Blanding City moves forward on farm tap installation project

by David Boyle
News Director
Blanding City Council members moved forward on installation of farm taps, opposed the Antiquities Act and heard from the local food bank at their latest meeting.
Members of the Blanding city council passed a resolution to install farm taps along the natural gas pipeline at their February 11 meeting.
As part of obtaining right of ways for the natural gas line coming into the north of Blanding the city agreed to provide farm taps into the line to allow county residents outside the city boundaries to tie in to the natural gas line, with others offered opportunities to tie in as well.
After receiving a bid from TRC Construction the city is ready to move forward providing additional farm taps along the natural gas pipeline route.
City Manager Trent Herring explained, “We're reaching out to anybody that is owed a farm tap for contract and seeing who would like theirs right now.”
At a cost of $20,000 for a single farm tap, TRC’s bid also included an additional $16,000 for each additional tap installed during the same trip. As a result the city passed a resolution to provide those taps.
When asked by council staff confirmed there are funds available in the natural gas fund but the project will be significant. The resolution passed unanimously.
Members of the council also unanimously passed a resolution offering a $1 lease for Freedom Fuels, the city airport Fixed Base Operator (FBO) to use an old truck belonging to the city. The truck is old and with poor gas mileage but should serve the airport well in aiding with fueling.
Members of the Blanding city council also approved a resolution opposing the 1906 Antiquities Act, or at least remove the “unilateral Presidential discretion for designation” of monuments.
Utah Congressional member Celeste Maloy has sponsored a bill to repeal the Antiquities Act. Designations of National Monuments via the antiquities act have included Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge, Hovenweep and most recently Bears Ears all within San Juan County.
Members of the council approved an update to an ordinance changing the minimum requirement for posting requests for proposals. While the previous ordinance required RFP’s be posted on the city website and in the San Juan Record, the new ordinance would change the minimum requirement to be on the city website.
Herring explained. “Our goal is to continue to put them in the newspaper when we can. Sometimes the dates don't line up um to where a 7-day RFP all of a sudden becomes 14, 15 days because it's got to the 7 days doesn't start until the publishing of the newspaper.”
A similar ordinance was past regarding the publishing of the full text of ordinances passed by the council. The new requirement places a minimum that those ordinances be shared on the city website.
Herring also provided a staff report noting that the city surplus vehicle sale went well with nine vehicles sold for over $33,000 which will be placed in the general fund.
Herring also reported that the county had signed their half of an interlocal agreement to allow usage at the Blanding Senior Citizens Center.
The city approved their end of the agreement in 2024 with the county approving their end in February.
The agreement will see the city donate $2,000 to the county to allow the county to pay individuals to provide classes at the Blanding Senior Citizens Center.
The agreement should provide resolution to an issue that has been ongoing for the past year.
Blanding residents have asked for additional programming at the Senior Center but a lack of funding has kept the county focused on meal services provided at the building.
The agreement will allow the county to provide additional use of the building as the city of Blanding provides funds for additional events or programming to take place in the building.
Council also heard from Ron Nielson, Director of the Utah Food Bank Southeastern Distribution Center. Nielson shared that while the Utah Food Bank has been distributing food to pantries throughout the state since 1904, the organization didn’t own its first pantry until after the Covid-19 pandemic. Seeing the need at that time and with funding from the federal government and the state the food bank built it’s large distribution center in Blanding as well as pantries in Montezuma Creek and Monument Valley.
Nielson shared in December 2024 the three San Juan County food banks served 8,886 clients, totaling about 62-percent of the county's population. That food totaled 121,000 pounds in the month of December.
In addition to highlighting the growth and usage in San Juan County, Nielson also asked the council help in promoting the upcoming Feed Utah drive.
Nielson noted that the old scouting food drive used to be very successful with this, but with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints move away from the boy scouts program a hole has been left in its place.
With the distribution centers in place in San Juan County, Nielson shared they’re re-energized and looking to more than double the 2,000 pounds they collected during last year’s drive up to 5,000 pounds of donated product. Part of the lower number may have been in part due to youth volunteers being on Spring Break last year. The Feed Utah drive in San Juan County will be on March 22. Members of the council and staff agreed to help promote the upcoming event.
Members of the council also heard an report from Economic Development director Ben Muhlestein.
Muhlestein reported on a few different initiatives including the city partnering with Just Serve coordinators to find service opportunities in the community. Also highlighted was the San Juan County Rural County Grant Program. The program allows local businesses to apply up to $65,000 in grants for economic expansion opportunities, more details are available with the county economic development office.
Also highlighted was a downtown study that is being funded by a grant to help the planning commission in developing a plan for the downtown area.
Also discussed was a bicycle pump track to be located behind Walter C. Lyman park in Blanding. While grant funding is available for the project which could drive visitation to the area council asked that staff further investigate liabilities and maintenance costs before moving forward on the project.
Members of the council also received a year end report from Parks and Recreation Director David Palmer.
Highlights of the year include the remodeled bathrooms at the Wellness Center, overhauling of sprinklers in parks to conserve water, and repairing a significant leak in the pool’s main line.
Other highlights include usage at the Wellness Center, including a great pool season, as well as a record 24 youth soccer teams in the city were among the highlights in the report.