Carbon County commissioners adopt comprehensive plan, honor child-welfare staff and award 42-month electric contract

The Carbon County Board of Commissioners on June 5, 2025, adopted two planning documents, issued a proclamation recognizing Carbon County Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week and awarded the countys electricity supply contract to Constellation New Energy for a 42-month term at $0.09723 per kilowatt-hour.

The actions combine a policy decision the county says sets long-term priorities for housing, infrastructure and outdoor recreation with an operational decision on energy procurement that will determine the countys electricity supplier and price for the next three-and-a-half years.

Tim Staub, the project manager for the county comprehensive-plan process, told the board the two planning documents were developed in a 16-month process beginning in January 2024 and followed a public outreach and discovery phase. "We prepared 2 planning documents for the county, both of them, running parallel to each other, and both so by following the same process where we did a discovery and outreach phase, which led to envisioning and building capacity for implementation," Staub said.

Staub summarized key findings the plan committee heard during outreach: a net loss of housing stock in some places because housing is being bought as second homes; differing housing demands by geography; rising childcare costs (he said overall childcare costs rose about 12 percent over five years and up to about 40 percent for single-parent households); and that about 60 percent of recreational users tracked by cell-phone data live within 50 miles of county facilities. The plans include themed chapters (housing, outdoor economy, infrastructure, placemaking) and implementation tables listing priorities, timelines, suggested lead agencies and funding sources.

The board passed two adoption motions for Planning and Development items 25-261 (motions recorded as 250115 and 250116). Commissioners recorded their approval in roll calls for each motion.

The board also approved a proclamation recognizing June 9-13, 2025, as Carbon County Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week. Jill, identified in the meeting as the director of Carbon County Children and Youth Services, thanked the commissioners and described the departments staff. "I really appreciate the commissioners taking the time to acknowledge our staff, our 13 caseworkers, ranging from 20 of service to 4 months of service and anything in between," Jill said, adding that workers often face dangerous situations when they make home visits.

A representative of the Carbon County Sheriffs Office reported higher-than-expected training reimbursements for the office, saying, "We didn't receive our $8,175. We received $49,097.60," and noted the office had used previous excess funds for extraordinary expenses in the prior year.

On energy procurement, the board heard a presentation about an online auction held to select the countys electricity supplier. The consultant reported competitive participation and recommended the 42-month proposal because it produced the lowest price among the terms run in the auction and because an existing contract framework with the incumbent supplier would speed execution. The consultant said Constellation New Energy won the 42-month term and that the county would seek to have Constellation waive a June capacity charge of roughly $2,400, though any waiver is not guaranteed.

The commissioners moved to add an item to the agenda and then voted to award the 42-month electricity supply contract to Constellation New Energy at $0.09723 per kilowatt-hour. The contract start will align with the county's July metering date; staff said the final contract will be prepared for e-signature.

Votes at a glance (selected actions and outcomes): - 25-259 Approval of minutes for meeting held 05/15/2025: approved (recorded: commissioner votes as listed in meeting minutes). - 25-260 Proclamation: Carbon County Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week (June 9-13, 2025): adopted. - 25-261 Carbon County Comprehensive Plan and Greenways, Trails and Open Space Plan (two adoption motions recorded as 250115 and 250116): both adopted. - 25-309 Ratify letter authorizing Apollo Edison/Ingram Engineering to conduct online electric auction: ratified. - 25-311 Award electric supply contract to Constellation New Energy, 42 months, $0.09723/kWh: approved. - 25-308 Approve termination of agreement with Eagle Wireless (Sheriffs Office): approved. - Salary-board personnel items including rate changes for magisterial district and adult probation staff, establishment of a part-time Children & Youth solicitor position (and abolition of a full-time solicitor position): motions approved. - Multiple routine financial and administrative motions (budget transfers, check approvals, grants, bid awards, contract renewals and ratifications) as recorded on the meeting agenda were approved; see the meeting minutes for the full roll-call record for each agenda item.

The meeting included multiple routine administrative approvals (CDBG and other grant actions, bid awards, contract renewals, and program reports). Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized the next step on the planning documents is implementation: using the implementation tables, pursuing grants and coordinating with local municipalities and adjacent counties. The presentation materials for the comprehensive-plan and greenways documents were advertised and posted on the county website, and the county planning commission recommended forwarding the documents to the board for adoption.

The meeting closed after staff said the county would finalize the electricity contract paperwork and present it for signature. Commissioners encouraged the public to review the adopted plans online and to submit comments to the commissioners' office.