Clerk/Auditor
Minutes
Duchesne County
Commission Meeting

Duchesne County
Commission Meeting

The following document has been re-formatted from the original for Internet accessibility.  County Commission Minutes, in their original format, are available through the Office of the County Clerk/Auditor.

MINUTES FOR REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING HELD
OCTOBER 20, 2003 BEGINNING AT 1:00 P.M.
IN THE COMMISSION BOARD ROOM
IN DUCHESNE, UTAH

Commissioners Present:  Commission Chairman Larry S. Ross and Commissioner Kent Peatross.

Others Present:  Road Supervisor, Doug Nielsen and Andrea Higbee taking minutes.

Prayer: Commissioner Peatross
Pledge of Allegiance:  All wishing to participate.

Road Items
Mr. Nielsen stated he had not heard from Rex Harrison of Horrocks Engineering on the Lake Fork Bridge Project.  Mr. Nielson will contact Mr. Harrison when funds will be transferred from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).  Commissioner Ross asked if there has been a decision on Johnson Water.   Mr. Nielsen was not aware of any decision.

Mr. Nielsen presented the following chart outlining the progress of the road department for year 2003:

DUCHESNE COUNTY ROAD DEPT PAVING LIST 2003

Fruitland
Road #	Pave/ Overlay	Chip	Flush	Shoulders	Striping
#4	Pave          1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3
#312	Pave          1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
#218	Pave          0.9	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1
#15	Pave          1.1	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5
#5	Overlay          1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	0.0
#1	Overlay          2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
#285	Pave .25	.25	.25	0.0	0.0
Fruitland Totals	Pave 5.05	12.85	12.85	12.6	11.4
(in miles)	Overlay 3.20

 

Tabiona
Road #	Pave/ Overlay	Chip	Flush	Shoulders	Striping
#11	Overlay 5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
#13	Pave 1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
#93	Pave 1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2
#233	Pave .25	.25	.25	.25	0.0
#93	Overlay 2.0	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6
#92	Overlay 2.0	4.2	4.2	4.2	4.2
Tabiona Totals	Pave 2.45	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.0
(in miles)	Overlay 9.0

 

Roosevelt
Road #	Pave/ Overlay	Chip	Flush	Shoulders	Striping
#49	Pave 3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
#55	Pave 2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
#55	Overlay 2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
#33	Overlay 1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0
Roosevelt Totals	Pave 5.0	7.0	7.0	7.0	8.0
(in miles)	Overlay 3.0

 

Rotomill
Road #	Miles
#71	2.3
#245	0.7
#73	0.6
#243	0.5
#244	0.5
#44	1.75
Total Miles	6.35

 

Total Miles Paved	12.50
Total Miles Overlaid	15.20
Total Miles Chipped/Flushed	36.10
Total Miles Rotomilled	6.35
Grand Total Miles	70.15
Plus Duchesne, Tabiona and Fruitland Cemetery

Commissioner Peatross asked if the road department had used all the rotomill.  Mr. Nielsen stated they have.  Commissioner Ross asked what the road department's plans were for next week.  Mr. Nielsen stated they would be starting to build up the road near the new Lake Fork Bridge in Arcadia and County Road #29 (twenty-nine).  Commissioner Peatross suggested that the county notify the Steeds that the road department would be in their area and they would need permits to access County Road #29.   Commissioner Ross would like approach permit applications sent to the Steeds for them to obtain permits.   Mr. Nielsen stated before the road department starts work on the Arcadia road, they would be going to Grantsville to obtain approximately 600 (six hundred) tons of salt for the winter season.

Consideration of Morning Agenda Items
Commissioner Ross read a letter (see attached) from Mr. Robert Weidner outlining his lobbying services and progress in Washington D.C.  He is requesting $13,000 (thirteen thousand dollars) for lobbying services for the year 2004 (two thousand four).    Commissioner Ross stated he felt Mr. Weidner had been making positive progress in Washington D.C. with issues such as RS2477 on Bureau of Land Management property and Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT); which are relative to Duchesne County.    Commissioner Peatross motioned to approve the agreement for lobbying services with Mr. Weidner.  Commissioner Ross seconded the motion.  Both commissioners voted aye and the motion passed.

Auditor's Office - Vouchers, Department Head Time Sheets and Tax Adjustments
Deputy Clerk/Auditor Andrea Higbee presented vouchers and two predraws for approval.   Commissioner Peatross motioned to approve vouchers #85456 to #85508 in the amount of $333,871.67 (three hundred thirty-three thousand, eight hundred seventy-one dollars and sixty-seven cents) and predraw #85454 and #85455 with a total of $11,380.56 (eleven thousand, three hundred eight dollars and fifty-six cents).  Commissioner Ross seconded the motion.  Both commissioners voted aye and the motion passed.

Deputy Clerk/Auditor Higbee presented department head time sheets for signatures. All were approved.

Deputy Clerk/Auditor Higbee presented the following tax adjustments:

Account # Serial #	YR	+Debit -Credit	Comments
00-001-2140 M-060-26-32	2003	-$48.08	Stipulation agreement missed being changed for 2003.
1397-0011	2003	-$272.60	Put on as Primary Residence
3582-0003	2003	-$131.88	Wrong value for PP was attached, should be $4,734 not $13,526.
00-031-6190 RCR-1-29-1	2003	-$76.53	Stipulation agreement missed being changed for 2003.
00-005-4878 1476-0008	2003	-$108.04	Mobile home was doubled.
00-010-0028 4330	2003	-$15.93	Took off agriculture building.
00-010-0028 4330	2003	+$16.51	Missed 5.50 acres on greenbelt.
00-020-8805 V-2570	2003	-$257.40	Missed taking home off.  Burned down in 12/02.
00-030-9553 LWE-0002	2003	-$4.91	Old mobile home on property gone.  Removed $668 from CtxMS.
00-008-8371 3591-0001	2003	-$60.91	Wrong acres on property/took off for State Road.
00-0003-1413	2003	-$45.42	Ground purchased by county need to be exempt.
00-001-7677	2003	-$17.90	Has been exempt in the past, exemption flag missed this year.

Commissioner Peatross motioned to approve all tax adjustments. Commissioner Ross seconded the motion.  Both commissioners voted aye and the motion passed.

Minutes From Meeting Held October 6, 2003
Commissioner Peatross motioned to approve the minutes from commission meeting held October 6, 2003 without corrections. Commissioner Ross seconded the motion.  Both commissioners voted aye and the motion passed.

...Laurie Brummond of Uintah Basin Association of Governments
joined the meeting...

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Public Hearing 2:30 p.m.
Commissioner Ross began the public hearing by welcoming the public.  He noted there was no public in attendance.

Commissioner Ross explained the purpose of the public hearing was to supply citizens with information and to receive input on the CDBG program.

Commissioner Ross stated that the approximated amount of funding the Uintah Basin Region will receive is $520,000 (five hundred twenty thousand dollars).  The Rating and Ranking Committee set aside $70,000 (seventy thousand dollars) to acquire a food pantry in Uintah County, $80,000 (eighty thousand dollars) for park restroom facilities, $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars) to recapitalize the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and $78,000 (seventy-eight thousand dollars) for the Uintah Basin Association of Government's (UBAOG) planning, technical assistance, housing and the RLF Program, leaving a balance of approximately $242,000 (two hundred forty-two thousand dollars) for grant applications.

Commissioner Ross explained there are a variety of projects that are eligible under the CDBG Program, including the following: acquisition of real property, acquisition and construction of public works, code enforcement, demolition, removal of architectural barriers to the disabled, provision of public services, required matching funds, relocation payments, planning activities, administration of federal programs, housing assistance and economic development.

Commissioner Ross stated the community development funding must be used for activities that will meet the national objective of benefit to low/moderate income individuals.   In addition to low/moderate there are two other ways to meet the national objective; they are aiding in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight and urgent health and welfare.  He explained that if any of the proposed community development project results in displacement of low/moderate income individuals then provision would be made to assist in funding new housing.

Commissioner Ross asked if there were any comments.  There was no response.   Commissioner Ross stated the county would submit an application with CDBG to fund the renovation of the Historical Bridgeland Bridge.  Ms. Brummond stated that the county would need to perform a low/moderate income survey within a two-mile radius of the construction site.  Commissioner Ross asked Ms. Brummond to conduct the survey through the UBAOG.   Commissioner Ross closed the public hearing at 2:45 p.m.

...County Attorney Cleve Hatch, Legal Secretary Debbie Foote,
Victims Advocate Tracie Hansen, Therena Morrill of the Uintah
Basin Standard and Roosevelt City Police Chief Steve Hooley
joined the meeting...

County Attorney Budget Discussion
Commissioner Ross asked Attorney Hatch why he had scheduled his budget hearing during a public meeting when the usual procedure is to discuss with department heads their department's budget on a specific day scheduled by the County Clerk/Auditor out of formal meeting.  Attorney Hatch stated he had wanted his budget requests to go into public record.  Attorney Hatch stated he was there to request salary increases for the employees of the attorney's office.   He stated he had requested an increase in his own salary in June of the year 2003 (two thousand three) and was denied by the commission and told to request salary increases during budget discussions.   Commissioner Ross asked Attorney Hatch if he had available funds in June for a salary increase.  Attorney Hatch stated that he had.  Commissioner Ross stated that he did not have available funds due to the termination of the contract with the previous Deputy County Attorney.  Commissioner Ross asked if Attorney Hatch was aware of the annual salary of the County Attorney position when he had ran for election last year.  Attorney Hatch replied that he had.  Commissioner Ross stated Attorney Hatch must not understand the process.  He explained the commission would not approve a pay increase in June because the proper procedure would have been for Attorney Hatch to request a public hearing to discuss the proposal with the community due to the fact he is an elected official.  At the time, a public hearing had not been requested and the commission refused a salary increase.  Now is the proper time for any department to request budget increases for the commission to review.  Attorney Hatch stated due to the positive improvements the attorney's office has experienced since he was elected last year; he is requesting his salary be increased from $60,798 (sixty thousand, seven hundred ninety-eight dollars) to $72,500 (seventy-two thousand, five hundred dollars) a year which would be an annual increase of $11,702 (eleven thousand, seven hundred two dollars).   He presented to the commission a budget proposal and asked that it be entered to public record (see attached documentation).

Commissioner Ross asked if there were any comments concerning the proposal.  Debbie Foote stated she would forfeit her proposed salary increase for year 2004 if it would help in the approval of Attorney Hatch's salary increase.  Tracie Hansen stated she too would forfeit the proposed increase of $1,000 (one thousand dollars) to the Victim's Advocate Program in order to help the approval of Attorney Hatch's salary increase.   Chief Hooley stated he was in attendance to the meeting in support of Attorney Hatch's budget requests.  He stated he felt Attorney Hatch had made tremendous improvements to the county attorney's office and the county should pay for the services they are receiving.  Attorney Hatch stated the offers from Mrs. Foote and Mrs. Hansen are generous but he feels they deserve a salary increase as well.  He asked the commission not to consider their offers.  The commission agreed that they were not in favor of employees donating their proposed salary increases to other employees and they felt this was not legally possible.  Commissioner Ross stated the county would submit the attorney's budget proposals for further consideration.

Adjournment:

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