"We believe there are some different things that can be done. We think that there is a model that can be developed and replicated, but we need to take the time to make sure that we design it in a way where it can be sustained over time, and not just for Beaver, but for the other rural communities."

Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, wondered if Beaver has enough people who want to live there to enable the community to compete.

"We actually do have people who live there who would like to have an opportunity to improve their economic life," Hickman replied. "They live there because they like to live there, even though they suffer economically from doing it, and we have a fairly large base that would love the opportunity to come back if there was something to do."

Jenkins said he supports trying to "showcase a little area" but added that he thinks "it's actually going to be a lot tougher than we think to do."

Hickman bristled at that remark.

"We spend a lot of time looking at reasons it can't happen, and we need to spend more time looking at ways to make it happen," he said. "It's easy to point out all all the problems we have and what we have to do and so on, but what we really need to do is make it happen. It just drives me crazy when we spend a lot of time doing just what I suggested, creating a lot of dust and stomping around and nothing happens."

The committee did not vote on the matter, although its co-chairman, Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, said he would present the proposal to the governor's office.

"Every community is special, especially when you get in these small communities of 2,500 or 3,000 or less," Hatch said. "Every one of them is unique and has their strengths and weaknesses, and it's hard to develop a model that works well in Brigham and Beaver, because they have different strengths and weaknesses. . . . We can take the things that can work in Brigham out of that and expand upon that. But we can't develop 'one size that fits all' that will guarantee success in every one of these communities."

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