Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Space Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
COSAC recommends partial county contribution for Trenton farmland preservation; Kozak scores agriculture highly
Summary
The open‑space advisory committee recommended funding an application to conserve about 130 acres of productive farmland near Trenton at a low county contribution (10%) after scoring the parcel high for agricultural value but low in other categories; COSAC members cited limited development pressure and existing state/NRCS interest.
The county’s open‑space advisory committee (COSAC) recommended that the council consider funding an application to conserve about 130 acres of farmland near Trenton, but recommended a relatively modest county contribution of 10% of the project cost.
Brandon Bell, county staff, presented the application and noted the property is high‑quality irrigated farmland (NRCS soils: prime farmland; some areas qualify for statewide importance). Kozak’s scoring rated the parcel very high in agricultural value but lower on other open‑space criteria such as trails, gateways or wildlife habitat. Trenton city officials reported constrained culinary water supply that would limit near‑term development, staff said.
COSAC chair Chris Sands said he voted against an upfront percentage cap; other members supported a 10% county contribution because the project already had likely partners (NRCS, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and potential Leroy McAllister fund support). Sands said the property had already drawn developer interest, and that conserving it would preserve productive farmland.
The council was asked to consider a resolution moving the application to round two with the county contribution set at 10% (or a percentage the council prefers). Staff noted the owner had applied for state funding programs and had been working with UDAF and NRCS.
What’s next: council action will determine whether to fund the application at the recommended level and move it to round two for detailed negotiation of easement terms and funding commitments.
