A dispute over water lines eventually may delay a long-awaited road project along 13th East north of Sandy City.
Salt Lake County, which is paying for the road, says the Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District should pay the approximately $100,000 to move water lines when the road is widened. Conservancy district officials think the county should pay.Sandy residents, meanwhile, have waited more than a year for the project to be completed. County commissioners delayed the work in 1987 so they could add money to the sheriff and firefighters' budgets.
County crews have started work on the road, but they may have to stop in July unless attorneys for both sides can reach an agreement. County officials hope both sides can at least decide to complete the work first and decide who pays for it later.
But neither side appears too friendly at the moment.
Robert Hilbert, general manager of the conservancy district, sent a letter to commissioners saying they would be levying an "undue tax" on customers of the district if the district was forced to pay.
Commissioners reacted angrily to the letter.
"Find out how many votes Bob (Hilbert) got countywide to elect him czar of the county," Commissioner Dave Watson snapped to one of his administrators.