Debt Review Committee Needs More Info From Hogle Zoo

None by Eric Ray

Ownership of Zoo Upgrades Could Be A Roadblock

(KCPW News) Hogle Zoo wants $65 million from Salt Lake County to continue construction of its zoo upgrades. Zoo officials say they will build as much as the money will allow. However, that's not good enough for Salt Lake County Treasurer Larry Richardson, who is also chair of the county Debt Review Committee. Richardson says he wants to know specifically which upgrades the bond will fund.

The big question, according to Richardson, is figuring out ownership of the zoo upgrades. State law requires the county to own any facility constructed with bond money, but the zoo is owned by Salt Lake City. Richardson says the next move is for zoo representatives and Salt Lake City to discuss how to solve ownership issues. Until then, Richardson says the county can't move ahead with the bond.

The DRC is also asking the zoo to provide more detailed attendance information. The zoo provided the DRC with a lump attendance sum for the last five years, but the committee wants that separated into paid attendance versus free attendance. The committee also wants to know how large groups of school children attending the zoo at no-cost effects the zoo's bottom line.

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