Hildale fails to draw council candidates
 
By Patrice St. Germain
patrices@thespectrum.com
 
HILDALE -- Out of the 680 registered voters in Hildale, no one expressed any interest in filling a vacancy on the Hildale City Council.

At the council's Tuesday morning meeting, Mayor David Zitting said although the city posted a public notice several weeks ago that there was a vacancy, no one responded.

A seat on the council became available after Joseph I. Barlow Sr. resigned last month when he moved out of town. Barlow, who's term of office expired in 2005, submitted his resignation to Mayor Zitting on Jan. 13 after serving on the council since the town was incorporated back in 1963. Barlow was one of 20 men who were removed from their positions within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by the church's prophet Warren Jeffs.

Since Barlow's open seat wasn't filled at the meeting on Tuesday, Zitting told the remaining councilors that they would need to attend all meetings; otherwise there would not be a quorum. Zitting said the city would continue to look for someone to fill the vacancy.

"In the meantime, everyone here is important and every vote counts," Zitting said.

In addition to Barlow's resignation, councilor Fred Jessop hasn't attended a council meeting since November.

Jessop, 94, has been excused from council meetings since December. Zitting said Jessop has not been able to attend due to poor health.

"There's been no resignation but he (Jessop) has not been able to attend," Zitting said.

In other business, the city council received an update on the prepaid electric metering system the Twin City Power Company has on order.

Twin City Power manager Lorin Fischer said the meters are on order and would be available to customers for about $800 each which could be paid over a period of two years.

Fischer said if more people sign up for the meters, the cost would go down. The company services about 900 residential customers in the communities of Hildale and Colorado City.

Even though customers will have to pay for the equipment, Fischer said the meters help budget power bills and will save those struggling to pay their bills from paying late penalty fees.

The number of residential customers behind on power bills is still high. Fischer said last month, 47 percent of customers in Hildale were in arrears on power bills and 50 percent of the residential customers in Colorado City.

About 14 people had power shut off to their homes last month for non-payment.

Twin City Power business manager Jeremiah Barlow said the target group for the prepaid electric metering system are those customers who pay late.

In addition to a fee for the meters, which will fund needed office interface equipment, customers purchasing the meters will pay a $20-per-month base rate and 11.2 cents per kilowatt hour. They will not get the 1,500 kilowatt hours normally included with the base fee.

Fischer said the approximately $12 savings from the free hours will be used to maintain the equipment.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published Wednesday, February 18, 2004
 
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