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Emery County EDB approves moving forward on industrial-park master plan while seeking outside funding; board to advertise open seat
Summary
The Emery County Economic Development Board voted to fund a master plan for about 100 acres north of the research center, with a directive to seek outside funding to offset county costs so remaining funds can support local business grants. The board also authorized staff to advertise for a municipal representative vacancy.
The Emery County Economic Development Board on an emergency meeting voted to proceed with developing a master plan for the roughly 80–100 acres north of the county research center while directing staff to look for outside funding sources that could reduce the county's share, freeing money to support small-business grant applicants.
The vote to approve moving forward with the master plan passed after discussion and a call for public- and intergovernmental funding exploration; one board member stated opposition during the roll call. The board also approved a separate motion authorizing Natalie (staff member) to advertise an open municipal-representative seat and agreed to prioritize new business applicants for the county's small-business grant program.
Board members said a master plan would help the county attract additional investment and make future infrastructure grant applications stronger. "If the master plan is in place, it'll be easier for us to kind of get application in again," Deborah (county staff) said, referring to the Rural Communities Opportunity Grant the county applied for last year and did not receive. Board members and staff discussed matching possibilities and other funding avenues such as Community Impact Board (CIB) cycles, county funds, the municipal building authority, and regional coalitions.
Patsy (board member and program lead) outlined the small-business grant request and recent applicant counts: this application cycle produced 30 applicants, 17 of whom had not previously received county assistance. Patsy said the county has $115,000 currently allocated to the business-assistance program but that available county funds for new allocations were smaller after other commitments. "We have 30 businesses that are here in Emery County. They're paying taxes in Emery County. They're expanding in Emery County," Patsy said, describing projects ranging from new buildings and RV-space developments to equipment purchases and mobile services.
Staff gave preliminary cost estimates for the master plan work and for grant-account balances. Jordan (staff) described the master-plan scope — drainage, sewer, water, power, curb, gutter, roads and lot layouts — and estimated an engineering/master-plan cost in the neighborhood of $80,000–$100,000. Natalie (staff) reported there remains county funding from the current and prior years that could be committed: she summarized $75,000 remaining from 2025 funds and about $20,000 from prior years; other earlier remarks referenced different totals, and board members asked staff to reconcile the budget before final commission submittal.
Board members discussed timing and next steps. They asked staff to issue an RFQ/RFP for the master-plan work promptly so bids could be obtained and the county could determine how much of the master-plan cost would need to come from the board's current pool. The board agreed the master plan should be developed in time to strengthen grant applications expected to open in the fall cycle.
On member recruitment, the board reviewed composition requirements from its bylaws, which require representation from the county commission, a municipality, workforce development, private sector and at least one resident at large. With Mayor Leonard's resignation, the board concluded it currently meets required categories but would advertise and accept applications for a municipal representative or a public at-large appointee. The board authorized Natalie to place advertising and to use lower-cost outreach (website, social media, flyers, chamber contacts) in addition to the county's official advertising process.
The board closed by asking staff to pursue potential funding partners — including CIB, the municipal building authority, the seven-county coalition and possible county allocations — and to report back to the board within about a month with options. One board member asked that any reductions in bid amounts for the master plan be returned to the business-assistance fund for local applicants.
Votes at a glance: - Approval of November meeting minutes (with corrections): motion made and seconded; passed by voice vote. (Mover/second not specified in transcript.) - Authorize Natalie to advertise for board member at-large/municipal representative: motion made and seconded; passed by voice vote. (Mover/second not specified in transcript.) - Authorize proceeding with an industrial-park master plan, with direction to pursue other funding sources to reduce county expense and free up grant funds for local businesses: motion made, seconded and approved. During the roll call, one board member stated opposition; the motion nevertheless carried.
Next steps: staff will prepare an RFQ/RFP for the master plan, reconcile and present the exact available county funds, advertise the open board position using county and lower-cost channels, and report back to the board with identified grant or match opportunities within roughly one month.
