Box Elder County commissioners approve grants, contracts and appointments in routine business

The Box Elder County Commissioners on a routine agenda approved a series of motions covering grants, contracts, personnel appointments and policy updates.

The most consequential items included approving a memorandum of agreement with the Utah Department of Public Safety to accept grant funding for mental-health counseling for first responders; waiving penalties and interest on two tax-sale accounts after owners paid delinquent taxes; awarding a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contract for county buildings; and adopting a new ordinance that repeals the county's prior nighttime spotlighting ordinance.

Other approvals included: appointment of three county nominees to the Box Elder Judicial Nominating Commission; authorizing the IT director position to serve as the county's chief administrative officer for data privacy compliance under recent state law; a $10,000 membership in the 47G defense and aerospace group; renewal of a Forest Service reimbursement agreement for sheriff's office responses; approval of a county water-planning grant contract with the Utah Division of Water Resources; acceptance of an improvement agreement for a subdivision; and multiple human-resources and insurance- and travel-policy updates. The commissioners also approved use of courthouse grounds for the Box Elder Strong Together 5K on June 14.

All motions brought to final vote were passed with the standard voice vote recorded as "Aye"; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public minutes for these items.

Votes and formal actions at the meeting (motion text reproduced from the meeting where available):

- Memorandum of Agreement 25-33 with the Department of Public Safety for grant funding to provide mental-health counseling for first responders. Mover: Commissioner Vincent. Second: Commissioner Perry. Outcome: approved.

- Waiver of penalty and interest on two tax-sale accounts (centrally assessed parcels) after owners paid taxes, penalties and fees necessary to remove the properties from the tax sale; tax-sale fees remain payable. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval for use of Box Elder County Courthouse grounds for Box Elder Strong Together 5K event on June 14. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of Improvement Agreement 25-26 (Kay Meadows subdivision) securing completion of subdivision improvements and associated financial security. Mover: Commissioner Vincent. Second: Commissioner Perry. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of State Water Grant contract 25-34 (Division of Water Resources) to support the countywide water master plan (award up to $15,000). Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Adoption of Chapter 5-2 off-street parking and loading text amendments (Ordinance 6-21 as presented). Mover: Commissioner Vincent. Second: Commissioner Perry. Outcome: approved.

- Award of countywide HVAC contract (low bid by Salmon) for upgrades to building heating/cooling controls and central monitoring; contract low bid $165,148 (bid documents presented). Mover: Commissioner Vincent. Second: Commissioner Perry. Outcome: approved.

- Renewal of Forest Service agreement 25-32 for sheriff's office reimbursement of hours worked in national-forest response areas (reported contract value: $6,000). Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval to participate in 47G defense and aerospace membership at $10,000. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Appointment of Rob Bishop (Brigham City), Chris Marks (Willard) and Trudy Hatch (Tremonton) to serve as the county's nominees to the Box Elder Judicial Nominating Commission, with Chris Marks designated as the county's appointee to represent other cities within the county on that commission. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Designation of the IT director position as the county's privacy chief administrative officer to comply with recent state data-privacy law (House Bill 444). Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of ordinance 6-23, which repealed former ordinance 204 concerning spotlighting/night hunting; county adopted new ordinance language in its place. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Authorization for the HR manager to sign insurance broker contracts 25-27 through 25-31; effective date reported as June 1 for the new broker. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of landfill weekend differential pay policy to match the fairgrounds policy. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of travel-policy updates reflecting insurance guidance on rental-car coverage. Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

- Appointment of Brett Muns to the Box Elder County Weed Board (to fill a vacancy). Mover: Commissioner Perry. Second: Commissioner Vincent. Outcome: approved.

Notes: several other routine items (approval of minutes, clerk's warrant and personnel registers) were approved by voice vote. Several agenda items were presented for discussion only and carried no final action (see separate articles on library access, Bear River Health Department annual report, and agricultural-protection-area discussion).

Ending: The commissioners closed the public portion of the meeting and recessed into a closed session for personnel and pending litigation matters as recorded in the minutes.