GOEO trains Summit County advisory board on rural grant programs, application process

James Dixon, director of community grants at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), gave a training to the Summit County Economic Development Advisory Committee on the stateprograms that fund local economic projects and how the county advisory board must operate to remain eligible.

The session focused on two GOEO programs: the Rural County Grant (RCG), a recurring pool that currently provides $200,000 annually to each of the 24 designated rural counties, and the competitive Rural Communities Opportunity Grant (RCOG), which awards up to $600,000 per project. "I'm James Dixon from the governor's office of economic opportunity. I'm the director of community grants," Dixon said, introducing the office's website resources and the downloadable county advisory board guide used in the presentation.

Dixon told members the advisory boards are established by Utah law and are a prerequisite for counties to receive RCG and RCOG funding. He reviewed membership and governance rules: a CEO board must have at least five voting members appointed by the county legislative body and represent five sectors (a county representative, a municipal representative, workforce development, a private-sector representative and a public member). Board members serve staggered four-year terms, the board should elect a chair and vice chair annually, a quorum is a majority of voting members, and the countyadvisory boards are subject to the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. "The county economic opportunity advisory boards are established by Utah code, and they are prerequisite for counties to receive funding from the governor's office of economic opportunity," Dixon said.

Dixon and GOEO staff emphasized three core responsibilities for board members: 1) participate in preparing grant applications for the RCG and RCOG; 2) advise elected officials on the preferred use of grant funds; and 3) participate in required reporting on funds and projects after an award.

On program details, Dixon said the RCG pool totals $4,800,000 and is distributed as $200,000 per eligible rural county. The RCOG awards are competitive and capped at $600,000 per project; GOEO staff noted the statewide RCOG appropriation was reduced for the current cycle (from about $5.4 million previously to roughly $2.5 million this year), making awards more competitive. Dixon also said some programs and links on GOEO's grants landing page may move as programs shift between state agencies (for example, broadband resources moving to the Department of Transportation) and noted the enterprise zone tax credit has effectively sunsetted for new claims beyond 2025.

Board members and GOEO staff discussed allowable uses of funds. GOEO said projects that are primarily community infrastructure (for example, systemwide electrical upgrades benefiting residences broadly) are typically considered "community development" and are less likely to qualify for RCG/RCOG, whereas infrastructure upgrades that directly enable business expansion or retention (for example, a power upgrade servicing two expanding manufacturers on the same corridor) are treated as economic development and can qualify. Dixon offered two scenarios and said one would be declined while the corridor-focused, business-driven upgrade was approved (he cited a $600,000 award in the example case).

GOEO staff gave multiple examples of permitted uses: workforce training (CDL and contractor certifications), small-business subgrants (commonly 50/50 matching), downtown façade or tenant improvements, site-ready planning for industrial recruitment, and targeted infrastructure to enable business expansion. They cited a recovery-center workforce program in Duchesne County that used about $40,000 a year from RCG to train people exiting treatment and said Garfield County received an RCOG award to assist a sawmill rebuild after a fire. Staff also described a typical application review practice: evaluation points for job creation, sector priorities, and whether an applicant has secured complementary funding (GOEO said they would not require a strict job-per-dollar ratio but expect applicants to describe anticipated growth).

Dixon reviewed administrative items: the annual reporting window opened May 15 and closes July 31; GOEO requires an attestation that the county advisory board participated in application preparation; and GOEO will not write applications but will review drafts and offer guidance. The office also highlighted a written "guide to applying for grants" and a 10-page county advisory board guide posted on GOEO's website as training resources.

Summit County members raised local issues. Kamas (municipal) annexation was mentioned in the context of a potential RCOG application to help a lumber-related employer rebuild after a fire; county staff reported that the annexation had cleared the city council and was awaiting lieutenant governor processing. Members also asked about seasonal labor for the winter hospitality season, specifically uncertainty around J-1 visa workers; GOEO staff said workforce support could fit under RCG workforce activities but counties must weigh that need against other uses given the $200,000 annual RCG allocation.

GOEO staff described upcoming improvements to the county-level grant process, including an automated scoring application ("Amplify") that uses a points system tied to job creation and sector priorities. They advised counties to prepare detailed, budgeted proposals for RCOG because the program is competitive and favors well-planned projects over speculative ideas.

The committee approved the consent agenda (April minutes) by motion and later voted to adjourn; the group set its next meeting date for Aug. 21.

The presentation included a short video of RCOG success stories (Beaver City and other rural communities) and GOEO staff offered follow-up assistance to Summit County staff on potential applications and project planning.