Pitts is interim assessor for San Juan County

By David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission appointed an interim county assessor, initiated annexation of parts of northern San Juan County into Moab Valley Fire District, and approved a letter supporting housing in Blanding at their latest meeting.
Members of the commission ratified the appointment of Nate Pitts as the interim San Juan County Assessor, filling in the vacancy left by Rick Meyer.
Pitts has been working as the deputy assessor and was nominated by the Republican Party. Meyers was elected as a Republican.
Pitts will serve as interim manager through the end of the year with County voters selecting an assessor as part of the November general election.
Pitts will appear on the ballot representing the Republican party with other political parties having until August 28 to submit candidates for the seat. Write-in and unaffiliated candidates can also run for the office. 
Members of the county commission also approved a step in the annexation of unincorporated territory along Highway 191 into the Moab Valley Fire Protection District at the August 18 meeting.
With local firefighting resources limited, the county says the annexation should accelerate response times to wildfires in the La Sal and Spanish Valley areas.
The annexation will be reviewed by the Lieutenant Governor’s office, and is expected to result in a tax increase of approximately $67 per year for the average local property owner.
Members of the county commission also unanimously approved a letter of support for the proposed Sagebrush Flats Apartments in Blanding. The developer is seeking a federal housing tax credit of nine percent from the state.
The project requires no county financial commitment but the county made the motion to address affordable housing needs in the area, with a proposed expansion of the White Mesa Mill and accompanying jobs noted as another driving factor to open up more housing in the county.
Members of the county commission also approved midyear budget adjustments, noting that all county departments are currently operating under budget. 
The commission also approved an easement with Rocky Mountain Power, another step in the process to bring power to the county landfill. The project has an estimated 82 week timeline to completion.
Members of the San Juan County Commission also received public comment from Jake Palma, Field Manager for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Monticello Field Office.
Palma addressed the commission in regards to the recently signed presidential proclamation by President Trump which greatly reducing the size of the Bears Ears National Monument.
Palma shared that not a lot of changes will occur on the landscape immediately, but offered his office to the commission and the community at large to answer questions for the near future.
Palma said the BLM office plans to spend the next 18 months to two years drafting a new management plan for the monument, as well as the lands that are no longer part of the monument but remain under management of the BLM.