County Commission Meeting Tues. Feb. 18
Agenda: Citizens are always invited and encouraged to attend
February 18, 2020
1. Opening: Invocation
2. Public Comments
a. *CITIZENS COMMENTS: Anyone wishing to address the Board of San Juan County Commissioners on a non-agenda item is invited to do so during the citizens comments period in the meeting. Comments or presentations are limited to three (3) minutes, if requested, the Commission Chair may at their sole discretion extend the comment time. PROCEDURE: Please complete the request form (available at the door) and hand it to the Commission Clerk, as you enter the meeting. Thank you for helping us provide an orderly productive meeting.
3. Consent Agenda (Routine Matters) Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
a. Meeting Minutes
b. Check Registers
c. County Seat Contract Ratification
d. Host Compliance, LLC Amendment (a.k.a Bear Cloud Software)
e. 2020 Census Boundary Approval
f. Beer License Renewal
4. Recognitions, Presentations and Informational Items:
a. Notice of Cancelation of March 3, 2020 Commission Meeting, Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
B. Natural History Museum Utah Marker Location Support Letter, Natalie Randall, San Juan County Economic Development and Visitor Services Director
C. Proposed Revisions to Grazing Provisions Support Letter, Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
D. Goosenecks State Park Campground and Trail System Support Letter to BLM, Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
5. Business/Action
a. Bluff Interlocal Agreement, Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
b. TB Prevention and Control Agreement, Kirk Benge, San Juan County Public Health Director
c. AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE RULES, PROCEDURES, AND BYLAWS FOR THE SAN JUAN COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION. Walter Bird, San Juan County Planning and Zoning Director
d. Planning Commission Recommended Revised San Juan County Spanish Valley Zoning Map, Walter Bird, San Juan County Planning and Zoning Director
e. Spanish Valley Special Service District Loan, Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
f. West Mountain Irrigation Company request for support regarding the West Mountain Irrigation Companys application to the U.S. Forest Service for a Special Use Permit allowing the Company to maintain and protect the final steep one-mile section of the Allen Canyon Access Road (FS Road 5215) and Letter Approval, Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
g. A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) AND FOREST SERVICES CONTINUED PROTECTIONS AGAINST MINERAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEASING IN AREAS THAT WERE TAKEN OUT OF BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
h. AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AN UPDATED SAN JUAN COUNTY PURCHASING POLICY Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
i. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SAN JUAN COUNTY PERSONNEL POLICY SECTION 11, REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSE RELATED TO TRAVEL, TRAVEL EXPENSES, USE OF PERSONAL VEHICLES, USE OF COUNTY VEHICLES, LODGING, PER DIEM AND ADVANCE PAYMENTS BY THE ENTITLED BOARD OF SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator.
6. Public Lands Updates, Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
7. Commissioner Comments
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Who's Reading Bear Essentials? An Observation and Question
Bear Essentials has been published for nearly four years now, with 26,769 hits, or readers who take time to read at least a few articles and follow the links. That isn't an overwhelming amount in the world of sensationalized mass media, but at least enough that it's worth rounding up the news that impacts San Juan County every week or two.
I've noticed on the stats map, however, that usually page visitors come only from the United States. However, any time I post anything related to Uranium, the stats map lights up world-wide. A few weeks ago when I ran on article on Energy Fuels and the White Mesa Mill, these stats accumulated showing what countries readers came from that particular day. Note that there were twice as many hits from Russia, as from the United States. Why??
Why would nations worldwide care about our little town, and the fact that we support the only Uranium processing plant in the Nation? Russian Tolling Farms are one possibility: Not only fuel for thought, but fuel for the future?
Lance Porter: "Existing 2008 Resource Management Plan continues to provide the appropriate framework to manage the public lands. Livestock grazing was outlined in the proclamation that created Bears Ears and grazing will continue. Porter said that several specific areas in Butler, Comb, and Arch canyons will be unavailable to grazing.
The plans specifically prohibit commercial logging on BLM-administered lands. Forest Service-administered lands will also be unsuitable for timber production within the monument. The plan allows the option to use a variety of vegetation treatment tools, but the BLM shared that no chaining has occurred in more than 30 years and none is likely to occur except under very unusual circumstances.
The BLM states that any vegetation treatments within the monument would use the least impactful method as possible. Popular local uses, such as firewood collection, grazing, and Native American traditional and ceremonial uses will continue to take place.
The sponsor of the censure resolution, Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, said he didn’t want Utah’s relationship with Trump to be “damaged by the actions of Sen. Romney.” Lyman attended the House leadership meeting with Romney. “I wanted to send a message that Utah supports President Trump,” Lyman said. “I didn’t want that message to be lost.”
In an earlier Des. News article: Mike Lee, senior senator from Utah explained how "an aggressively deteriorating balance of power and the creation of what he called a “4th branch” of unaccountable bureaucrats has led to the partisan rancor fueling the impeachment by the House.". . ."Lee began his speech defining the constitutional powers of the separate branches of government and invoked the federalism debate to argue that power has been taken from American people and centralized in the executive branch. Trump is “a serious threat,” Lee said, to those that have been empowered by this phenomenon, alluding to what he has previously described as a “deep state.” Related Article Contrasting Senator Lee and Sen. Romney
"President Washington himself declared of partisan politics, “One of the expedients of a [political] party is to acquire influence within particular districts, to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection.”
Fact Checking Trump's Claims
"A Word to the Exhausted Majority
The fact is that the rolling Bears Ears controversy has, among other things, enormously complicated the normal operation of local government in San Juan County. This is clear in Bluff’s absurd new town boundaries, in the “Make It Monumental” controversy, and, yes, in the school board’s struggle to find a sound basis from which to set tax-subsidy policy. Current conditions are unfair both to local government actors and also to the private parties impacted by policy-making dilemma and paralysis." Stacy Young Read more
By Bill Keshlear
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| Larry Echo Hawk, who serves as an advisor to Herbert, and Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, presented a $500,000 funding request to a House appropriations subcommittee. |
Recap of Westwater's 50 year History of Progress: (Written 2010)
"Over the past fifty years Blanding City has participated
in many meetings and invested hundreds of hours to identify resources and to rally support to develop suitable housing and utilities for Westwater residents. Because of the costly engineering needed to adapt the Westwater terrain for this purpose, initial efforts focused on finding alternative building sites to which Westwater residents could move.
Previous activities: "In the mid-1960s community leaders initiated a program to alleviate poverty.
Many meetings were held with active Westwater community participation. . One outcome of these efforts was the building of at least
fifteen USDA financed subsidized homes. This program effort lasted
two and a half years.
--In 1968 a Work Incentive Program (WIN) was initiated
through Work Force Services and over the next two and a half years , approximately fifteen additional homes were constructed in collaboration with UNDC. (Utah Navajo Development Council)
--In 1971 what became the Utah Navajo Trust Fund (UNTF) entered the equation and over the next decade about 35 more subsidized homes were constructed and again financed by USDA. These combined early efforts resulted in well over 50 subsidized homes being built."
--" In 1997, working with UNTF and Blue Mountain Diné, the City annexed the area by the Chapter house (on the east side of town) as part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD). This was a Zion Bank issued tax credit project constructed through Gaddis Investments as a 501 C 3 with a UNTF management contract. The project consists of 20 homes that can still be rented at a subsidy – based on family size and income.
--This project specifically targeted Westwater residents, who wanted to move into town to take advantage of modern conveniences. Additionally, four multi-family subsidized units have been developed: Kigalia I, Kigalia II, Juniper Village, and Baus Butte, to serve our community at large.
--After over forty years of trying to solve the housing needs of Westwater residents within the Blanding community, it was evident that some still preferred a solution on the Navajo Nation’s 120 acres across the canyon from the City. In 2004 the City and County collaborated to create a plan that would extend Center Street across Westwater Canyon with City utilities delivered to Westwater."
