By Julie Johansen
The Emery County Commissioners met on April 16 for their regularly schedule commissioner meeting. Commission Chair Keven Jensen asked executive assistants Jan Olsen and Natalie Olsen to open the meeting with prayer and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Following the opening, Karen Richards from the Assessor’s office gave the Safety Minute Presentation stressing the importance of learning CPR. She stated that the more people that know CPR, the more lives that can be saved from cardiac arrest. She ended with a plea that if you don’t know CPR, then you should sign up for a class to learn.
The Safety Visa Gift Cards drawing awarded cards to Desiree Malley, Valerie Clark, Seth Baantjer and Brad Beagley. A motion to leave the regular meeting and enter a public hearing was then entertained. The hearing was held to receive public input regarding consideration to vacate an unused county road and release of road construction and maintenance on the road. There were no comments, prompting the hearing to be closed, and the commission returned to regular meeting. The vacating of the road and end of maintenance were approved.
Members of the Emery High Student body officers who are graduating seniors then took turns relating the school year’s activities and the activities that are planned for the rest of the year. They were requesting a donation to help with their 2024 Graduation Party. The commissioners donated $250, with a request from Commissioner Jordan Leonard to please stay safe.
Shauna Carroll then gave a presentation of EPIC Health and Wellness, Escape the Vape with USU Extension. Then a power point presentation from associates with the Bridge Program was shown to the commissioners. It explained their working relationship with Castleview Hospital and hopes of starting a program in Emery County. They were requesting allocating Opioid Funds to their program to help start something in Emery County. They explained that Carbon and Emery County have one of the highest overdose rates in the state and this causes a challenge for health care providers here.
They are also making recommendations for all counties of the state to become involved. Their service not only provides emergency room care for addictions, but long term care as well. The commissioners needed to check the amount of funds available, so this item was tabled.
The 2020 contract with Andrew Fry was renewed. Ratification of the increase in funds needed to crack seal at the sheriff’s office was given. A request to reallocate the $32,500 remaining funds from the 2022 Rural County Grant to the Business Improvement Grant Program was approved.
Emery County’s share of the agreement with Emery Water Conservancy District and Muddy Creek Irrigation Company was given. This will fund a feasibility study on the Morris Bend Reservoir for Emery Town.
An amendment for the care and management of the Lawrence Cemetery was also approved. This will allow for cremations to be buried in the same plot, while the size of plots was amended. Letters to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the working relationship of Emery County with the BLM and also a letter of support regarding a speedy transfer of land for the Millsite Golf Course, were approved.
The open public meeting was then closed to enter into a closed session.