Commission approves substance abuse plan

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The Emery County commission met in their June 28 meeting. Commissioner Laurie Pitchforth was absent. Rick Donham from the Four Corners Behavioral Health presented the plan for substance abuse in the county. The county has contracted with Four Corners to provide substance abuse treatment for the county. The plan provides the direction Four Corners uses for implementation of substance abuse treatment. All services Four Corners delivers starts first with the commissioners and after their approval Four Corners can proceed to obtain grants and federal money which aid in providing services for the county.
Donham said Four Corners is working on quality and improvements to their services. In implementing the plan they will see that services are concurrent. They are devising a new crisis plan. Each client will have a wellness plan. Four Corners has banned any smoking of cigarettes on their property and implemented smoking cessation classes. They offer diagnostic evaluations and assessments.
Donham said they wish to become more accessible and if someone calls for an appointment they are working towards having the patient seen the same day they call. They are offering more flexibility and expanded services with a crisis intervention team.
The commission approved the plan.
The commission wrote off the taxes on two mobile homes that are in mobile home parks, but are no longer livable. One is missing a roof and the trailer court owner is looking for resolution to having the trailer removed from his park. In order for the dump to accept the trailer, the owner must have the title. The commissioners instructed Kris Bell the assessor to work with the mobile home park owner in getting the title to the trailer so he can legally remove the trailer from his property. The owner said he has tried to contact the trailer owner but has not been able to get in touch with them to obtain the title.
Jeff Guymon from the IT department addressed the commission on the approval of the software license agreement with Singer software. This software is used in every office in the court house for the tax system. The contract was approved and it was noted there is a slight increase in costs this year.
The commission approved the agreement for the new service and gas meters relocation at the weed and mosquito building. The old road shop and weed and mosquito building will be torn down. The cost is $2,090 for the relocation of the meters.
Jacob Sharp, director from the Castle Valley Special Service District approached the commission for their approval of the tax anticipation notes needed by the district for operating capital until taxes come into the district in November. This is a short term loan. The district pays all of its debt service notes January-March which leaves a cash flow deficit for the remainder of the year. Last year the district borrowed $550,000 and this year it will borrow $308,000. The commission approved the note and the county attorney will make up a resolution for the commission to sign.
Mark Williams addressed the commission on flooding in Castle Dale. He said the canal needs dredging as water is overflowing into fields. Russian Olives have filled the stream channels. Williams said years ago there was a flood tax which helped fund measures for flood control. But, there isn’t one any longer. Williams feels an emergency dredge is in order and permits can follow for any emergency action taken. There is flooding in Lawrence/Huntington, too.
Ray Petersen said in 1983-84 the high water years there was trouble in the county with the bridges. The flood tax was implemented after that time and matching funds were also made available and many of the bridges were replaced throughout the county. This flooding year hasn’t experienced any problem with the bridges in the county.
Commissioner Jeff Horrocks said he will have the road department look at the problem area and take emergency action. But, the proper permits must be obtained before cleaning the channels and removing the Russian Olives can take place, the Army Corps of Engineers and the state water engineers will need to approve and permit any future action.
Bret Mills asked for approval of a grant program for the purchase of radio equipment. The company takes care of all the grant applications and the county receives a $20,000 rebate for previously purchased equipment.
The commissioners reported on their activities since the last commission meeting. Commissioner James Nelson said he attended Utah Association of Counties meetings in Moab where public lands issues were discussed. He attended the public meeting in Huntington to discuss the Emery County public land use bill with the citizens.
Petersen said the lands council handed the land use bill off to the commission, but in keeping with a promise made to the county they are holding public information meetings in Castle Dale, Huntington, Ferron and Green River.
Commissioner Nelson said he felt the bill was well received and the meetings have been a place to come and complain about what the federal agencies and administrations are doing to the public who use the public lands.
He reported former Sen. Bob Bennett was in the county with the Wilderness Society president Bob Meadows and met with the commission and the lands council. The meeting was productive, but they aren’t in agreement in all areas.
Commissioner Nelson met with the Emery Water Conservancy District and they reported the flooding in the county is subsiding. The commission is researching moving the travel bureau office to the Museum of the San Rafael.
Commissioner Horrocks reported on two meetings he attended in Salt Lake. One regarding the litigation for RS-2477 roads and the other with the Natural Resource Committee where the county introduced the concept of a citizen based public land use bill. He also met with Rep. Jim Matheson. Commissioner Horrocks met with Mike Milovich regarding a railroad spur into the Mancos Hills Industrial Park in Green River. He met with the forest service concerning the gravel pit for use on the Reeder subdivision road.
Commissioner Nelson said in meeting with the Natural Resources Committee they county introduced the process of the Emery County lands bill. He said the meeting had a different outcome than they had anticipated. There wasn’t a quorum present so no decisions were made. The county will be back on the agenda for the July 13 meeting in Salt Lake for further discussion. Sen. Mike Lee has advised the county in order for him to support the Emery County public land use bill it must be approved by the Utah Legislature before it proceeds to Washington. The mention of wilderness in the Emery County land use bill seemed to disturb the committee. Commissioner Nelson said it is interesting they are seeking state approval of an Emery County public lands use bill for federal lands in Emery County. But this is the direction Sen. Lee instructed the county to take.
The next county commission meeting will be on July 12 at 9 a.m.