Davis County Commission approves budget amendment, water-rights filing and multiple contracts; auditors flag internal-control failure for 2024

Davis County commissioners on April 22 unanimously approved a suite of budget, contract and administrative items — including a $4 million building purchase and a water-rights filing — and accepted a county risk assessment that failed a state-auditors internal-control question for the 2024 audit period.

The commission approved a budget amendment that increases Capital Health Fund spending by $4,000,000 to purchase a building identified in the meeting as “Talia Ops” at 22 East 200 South in Clearfield; commissioners also approved an additional $841,300 for completion of an air-wall project at the Davis Conference Center and $17,520 for related annual maintenance. Controller Curtis told commissioners the packet corrects a prior double-entry by reducing expenditures by $361,541.

The risk assessment for the 2024 year drew separate discussion and a separate vote. Controller Curtis said the county failed one high-weight question in the state auditor’s assessment: “are all people who are able to collect cash or check payments different from all the people who are able to adjust customer accounts? The answer to that is no.” The commission approved submitting the assessment to external auditors and discussed preparing a follow-up comment or letter to provide context to the state.

Commissioners also approved a permanent change-of-water application from Clark 1 Water Company. Ken Anderson, director of Community and Economic Development, said the filing requests new points of diversion and asks the state to review existing groundwater and surface water volumes — including points of diversion related to the Western Sports Park and storage at the Farmington Pond — and that the filing is the first step to determine whether water is available for sale or purchase. Anderson noted the application also seeks points of diversion for two wells previously discussed with Kaysville City.

In other actions, the commission:

- Approved an extension of the standard service-provider contract with veterinarian Dr. Anna Hock Stetler at $125 per hour for the period beginning April 15, 2025 and ending Oct. 15, 2025.

- Authorized a receivable agreement with the Utah Boys Volleyball Association for three events under one contract, total receivable $38,746.61 (contract period listed Sept. 19, 2025–Dec. 6, 2025).

- Approved a billboard lease agreement with ROA General LLC: $8,000 annually, paid monthly, term Dec. 1, 2024–Nov. 30, 2029, with a 3% annual escalator; staff noted a notice to quit-and-vacate executed March 25 led to renewed negotiations.

- Approved a quitclaim deed to realign property lines between the Justice Complex and the Western Sports Park so that tourism-used acreage (tourism fund) and general-fund-owned land are accurately reflected; the deed will be modified to add a signature line for Brian McKenzie as clerk and a separate acceptance line for the commission.

- Approved two health-department items: (1) an amendment to the contract with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services increasing pass-through funding by $29,044.93 (effective April 3, 2025–June 30, 2025); and (2) an agreement that designates county oversight/direction for the Utah area agency on aging’s Aging Waiver Program beginning July 1, 2025 and running through June 30, 2032 (no immediate funding attached in the packet).

- Approved a purchase order for the sheriff’s office with ACE Disposal Inc. for two 6-yard dumpsters (cardboard and paper), weekly service under state contract MA4862, payable $2,472 for April 2, 2025–April 1, 2026.

- Approved the property-tax register and related auditor adjustments; the packet included reinstating certain entities onto the tax rolls and several corrections and abatements for 2024.

Most motions carried without recorded debate and were approved by voice vote; commission members present voiced “Aye.” The commission opened a public hearing on the April 22 budget amendments, received no public comments and closed the hearing before voting.

Why this matters: the $4 million capital purchase and the Davis Conference Center supplemental funding change how county capital resources and facilities will be accounted for; the Clark Water Company filing initiates a state review that could affect availability and transferability of local water rights; and the audit finding highlights an internal-control weakness the county says it will address going forward.

Commissioners also used the meeting for brief announcements: a county handout summarizing recommended daily screen-time limits for children (distributed at the Utah Boards of Health Symposium) and a recognition of a new art program and staff art show at the sheriff’s corrections division. The meeting adjourned at 10:34 a.m.