Commission reviews safety building plans

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission are looking at modifications to keep the public safety building project under budget, approved an agreement to bring power to the landfill and heard public comments on issues at the north and south ends of the county at their latest meeting.
Members of the San Juan County Commission approved a project to have the architectural team look at modifications for the new County Public Safety Building as part of their July 21 meeting.
County staff explained the modification would look at reducing construction costs while keeping the project true to its original intent, as the cost of the project is forecasted to exceed the budget.
The agreement gives a schedule of two-to-three weeks to look at options to modify the building design to ensure the project stays within budget.
The commission also approved a contract with Rocky Mountain Power to bring full-scale utility power to the county landfill for a half-million dollars. While the county has used small solar power systems and other means to provide some limited power to the landfill, the project will deliver reliable power to the facility to support current and future needs. That will include construction and installation of power lines, utility poles and other needed infrastructure.
The county commission approved a $35,000 deposit with an additional $471,548 due later on with the funds coming from the County Landfill Fund.
Members of the commission also discussed and approved a change adopting new budgeting procedures.
The proposal was presented by County Deputy Attorney Jens Nielson. The resolution was adopted to increase accountability between county administration and various department heads.
Under the new guidelines specific timelines will be strictly enforced with county officials noting a need to address timely submission of invoices. The policy also clarified responsibilities for late fees or payment delays.
County resident Steve Pearson raised concerns about maintenance on Navajo Nation roads in San Juan County. Since his time living on the reservation since the 1980s he says he’s seen maintenance levels gone down. He raised concerns over the state of the roads and the poor conditions impacts on residents.
Spanish Valley resident Ed Williamson raised his concerns over the changing character of the community with particular complaint about the proliferation of short-term rentals which impacts the local neighborhoods with Williamson saying the commercialization of his neighborhood based on projects approved has transformed the character of the residential area.
During the business items members of the commission approved a Medicaid match with the State of Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services. This 20% county match is a statutory requirement that allows the county to draw down state and federal funds for mental health and substance use disorder services.
These funds are vital for community outreach, including a program that sends therapists into local schools during the academic year and another that provides individual and group therapy within the county jail.