HURRICANE — During last week’s Hurricane City Council meeting, two items on the agenda concerning water were voted on, the business license of a youth treatment facility was revoked and three Hurricane High School trigonometry students came out on top at a recent state tournament.
On June 6, the council approved a measure to increase the retail water rate by 13 cents per 1,000 gallons for Hurricane customers. According to the council’s information packet, the increase was needed to match a Washington County Water Conservancy District increase in its wholesale water rate.
“The Water Board discussed this item on May 28, 2024, and unanimously recommended that the City Council increase the City’s rates by $0.13 per thousand gallons,” the packet notes.
Karry Rathje, who serves as the communications director for the water district, told the council the increase in Hurricane brings the rate to $1.77 per 1,000 gallons, to be in line with an upcoming district increase.
Also on the agenda concerning water conservancy was an ordinance regarding surcharges for those who use more than allowed. This was approved by the City Council to bring Hurricane’s penalties in line with the county water district’s.
Under the new ordinance passed, Hurricane residents who connected to the district’s system prior to Jan. 1, 2023, will be assessed $1 for every 1,000 gallons of excess use over 36,000 gallons per month.
Users who connected after Jan. 1, 2023 — and all future households — will be assessed $10 per 1,000 gallons for excessive use. Rathje noted in a previous study the average Washington County resident used between 8,000 gallons of water per month in the winter and 20,000 gallons per month in the summer months.
This new ordinance is “going to raise my bill,” Councilman Joseph Prete said after the unanimous vote of approval.
Rafa Academy/Utah Prep
The City Council revoked the business license of a youth treatment facility before it opened in Hurricane.
Mayor Nanette Billings told those attending the council meeting that Rafa Academy, LLC had previously been granted a business license on the condition that they receive the proper licensing and permits for a residential youth treatment center, which would be located in the former Diamond Ranch Academy building.
City employees noticed during a review that a state license had not been obtained.
“When contacted, the owner stated they would not be moving forward with the license,” Billings said.
Due to the fact that a city business license had already been issued, the revocation process needed to take place per state protocol.
Councilman David Hirschi said another academy has already applied for a business license to run a school geared toward athletes at the site.
Billings confirmed that Utah Prep is planning on starting a private school in the area.
Hurricane City Licensing Clerk Karrie Richardson told St. George News the new school would not be like Diamond Ranch Academy, which catered to troubled youth in a secure facility.
“Utah Prep will also not have any rehabilitative services,” she said. “It will just be a boarding school.”
Utah Prep Co-Director Brent Woodson told St. George News on Tuesday that several basketball players are currently on campus and practicing for Olympic tryouts, including A.J. Dybantsa, ESPN’s No. 1 rated high school basketball player for 2025.
The school’s students receive their education from Mount Vernon Academy while attending Utah Prep, Woodson said. Since they are a current private school relocating from Murray — and not a youth rehabilitation center — they already had the state licenses in place.
“Utah Prep basketball and soccer programs are already in place for year one,” Woodson said. “We hope to add tennis and volleyball in the second year and football, rugby, baseball and cricket in the coming years.”
The school Utah Prep: An International Preparatory Boarding School is not strictly a sports school, nor is it only for international students.
“It is for the local kids, too,” Woodson said. “The focus is really on education here — we are raising tomorrow’s world leaders.”
Trig-Star
Three Hurricane High School students were celebrated in front of the council after city engineer Arthur LeBaron encouraged them to participate in a statewide trigonometry competition.
Sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors, Trig-Star is a national competition for high school students who excel in mathematics, particularly trigonometry, according to the organization’s website.
Corban Beutler, Elijah Patterson and Davis Henderson took home the top three trophies from all competing students in the Beehive State.
Beutler told the council he practiced extensively for Utah’s first-place award, while Patterson said he was just attempting to complete the difficult test. Henderson was not present to accept his certificate of congratulations from the council.
Quilters double donation
Members of the Zion Piecemakers Quilt Guild made their annual donation to the city of a quilt to be auctioned for the local Shop with a Cop holiday assistance program.
Toquerville resident and current quilt guild President Anita Lowe Eaton personally donated a second quilt to be auctioned in the future for the ongoing Veterans Memorial Park fundraiser.
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