San Juan County gets update on appeal on pipeline valuation, approves letter supporting broadband project

Members of the San Juan County Commission received an update on a centrally assessed properties efforts to reduce its tax bill, approved support for an Emery Telecom application to expand broadband and heard concerns from department heads over fairness of the county budget.
Members of the commission received a presentation on the Mid American pipeline settlement offer at their April 15 meeting.
Thomas Peters represents the eastern Utah counties involved in the appeal by the company on its centrally assessed valuation for its pipelines running through eastern Utah.
Peters shared with the commission about half of the valuation of the pipeline is in Grand County, with roughly 25-percent in Uintah and San Juan Counties and a very small percent in Daggett and Summit counties as well.
Peters explained that the company has been appealing its valuation for the years 2018-2024. A previous district court case for valuations of 2016-2017 had some issues ruled in favor of the counties with others ruled in favor of the company. Peters shared the Utah Tax Commission agreed with Mid America on one issue applying it to additional years, while another issue would require review on a case-by-case basis. To wrap up the issue, mediation has been proposed to resolve the matter across the affected Utah counties.
The amount has not been finalized and as its a settlement the county commission would discuss acceptable ranges and strategies in closed session.
With the matter being decided for years San Juan County taxing entities including the school district has collected the monies since 2018, with the end result being some sort of refund from taxing entities to the company.
The Mid American Pipeline is operated by Enterprise Products Partners LP publicly traded as EPD. The company’s most recent 4th quarter earnings reports showed $14.2 billion for a net profit of $1.62 billion over the course of the final quarter year of 2024.
During public comment at the latest commission meeting two county department heads expressed concerns about the county budget process.
County Economic Development Director Talia Hansen expressed concerns about fairness in the budget noting that while all departments were being asked to cut budgets and some positions were eliminated a proposal to create a new position in the planning and zoning department was not received well. Hansen opposed the position with an emphasis for the commission to consider the longer-term financial picture.
San Juan County Emergency Services/Aging Director Tammy Gallegos also provided public comment echoing budget concerns with a potential new position in the planning and zoning department.
Gallegos noted that her own budgeting efforts have resulted in eliminated positions and her department being stretched thin. Gallegos noted she wears multiple hats in her positions in the county and encouraged the county to be good stewards of taxpayer money.
At the meeting members of the county commission also approved a letter of support for Emery Telecom’s grant application to the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity for funding through the Utah Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD).
County Administrator Mack McDonald provided context of Emery Telecom’s use of federal funds to aid in their installation of broadband lines down from Moab throughout the county including down to Oljato and back out to Navajo Mountain doing the project throughout the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emery Telecom Chief Operating Officer Jared Anderson shared maps with the commission showing where the funds from the state office would be used to expand unserved and underserved areas in the county, particularly areas east of Blanding, northeast of Monticello and Spanish Valley. In addition Anderson shared the company plans to create redundancy rings looping connections as it currently stands a damaged line along highway 191 in Spanish Valley for example would take out all broadband in San Juan County, whereas redundancy loops would allow for continued service in the county. Anderson also clarified that his application does not include expansion on the Navajo Nation.
“The Navajo Nation has informed me that they plan on applying for bead funds directly and so they're going after the funding to take care of the Navajo Nation and there's an additional fund besides the bead fund to address locations on the Navajo Nation.”
Members of the commission offered aid in Emery Telecom’s continued efforts to partner with the Navajo Nation where possible.
The commission unanimously approved the letter supporting the company's application for state funds.
Members of the county commission also approved the 2025 rural county grant program awardees. County Economic Development Director Talia Hansen shared the program received 38 applications and conducted four workshops to assist applicants.
Applications were reviewed and scored by the volunteer county economic development board.
A total of $140,010 is being awarded to over half a dozen local companies with awardees to be formally recognized at the annual San Juan County Business Basecamp Conference on April 28.
Members of the commission also passed a resolution brought by Hansen supporting a grant application for funds through the USDA regional agricultural incubator and technology innovation initiative. Hansen explained the initiative tries to address food security concerns by supporting agricultural production.
The commission also approved the Navajo Nation Human Rights Settlement Agreement extension through 2028. The settlement agreement is a collaboration with the ACLU, San Juan County and Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission to ensure fair voting practices in the county.