San Juan County and Blanding City approve senior center agreement

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission approved a contract for building inspection services, an agreement for additional use at the Blanding Senior Citizens Center and a letter opposing the 1906 Antiquities Act at their latest meeting.
Members of the commission approved an interlocal agreement between Blanding City and San Juan County for support of the Blanding Senior Citizens Center at their February 4 meeting.
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.
Members of the commission also approved a one year contract for building inspection duties with Ben Tomco as the county primary contractor with Corey Coleman as secondary contractor.
The contract is a result of a vacancy for a building inspector in the planning and building department.
The staff report notes that while the county has tried to find a feasible replacement has been a challenge with already qualified inspectors out of the county salary range and with unqualified individuals in the county’s available salary range likely taking 3-4 years to require certifications needed to perform as building inspector.
Members of the commission approved the contract with a split vote. Commissioner Sylvia Stubbs voiced concerns about the secondary contract being added last minute to the agenda, with little time to review the contract Stubbs suggested the item be tabled. 
County Administrator Mack McDonald noted that while the county does have a standing contract with Jones & DeMille in place there is urgency not only for county employees, “but also the developers and the builders that are out there waiting to pour concrete, they can’t because we don’t have an inspector.”
Commissioner Jamie Harvey motioned to approve the contract. Noting the urgency of the issue and adding that the county can bring it back for amendment if needed.
Commissioner Lori Maughan joined Harvey to pass the motion with Stubbs voting against.
At the meeting members of the commission approved a letter opposing the federal Antiquities Act. The letter has been passed in other rural Utah communities including Blanding.
The letter calls on congress to repeal 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 commission also approved a letter to the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management requesting reauthorization of an existing trail, located on the west end of Blanding crossing Westwater Canyon.
The commission also approved a letter of support for a grant application that would fund a drainage resiliency planning study for San Juan and Piute counties.
Members of the commission also approved operating guidelines for Emergency Medical Services. 
EMS Director Jeremy Hoggard explained, “we’re not changing anything,we don’t have anything right now that’s written and been approved by the commissioners. So we drafted these operating guidelines (...) very specific to our department.”
Hoggard explained the guidelines include job descriptions and duties, orientation, uniform policy, use of vehicles and other items. It was noted that the procedures can be updated in the future but acts as a starting place for the county.
Members of the commission also approved purchases of vehicles including a semi-truck for the county landfill, and two day cab transport trucks for the road department.