[{"_1":2,"_95":-5,"_96":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,85],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6625711,"mediaKeyId","2756458-47394cffff3c4076e55efa1706ebc528","parentId",2756458,"title","Commission discusses employee wellness reimbursements; staff asked to research program models and funding","audioSeconds",647,"startMs",3359000,"endMs",4006000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756458-47394cffff3c4076e55efa1706ebc528&start=3359&end=4006","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6625711/Utah/Commission-discusses-employee-wellness-reimbursements-staff-asked-to-research-program-models-and-funding","mediaUrl","author","Duchesne County Commission","date","2025-03-24T09:00:00Z","article","The Duchesne County Commission discussed a proposed employee wellness reimbursement program during the March 24 meeting. County staff presented a revised proposal the wellness committee had recommended: a 60 percent reimbursement for eligible wellness expenses, not to exceed $150 per employee, to be approved by the county wellness committee and paid as a paycheck reimbursement.

Human Resources staff said prior iterations of wellness incentives in the county had limited participation and that a well-publicized program could attract higher take-up. Staff estimated a high-end cost scenario — 250 employees each receiving $150 — would cost about $37,500; HR said in prior offerings roughly 20 employees used the earlier in-lieu gym membership benefit.

Commissioners raised concerns about eligibility and administrability. Some commissioners favored limiting reimbursements to membership or class fees to ensure ongoing engagement; others worried limiting the program could exclude employees who benefit from shoes, water-aerobics or specific medical supplements. Commissioners also noted the potential for perceptions among taxpayers about what is an appropriate use of refunded premium dollars.

Staff said the county expects rebate funds from employee benefits (PHP and Dental Select) in coming weeks — figures discussed included approximately $100,000 from PHP and roughly $175,000 from Dental Select based on prior-year experience — and suggested those rebates could fund a pilot. Commissioners asked HR to research other county or municipal models, request performance metrics if available and return with proposed eligibility criteria and estimated program costs.

Ending

Commissioners asked staff to gather examples, define clear approval criteria for eligible expenses and return with a refined proposal and budget recommendations at a future meeting.","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","NOTICE OF COMBINED WORKING & REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DUCHESNE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - Meeting 03-24-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission discussed a proposed county wellness reimbursement program offering a 60% reimbursement up to $150 per employee for gym memberships, classes or footwear. Commissioners asked staff for more research on program design, eligibility and likely uptake before deciding.","taxTitle","Duchesne County Commission, Duchesne County Boards and Commissions, Duchesne County, Utah","taxId",74961,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":50,"_51":82,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625715,"Tri-County Health Department warns of funding cliff, highlights overdose and suicide rates in annual report",442,760000,1202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756458-47394cffff3c4076e55efa1706ebc528&start=760&end=1202","/articles/6625715/Utah/Tri-County-Health-Department-warns-of-funding-cliff-highlights-overdose-and-suicide-rates-in-annual-report","Kirk Bench, director of the Tri-County Health Department, presented the department's 2024 annual report to the Duchesne County Commission on March 24, describing funding sources, program outcomes and local health challenges.

Bench said the department is formed by an interlocal agreement among three counties and that much of its revenue comes from federal grants passed through the state, state grants and fees for services such as septic permits and vaccinations. He told commissioners that the department has not been rehiring as positions become vacant and is at the lowest staff level since he took the job in 2021 because of anticipated federal funding changes.

Bench warned of a larger fiscal cliff in 2026–27 when many COVID-response funding streams will conclude, though he said many federal contracts are on staggered five-year cycles and the department does not expect a single simultaneous cliff. He asked commissioners to consider the county's role in advocating for federal funds to reach local agencies.

Bench highlighted service volumes and public-health concerns from 2024: the department served about 3,500 WIC clients, carried out more than 500 inspections across food and personal-care businesses and septic systems, and ran public health promotion activities. He said the department recorded one of the highest local rates in the state for drug overdoses in 2022 and reported relatively high suicide rates for 2021–2023, concentrated among men in late teens/early 20s and men in their 40s.

Bench said the department continues prevention programming, including a tobacco‑prevention scholarship administered through a local nonprofit partner, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide-prevention training offered to businesses and organizations, Narcan training and a syringe-exchange program to reduce accidental overdose deaths.

Commissioners asked for more data, including local utilization of the nationwide 988 suicide-prevention crisis line. Bench said he could request utilization data and that further local analysis could help compare regional outcomes. Commissioners and staff discussed opportunities for education programs in schools and community “unplugged” initiatives to reduce screen time and teen distraction.

Ending

Bench asked the commission to remain engaged with the department as federal funding evolves and offered to report back as new federal or state funding decisions become clearer.","Tri-County Health Department Director Kirk Bench presented the 2024 annual report to the Duchesne County Commission, warning of potential federal funding reductions, citing high local drug-overdose and suicide rates and describing prevention programs.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":50,"_51":92,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":93,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":94,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625719,"Commission approves ImageTrend emergency software; several routine measures OK'd",863,2394000,3257000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756458-47394cffff3c4076e55efa1706ebc528&start=2394&end=3257","/articles/6625719/Utah/Commission-approves-ImageTrend-emergency-software-several-routine-measures-OKd","The Duchesne County Commission on March 24 approved the purchase and initial implementation of ImageTrend, a commercial emergency-response and inspection software the county says will centralize fire, EMS and fire-marshal reporting and improve grant reporting.

Emergency Management Director Phillips told the commission the software would replace the county's current mix of JotForm and on-base records with a single system for incident reports, inspections and some payroll-related functions. “It's a one-stop shop for us as a fire department and a fire marshal's office for all inspections, everything fire, everything you could think of,” Phillips said during the presentation.

Phillips described ImageTrend's current county startup cost as $9,505.44, with an annual support/subscription fee of about $4,300. He said the system supports phones, tablets and laptops, can record patient signatures and medication use during transport, and would feed state reporting that the county uses to qualify for federal grants. Phillips said the county and some local hospitals already use or are moving toward the same platform at the state level, which he said eases integration for EMS and fire reporting.

Commission discussion touched on budget treatment of the ongoing subscription cost and on data-access boundaries: Phillips said the state and other agencies were resistant to mixing EMS records across institutional boundaries for privacy and operational reasons. He said the county is purchasing an initial county-wide license configured for multiple departments and that the system can grow to include additional users.

The commission voted to approve the purchase \"as presented.\" The motion recorded in the minutes referenced the initial startup amount and noted the annual subscription would need to be added in future budget planning.

Votes at a glance

- ImageTrend emergency-response platform: Approved. Motion recorded as \"accept what's been presented\" with an initial contract/license fee of $9,505.44; ongoing annual maintenance/support about $4,300. Motion moved by Commissioner Kagan and seconded by Mr. Chuck (as recorded). Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Approach approval (residential access to two lots): Approved. Motion to approve the approach as presented was made and seconded on the record; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Payroll and vendor vouchers: Approved. The commission approved payroll for the period ending March 12 and accepted vouchers, including two invoices added the morning of the meeting to cover two sheriff's office vehicle purchases (two invoices ~ $49,005.79 each).

- Tax adjustment (personal property): Approved. The commission approved a requested tax adjustment related to a vehicle that the DMV had charged as in use in a prior year; vote recorded 2 in favor, 1 opposed.

- Volunteer appointments: Approved. The commission accepted the listed volunteer appointments.

What this means

Officials said the county expects ImageTrend to simplify incident documentation, speed reporting to state and federal systems used for grant qualification, centralize inspection records and provide auditable electronic records. County staff noted the initial cost is substantially higher than the county's current free/form-based tools but argued the improved data and grant-reporting connection could yield administrative efficiencies.

The commission did not adopt a formal, long-term funding source for the recurring subscription during the meeting; staff said they would add the subscription cost into future budget planning and suggested some grant-match accounts could absorb part of the cost.

Ending

Commissioners directed staff to complete contracting steps and to provide account and access details as the county integrates other data (for example, GIS layers for hydrants and inspection locations) into ImageTrend.

","The Duchesne County Commission approved ImageTrend emergency-response software to centralize fire and EMS reporting and voted on routine payroll, vouchers and a tax adjustment during its March 24 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission discusses employee wellness reimbursements; staff asked to research program models and funding

Tri-County Health Department warns of funding cliff, highlights overdose and suicide rates in annual report

Commission approves ImageTrend emergency software; several routine measures OK'd