Snyderville Basin Cemetery District authorizes search for unpaid intern, directs RFP for contract administrative assistant if needed

The Snyderville Basin Cemetery District on a voice vote authorized a board member to pursue an unpaid, for‑credit intern and directed staff to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) for a contracted administrative assistant if no suitable unpaid intern is found.

Board members said they want immediate help with records, public notices and basic outreach while the district finalizes procurement policies and lands under consideration. Attorney Ryan Stack advised the board that, under state law, a paid intern would be treated as a contractor and therefore must be procured through an RFP; he also recommended working directly with state purchasing to draft and publish any solicitations.

The action matters because the district has not yet adopted formal procurement policies, and the board discussed practical limits on hiring and spending before a site for a cemetery is secured. Board members said they want a low‑cost way to get basic administrative work done and build institutional memory while the site search continues.

Ryan Stack, the district attorney, told the board: “If you want to pay your intern, that is not an intern, that is a contractor, and that must go out as an RFP.” He added that the district can engage state purchasing to draft RFP language and run the publication and solicitation processes if the board decides to issue RFPs before adopting a local procurement code.

Discussion at the meeting focused on three staffing options: an unpaid, for‑credit intern recruited from local universities; a part‑time employee (which would require public posting and additional HR steps); or a contracted administrative assistant procured by RFP. Several board members said an intern could handle minutes, public notices, basic record classification and outreach; others argued that a contracted administrative assistant would better preserve institutional knowledge.

The board amended and approved a motion that: (1) authorizes a named board member to contact universities and pursue an unpaid, academic‑credit intern; (2) directs that, if that search is not successful, staff will return with a final RFP and job description for a contracted administrative assistant; and (3) instructs staff to work with state purchasing to ensure compliance and to manage publication and solicitation. The amendment incorporating the attorney’s direction to involve state purchasing was accepted during the motion.

Board members also discussed retaining consultants: a business‑plan consultant to advise on cemetery capacity and site suitability, and a marketing/communications consultant. Several members said a business‑plan consultant could help evaluate how much land would be needed and what services would be offered; others suggested marketing could wait or be handled by an intern.

The board set a follow‑up timeline: the member authorized to seek an intern will report back before the next meeting (scheduled for July 2), and if an unpaid intern has not been secured by then the board will proceed with the RFP process for a contracted administrative assistant.

Votes at a glance: the motion to authorize the intern search and to direct preparation of an RFP for an administrative assistant (with the amendment to work with state purchasing) was put, seconded and approved by voice vote; the meeting transcript records the chair asking “All in favor?” and members responding “Aye.” The board did not record individual roll‑call votes for this motion in the public transcript.

The board discussed procurement policies during the same meeting and noted a multi‑page draft procurement document exists but has not yet been distributed to all members for final review; the attorney said some proposed redlines could not be accepted because they are legally operative language from state code.

The district will return to these staffing and procurement items at its next regular meeting.