Residents press Price City Council over Mount Harmon crosswalk safety, Maverik nuisances and call for independent review

During the July 23 public-comment period several residents urged Price City Council to act on neighborhood safety and quality-of-life issues, including a long-running crosswalk hazard on Mount Harmon, ongoing nuisance concerns at a Maverik convenience store, and calls for an independent review of police department pay and human-resources complaints.

Britney Castro told council members she first raised traffic and crosswalk safety concerns on Dec. 11 after her nephew was struck by a vehicle and that she has followed up at multiple meetings. Castro said she gave each council member a packet with proposed solutions and a map of danger zones and pressed the council to act on measures she described as low-cost, including repainting the crosswalk as a high-visibility “zebra” crosswalk. “I showed up to 3 meetings just for a crosswalk,” Castro said.

Castro said Mayor Corianis told her a stop sign could be installed and asked her to help form a committee. Castro said she later spoke with city staffer Miles Nelson, who told her a three-way stop could not be designated at the intersection. Castro told the council it has been seven months since she first raised the issue and that the crosswalk has not been repainted or otherwise upgraded.

Other commenters raised separate but related concerns. One speaker proposed that citizens form a committee to select an outside, impartial agency to perform salary reviews and audits of department efficiency; that speaker framed the proposal as a way to improve communication and address tension between the council and some city employees. Multiple speakers also expressed support for the police department and asked for better dialogue between council and staff.

Pamela Underwood focused her remarks on problems she said are caused by activity at the Maverik on [unnamed street]. She described repeated late-night loud mufflers and music from vehicles, frequent idling and early-morning delivery noise from trucks, dumpsters that bang when emptied twice weekly, RV dumping that she said creates strong odors, and ongoing overnight parking. Underwood thanked a city staff member (identified in public remarks as Patton) for assistance on some issues and praised Price Police Captain Ratcliffe for keeping composure in a past contact with her. “I should not have to go out there and do their job for them,” Underwood said, describing calls she made to the store to ask employees to address idling vehicles.

Wayne Jackson, another resident, urged the council to install bike lanes so students can ride safely and asked that council microphones be audible to the public during meetings.

Council members and staff did not take any formal action on the specific requests during the meeting. City Attorney Eric Johnson spoke earlier in the meeting about land-use and budget procedures and said the council could schedule items for a future agenda, including potentially placing a matter on the November ballot, but he did not direct staff to take immediate action on the public comments during the July 23 meeting.

Speakers who raised concerns requested the council hold follow-up conversations with city departments (including the Price City Police Department and public works) and provide clearer timelines for addressing crosswalk repainting, traffic-control devices, business nuisance enforcement and any independent reviews of pay or HR procedures.