Commissioners receive training on CEO board, state rural grant programs

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah — Commissioners received a training briefing March 18 about the County Economic Opportunity (CEO) advisory board and two state rural grant programs that can fund business recruitment, workforce training and infrastructure tied directly to business growth.

The presentation was delivered by James Dixon, director of community grants for the Center of Rural Development, and Deborah McKee, outreach manager for the Center of Rural Development housed in the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GoYO). “Our intention here today is to help, do some training, training for you and training that will hopefully lead to a well functioning County Economic Opportunity Advisory Board as well,” Dixon said. McKee introduced herself: "I'm Deborah McKee. I'm the outreach manager for the Center of Rural Development housed in the governor's office economic opportunity." Colette Cox, director for the Center of Rural Development, attended virtually.

Why it matters: the CEO board’s existence and functioning are prerequisites for San Juan County to receive recurring state funding through two programs described in state law. Dixon told commissioners that the CEO board is created under "Utah code 63N-4-803" and must perform specified duties before the county can access the funds tied to those programs.

Key requirements and duties

Dixon summarized statutory requirements and best practices: the CEO board must be a continuing advisory body with at least five appointed members and represent specified interests, including a county representative (which the presenters recommended not be a sitting commissioner), a municipal representative, workforce development, a private-sector business representative and a county-at-large member. Appointments should be staggered four-year terms when possible, and the board should elect a chair and vice chair annually. The board’s meetings and records are subject to the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act and the board must prepare annual reports and assist with the county’s grant applications.

Grant programs and numbers cited

Dixon said the Rural County Grant (RCG) provides an annual $200,000 allocation to qualifying counties so long as the CEO board is functioning, an annual report is submitted and a formal application is filed. The Rural Communities Opportunity Grant (RCOG) is a separate, competitive award for larger projects—Dixon said projects may receive awards up to $600,000 and that the statewide RCOG pool in recent years was on the order of roughly $5.25 million; he said there were about 30 applications last year with roughly 12 awards granted.

Dixon also described payout terms: RCOG awards typically follow a 90/10 schedule—Dixon said GoYO pays 90% upfront and the final 10% is reimbursed when the project is completed—whereas the RCG allocation is provided up front to counties that meet the statutory requirements.

What the board does and examples of eligible projects

Dixon said CEO boards advise the county on which projects to fund from these programs, help prepare annual reports and contribute to application development. He gave examples of funded or eligible projects across the state, including youth entrepreneurship programs, workforce training that subsidizes CDL or contractor certifications, mapping software for business site selection, downtown façade improvements, industrial site-ready planning, co-working and business innovation centers, equipment subgrants for fabrication businesses and agricultural processing ("AgriPark") planning.

Local context

Presenters and local participants praised San Juan County’s existing CEO board activity. A county participant said the board meets quarterly and adds meetings near grant deadlines. Dixon noted San Juan County received a prior award for economic development research in early 2024; the presenters did not specify the award amount or final reimbursement status.

Deadlines and reporting

Dixon told commissioners that the FY25 annual report window will open May 15 and remain open through July, and he said GoYO will provide updated printed literature that reflects recent legislative changes to county classifications that affect some matching-fund rules (Dixon said the change did not affect San Juan County specifically).

Commission attendance and procedural note

Commissioner Mann was present for the training; Commissioner Harvey was en route and arrived during the meeting. After the training portion concluded, the commission made a motion to enter a closed executive session under Utah code 52-4-205 to discuss the character or mental/physical health of an individual and pending or reasonably imminent litigation. The motion was approved by voice vote (three ayes recorded).

Ending

Presenters left materials for the commission and said GoYO staff would send updated literature reflecting the recent legislative changes. Dixon and McKee encouraged use of local partners and reiterated that CEO boards should actively meet and work year-round on applications, reporting and economic-development planning.