No reels on wheels for outfitter, ExCel Preschool needs XL expansion

Initially, the Saratoga Town Council deferred to the Saratoga Planning Commission about a potential business based out of a truck. At their last meeting the planning commission deferred back to the council. Finally, it was mayor Ed Glode who broke the bad news to Steve Heinitz at the March 15 town council meeting. “I really think you need to start looking for a place in the short term, meaning this year, within the Highway Business District,” the Mayor told Heinitz.

The ruling was a big disappointment for Heinitz. He had wanted to open a novel “mobile business” selling fishing flies, tippets and leaders out of a truck parked in the community center parking lot. After much deliberation though, the town council announced last Tuesday that it would not grant him a special dispensation to run his business there, citing zoning concerns.

“I don’t see it as something you can allow and then we’ll work on it later,” councilman Will Faust explained of the Saratoga Town Council’s reasoning. Faust said that a uniform set of rules need to be put in place regulating mobile businesses before Steve Heinitz will be allowed to start reeling in new customers.

Faust also used his platform as a town council member to encourage Saratoga to expand the capacity of its sole preschool facility, ExCel Preschool. Faust said the building has been falling into disrepair, and demand from working parents is high.

“It’s not just a staffing issue, it’s a square-footage issue,” Faust told the room. Faust wants to hold meetings with area stakeholders to figure out how to expand existing childcare businesses to serve the needs of more parents with young children.

“This is a whole community effort – this isn’t the Town Council, this isn’t ExCel it isn’t the parents – it’s going to take pulling as many strings as we can to ensure we have this facility for the next 25, 30 years,” Faust said. With more childcare options, the councilman hopes the town will be able to lure parents with young children to take more jobs in the area.

Proceeding briskly, the council approved a request for a “24-hour pass” from Duke’s Bar and Grill. This will allow the watering hole to stay continuously open to accommodate Wyoming Open Pool Tournament participants.

The director of the recreation department, Lisa Burton, reported that the Utah Jazz youth basketball program is thriving this year. It boasts 74 participants who fill out the rosters of eight different teams.

Noting that she already possesses the required certifications, the town council then voted to allow the police department to hire Virginia Parker as their new dispatcher.

Even as they said hello to this new hire, the Saratoga municipal government said goodbye to their assistant to the clerk and treasurer, Jonathan Moore. Moore submitted his letter of resignation effective April 27, saying he was moving to Arizona.

The next town council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 5 at the Saratoga Town Hall