Checklist of Town Incorporation

This week we discussed a checklist for Bluff to be able to incorporate. Below are the necessary things that Bluff needs to accomplish in order to become incorporated as a town:

State of Utah incorporation process:

• A contiguous area not within a municipality may incorporate
• Request feasibility study from the Lt. Governor:
• Describe proposed area for town
• Include accurate map by licensed surveyor
• Five signers as sponsors, one primary

Lt. Gov Feasibility study:

• Bluff Community selects consultant from recommended list
• Consultant completes and submits study to Lt. Governor

Study Considerations:

• Population and density
• Surrounding area
• Five-year projections of demographics and economics
• Proposed town: household size, industrial and commercial development
• Projected five-year growth
• Five-year projection of cost
• Proposed governmental services (complete list available - following are examples)
• Law enforcement
• Fire protection
• Roads and public works
• Garbage
• Culinary water
• Sewer
• Secondary water
• Government offices
• Noxious weeds
• (No proposed change in Bluff requested services)
• Projection of revenue and expenses based on services requested
• If five-year revenues exceed five-year expenses by more that 10%
• We may move forward to a public hearing

Public Hearing:

• Posted in newspaper, on websites, legal notices- 45 days or less
• Map of boundaries
• Results of study
• Public comment
• File for incorporation with certified petition

General Election:

• General election is held.
• A majority of registered voters in proposed area voting in favor means Bluff will be incorporated

Simply going through the checklist a few things stood out to me as important things that Bluff may want to place higher priorities on:

• Feasibility study - needs to ensure that all costs and financial obligations will be met with an undeniable level of certainty. Including fire, roads, law enforcement, garbage, culinary water, sewer, and government offices. As well as viable five-year projected "growth" and future leadership.
• Proposed area for town - needs to be validated and have unquestionable ability to be maintained. 

In solidifying all the needed information for these two pieces success of the future incorporated Bluff.

Listening to Bluff - What I Learned From Existing Documents

Today in class we went over the past Bluff, Utah documents, and I learned a lot while going through the documents that could help to establish a better starting point for the work in which our class will be embarking. 

A few of the ideas that occurred to me while going through the documents were:

• New building and infrastructure design built with natural processes in mind
• Conservation techniques and water wise consumption - gray water systems and recycling water
• Precedence section in our document to help guide further development of Bluff allowing them to keep their character, encourage controlled tourism, and gain interest of potential young leaders
• How do you develop a resiliency plan and ordinances that help bluff keep its character?
• Affordable housing that matches the make up of current feel of Bluff
• How do you keep open space, view sheds, and the current character yet improve public health, community, jobs, and economy?
• Our task is not to create a place that I or any other outsider thinks is good. Our task is to create a place that the residents think is good and improves all the desired areas.
• What are the current challenges and barriers for residents of Bluff?
• How would they see improvement to current conditions?
• How do you "capitalize" on the existing character and features to attract younger residents and future leaders? (Simply put: how is Bluff going to attract younger residents?)
• Bears Ears national Monument?
• San Juan River Rafting?
• Biking, Hiking, and Horse Trails?
• The Comb?
• Without a step by step instruction book, how can we give them guidelines or a pattern of language to protect their current values?
• How do you word or craft an ordinance that accomplishes all Bluff's goals?
• How do you offer suggestions in a way that they are seen as positive despite potential negative connotations?

These were just some of the questions swimming around in my head that we need to find answers to in order to be effective in creating a planning document that will be of any use to the future town of Bluff.