At the Sept. 10 meeting of the Emery County Commission the employee of the month was announced. Commissioner Jeff Horrocks said, “The Emery County Employee of the month is Melany Weaver. Her official job title is Senior Justice Court Clerk. Melany began working for the Emery County Justice Court in 1996. She has been the rock of the court, keeping day to day business running smoothly through a transition of judges and assistants. The BCI Field Service just completed the agency compliance audit and the Justice Court passed with flying colors due to Melany’s efficiency and dedication to her job. The Criminal Compliance specialist said, “Melany, you are an excellent TAC, can we clone you?” She is so pleasant with the public that people paying fines and going to court thank her when they are done.”
Weaver was presented with a plaque and some Emery County bucks to spend in an Emery County business.
The commission approved Mindi Labrum as a 90 day temporary in the library system. Nanette Harrison was hired as a part-time janitor in the courthouse. Karen Jacobson has been hired as part-time deputy clerk auditor.
Roxanne Jensen was approved to fill the vacant spot on the Southeastern Utah Board of Health representing Emery County. Commissioner James Nelson said Jensen works for the library in Castle Dale and is the assistant library director. “She has good ideas and is very energetic. She will attend meetings in Green River every other month.”
The easement for the Wilson Brown Road was approved. This is on SITLA land. The money for the purchase of easements has come from the OHV registrations. Also a grant from the CIB will enable the county to purchase these types of easements from SITLA in the future.
The commission rejected a request for an ambulance write-off.
The board approved the list of personal property tax exemptions for businesses in the county with a value of less than $4,000. Commissioner Nelson said this is a lengthy list, but they are all businesses contributing to the Emery County economy.
Under commission reports, Commissioner Nelson reported he attended the fire district meeting. The volunteer fire fighters will have a 40 hour training this fall. They are looking into new pumper trucks and trying to figure out how to fund them. The current pumper trucks are old and worn out. The Department of Air Quality is looking at reducing the spring and fall burn windows to three weeks per year. Currently there is a four week burn window in the spring and four weeks in the fall. If this reduction in burn time is implemented it could have a serious impact on rural areas with large areas that need burning each year.
Commissioner Nelson he attended Peach Days in Ferron and it was a success. He met with the library board and the libraries are operating very smoothly. The county had a senior citizen lamb fry in Huntington that was well attended. There is a group coming to the county from Utah State to study the San Rafael River basin. He will provide the group with existing information on the area. They will be studying the water shed which extends into Sanpete County as well.
The landfill is currently operating without collecting fees except for contractors. A new fee schedule must be worked out to help the facility break even. The trash compactor the landfill currently uses is worn out and gets stuck easily. The county will look into purchasing a new one. The land fill will also be taking in 7,000 tons of lightly contaminated soil which will bring in some funds.
Commissioner Horrocks said they will work with road department manager Wade Nielsen to come up with a workable fee schedule.
Commissioner Horrocks said he has been working with the housing authority to make the improvements needed there and to be in compliance with the HUD requirements.
The Quitchupah Creek road was dedicated on Sept. 6. Nielson Construction from Emery County was the contractor for the road.
The commissioners will be attending a CC conference where issues on public lands, RS-2477 roads and the proposed multi-county land use bill will be discussed.
On Sept. 27-28 the back country flyers association will fly into the Huntington Airport. The local car club will also have a car show on the 28th beginning at 1 p.m. The museum hours will be extended during those two days and a shuttle car is provided at the airport. The pilots will camp at the airport. Commissioner Horrocks encouraged everyone to attend the event and visit with the pilots. Many of them fly in from other states to the event. There will be 100-110 airplanes at the airport that weekend.
The local building authority meeting followed the commission meeting. They are working on a variety of projects. The board voted to approve a land exchange for portions of property where the weed and mosquito building will be placed.
Howard Tuttle reported they will need two sewer hook-ups at the weed and mosquito building. The building was set for concrete to be poured, but the wet weather has pushed the concrete pour back until drier weather. The pour will be 200 yards of cement and it will start at 3 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. It’s all flat work and after the pour it must cure for seven days before the building can be placed. Work is continuing on concrete bunkers and water lines. The plumbing is in place.
At the airport there were additional costs associated with the fuel tank placement, it needed pumps and plumbing which added to the cost as well as a large display so the pilots can see how much fuel they are getting. The restrooms are complete at the airport and the fuel tank is being used. Tuttle mentioned another project to install sidewalk from the restrooms to the pavilion is being considered and would need to be funded as well as a carport for the shuttle car. The five year improvement plan for the airport needs to continue. Commissioner Horrocks said it might be feasible to transfer money from the $900,000 set aside for the new sheriff’s complex in Green River to finish the airport improvements. This will be considered next month in the LBA meeting on Oct. 8.
The Huntington ball complex project is moving forward, the cooperative agreement will be signed when the money is secured from the CIB.
Sheriff Greg Funk made the board aware that an addition project is needed at the jail. The female facility is running above capacity and they are avoiding arrests because there isn’t anywhere to put the females.
The jail also needs an isolation facility. Should an inmate need isolation, they are kept in the holding cell because there isn’t anywhere else to put them. Then the holding cell becomes unavailable for its intended use. He will have a rough draft of what’s needed prepared by budget time in December.
The board voted to pay the bills accrued with the airport project and the weed and mosquito building. The fuel tank costs were $52,183 to Pierce Oil. Arrowhead Construction for preparing the site for the restrooms and the plumbing for $6,800 and $4,160. The weed and mosquito building to CXT for $78,771. To Nielson Construction for site preparation for the weed and mosquito building $89,198.07.
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