Sharon Earl of the Emery County Chamber of Commerce was at the recent meeting of the Emery County Commissioners. She said the Chamber has many projects ongoing. One of the biggest projects is the printing of the 2004-2005 Emery County Business Directory and Information Guide. Earl stated that these booklets are being sent out now to all who call and request information concerning Emery County. The Economic Development Office can distribute the booklets electronically also.
Earl also reported that the Chamber hosted the Christmas Party for the senior citizens. On the evening of the party, a large snowstorm hampered travel in the area and prevented the seniors from Green River from attending the party. She requested permission to host a barbecue in Green River in May, not only for those who missed the Christmas Party, but for all seniors from this end of the county who wish to attend. Kelly Nelson, senior citizen director, will arrange transportation for seniors who want to go.
The Chamber will be spotlighting a business of the month during the year. Earl requested a fee change for Channel 26 to accommodate the chamber with the advertising of the winners. Commissioner Drew Sitterud explained that the fee structure is policy and that would take some time to change. The commission granted permission for Earl to put a display featuring the spotlighted businesses in the lobby of the county building.
Earl stated that the Chamber is interested in creating a Castle Valley Village at the lamb fry in August. The idea is to have a Native American village, a pioneer village, and entertainment, along with the lamb fry. The possibility of moving the location of the lamb fry was discussed. Commissioner Ira Hatch stated that there will be many problems, including safety and health regulations, involved with moving the location. The location Earl has in mind is closer to the pageant site.
Commissioner Gary Kofford stated that the site in question is not adequate and the entire project would need to go through planning and zoning. This is a project that cannot be slapped together quickly.
Earl said that the buses many of the people come to the pageant on, go directly to the pageant site, and these people do not have the opportunity to come into town and eat at the lamb fry. She even suggested setting the time of the fair further back into August as it was many years ago. She said that in years past the lamb fry has used 120 lambs. Last year they served only 49 lambs.
Commissioner Hatch explained that the pageant is partly responsible for the timing of the fair. When the pageant came into being, the church approached the county and requested the time change to coincide with the pageant which would be held on the first weekend in August. He also told Earl that if the Chamber did not want to work with the fair, the fair board would find someone else to do food vending at the fair.
Earl asked the commissioners what was being done to accommodate the thousands of visitors. Commissioner Hatch said the fair is for county people and it is his opinion that the fair accommodates them quite well. Earl expressed her opinion that the county was overlooking the visitors from outside the county that come into the pageant and should be treated as guests.
Sheriff Lamar Guymon said the message is not getting out to the people who come in on buses as far as where to eat. Those people need to be educated about what is available when they get here. “We need better advertising,” he said.
Ray Petersen of the Emery County Public Lands Department informed the commissioners that Wayne Ludington from the Bureau of Land Management had contacted him. Ludington has secured the funding to hire a seasonal OHV coordinator. Ludington was requesting the process be started to advertise for a person to fill that position.
Pat Snowball, personnel director, requested the commissioners to rescind an action taken at the previous meeting of the commissioners. In that action, Mike McCandless was named to head up the planning and zoning commission. During the period following that appointment, there was some discrepancy to the responsibilities between the planning and zoning commissioner and the planning and zoning board. Commissioner Kofford expressed the need to rescind the appointment. The action was approved.
The Emery County Commissioners began the process to sell a 1.08 acre parcel of property. The estate of Lee McMullin has approached the commission to buy the property, which is a narrow portion that separates two parcels that belong to the estate.
Regulations state that before a piece of property can be sold, the commissioners must obtain a legal description of the land, obtain an appraisal, and have a title search completed on the property. Following the procedure to acquire these needed items, the county will advertise the property for sale, thus enabling any interested party to bid on the property. It was decided to insert a clause which states that all expenses incurred, including title search fees and any other fees, be entered into the minimum bid amount.
Green River Mayor Glen Dale Johnson was present at the meeting to ask for a reimbursement of fees incurred during the Green River Annexation. Green River City paid all of the bills in full and currently have not been reimbursed for the remaining $18,500. Commissioner Hatch read from previous commission meeting minutes dating back to June 18, 2001 where the commission made a partial payment of $15,000 and on June 18, 2002 another $10,000 was reimbursed to Green River. Mayor Johnson stated that Green River City paid all the annexation bills totaling $45,000, plus $3,000 to SunRise Engineering. Commissioner Hatch reminded the mayor that the county recorders office also incurred expenses relating to the annexation in dealing with land transfers.
Mayor Johnson reminded the commission that the transient room tax is generated in Green River and that the annexation has benefitted the county more than it has Green River City. Mayor Johnson has no recollection of ever saying that Green River City would be responsible for part of the annexation expenses. Mayor Johnson stated that in the annexation financial document which was prepared it stated that the annexing party would be responsible for all costs incurred. The commission stated they would have to review this document.
Commissioner Kofford said he had not been involved with the annexation at all because it was before his time. He made a motion to pay for half of the remaining costs in the amount of $9,250. “If it will ease the pain and settle the issue and get it off the plate, I’ll make this motion,” said Kofford. His motion died because Commissioner Sitterud did not second it.
“I can’t second the $9,250 because I don’t feel we owe it,” said Commissioner Sitterud.
The next item was the final payment of $15,731 to Talon Resources as part of an incentive package for relocating their business in the county. Talon Resources has plans to construct a building of their own. Mike McCandless, county economic development director said the agreement stated the business would have five years to get their own building. It has been three years now. Commissioner Hatch stated he thought it was a bad deal for Emery County and for Huntington City. Commissioner Sitterud said he thought it was a good deal because Emery County picked up a business which had previously been located in Carbon County.
A business license was approved for McKette Allred for 6M Furniture a business where she orders furniture which is then delivered directly to the customer’s residence.
The commission approved an ambulance write-off for an indigent elderly lady.
The commission will set a date for a county auction of surplus items this spring or early summer. The next commission meeting will be held on April 19 at 9 a.m.
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