December 2004 The December issue of The Pioneer Post contained Christmas greetings from Mayor Keith Butler, who also asked us to remember those in the military service who are protecting the freedoms we enjoy. Safety tips from the Weber Fire District were also given to help residents have a happy, fire free holiday season. Wise precautions and care in decorations, including Christmas trees and indoor and outdoor lighting, should be used. Having a fire extinguisher in the home is always a good idea. Three rabies clinics will be hosted by the Weber County Animal Service on January 29, February 12, and February 26, 2005, at the Weber County Animal Shelter from 2 to 4 p.m. each date. Shots will be $7.00 and dog licenses will also be available. A neighborhood fundraiser was held on Saturday, December 11, 2004, at the Thompsen residence to benefit the community Sub for Santa and the YCC. It was suggested that the money we would spend on our neighbor gifts be donated instead for these causes. At the December 16, 2004, City Council Meeting, the council approved the appointment of Mayor Keith Butler to the Central Weber Sewer District Board. Blaine Holmes, West Haven City council member, met with the council concerning ambulance and paramedic services. At the present time Ogden provides this service under a state contract. A recent change in the state law allows our area to have more control over that service. Our city has had 104 calls for an ambulance to date this year, Hooper had 90 calls and West Haven had 310 calls. Mr. Holmes believes that the present service is getting overloaded and can not meet the needed response time of eight minutes. If these three cities joined together for ambulance service, the only expense would be for the Request for Proposal (RFP) and its publication. The service would be funded by an average $500 per call fee. Including unincorporated county in the lower valley is a possibility. The RFP needs to include AIS service involving better trained personnel who can handle more types of emergencies, as well as the requirement that the ambulance should respond to HazMat and structure fire emergencies. Davis County has an ambulance for every 7,000 people while Weber County has only one for every 14,000 people. The council decided this is a matter worth considering and will do so at a later date. Approval for licenses to Moore Transportation, Inc., 927 West 12th Street, and Advantage Mortgage Solutions, 2151 West 700 South, was given by the council. Because of concern about parking of trucks by Moore Trucking too close to the VFW property, their license is subject to strict review by the planning commission on any issue. Mayor Keith Butler presented a posthumous award to Glen McFarland for his service as magistrate from 1999 until his death in July 2004. Rich McFarland accepted the award on behalf of his father. The council authorized Mayor Butler to negotiate the purchase of two acres on 1900 West from Bart Hall who will donate an additional acre to the city. This acreage could not be used in the Randy Marriott residential development because of the need of a second access required by the fire code limitation. The annual Christmas Open House for Marriott-Slaterville City officials and volunteers was held on Thursday, December 16, 2004, between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. A buffet, featuring Chinese food, was enjoyed by those in attendance, as was visiting with fellow workers. Our thanks go to Shawna and Glen Meyerhoffer, Becky and John Burt, and Pam and Kelly Slater for their much appreciated work in making the party a success.