By CATHERINE CALDER
City councils from both Pleasant Grove and Cedar Hills met last week with hopes of solving the 20-year argument over city boundary issues.
However, both parties left disappointed and frustrated, said Ed Sanders, Pleasant Grove’s mayor.
“All the previous wounds were opened up at the meeting,” Sanders said. “It didn’t seem like the Cedar Hills’ Council came to resolve the conflict.”
In 1998, Pleasant Grove annexed a portion of land in the Manila township after a petition signed by 92 percent of the residents was approved. This upset some residents of Cedar Hills because the annexation left borders undefined.
Ken Cromar, a Cedar Hills’ councilman, said the problems between Cedar Hills and Pleasant Grove are very complicated.
“The heated debates at the meeting were reflective of the turmoil we have had for 20 years. It’s not that easy to solve in one sitting,” Cromar said.
Neither Sanders nor Cromar know exactly where the dispute began, but both would like to see it come to an end.
“Cedar Hills is very saddened by the pain, trouble, fear and anger that has been going on for the past 20 years. We are anxious to find a long-term solution to bring peace to our area,” Cromar said.
Sanders said the first resolution they made this year was to solve the issues with Cedar Hills. However, Sanders said each time they try to fix something they get a black eye.
For example, Sanders explained they never “forcibly” annexed a portion of the Manila township, as news reports indicated. Sanders said the people came to them with two petitions signed by 92 percent of the people asking to be in Pleasant Grove.
Betty Memmott, member of the Pleasant Grove City Council, said when residents of Cedar Hills came to them with the petitions they wanted to help them out.
“We just thought we were being the nice guys,” Memmott said.
Pleasant Grove is now faced with a lawsuit filed by some of the residents who were annexed into Pleasant Grove but now wish to move out.
Cromar said the lawsuit began because Pleasant Grove would not listen to what the people wanted. It has been over 400 days since Pleasant Grove said they would let the people out of the annexation, Cromar said.
“Just let the people out,” he said.
In a poll done by the County Commissioners, 77 percent of the people said they would choose to be in the County if given a choice.
Memmott said she thinks the poll was misrepresented because the people were only given two choices, Cedar Hills or the County. Memmott wonders how the County would ever provide for residents if they did become part of the County.
Other issues, such as water rights and sewage extensions, have cause contention between the two cities. Talk of entering into an Interlocal Cooperation Act would be one solution to these problems, but no agreements have been made yet.
