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A hearing will be held today at 3:30 p.m. before Judge David Nibert in Spencer to consider an injunction against Mayor
Gary Knight and the Town of Grantsville.
A civil action has been filed against the town of Grantsville to stop a business deal proposed by Grantsville businessman
Steve Satterfield.
The restraining order is being sought on behalf of Grantsville resident and former mayor Donald Harris and Lisa Minney, a
reporter for the Calhoun Chronicle. Minney is employed by the Morris family, who own the Calhoun Chronicle. They are
being represented by attorney Frank Venezia.
The Morris' have made their own proposal for the town property.
Grantsville Mayor Gary Knight said "All charges in the suit are groundless."
Town council voted last Monday to go with Satterfield's proposal, which called for the erection of a new town hall on
property he owns on Main Street, in trade for the current town property. Satterfield wants to erect a $750,000 convenience
store, which he says will employ seven people, increase tax revenue and bring new traffic flow to the town.
Two council members were absent at the meeting, one abstained and two voted for Satterfield's proposal.
The civil suit says the "Town of Grantsville and Mayor Gary Knight breached their fiduciary duties as protectors of the public
interest." Knight, the Town of Grantsville and Stephen Satterfield are listed as the defendants.
The injunction states the defendants must follow the "proper legal requirements attendant to the sale of public property."
Businessman Jim Morris presented a proposal for disposition of the crumbling town hall at last month's council meeting. He
wants to trade an office building and house he owns on Court Street for the town hall real estate. Those buildings are in the
Grantsville flood plain.
Morris proposes to build a professional office building on the town site, to attract professional people to locate in the
town.
He said the town should look at all their options.
The document cites state law which might require the town property to be sold at public auction, and to assess and determine
what is actually being sold.
Several other issues have been raised in the request to obtain an injunction. (Details in earlier Hur Herald story)
The Morris family opposed the Satterfield project about three years ago. They own the former Smith service station property
near the town hall at the junction of State Routes 16 and 5. At that time the town rejected the Satterfield proposal.
Meanwhile, Mayor Gary Knight has called for a Town Hall Meeting to be held Monday evening starting at 6 p.m. at the
Grantsville Senior Center. The notice asks both town and rural residents to attend. Topics will include the Satterfield deal,
upcoming elections, and the state of the town. Knight said the meeting is "not a council meeting but a public information
meeting."
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