
“
I get to do things I haven’t done in 15 years... My quality of life has went up so much... the treatments here have helped me way more ever than the back surgery did!
•••••
-Brent C.
Well, I’d had back surgery before and I was at the end of my rope again. I was thinking I needed to have something done again. Just wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t able to function through the whole day, and I came to see you, and I really liked how you made me go get an MRI first. Before I even went, you gave me criteria of if you would work on me or not. That’s what I tell people right now, is that you tell us before we go get an MRI, you’re straight up with us, you tell us the criteria of if you’ll work on us, I really like that. After the MRI, I’m really glad I stopped because the MRI showed that my first back surgery had failed, and to tell you the truth I’ve just never felt this good! Even after my back surgery, as I do now with the Decompression and the adjustments. I really do appreciate it. I guess the biggest part of it is I didn’t feel like you were just up to, I guess more or less just taking the money, because you gave me the criteria before I ever went and got the MRI, and I liked that. The honesty, and what you’ve done for me, and how I’ve felt since, the quality of life I’ve had since, I get to do things I haven’t done in 15 years. I can go ride horses, I can team-rope whenever I want, just about anything, I really haven’t found limitations like before. I haven’t had the problem with the spasms. I like how I’m treated here. The girls are professional. You never feel like you’re rushed through, you don’t feel like a statistic. It feels good to come here. I think the staff is awesome. They are attentive, they’ll answer any question. I’ve never gotten this good of treatment anywhere. My quality of life has went up so much. I travel more now than I ever did, and I can do anything I ever did before I had back surgery. I’ve had several guys call me after their first visit and ask, “So what do you think about it?” And I say hey, this is what it did for me, I can’t promise you nothing, but I know what it did for me, and the treatments here have helped me way more ever than the back surgery did. I would tell anybody to do it!
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The pain was a 10/10!... Now, I don’t have any pain at all, 0/10! I don’t have any limitations at all... I’d say to anyone thinking about doing this treatment, do it, before you do anything else ...I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
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of that.” John joined the robotics team at Uintah High School. He now wants to be an engineer in the future. He admitted certain merit badges are easier than others. The Eagle Scout talked about how fingerprinting is super fun, but there isn’t a whole lot involved in it. “You can do it in two hours,” John said. The 18-year-old began earning merit badges after graduating from the fifthgrade. In his first year, he stayed at scout camp for two weeks and was able to take six classes a day. “I got 13 merit badges in those two weeks and those were the first ones I ever got,” John said. “It all came in a big bunch.” Some of the other early merit badges were nature, astronomy, archery, rifle, and basketry. “Since we were up at scout camp all the time it was really fun for me,” John said. During the year, John said they do pow wows every March, and a Scout can receive up to three merit badges a time. “We would try to do three or four merit badges as a troop every year,” he added. “If you are adding that up every year, you are getting a lot. That was just the events.” In his personal time, John would collect more and more merit badges. His Eagle project was at McConkie Ranch where he worked on the trails. John is the son of Sarah and Daniel John. “I worked hard with that and I got my Eagle project,” he said. “I had a huge support behind me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it by myself.”
Go from a life of back pain
“
Continued from Page 8
“
MERIT
-Nadine P.
•••••
It’s hard, because with back pain, you look O.K. on the outside. People think oh, you’re young, you’re spry, you can’t hurt that bad, but they don’t understand that this pain can bring you to your knees, where you can’t even walk or function. And I am very grateful to be done with that! I can walk, sleep, get out of bed, I don’t feel 90 years old any more! I am more confident that I can do different things and not be in severe pain. About two years ago, I was really having a hard time with my back. I’ve had back pain since I was 18 or 19 years old, as long as I can remember. The MRI I had 12 years ago, before I came to Uintah Basin Spine and Disc, told me I had four discs in my back pinching off the nerves in my back and pressing them. I wasn’t getting any relief from normal chiropractic help, it was actually starting to hurt me, and I was dreading it. I was looking at back surgery, seeing the odds, and talking with people that I had known who had back surgery and I wasn’t happy with the odds. It wasn’t something that I wanted to do because I was only 55 years old. So I was looking at something different. I had heard about your Spine and Disc Center on the radio and luckily I was able to make it over here and make it work with my schedule. I was really faithful with it, and the difference was unreal. The exercises you do at home, coming here and getting stretched and worked on, I’ve been amazed at my mobility! I was getting to the point that I couldn’t get down and play with my grandkids and didn’t feel I could interact with them the way that I wanted to. I couldn’t get down on the floor or go outside with them, so I was looking for something different, and I’ve found that this has been a lifesaver! I can sit. I drive school bus, so I sit all the time for eight hours a day and this has worked really well and I’ve made really good progress with it. I had been told by another doctor that I would have to have back surgery, and with this treatment, I told him no I won’t have to do back surgery because it has helped so much and I have so much relief. I would recommend this to anybody. I made some really good friends with other patients that I still have now that I met while getting worked on, and it’s great, and the nurses are really nice too.
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-Shelly D.
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This treatment saved my life! I remember coming in in excruciating pain. The pain was a 10/10! The most pain I’ve been in in my life. I’d already been to the emergency room twice. The pain was mostly down my arm, in my neck is where it started, but shooting pain down my arm into my hand and fingers was horrible. My hand was going numb, I couldn’t even make a fist. After the emergency room I was having to take pain pills one after another and the pain relief was only temporary. That’s when I called you. I couldn’t even drive myself to your office, I had to be driven down because of the severe pain. You worked on me a little bit, I was really stiff, then you sent me out for an MRI. Even the car ride out to get the MRI about killed me I was in so much pain. We came back and you showed me on the MRI that I had several bad discs in my neck and one really bad one, and you started working on me right then on your stretching machine. Within the first week, I was getting off the pain pills and muscle relaxers. I could finally function again, my husband had been driving me around until this time. I had relief within a week. It went from a 10/10 to a 6/10 and this was even coming off the pain pills. The shooting pain was gone. It was still hard to make a fist, I still couldn’t do my hair, or hold a brush, but the shooting pain was gone! Now, I don’t have any pain at all, 0/10! I don’t have any limitations at all. Now I can grip again, I can sign my own name again, I can write a check again and it doesn’t look funny. Heck yes this treatment was worth it! I would recommend it, and I already have. I’d say to anyone thinking about doing this treatment, do it, before you do anything else, do this first, try it, because I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
435.725.BACK (2225) for a free MRI review and see if you’re a candidate.
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Page 12 / November 14, 2017 / Basin Nickel Ads
what a great day!!! ON NOVEMBER 7, 2017, THE CITIZENS OF UINTAH
COUNTY EXERCISED THEIR only available RIGHT TO CONTROL OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL officials; you CAST your VOTES. “WE THE TAXPAYERS” VOTED DOWN PROPOSITION 5 AND SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE--NO MORE TAXES, without justification. there were also leader changes--congratulations to Doug Hammond as the new mayor of vernal city. We look forward to your representation of the taxpayers OF VERNAL, UTAH.
CaN yOU BeLIeVe?
ON OCt. 29, 2017 BetweeN 1 aNd 2 P.M. at the UINtah COUNty weeKLy COMMISSION MeetINg, we May haVe wItNeSSed the MOSt egregIOUS aCtIONS PerPetrated By OUr eLeCted COUNty OFFICIaLS agaINSt “we the taXPayerS” IN the hIStOry OF UINtah COUNty To verify the material below, access: https://www.utah.gov/transparency/ then under “Level” select “Counties”. Under “Entity”: select “Uintah County”. Under “Period”, select “2016”. Under “Type”: select “Employee Compensation”. Then reference “the elected official office you want to look up”. Repeat the process for each Utah County you are interested in.
2016 Uintah CoUnty ElECtEd offiCials’ salariEs ComparEd to similar Utah CoUntiEs CoUnty
popUlation ClErk/aUditor trEasUrEr assEssor $72,245.29 $86,347.86 $79,326.34 $74,506.86
rECordEr
$79,963.77 $86,347.86 $76,826.34 $75,156.86
$75,753.08 $89,849.80 $76,826.34 $74,506.86
UINTAH
32,588
$94,577.60
$90,729.60 $88,088.00 $88,088.00 $98,425.60
$125,507.20 $94,819.14
SANPETE WASATCH CARBON SEVIER DUCHESNE SAN JUAN
27,822 23,530 21,403 20,802 18,607 14,746
$60,893.56 $70,040.10 $78,855.40 $69,124.00 $71,982.00 $62,904.00
$56,422.50 $70,040.10 $71,473.24 $64,772.80 $71,982.00 $56,196.00
$101,996.34 $105,060.28 $105,376.36 $111,410.40 $99,547.20 $105,468.00
Uintah CoUnty SalarieS
94577.60/71982.00
90729.60/71982.00
Compared to dUCheSne CoUnty
131.390%
126.04%
122.36%
122.38%
118.48%
126.08%
Uintah CoUnty SalarieS
94577.60/73345.65
90729.60/70648.97
88088.00/71228.22
88088.00/68794.62
98425.00/79654.32
125507.20/107990.67 94819.14/48207.93
Compared to remaining CoUntieS
128.948%
128.423%
123.670%
128.045%
123.566%
116.220%
196.69%
average dollar amoUnt Per County SamPle
$73,345.65
$70,648.97
$71,228.22
$68,794.62
$79,654.32
$107,990.67
$48,207.93
88088.00/71992.80
88088.00/71982.00
$63,755.94 $92,699.88 $83,093.08 $78,643.90 $83,076.84 $61,827.91 98425.60/83076.84
$111,611.49 $113,140.17 $112,659.93 $105,193.10
CommissionErs
112,656 58,218 49,975 46,163
$57,693.48 $58,340.73 $70,873.24 $62,398.26 $71,982.00 $56,196.00
$86,325.45 $91,779.71 $84,722.86 $74,040.18
attornEy
CACHE TOOELE BOX ELDER IRON
$57,693.48 $70,040.10 $79,705.24 $64,992.80 $71,992.80 $56,196.00
$75,969.65 $86,347.03 $76,826.34 $74,506.86
shEriff
125507.20/99547.20
County Council Used $73,097.21 $48,539.52 $51,474.07 $24,474.84 County Council Used $50,364.28 $46,701.60 $72,942.00 $42,804.00 94819.14/72942.00
129.99%
my JUstifiCation for thE assUmptions arE as folloWs: 1. In the schedule above, you will note how elected officials of Uintah County are paid compared to the ten closest counties to Uintah County in population. 2. The above schedule was first released in the Basin Nickel Ad on Aug. 29, 2017. The hope was that if fairness wasn’t reason enough to bring their compensation packages into line, that maybe they could be shamed into it. 3. As you will note, our elected officials are being paid between 16.22% and 96.69% (on average about 25%) more than the average counties compensation paid by their peers. 4. In addition, the “employee benefits” for the Uintah County employees totaled $8,317,680.82. That constitutes 56.13% of the counties total gross payroll. 5. Uintah County has propelled employee benefits to unbelievable heights. In all likelihood, it will qualify as a “CADILLAC PLAN UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE” . According to Wikipedia: a CADILLAC PLAN is any unusually
expensive health insurance plan. 6. In summarizing, what the elected officials have is unconscionable when put into perspective. They have been propelled into high tax brackets at the expense of “We the Taxpayers”. On a household basis, without counting income a spouse might add to the household, the elected officials could range between the top 12% and 9% of household income in the USA. This giving no consideration for the CADILLAC INSURANCE PLAN benefits. 7. Uintah County still does not have an accountable employee time system. There are no time clocks. Time clocks are highly beneficial for both the employer and the employee, as both can verify the actual hours worked. Our elected officials are accountable to “We the Taxpayers” for the employee hours worked and to confirm if we get value for the money spent.
noW, What happEnEd on oCtoBEr 29th of this yEar BEtWEEn 1 and 2 p.m. that Was so aGrEGioUs to mE is as folloWs. For the most part, the Uintah County Commissioners Office was filled mostly with elected officials. Only a handful of “We the Taxpayers” were there to witness the adopting of the County Budget. When the budget hearing started, a couple of us plead with the Uintah County Commissioners to give consideration to “We the Taxpayers”. Be fair. Have compassion for those that can’t vote themselves high wages to put them in the top tax brackets in America. The widows,
retired couples,unemployed, those on welfare, struggling businesses in the county and in the oil fields as well as many others. Speeches were made by elected officials and their subordinates. Immediately the out come was obvious and appeared to have been pre-determined. They voted themselves once again everything they have on the schedule above and in some cases maybe more. There seemed to be absolutely no thought or consideration for anyone or anybody but themselves, in
spite of all the efforts to bring items that should have brought fairness to their attention. Never a thought given for “We the Taxpayers” that don’t work for a governmental entity of some sort. CONCLUSION: “We the Taxpayers” only have one remedy. We have to vote in people that are of charactor, ability, honesty, fairness, considerate, understanding and that will make fair decisions for everyone. We would hope that they would value fairness and integrity when deciding the fate
of all our citizens. We better start preparing for the Nov. 2018 elections. Many of you are well positioned politically, please help get a hold of the political party leaders in the County and insist they bring us people with qualities of integrity and fairness to vote for. I doubt we care which party brings us the candidates for Uintah County. Its all about who they are and their convictions. Do they genuinely care about the current economically impacted citizens of Uintah County?
BY: JAMES G. DROLLINGER, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (RETIRED), CONCERNED CITIZEN AND UINTAH COUNTY PROPERTY OwNER