Commission approves multiple public-works purchases and authorizes county to lead recreation grant

Duchesne County commissioners approved a series of procurement motions and grant actions during their Feb. 24 meeting, including purchases for road maintenance and facilities operations and the county's agreement to be the lead applicant on a Forest Service-funded recreation grant.

Public works staff described equipment needs and presented quotes for multiple items. The commission approved a motion to purchase a lay-down asphalt machine for $243,000 and later approved a roller for $79,050 and a water truck priced at $88,100. Commissioners also approved purchase of a new floor scrubber for the event center at approximately $85,213. Several of the purchases were presented as budgeted items or within previously approved capital plans; staff said lead times range from weeks to 30-40 days depending on configuration.

Facility and event center staff also discussed switching the event center's online reservation and point-of-sale system from the current vendor to OpenStalls. Staff explained OpenStalls would use Stripe for transactions, support stall and RV-site bookings, and charge a 5% transaction fee. Staff said some contract terms still required review; county counsel and staff recommended additional edits and redlines before final approval.

On grants, the commission approved a local rural-matching grant for a downtown gift shop seeking equipment purchases (screen printing, engraving and embroidery equipment). Commissioners also agreed to serve as the lead applicant for a Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service for furnishings and a vault toilet at the Uinta Guard Station; Forest Service staff confirmed cash match is available and requested the county's administrative role to submit the grant application.

Other business included approval of a vehicle-surplus list for an upcoming county auction and routine payroll approval for the pay period ending Feb. 15, 2025 (payroll and payroll-related bills submitted totaled $832,005.53). Staff also reported continued facilities upgrades (permanent lighting at the food pavilion, solar lighting over stalls, and new stall maps) and ongoing maintenance priorities for jail and county buildings.

Commissioners took voice votes on the equipment purchases; the transcript records affirmative voice votes but does not provide a roll-call tally for each purchase. Where staff provided additional details, the record shows the water truck quote is for a used chassis with a 4,000-gallon tank and the water truck option would take about 30-40 days to build, depending on the vendor. Staff said the lay-down machine vendor would supply operator training for several days and the machine includes a two-year warranty.

Actions recorded on Feb. 24 included motions to purchase the listed equipment, authorize surplus vehicle disposition, approve the rural-matching grant for the local gift shop, and authorize staff to apply as the county lead for the Forest Service's Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. Where the transcript records a formal roll call (for other items later in the meeting) votes were recorded; most procurement motions were approved by voice vote.