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County commissioner warns of federal grant cuts, seismic-safety panel sunset; aging services urged to watch for funding changes
Summary
Commissioner Cross told the Davis County Senior Services Advisory Board that federal grants and federal agency staffing cuts are imminent, urged vigilance on funding for aging programs and criticized the state Senate’s decision to let the Utah Seismic Safety Commission sunset.
Commissioner Cross addressed the advisory board after the agenda was amended to hear his report early. He said federal grant programs face cuts and described recent personnel reductions at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) that will eliminate most regional contacts. "They still are saying it is a restructure," Cross said, "but ... it's concerning to lose advocates and leaders for aging."
Cross also raised emergency-preparedness concerns tied to Utah’s water infrastructure. Drawing on his experience in emergency management, he said the state's aqueducts that serve the Wasatch Front cross the Wasatch Fault multiple times and that a major earthquake could leave up to 2 million people without water. "If we had a big earthquake ... we would have 2,000,000 people without water," he said, emphasizing the broad regional effects of a major seismic event and warning that mitigation grants and infrastructure programs are essential.
Cross criticized the Utah State Senate’s decision to not renew the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, which previously advised on building retrofits and school facility safety. "I was really disappointed that the seismic safety commission failed to get renewed," he said, calling the loss of the independent advisory body "unforgivable." Cross noted building-code differences between Utah and California and said the commission’s work on school safety covered campuses representing tens of thousands of students.
Board members responded by noting the disproportionate harms disasters pose to older adults, who often have more limited mobility and fewer options to evacuate or access emergency supplies and services. The commissioner and board discussed the need to keep mitigation and emergency planning on the county’s radar, particularly for services that serve older adults.
Cross also reported personal remarks to the board about hospice and bereavement (his sister’s death) and said he planned to ride with the county’s Meals on Wheels program later that morning.
No formal board action was taken on the commissioner’s report during the meeting; the report was informational and meant to prompt continued attention to federal and state-level funding and emergency-preparedness planning.
