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MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 223 - State Capitol Building

January 22, 2004


COMMITTEE MEMBERS:    Rep. Kory M. Holdaway, Chair
                Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Vice Chair
            Rep. Ralph Becker
            Rep. Duane E. Bourdeaux
            Rep. D. Gregg Buxton
            Rep. Brad L. Dee
            Rep. Carl W. Duckworth
            Rep. Ann W. Hardy
            Rep. David L. Hogue
            Rep. Joseph G. Murray
        
STAFF PRESENT:        Joseph Wade, Policy Analyst
            Karen Holt, Committee Secretary

Note: A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.
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Chair Holdaway called the meeting to order at 8:34 a.m.

Motion:    Rep. Murray moved to approve the minutes of January 20, 2004. The motion passed              unanimously with a vote of 9-0-1, with Rep. Duckworth absent for the vote.


H.B. 181    Fluorine Cost Requirements (Rep. M. Morley)

Motion:    Rep. Dee moved to adopt the following amendments:

1.    Page 1, Lines 13 through 19 :    


             13          This bill:
             14          .    requires that local governments obtain estimates about the cost of adding fluorine to
             15      a water system
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  from the petition sponsors and adopt those estimates  
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before
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  authorizing  
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the election
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  is held  
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to determine whether or not to add

             16      fluorine;
             17          .    
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  requires the local government to allow citizens time to qualify an initiative petition

             18      that revokes authority to add fluorine to the water system  

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when the cost of adding
             19      fluorine to the water system exceeds the original cost estimate by more than 10%
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  , authorizes the local government to cancel the decision to add fluorine to the water system, resubmit the question of adding fluorine to the water system to the voters; or

inform the voters of their right to seek an initiative petition cancelling the decision to add fluorine to the water system  


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;


2.    Page 3, Lines 69 through 79 :    

             69          (3) (a) Within 20 days after an initiative petition seeking the addition of fluorine to a
             70      public water system is declared qualified for the ballot, the sponsors of the initiative petition
             71      shall file a total cost estimate with the governing body.
             72          (b) (i) Within
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  20  
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  30  
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days after passage of a resolution placing on the ballot the question of

             73      whether or not fluorine should be added to the public water supply, the county legislative body,
             74      the municipal legislative body, or the special district board that has jurisdiction over the water
             75      system shall adopt, by resolution, a total cost estimate estimating the total cost of adding
             76      fluorine to the water system.
             77          (ii) If the county legislative body, municipal legislative body, or the special district
             78      board fails to file the cost estimate within
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  20  
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  30  
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days, the county clerk, municipal clerk, or special

             79      district clerk may not place the issue on the ballot.

3.    Page 3, Line 88 through Page 4, Line 110 :    

             88          (5)
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  (a)  
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If, after the voters approve the addition of fluorine to the water supply, the

             89      governing body determines that the total cost of adding fluorine to the water supply will exceed
             90      the cost estimate by 10% or more, the governing body
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  shall, in a public meeting and by a press

             91      release:
             92          (i) inform the voters that the estimated actual cost of adding fluorine to the water
             93      system has exceeded the total cost estimate;
             94          (ii) inform the voters of the new total cost estimate of adding fluorine to the water
             95      system; and
             96          (iii) inform the voters that they may file an initiative petition to cancel the decision to
             97      add fluorine to the water system.
             98          (b) If, within six months of the public meeting where the new total cost estimate of
             99      adding fluorine to the water system is announced, no initiative petition has qualified for the


             100      ballot, the governing body may proceed to add fluorine to the water system.  

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  may, in a public meeting:

    (a) direct that all efforts to add fluorine to the water be ceased immediately because of the increased cost;
    (b) direct that the question of whether or not to add fluorine to the water be submitted to the voters for a new vote because of the increased cost; or
    (c) inform the voters that they may file an initiative petition to cancel the decision to add fluorine to the water system.  

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             101          [(3)] (6) Nothing contained in this section prohibits the addition of chlorine or other
             102      water purifying agents.
             103          [(4)] (7) Any political subdivision which, prior to
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  November 2, 1976  
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  December 31, 2003  
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, decided to and

             104      was adding fluorine or any of its derivatives or compounds to the drinking water is considered
             105      to have complied with Subsection [(1)] (2)
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  , (3), and (5)  
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.

             106          [(5)] (8)
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  In  
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  Notwithstanding subsection (5)(c), in  
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an election held pursuant to Subsections [(1)] (2)(b)(i), (ii), or (iii), where a

             107      majority of the voters approve the addition to or removal of fluorine from the public water
             108      supplies, no election to consider removing fluorine from or adding fluorine to the public water
             109      supplies shall be held for a period of four years from the date of approval by the majority of
             110      voters beginning with elections held in November 2000.

The motion to amend passed unanimously with a vote of 10-0-0.

Rep. Morley introduced the bill as amended.

John Fellows, Associate General Counsel, answered questions regarding the bill. .

Motion:    Rep. Dee moved to adopt the following amendments:
    
    1.    Page 1, Line 19:    Delete "10%" and insert "25%"
    
    2.    Page 3, Line 90:    Delete "10%" and insert "25%"

The motion to amend passed unanimously with a vote of 10-0-0.

Speaking for the bill:

Doug Foxley, representing Holladay Water Company and White City Water Company
Lincoln Schurtz, Utah League of Cities and Towns
Beth Beck, Utah for Better Dental Health, Davis County


Gayle Ruzicka, Eagle Forum
Lorna Rosenstein, Davis County, private citizen
Mike Jerman, Utah Taxpayers Association

Speaking to the bill:

David Irvine, attorney for Utah for Better Dental Health
    A handout was distributed.

Motion:    Rep. Becker moved to adopt the following amendment:

Page 2, Line 43:    After "fluorine" insert "based on available information"

Substitute Motion:    Rep. Hogue moved to adjourn. The motion to adjourn failed with a vote
        of 3-6-1, with Reps. Bourdeaux, Hogue and Murray voting yes, Reps. Barrus, Becker,
        Dee, Duckworth, Hardy and Holdaway voting no, with Rep. Buxton absent for the vote.
The motion to amend the bill passed with a vote of 6-3-1, with Reps. Becker, Bourdeaux, Dee, Hardy, Holdaway and Murray voting yes, Reps. Barrus, Duckworth and Hogue voting no, with Rep. Buxton
absent for the vote.

Motion:    Rep. Dee moved that the committee report a favorable recommendation on H. B. 181 as         amended.

Substitute Motion:    Rep. Hogue made a motion to adjourn. The motion to adjourn failed with a vote         of 3-6-1, with Reps. Bourdeaux, Hogue and Murray voting yes, Reps. Barrus, Becker, Dee,         Duckworth, Hardy and Holdaway voting no, with Rep. Buxton absent for the vote.

The motion to pass the bill out favorably passed with a vote of 7-2-1, with Reps. Barrus, Becker, Dee, Duckworth, Hardy, Holdaway and Murray voting yes, Reps. Bourdeaux and Hogue voting no, with Rep. Buxton absent for the vote.

Motion:    Rep. Hogue moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned         at 9:47 a.m.




                    ___________________________
                    Kory M. Holdaway, Chair