By Julie Johansen
Suzanne Anderson gave the Safety Minute Presentation at the beginning of the Emery County Commission meeting on Tuesday, June 18. The presentation was suggestions to improve individual work stations. Some of her recommendations included individual lighting, air purifiers and wire organizers. Following 284 days of accident free employee work, Safety Award Visa Cards were awarded to Gaylene Cox, Kendra Bell, Jax Gardner and Brentan Gordon.
The commissioners then welcomed State Champions to the meeting in recognition of achievement. Creek Sharp, track State Champion in 100 meter, Dalton Allred, State Bull Riding Champion, Wyatt Fox, State Champion Rifle Shooter, and Monty Christiansen, State Champion Reining Cow Horse.
Johnny Fox, who will be representing the State Jr. High School Rodeo at National Finals Rodeo, was donated $750 by the commission. Emery High Student body officers Dazi Thatcher, Allison Johansen and Audry Livingston asked the commission for a monetary donation to help send the student council to a Trailblazer Leadership Conference at Utah Tech. A $1,000 donation was given to the students.
AnnDee Mead from the County Travel Bureau Office received approval for a $2,295.00 invoice to Go-Utah.com Destination Program, a $2,888 Eventeny subscription for event management and marketing and $3,000 support for the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River. Mead also put out a request for community stories to highlight our culture and heritage as they work on their new website and visitor guides.
Emery County tax rates will remain the same as last year. The tax rate for the Castle Valley Special District was also approved. The Sobriety Program Cooperative Agreement with the Utah Department of Public Safety and Emery County was also approved. This will give second chances to DUI arrests. This program, passed by the legislature, has been very successful in piloted areas of the state.
Approval was given to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to remodel all bathrooms in the County Administration Building before an ordinance establishing and adopting the Solar Projects Plans and budgets was approved and will be established. This will include Pivot 13, Green River 1 and Green River 11 solar projects. The Emery Water Conservancy District will be hiring a watershed project manager to help finish the Cottonwood Drainage Projects. This manager will work through the Emery Water Conservancy District.
A no-cost lease agreement between Emery County and the Utah State Office of Energy Development, regarding the management of the San Rafael Energy Research Center, was approved. The sale of the building to the State of Utah was scheduled to happen on July 1 of this year, but could be a little longer as both continue to work towards the transfer of ownership. An amendment to the agreement which extends the date was also approved.
During elected officials reports, Emery County Sheriff Tyson Huntington reported that following state statue, a training of Emery District School Administrators had been conducted by the sheriff’s office. He was impressed at the degree of interaction of the school officials. The sheriff stated that every school building must have a trained person with a gun to help stop any perpetrator that could come to the school. Sheriff Huntington’s responsibility is just to train them, but it is the school responsibility to make sure this position is staffed in each building.
