Carbon County commissioners approve emergency plan, ratify indigent defense grant and adopt midyear budget amendments

The Carbon County Commission approved the county's Emergency Operations Plan, ratified the 2026 indigent defense grant agreement, opened sealed bids for a 15-passenger van and adopted midyear amendments to the 2025 budget at a July 2025 meeting.

The Emergency Operations Plan was approved to maintain eligibility for the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG). Justin, a county emergency staff member who presented the plan, said the plan governs how the county runs its emergency operations center and that "all emergencies happen local, start local, and end local." Commissioners voted to approve the plan so staff can continue work on the EMPG application; the motion carried unanimously.

County Attorney'office matters were also on the agenda. Christian, a county staff member who explained the grant, said the state provides additional funding to ensure an adequate public defense system and that "by law, the county is required to pay for indigent defense for every individual in the county who might be charged with any crime where there's a possibility of jail that could be imposed." Commissioners ratified the 2026 Indigent Defense Grant Agreement (the contract had previously been signed…