Cache County panel recommends hundreds of grants; forwards list to County Council

Cache County Wraps and Restaurant Tax Board members on Wednesday recommended a package of grant awards from the county’s Recreation, Arts, Parks and Zoo (RAPS) sales tax and the restaurant sales tax and voted unanimously to forward that recommendation to the Cache County Council for final approval.

The board’s recommendation includes funding awards across nearly 100 applicants — from small arts groups to city capital projects — and a proposal that up to 10% of the RAPS pool be reserved for the valley zoo (a figure the staff calculated at $274,024). After recording the recommended awards and a handful of intra-meeting adjustments, staff reported a remaining reserve of roughly $54,000 before the package goes to the council.

Why it matters: The RAPS and restaurant-tax programs are the main local funding streams for cultural programs, parks and tourism-driven projects in Cache Valley. The board’s recommendation will be the basis for the council’s May decision and, if approved, will determine which community organizations and capital projects receive public support this year.

What the board recommended and why - The board approved a long list of awards ranging from small operating grants to multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar capital projects. Awards included operating and capital support for performing arts groups, city park and recreation projects, trail studies, and event funding targeted at driving restaurant and visitor activity across the valley. - The board left a modest county reserve (about $54,000 in staff’s tally) after the recommended awards. Chair K. David Zook said the group would forward the list to the council and that the council must sign off at its May meeting.

Key debates and items that shaped the recommendation - Zoo funding: Board members discussed the zoo’s recent 990 and budget materials and flagged declining contributions and reserves. After discussion the board recommended allocating up to the statutory 10% of RAPS receipts to the zoo (the staff-calculated 10% amount shown to the board was $274,024). Board members said they want the zoo to report follow-up financial detail to the council as part of the next step.

- Airport fuel tank request deferred for follow-up: The Logan‑Cache Airport manager explained a request for a new self‑serve fuel tank intended to improve access and attract stopovers. Manager Pablo said the airport handles “over a 100,000 flights per year” including training flights, and argued that competitive, lower‑priced fuel and an after‑hours self‑serve tank would bring more visitors to town. Board members said the application scored low in the packet and asked staff to return to the airport later in the process with further details; the board did not include the full airport request in its final allotment and deferred a final decision.

- Events and restaurant‑tax versus RAPS eligibility: Several applicants asked for restaurant‑tax funding (intended to attract diners and visitors). The board and staff clarified the difference between RAPS (general sales tax for recreation, arts, parks and the zoo) and the restaurant tax (a dedicated prepared‑food tax). Chair Zook and multiple board members emphasized that restaurant tax awards should target projects that demonstrably drive restaurant visits and overnight stays. Bruce Cook, Logan East District, raised the county’s revenue picture emphatically: “The restaurant tax went down $368,000 this year from last year,” he said, asking staff to verify statewide trends.

- Trails and studies: The board discussed several trail project proposals and funding for planning studies. Angie Sederquist, Development Services, told the board the recommended match for Bonneville Shoreline Trail phase 1b was $151,000 and said the county match would make the state appropriations application competitive: “The $151,000 would go towards the Bonneville Shoreline Trail appropriation fund,” she said.

- Theatre, opera and performing arts: Several board members debated how to balance operating support and separate “out‑of‑area” marketing grants. Utah Festival Opera and other large arts organizations sought support for operations and for out‑of‑area advertising to draw visitors. A company manager, Cassandra (Utah Festival Opera), said the organization expects to clear debt from a recent asset sale: “Yes. We will wipe out that debt completely,” she told the board, describing plans to build an endowment from remaining proceeds.

Board action and next steps - On a motion from the floor the board voted unanimously to forward the full recommended package and the staff worksheet to the Cache County Council for final approval. The board’s motion was recorded as a referral of the recommended award list to the council. - Staff will circulate the draft award list and meeting minutes to board members, then send the recommendation packet to the County Council’s May meeting for action. The council will be asked to adopt the awards and authorize staff to incorporate the approved grants into the county budget.

What the board asked staff to follow up on - Verify whether the year‑over‑year drop in restaurant‑tax receipts is a local trend or part of a statewide pattern (Finance Director West Bingham offered to review the state deposit data). - Provide additional financial detail for the valley zoo to the council (board members said the zoo’s FY‑to‑FY 990 and projections raised questions about sustainability). - Return with a more detailed airport proposal if the airport can provide the business structure, pricing model and clearer commitments (leasing vs. county operation) that would support an award.

Ending: The board’s recommendation packages a broad slate of awards and a set of follow‑up questions for applicants. The Cache County Council will make the final funding decisions at its May meeting. The board asked staff to circulate the final recommended award schedule and the meeting minutes to members before the packet goes to the council.