SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 1, 2003 The regular meeting of the San Juan County Commission was held at 10:00 A.M. in the Commission Room at Monticello, Utah. Present: Lynn Stevens, Chairman Manuel Morgan, Vice-Chairman Ty Lewis, Commissioner Rick Bailey, Administrative Assistant Norman Johnson, County Clerk LaVee Scherick, Deputy Clerk A motion to approve the minutes of the November 24, 2003 meeting as amended was made by Commissioner Ty Lewis and seconded by Commissioner Manuel Morgan. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. PLANNER EDWARD SCHERICK'S REPORT Spotted Owl Planner Edward Scherick reported on a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Mexican spotted owl. In November 2003, the Court ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a final designation of critical habitat for the owl. The Fish and Wildlife Services determined the flycatcher critical habitat designation resulted in no economic impact, stating that critical habitat designation would result in no additional protection for the flycatcher nor have any additional economic effects beyond those that may have been caused by listing and by other statutes. A suit filed in the district court challenged the flycatcher designation and alleged that the Fish and Wildlife Service violated provisions of both the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Protection Act. San Juan County will submit additional comments concerning the economic impact to the County. Recreational Opportunity Spectrum Meeting Planner Scherick attended the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum meeting held in Price on November 25, 2003. A task force will be organized. It was recommended that Commissioner Stevens be a part of that group. PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT REPORT Request to Hire/Blanding Road Dept The names of Kelly Bleggi, Lynyle Benn, and Scott Christensen were presented to be hired as temporary laborers at the South Road Department at Step 29 at $7.91 per hour effective December 1, 2003. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the hires. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Request to Hire/Corrections Officer & Road Deputy Personnel Secretary Lillian Bayles presented the name of Greg Barr to be hired as a Corrections Officer in the Sheriff Department at Step 63, Grade 9 at $1602 per month effective December 1, 2003. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the hire. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Personnel Secretary Lillian Bayles presented the name of Delbert Thomas to be hired as a Road Deputy at Step 114, Grade 14 at $2026 per month effective December 1, 2003. He is POST certified and will live in the southern part of the County. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the hire. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RICK BAILEY'S REPORT Building Permits A building permit was presented for Mike Behunin for a manufactured home in San Juan Estates, Phase III, Spanish Valley. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the building permit. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Severance Tax Administrative Assistant Rick Bailey reported on Exxon/Mobile Oil winning in the Utah Supreme Court on the severance tax issue. The impact to the State of Utah will be huge. Homeland Security Administrative Assistant Rick Bailey attended a Homeland Security meeting in Gallop, NM on November 25, 2003. Lansing Construction/Culvert Installation A proposal was presented by Lansing Construction to install a 10' foot diameter culvert on Road #464. The culvert will be furnished by San Juan County/Blanding Road yard. The proposal is for a total of $34,688. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve that Lansing Construction complete the culvert work. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. COMMISSIONER TY LEWIS' REPORT Commissioner Ty Lewis attended the Mineral Lease meeting in Salt Lake City on November 25, 2003. Commissioner Lewis will attend the Navajo Revitalization meeting at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon in Blanding. The San Juan County Mental Health/Substance Abuse Board meeting/Budget hearing will be held on December 3, 2003 beginning at 4:00 p.m. The County Budget hearing will be held tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Room. There will be a San Juan County Transportation District meeting on December 2, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. COMMISSIONER LYNN STEVENS' REPORT Commissioner Lynn Stevens attended the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum meeting in Price on November 25, 2003. Bill Howell, AOG, wrote a letter to the governor recommending that Commissioner Stevens be a rural county representative on a task force that is being formed. The County would like to be involved in input on the Forest Service and BLM Resource Management Plans that will be in effect for the next ten years. COMMISSIONER MANUEL MORGAN'S REPORT Commissioner Manuel Morgan attended the Utah Navajo Commission meeting on November 24, 2003. Commissioner Morgan attended the San Juan County Health Service District Board meeting on November 20, 2003. The Navajo Revitalization meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. today in Blanding. The San Juan County Budget hearing will be held this evening at 6:00 p.m. in the County Courthouse. Forest Service/Utah Power-Powerline Upgrade Jennifer Eberline, Acting Forest Service Ranger for the Monticello/Moab Ranger Districts stated that Utah Power has presented a proposal to the Forest Service for a powerline upgrade and would like to present the information to the County Commission. This proposal is to update the powerline from Spanish Valley to Castle Valley. Debra Dull, Regional Community Manager Community and Economic Development for Utah Power, and group from Utah Power, indicated that the line from Spanish Valley to Castle Valley is over 50 years old and needs to be upgraded. The upgrade will begin in Spanish Valley and follow the existing line. It will include construction of 16 miles of a new 69 kV power line and a substation on the Castle Valley side along with removal of the old line. The project will cross BLM, Forest Service, State of Utah, and some privately owned lands. The Forest Service will complete one environmental analysis for the total length of the project and then two decisions for the permits will be made. One for the BLM and one for the Forest Service. Deadline for comments is January 15, 2004. Commissioner Ty Lewis indicated the County would like to know what the feelings of the private landowners before a letter of support is given. The Forest Service will keep the County informed. OPEN TIME AND OTHER BUSINESS Health Insurance Proposals Steve Burtenshaw, Blanding, inquired about the status of the health insurance proposals. Administrative Assistant Rick Bailey stated that one additional proposal has been submitted. Presentations will be made on December 17th or 18th. Golden Circle Adventures, Inc. Cosmo Moccia, President of Golden Circle Adventures, Inc. reported that he applied for a tour permit approximately four months ago and nothing has happened. The Commissioners told him the process should have gone through the National Park Service. The County will write a letter to the Park Service requesting status information. Board of Equalization Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to convene in to a Board of Equalization hearing to discuss assessment of taxes on land belonging to Anna Pehrson, Blanding. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Greg Adams and Kimm Lacy, Assessors office, reported when the property was revalued in Blanding they looked at the size of the lot and made adjustments. This piece of property is a long, narrow alleyway and was assessed as a standard lot. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to exit the Board of Equalization. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to refund the difference in value on the taxes that have already been paid. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Public Hearing/Conditional Use Permit Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to convene in to a public hearing for comments concerning a conditional use permit request by Katie Shumway for a boarding kennel. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Comments in support of the kennel were heard from Fran Nielson, Nancy Verling, and Sarah Hayduk from Bluff. No other comments were heard. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to exit the public hearing. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the conditional use permit for a boarding kennel not to exceed sixty animals. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Public Hearing/Variance Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to convene in to a public hearing to hear comments concerning a variance for Dan Brown to build a home on less than one acre. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. There were no public comments. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to exit the public hearing. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. Commissioner Ty Lewis made a motion to approve the variance. Commissioner Manuel Morgan seconded. None opposed. Commissioner Lynn Stevens declared the motion carried. BILLS APPROVED FOR PAYMENT AA/Personal Choice Account 1065.00 AFlac 65.50 AFSCME 48.30 Amazon.com Credit 14.96 Amerigas-Blanding 673.71 Animas Publishing, Inc. 62.20 Asbury, Billina 453.64 Audio Book Club 38.16 Audio Editions 951.85 Best Western Columbian 35.00 Blanding City 1977.50 Blue Mountain Foods 20.80 Blue Mountain Meats Inc. 85.25 Bound Tree Medical, LCC 349.33 Boy, Christina 133.00 Boy, Leroy 384.28 Bradford Tire 150.75 Bradford, David P. 133.00 Bradford, Diane 133.00 Bunker, Bruce 414.70 Carson, Kathy 123.00 Church Magazines & Church News 10.00 Clark Security Products, Inc. 205.85 Colonial Life & Accident Ins. 1019.61 Conseco Health Insurance Co. 935.70 Craig A. Hoggan 443.26 Creamer & Noble Engineers 37575.94 Creating Keepsakes 24.97 Crystal Inn 68.00 Demco 282.60 Distribution Plus Incorporated 163.79 Earthgrains Baking Company 45.42 Equitable-Equi-Vest 722.50 Factory Parts Express 67.04 Fisher, Mahana M.D. 600.00 Four Corners Care Center 519.56 Franklin Covey 72.14 Front Page 533.20 Frontier 2786.24 Gay Johnson's Inc. 908.80 Genes Frame & Alignment, Inc. 210.00 Getgo Imaging Inc. 15.00 Great North American Companies 417.30 Haller, James 10.00 Hensley Battery & Electrical 125.90 Herring, Scott 60.00 Hollie, Calandra 123.00 Hurst, Val 53.00 Jones, George 105.00 Jones, Tim 10.00 Kensley, Amy 87.50 Lab Safety Supply, Inc. 280.09 Les Olsen Company 777.82 Leusch, Farrah 133.00 Library Video Company 98.27 Martha Stewart Living 19.95 Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc. 234.78 Meehan, Steve 139.00 Mesa Supply Companies 281.92 Meyer, Shurrell 92.20 MFG Financial, Inc. 100.00 Mitchell, Jerry 331.80 Montella, Elaine 357.64 Monticello City 290.00 Monticello Mercantile 5.98 Motor Parts & Ace Hardware 11.94 Motorola Inc. 976.00 Musselman Plumbing, Inc. 1183.89 Musselman, Benny 18.00 Nationwide Retirement Solutions 107.62 Navajo Housing Authority 75.00 NFPA 23.40 Nicholas & Company 874.39Our Design 239.40 Parker, LeeAnn 19.96 Peshlakia, Virginia 35.00 Peterson, Byron 91.09 Provident Life & Accident 179.00 Pruitt, Gushee & Bachtell 9457.98 Questar Gas 1021.34 Quill Corporation 259.47 Riverview Service Station 30.70 Safety Supply & Sign Co. Inc. 749.00 San Juan County 11329.57 San Juan County 4-H 168.00 San Juan Credit Union 1625.00 San Juan Health Care Services 683.39 San Juan Record 10.80 Schaechter, Valerie 74.88 Schultz, William L. 2500.00 Shumway, Coby 133.00 Shumway, Etta 133.00 Smith, Sharon 133.00 Snap-On Tools Corporation 50.95 Spottedelk, Maxcene 79.00 Sterling Trucks of Utah 409.88 Stevens, Lynn 270.00 Successful Farming 15.95 Surv-Kap Inc. 157.11 Swenson, Linda 133.00 Sysco Intermountain Food Svc. 888.40 Taste of Home 12.98 Turri, Bob 2040.00 UniFirst Corporation 101.40 UPS 57.97 USU Extension 187.14 Utah Power 379.28 Utah Publicity Source Book 197.00 Utah State Retirement Fund 52270.69 Utah State Tax Commission 12986.91 Utah's Canyonlands 5887.26 UWI 132.00 Verizon Wireless, Bellevue 1184.61 Wal-Mart Community 322.90 West Group Payment Center 227.38 Western Truck & Trailer Inc. 7125.00 Yawma, Glen Seweing 300.00 PEHP 1603.08 Utah State Tax Commission 90.00 Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m. ------------------------ ---------------------------- Lynn Stevens, Chairman LaVee Scherick, Deputy Clerk