Scofield council appoints new treasurer, OKs $4.50 campground stipend for sewer operator

Scofield — The Scofield Town Council on Oct. 31 appointed Karen Brickie as the town’s new treasurer and approved a stipend arrangement intended to cut the sewer operator’s travel time.

Chair (voice): “I would like to motion that we appoint Karen Brickie as our new town treasurer.” The motion was seconded by a council member and approved by voice vote after the Chair said interviews and reference checks had been completed. The appointment followed the resignation of town treasurer Sherry Satray.

The action was part of routine business that also included approval of revised minutes from Sept. 8 and the Oct. 13 minutes, and payment of the month’s bills; those motions were each seconded and carried by voice vote.

On a separate personnel-related motion, the council addressed long travel by the town’s sewer operator, who currently commutes from Spanish Fork. The Chair said the operator travels roughly 2½ hours each way and that the town could save money if the operator relocated his trailer to the town campground. A council member moved “that we pay him, for $4.50 plus the price of the propane,” and the council approved the motion by voice vote. Under the approved approach, the operator will provide receipts for propane for reimbursement.

Also on the agenda, the Chair reported that three-phase electrical work and new pumps had been installed at town facilities. The town met with ISO for a fire-rating review and retained a Class 5 rating after static-pressure and flow tests on Meridian and Church streets produced pressures and flows above the 20-psi minimum; the Chair said that annual static and hose testing, plus pump tests, could lower the rating to Class 4 and potentially reduce insurance costs by about 3–5 percent.

The council reviewed a water-leak protection proposal dated Oct. 9 offering voluntary coverage to residents; quoted monthly premiums in the proposal were $1.75 for up to $500 per occurrence, $2.00 for up to $1,000, and $2.35 for up to $2,500. Council members requested clearer written terms, specifically whether the policy covers leaks inside a residence or only from the meter to the home. The Chair said staff will obtain more complete documentation before any mailing to residents.

During public comment, resident Scott Holden of 320 Church Street noted his group had sent a July 1 letter to a mine company and said he would circulate an update to the town mailing list and social media. “We want to make sure that everybody’s aware,” Holden said, asking whether the town had any new information on prior discussions.

The meeting closed after a motion to adjourn carried by voice vote; the Chair recorded the time as 7:28 p.m. The council noted canvassing of recent selection results is scheduled for Thursday and therefore some items remain pending finalization.