CHAPTER VII FINANCING Every improvement project, large or small, must pass over the financial hurdle. Unless there is available funds, some program of financing a project must be worked out and adopted. While financing is basically not the field of the Engineer, his knowledge of the project as a whole enables him to make some comments and, perhaps, even some suggestions which may have merit to be used by those experts in the field of financing. There are three general financing programs which might be used for storm drain facilities. 1. Issue General Obligation Bonds to be repaid, principal and interest from direct property tax levy on all property within the County. 2. Make direct assessment against property to be benefited. This would necessitate creating a storm drain district and levy an assessment against each parcel of property according to the benefits received. 3. Undertaking a general capital improvements program to be supported by a property tax levy which would permit the accumulation of a reserve fund for construction to be performed at the most necessary and beneficial time. There are benefits to be derived from each specific method of financing and no single method is without some inequities. As we envision the program contemplated by this report, we forsee [foresee] the need for a substantial sum of money which should be made available immediately to purchase right-of-ways and initiate construction on long overdue storm drains and facilities. 107 After the impact of getting this program under way, there should be a continuous program of construction and maintenance of storm drain facilities. If funds could be continuously made available, then construction work could be done under the most favorable and economical circumstances. It would be difficult to indicate an exact figure of dollar benefit to be realized, but we know a very substantial saving could be made in buying all necessary rights-of-way for the Jordan River, Surplus Canal and all natural channels which will be needed for storm water. Construction of storm drains at the time development is taking place in an area, rather than go back in after all improvements are in, will permit substantial savings in construction costs. We suggest a combination of the programs outlined in 1 and 3 above: That Salt Lake County, immediately call for an election to issue $10, 000,000 in general obligation bonds for rights of way and construction work to be spread over the next 3 to 5 year period. That Salt Lake County institute a program calling for levying a tax of up to 1 ½ mills per year to go into an ear-marked fund which will require the expenditures of these funds for storm drains and flood control purposes. (This will require legislative action to levy this amount of tax and hold it in a special fund for expenditures as needed rather than in the fiscal year in which the tax is levied.) Under a program of this kind we estimate the 1 ½ mill levy will produce a minimum of $50,000,000 over a 35 year period. This, along with the $10,000,000 of initial funds, should substantially construct the facilities needed for storm drainage in Salt Lake County. Since the 1 ½ mill levy would be permissive, each year the County Commission could levy as much as would be necessary to keep the storm drain program in step with the needs of the community. 108 CHAPTER VIII SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS General As a result of the engineering investigations carried out in the preparation of this phase of the Salt Lake County Master Plan of Storm Drainage, it is recommended that the County consider the following general recommendations: 1. Salt Lake County should immediately undertake to procure all necessary rights-of-way along the Jordan River, and should seek to obtain the assistance of the U. S. Army Engineers in the construction of flood control improvements for this important channel. 2. The County should define and procure the necessary rights-of-way on all natural drainage channels throughout the entire county, including both those which flow continuously and those which are dry much of the year. Studies should be initiated on all natural drainage courses not presently being investigated and mapped. 3. Construction of the most urgently needed storm drainage systems within the County should be undertaken as soon as the engineering design is completed. Among the most critical sections of the valley, storm drainage wise, as the Hollady-Cottonwood area, and the Granger-Kearns area. 4. The County must be prepared to enlarge and improve some natural channels immediately. This could include some stretches of the Jordan River, which will require improvement prior to Congressional approval for participation by the Corps of Engineers. 109 5. A program of financing the recommended storm drainage and flood control projects in the Master plan is essential before design for construction can be accomplished. To this end, Salt Lake County must organize and present to the public a financial plan which will not only provide the funds necessary to accomplish the first phase of the Storm Drainage Master Plan, but which will also put future drainage improvements and maintenance on a self-sustaining basis. A fair and equitable County-wide tax levy for flood control purposes, designed to achieve these objectives, should be the goal. Phase I Program As the program of Storm Drainage Improvements and Flood Control Channel Acquisition which Salt Lake County should initiate immediately in the first phase of the Master Storm Drainage Plan, and the program in which funds can be most beneficially spent within the next 5 years, we recommend the following specific terms: Purchase of Rights-of-Way for channel improvements on the Jordan River, the Surplus Canal Extension, Mill Creek, and Big Cottonwood Creek…..$ 3,500,000 Construction of storm drainage trunk lines in the Mill Creek Area (Systems “H”, “K”, “O”, “Q”, “R3”, “S”). 1,500,000 Construction of storm drainage trunk lines in the Big Cottonwood Area (Systems “GG”, “JJ”, “KK”, “MM”, “PP”). . 3,000,000 For the installation of trunk storm drains in other critical areas of the County as soon as engineering studies are complete . . . . . . 2,000,000 TOTAL . . . .. . . $10,000,000 These specific recommendations correlate with the overall recommendations of the Salt Lake Valley Citizens’ Council in their report “SUMMARY OF PLANNING GOALS AND POLICIES”, dated May 16, 1963. 110 With regard to the recommended first phase storm drainage trunk lines in the above estimate, there is no mandatory sequence of construction. Each system is more or less independent of the others. Development patterns within the subject areas might dictate that construction of a particular system be coordinated with private or public projects. A review of this report by officials of the County may result in the inclusion of other systems in the Master Plan than those recommended for the first phase construction. However, one of the intents of this study has been to solve the problems created by the discharge of storm water into the irrigation canals. We therefore would particularly urge that Systems “K”, “GG”, and “JJ” be constructed as soon as funds are available and final engineering design has been completed. 111 APPENDIX 1 - STORM DRAINAGE DESIGN TABLING SHEETS 2 - TABULATION OF AREAS AND “CA” VALUES 3 - TIME OF CONCENTRATION CALCULATIONS 4 - JORDAN RIVER DESIGN COMPUTATIONS 5 - SALT LAKE CITY STORM DRAIN TRUNK CAPACITIES 112
L.M. Winsor Papers and Photographs Digital Collection
