Davis County Commission approves wide-ranging agreements, grants and property actions; holds public hearing on CDBG amendment

The Davis County Commission on Tuesday, March 25, approved a series of interlocal agreements, contract amendments, grant pass-throughs and property actions while opening and closing a public hearing on a substantial amendment to the county's Community Development Block Grant annual action plan.

The commission unanimously approved items brought forward across multiple departments, including a $368,000 pass-through from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for mental health and substance use disorder services, an interlocal transportation funding agreement with Kaysville City for $3,000,000 for reconstruction of 200 North, and a $3.7 million commercial real estate purchase ratified by the board.

The public hearing was held to consider a substantial amendment to Davis County’s 2024–25 annual action plan for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Ryan Steinbeagle of Community and Economic Development explained the amendment would cancel a previously allocated $126,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at Fruit Heights City’s city building, roll the funds into the next program year and reprioritize them for another project. Emily Hillstead of Safe Harbor Crisis Center spoke during the hearing, noting the center served “3,464” county residents last year and asked to be considered for CDBG funding; the commission closed the hearing and approved the amendment.

Other approvals included: an interlocal agreement with Farmington City for a Lagoon Station Park shuttle ($90,000 over three years, $30,000 per year from the county’s active transportation funding), a notice to quit and vacate property used by Reagan Outdoor Advertising after unsuccessful renegotiation attempts, and authorization to set up a county Amazon business account for purchasing and potential rebates.

Several procurement, contract and administrative items were approved or ratified, including a two-year extension of Zions Public Finance as the county’s municipal financial advisor under the final contract extension permitted; a ratified professional services contract for special inspection services at the sheriff’s office sanitary sewer lift station ($7,500); a training agreement for a deputy’s certification ($16,848 with repayment terms if the deputy defaults); and a $6,666.67 amendment to a Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) grant bringing that receivable to $106,733.67.

The commission tabled item 9 and item 18 for further review. Item 9 was tabled at the request of the commission earlier in the meeting; item 18, a planned information-systems purchase under a state contract, was tabled after legal review raised questions about state-contract terms and county purchasing processes.

The board also recessed to the Board of Equalization to review and approve a property tax register that included three exemption requests for religious organizations, an appeals report recommending reductions totaling $560,434, 15 veteran exemption abatements for 2024 and other assessor corrections. The commission reconvened and adjourned at 10:26 a.m.

Votes at a glance

- Items 4 & 5: Approval of resolutions providing notice to West Bountiful City and Layton City of the county’s intent not to impose a local sales tax to fund recreation/arts/parks (motions moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Item 6: Amendment No. 54 to state contract A030091 (county contract 2020-0283) with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services — additional pass-through funding of $368,000 for mental health and substance use disorder services (approved). - Item 7: Opened and closed public hearing on a substantial amendment to the 2024–25 CDBG annual action plan (approved). - Item 8: Interlocal agreement with Kaysville City — third-quarter local transportation funds payable $3,000,000 for reconstruction of 200 North (approved). - Item 9: TABLED. - Item 10: Notice to quit and vacate real property (tax ID 0601200120013) to ROA General Inc., dba Reagan Outdoor Advertising (approved). - Item 11: Interlocal cooperation agreement with Farmington City for Lagoon Station Park shuttle — $90,000 over three years (approved). - Items 12–15: Controller’s administrative items including budget account-number corrections, establishment of a county Amazon business account, and amendment No. 2 to contract 2018-886 with Zions Public Finance (final extension) (approved). - Item 16: Interlocal cooperation agreement with Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services for caregiver talking points program (approved). - Item 17: Ratification of commercial real estate purchase contract (tax ID 120010206) — $3,700,000; chair authorized to sign incidental documents (approved). - Item 18: TABLED — planned purchase under a state contract pending further legal and controller review. - Item 19: Approval of a multi-jurisdictional IT mutual-aid-style agreement to support technology operations during major incidents (approved; legal team recommended some future contract revisions). - Item 20: Library agreement with Patron Point for mass-email software — $17,854 for April 1, 2025–March 31, 2026 (approved). - Item 21: Ratification of professional services contract with Intermountain Testing Services Inc. — $7,500 for special inspection services on sheriff’s office sanitary sewer lift station (approved). - Item 22: Training agreement for deputy certification (payable $16,848; two-year term; receivable if deputy defaults) (approved). - Item 23: Amendment to BRIC grant contract 2024-0997 — additional $6,666.67 for emergency-management staffing; total receivable now $106,733.67 (approved). - Items 24–33: Consent items (approved). - Board of Equalization: Property tax register actions including exemption requests, appeals reductions and assessor corrections (reviewed and approved by the BOE; commission reconvened).

Why it matters

Collectively the approvals authorize county spending and interlocal partnerships for transportation, shelter and mental-health services, clarify procurement and advisory arrangements, and advance real-estate and capital projects. The CDBG amendment redirects previously allocated ADA improvement funds for a later program year; the public comment from a domestic-violence service provider underscored continuing demand for community services funded by CDBG dollars.

What speakers said

Emily Hillstead, Safe Harbor Crisis Center: “Last year we actually helped over 3,000, members, community members of our county. 3,464 to be exact.” She asked the commission to consider Safe Harbor in CDBG funding decisions as the county reprioritizes the rolled-forward funds.

Next steps and context

Two items were tabled for follow-up: item 9 and item 18. County staff indicated the item involving the state contract will be revisited with the county controller and legal team to clarify purchasing authority under state contracts. Several approved items carry multi-year terms or are pass-through funds that require subsequent administrative steps (contract execution, vendor onboarding, or fund disbursement). The commission adjourned at 10:26 a.m.