[{"_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",6608380,"mediaKeyId","2939524-84822b45dfa36f3fe8005d6547bef2e4","parentId",2939524,"title","Board debates repairs to former Weed and Mosquito building used as incubator; county owns property","audioSeconds",623,"startMs",730000,"endMs",1353000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2939524-84822b45dfa36f3fe8005d6547bef2e4&start=730&end=1353","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6608380/Utah/Board-debates-repairs-to-former-Weed-and-Mosquito-building-used-as-incubator-county-owns-property","mediaUrl","author","Emery County Economic Development Board","date","2025-04-08T15:00:00Z","article","The Emery County Economic Development Board discussed whether to allocate funds to repair a county‑owned former Weed and Mosquito building that currently houses two startup businesses and community groups.

Staff said the building lacks an interior bathroom in the larger shop space and that the existing 12‑by‑12 garage door is in poor condition and should be replaced with a safer roll‑up door. Two tenants were identified: a camper‑van and woodworking business run by Rocco and Emily Simon (who operates \"Calibre Artisan\" producing salves and lotions), and the Joe's Valley Bouldering Fest group, which stores equipment and runs seasonal programming out of the site.

The county had previously partnered with SIRDA and the AOG on incubator management; after that agreement lapsed the county took back management and placed tenants in the facility. Staff said tenants pay $250 a month in rent and contribute $250 in in‑kind work each month; staff also said a porta‑potty was provided and paid for out of tenant rent while building access and relations are being managed.

Why it matters
Board members framed the building repairs as a preservation issue — keeping county buildings in use to prevent dilapidation — and discussed whether the county should sell the site, redevelop it for housing, or continue to use the buildings for incubator activities.

Discussion highlights and outcomes
Board members raised concerns about occupancy standards and liability if spaces used by tenants are not fit for regular occupancy; one member questioned why tenants were allowed to occupy space without a bathroom. Staff said a bathroom exists in a separate building on the site but that current tenant relations limit shared use.

No formal motion to allocate funds for repairs passed at the meeting. Staff confirmed the county has funds available for improvements and that the proposal to make repairs was preliminary; the board left the item open for future consideration and suggested staff obtain quotes and pursue bids before any allocation.

Provenance
Topic introduction excerpt: \"So it's consideration of funding for the former Weed and Mosquito building to make needed repairs to the garage door, possibly put in a sink and toilet in the building to use as an incubator.\" (transcript segment starting at 730.94).
Topic finish excerpt: \"So I could I can help answer some questions. So the goal of the county is just to keep those buildings up so they don't get dilapidated...\" (transcript segment starting at 1313.125).","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","Emery County Economic Development Board - 4-April 2025 CEO Board Audio","oneSentenceSummary","Board members discussed repairing a county‑owned former Weed and Mosquito building used by start‑ups and community groups, including a 12x12 garage door replacement and adding a bathroom; no formal funding vote was taken.","taxTitle","Emery County Economic Development Board, Emery County Boards and Commissions, Emery County, Utah","taxId",74984,"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},6608385,"Board weighs funding 12 holdover businesses; staff reports 2025 grants reached 17 new recipients",2399,642000,3041000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2939524-84822b45dfa36f3fe8005d6547bef2e4&start=642&end=3041","/articles/6608385/Utah/Board-weighs-funding-12-holdover-businesses-staff-reports-2025-grants-reached-17-new-recipients","The Emery County Economic Development Board reviewed results of its 2025 business improvement grant cycle and discussed whether to fund applications left on hold after the first round.

Staff reported the grant cycle drew 30 applicants, one applicant was disqualified, and 17 businesses that had never received a grant before were funded in 2025. Each of the 17 recipients received $6,705.88, for a total of $114,000 disbursed; the board received $1,000 for administrative costs through the chamber, according to staff comments.

Twelve applicants remain on hold. Board staff calculated that if each of those 12 were to receive the same award amount of $6,705.88, the total additional cost would be $80,470.56. Several board members said they were open to allocating at least some of the freed funds to the holdover businesses but did not finalize an allocation at the meeting.

Why it matters
Local grant programs are a recurring tool for supporting start‑ups and small businesses. Board members noted the program has political and community equity implications and discussed maintaining a steady, predictable program so businesses can plan around expected support levels.

Discussion highlights
Some members favored holding a steady pool of grant funding year‑to‑year rather than making large one‑time shifts toward recruitment contractors. One board member described the recent approach — prioritizing businesses that had not previously received grants and dividing funds evenly — as fair and popular.

Board direction and decisions
The board did not take a formal vote to disburse the $80,470.56 to the 12 holdover businesses at this meeting. Members asked staff to supply details and to coordinate with commissioners about whether to reserve funds for recruitment or to use them for additional grant awards. Staff explained the county receives new program funds annually in January and that unspent funds can roll over.

Provenance
Topic introduction excerpt: \"Well, that's because, the money was freed up again, and it hasn't been earmarked. But, I have a paper here that I wrote up about the grant process that we went through this year...\" (transcript segment starting at 642.03).
Topic finish excerpt: \"The 12 that are left received funding last year in some amount. Okay. Or maybe not even last year, but since the program started in 2022, those 12 businesses that are left on my list received some sort of grant in the last 3 years.\" (transcript segment starting at 3021.3398).","Board members reviewed the business improvement grant round, noted 30 applicants with 17 newly funded businesses, and discussed whether to fund 12 businesses currently on hold at a cost of about $80,470.56 if each receives the same award as the funded recipients.",{"_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},6608390,"Emery County board secures funding for industrial park master plan; recommends holding funds to pursue business recruitment",2638,295000,2933000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2939524-84822b45dfa36f3fe8005d6547bef2e4&start=295&end=2933","/articles/6608390/Utah/Emery-County-board-secures-funding-for-industrial-park-master-plan-recommends-holding-funds-to-pursue-business-recruitment","Emery County Economic Development Board members said the county secured funding to produce a master plan for an industrial park north of the San Rafael Research Center and recommended that county commissioners reserve carryover funds to pursue outside recruitment and contracting.

Board members said the master plan will cover roughly 100 acres and include drainage and build‑ready site layouts. A board member said the county obtained the money for the plan through COVID‑related funds, which removes that item from the list of projects needing support from the board's discretionary pot. The board expects to issue an RFP for engineering and planning services and said a contract could be in place within one to two months.

Why it matters: Board members framed the master plan as a foundational step to market a specific, shovel‑ready parcel to potential employers and to make the county more competitive for larger projects, including sites being discussed regionally that would require state site surveys and large capital investments.

Board discussion and next steps
Board members debated how to use roughly $95,000 the group said had been freed up after the master plan funding was confirmed. Several members urged a two‑track approach: continue funding the business improvement grant program that assists local startups, while reserving some of the unallocated funds to retain a contractor or recruiter who could pursue larger employers for the future industrial park.

During the discussion, one board member cited a $20 million state budget line for a site survey that, if done for Emery County, could increase the county's chances for future large industrial projects. Members urged the commissioners to act quickly to shepherd such state funding toward Emery County rather than letting other jurisdictions pursue it.

Board action
At the meeting the board moved and seconded a recommendation that the unallocated funds be held for potential use on business recruitment and that commissioners be authorized to pursue contracting options between meetings if the commissioners identify a contractor they wish to hire. The motion was seconded and approved by the board.

What was not decided
The board did not set a specific dollar amount to commit to a recruiter or specify a contracting firm. Several members suggested $50,000 as a preliminary reserve to use in recruitment efforts but did not formalize that allocation; members noted that the county receives a new allocation of program funds each January and that the board can roll funds between years.

Context and quotes
\"We were able to get funding for that through our COVID funds,\" a board member said about the master plan funding, describing how the board's previously earmarked $95,000 is now available for other projects.
\"We gotta land a big business here that can employ a bunch of people,\" another member said, arguing for active recruitment rather than only supporting micro‑business grants.

Timeline
Board members said the RFP for the industrial park master plan will be circulated soon and they expect a contract within one to two months. The group recommended commissioners may act between board meetings to engage a contractor if one is identified before the board's next meeting.

Provenance
Topic introduction excerpt: \"I can I can talk about that 1? So Wonderful. We've discussed in the past doing a master plan just north of the research center around a hundred acres...\" (transcript segment starting at 295.595).
Topic finish excerpt: \"K. So our our first focus, and I don't our first focus is gonna get the master plan done, get a 1 sheeter, and then we'll while we're getting that done, look for a potential contractor...\" (transcript segment starting at 2893.805).","The Emery County Economic Development Board said COVID-era funds will pay for a roughly 100‑acre industrial park master plan and recommended reserving carryover funds to hire outside recruiters or contractors to pursue large employers, including efforts tied to a $20 million state site‑survey line item.","actionData","errors"]

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Board debates repairs to former Weed and Mosquito building used as incubator; county owns property

Board weighs funding 12 holdover businesses; staff reports 2025 grants reached 17 new recipients

Emery County board secures funding for industrial park master plan; recommends holding funds to pursue business recruitment