Cache County COG approves 2025 transportation funding recommendation after debate over phased projects

The Cache County Council of Governments voted to approve its 2025 transportation funding recommendation and will forward that recommendation to the Cache County Council for final action on Nov. 4, the group decided at a public meeting. The recommendation reflects the ranked projects produced by COG members and the committee’s process for distributing urban and rural set-aside funds.

George Shane, Cache County executive, summarized five years of COG allocations and told the group the distribution shows “nobody’s being favored” and that the funds have improved transportation corridors across the county. Shane said the analysis — which he plans to share with the county council — aggregates roughly the past five years of COG allocations and demonstrates the mayors’ intent to prioritize identified needs.

The discussion focused on several closely ranked projects and on how partially funded applications should be handled. Participants used Hyde Park’s multi-phase application (several references as “part A” and “part B”) and a North Logan roundabout as examples. Town leaders described developer commitments and potential phasing: Hyde Park representatives said one developer has committed more than $1 million toward curb, gutter and sidewalk work and that phasing could allow partial construction now with follow-up funding requests later. Jeff (CMPO staff) explained that partially funded projects commonly return to the COG in subsequent years to request additional funds after completing design or right-of-way work.

Council members discussed a practical approach for projects that receive partial awards: some municipalities choose to scale a project to what the awarded funding will accomplish and return later for the remainder; others reassign funding among phases or projects if a jurisdiction chooses to forgo a higher-ranked item. Mayor Daines and other mayors said the COG’s recommendation is advisory; the Cache County Council is the authoritative body that adopts allocations. The COG’s approved recommendation will be presented to the County Council at its Nov. 4 meeting at 5:00 p.m.

On several occasions members asked staff to place project locations on a GIS map to visualize funding distribution, phasing and corridor connectivity. Members asked CMPO/GIS staff to map funded projects, show phasing and indicate the years and dollar amounts associated with each phase so residents and councilors can better understand how COG dollars have been used.

Action and outcome: The body voted to approve the 2025 COG funding recommendations as presented and forwarded them to the Cache County Council. Discussion preceding the vote included whether Hyde Park should bid both phase A and phase B and, if bids come in lower for one phase, allow the jurisdiction to shift awarded funds to the lower-cost phase. That scenario was discussed as contingent on presentation of actual bids and a formal request to amend the recommendation if necessary.

The meeting also included routine approvals (agenda and Oct. 6 minutes) before the funding vote. All procedural motions were passed by voice vote; specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

The meeting record shows ongoing concern among mayors about preserving future COG funding flexibility and avoiding situations in which one jurisdiction must request a large share of limited county transportation dollars in a single year. The group asked staff to collect suggested policy changes from mayors ahead of a December meeting that will include election of chair and vice chair and discussion of any proposed policy changes.