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Here’s your SVR news roundup for the quiet week of October 27th, 2024:
The lone scheduled event of the week, a 6th Penny Specific Purpose Tax Informational Meeting, was held at Town Hall on Tuesday October 29th starting at 6pm. The meeting was, unfortunately, not well-attended (I counted 8 residents). Following a brief introduction a short video was shown comprised of a drone fly-over along Vista Drive and Vista West Drive to illustrate where paving and walking paths would go should the 6th Penny tax be approved by voters. The remainder of the meeting was essentially a question and answer forum. While the audience was light, their questions were lively! Residents in attendance generally asked for more specifics on the proposed projects and seemed unconvinced walking paths were a good idea. They were also interested to know how long the 6th Penny tax would last should it be approved. The answer to the latter has been somewhat of a moving target.
An article in this week’s Star Valley Independent on the 6th Penny estimates the tax being around for 4 years. The answer given during Tuesday night’s meeting was less than 2 years. In my previous 2024 Ballot Questions post, I also took a stab at answering this question by looking at Lincoln County’s existing 5th Penny optional sales tax revenues as a basis to try and determine how long an approved 6th Penny tax would be around. The estimate I came away with was about 6 years. Again, a moving target…
Thursday, October 31st was Halloween. The following photo pretty much depicts how things looked around town that day. Always snow by Halloween—right?
Also on Thursday, October 31st the Town of Star Valley Ranch (TSVR) public calendar shows a Finance Advisory Board meeting was scheduled for 1pm at Town Hall. I don’t see an agenda posted to the Town website, so will double-check to determine if this meeting occurred.
Other news and notes from the week:
On Monday, October 28th, the Star Valley Ranch Association sent out an email summarizing their latest 2025 Budget updates along with a draft of their 2025 Fee Schedule. You can find both of the latter at this link.
There were also some additions at Town Hall this week to include new railing installed for the concrete steps that go from the upper parking area to the lower parking area. Also, some employee parking signs showed up sparking a bit of controversy. It’s my understanding the Town Administrator will be reviewing the location of these signs next week. Stay tuned!
An updated TSVR website also rolled out at the end of the week. I think it looks pretty nifty and the photos on the homepage are very well done!
Lastly, did you remember to set your clocks back last night?
Here is the lone calendar item for next week:
Tuesday, November 5th is Election Day! Polls open at 7am and close at 7pm. For Star Valley Ranch (District 2 Precinct 10) your polling place is upstairs at Town Hall (171 Vista Drive). An elevator is available for those who need it.
And, if you’re looking for last minute ballot and candidate information, please check out the Election 2024 section of Close to Home 307.
Final thoughts—it has been snowing lightly on and off for the past week. Part of me is ready for the snow and all the wintry beauty it brings. Then again, part of me is already missing those warmer days just a bit. We live in a place where seasons govern our days and where life must adjust to Mother Nature’s pace. Despite my reticence, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I suspect you all feel the same way too.
That’s all for today folks—hope you enjoyed the read. And, thank you for being a subscriber! If you have Star Valley Ranch news or photographs to share please drop me an email at close2home307@gmail.com. And, if you find this weekly email useful, please invite your neighbors, family, and friends to check out Close to Home 307. Your support and feedback is very much appreciated!
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