Rich County commissioners discuss creating an advisory trails board; public hearing set for February

The Rich County Commission discussed creating a county trails advisory board at its Jan. 8 meeting and voted to place the draft ordinance on the February agenda for a public hearing.

County Attorney Ben Willoughby presented a draft ordinance proposing a county trails board to inventory existing trails, develop a master trail plan and actively pursue grants and donations. The draft would make the trails board an advisory body under the direction of the Board of County Commissioners and allow the board to recommend projects, oversee construction and seek grant funding (with grant management subject to county approval).

The draft specifies a five‑member board with two‑year staggered terms, a quorum of three, compliance with Utah open‑meetings law and at least three meetings a year. Commissioners discussed definitions in the draft — including whether to include off‑highway vehicles, UTVs, ATVs and e‑bikes — and debated how much financial authority the board should have. Several commissioners said they prefer the county retain final approval of expenditures and that the trails board be authorized to apply for grants and perform grant reporting while budget approvals remain with the commission.

Commissioners and staff said the advisory board model mirrors other Utah jurisdictions where volunteer trail committees produce master plans and then recommend steps to the governing body for funding and implementation. The commission voted to place the draft ordinance on the agenda for a February meeting and public hearing so residents and trail stakeholders can comment before any formal adoption.

Next steps include finalizing the draft ordinance text to clarify what “manage grants” means in practice and preparing public notice for the February hearing.