Emery County applies for title 5 road right-of-way

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Emery County is doing an improvement to the Little Wildhorse road and in order to add a double chip seal then a title 5 right of way must be obtained through the Bureau of Land Management. The county will proceed with the application to the BLM. Two other roads, title 5 will be applied for including the Cedar Mountain air strip and the Hidden Splendor airstrip. The county provides maintenance to these back country airstrips.
The Emery County Commission voted to amend the capital improvement list for CIB for 2010. A project to study the watershed of the San Rafael River and the Muddy River to evaluate the savings of water and salt will be completed on the sprinklers and salinity projects in the area. Jeff Kelsey presented the insurance renewal for the county for the health plan. Federal beats the current carrier and provided the best rate quote. The county voted to accept Federal.
Commissioner Gary Kofford said through the efforts of Kelsey and Mary Huntington, personnel director, they have helped keep costs down. The implementation of a wellness program and other programs have led to lower costs for the county.
An architect was selected for the food bank building project in Castle Dale. Architectural Coalition will see the new building through from design to construction. The contract will be approved after approval from the CDBG where the funds to build are being obtained. The county awarded the locating and establishing of section corners for the Emery County Recorders Office to Johansen and Tuttle Engineering. The weed and mosquito department has hired Devin Hales, Kevin Fowler and Erik Nielson for 90 day temporary employees.
Workers have been hired to work on the weed and mosquito project of removal of Russian Olive along the San Rafael river. Lee Jeffs, Ray Jeffs, Jordan Grange and Jefferson Manning will help with the project.
The Aquatics Center summer season is in full swing and Conner Benson, Lane Gardner, Stevie Feuers, Sabrina Wood, John Conder, Nikki Rogers and Davi Bosshardt have been hired as lifeguards.
Katherine Debry has been hired as a temporary worker at the Museum of the San Rafael. Patsy Grange has been hired as a part-time sales clerk for the Pioneer Museum and the Museum of the San Rafael.
Kaylee VanWagoner has completed her six months orientation at the Aquatics Center and is eligible for a wage increase.
Commissioner Kofford commended the sheriff’s office and the search and rescue for their work in locating a drowning victim at Huntington Lake. Commissioner Jeff Horrocks said the cancer walk Relay for Life will be held on June 11 and 12 at the Emery High track. He encouraged all to come out and walk to support the relay. The Abraham Lincoln 200th birthday display will stop at the Helper Railroad Museum. A kick-off ceremony will be held and the display will remain at the museum for three weeks.
The Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held from 4-8 p.m. on June 18 at the Spartan Center. There will be booths and guest speakers and free hamburgers and hotdogs.
Commissioner Laurie Pitchforth reported the Little Miss Emery Pageant was held on June 5. The Miss Emery tea party has been postponed until July 17 the same day as the Miss Emery pageant.
Aspen Hansen was crowned the new Little Miss. Shelby Huntington and Cambrie Bennett will attend the Miss Utah pageant next week in Salt Lake to represent Emery County. The sheriff’s office had their annual Friendship Cruise which was a success. “We would like to thank the sheriff’s office and the emergency medical services for the work they do for us. We have had some tragic accidents in the community and they are always there to help,” said Commissioner Pitchforth.
Commissioner Horrocks said the public lands department is continuing forward with the Emery County Public Land Use Bill. Currently they are working on a map.
All three commissioners attended a Federal Emergency Management meeting concerning the proposed nuclear power plant near Green River. A process must be started for an emergency preparedness plan for a 50 mile circle around the plant. This includes Emery, Carbon, Grand and Uintah counties. All must be involved in the process. The Ute tribe is also included in the process. The plant is in the application process currently. It is estimated the application process will take until September of 2011. “The project is still moving and the company is Blue Castle LLC,” said Commissioner Kofford.
Commissioner Kofford said there was a site showing for the airport project renovations. There was a site showing for the sheriff’s metal building construction project to create a weight room and office space for the ambulance supervisor and the communications supervisor. The care center remodel in Ferron is moving along and hopefully they will be in the new kitchen soon. They hope to have the project finished by July 1.
Commissioner Horrocks said he attended a board of directors meeting for the Green River Medical Center. Their expansion project is moving along. The next commission meeting will be on June 22 at 9 a.m.