Daggett County commissioners agree to pursue trail kiosk grant, seek easement details

Daggett County commissioners on the record agreed to move forward with the process of obtaining legal descriptions and pursuing a small “mini” grant to fund a trail kiosk and formalize several existing trails, but they did not sign any binding easements or legal documents at the meeting.

Commissioners and staff said the Town of Dutch John will apply for the mini grant (up to $30,000) that requires a 20% local match, and asked staff to prepare clearer legal descriptions and an appendix for the county to review before any formal sign-off. The county noted federal and state airport funding rules may affect trail placement and fencing near the runway.

The county and project proponents framed a centrally located kiosk and map as a hub for legitimizing otherwise user‑created trails, adding signage and route information. Staff said Sunrise Engineering (Ryan and Aaron Averitt) prepared the initial trail maps and that the next steps include surveying potential easement strips, confirming parcel ownership in GIS, and drafting legal easement language for the county attorney’s review.

Commissioners described the immediate goal as authorizing staff to begin the nonbinding steps needed to complete a grant application and to obtain landowner permission for surveys. Participants discussed prioritizing two currently used routes that the proponents described as most useful for users; speakers suggested temporary names used in planning such as “Amber’s Trail,” “Secret Overlook” and “Lake Vista.”

County staff and proponents emphasized several contingencies: easements require the landowner’s written approval if parcels have been sold; GIS parcel data may be out of date; and portions of the proposed corridor abut Redevelopment Agency (RDA) property and airport property that could trigger federal/state fencing or safety requirements. Commissioners asked staff to verify whether proposed trail segments cross private parcels and to show the appendix and legal descriptions at the next meeting.

Randy (meeting participant) said, “I’m in favor of going forward with it,” while county staff and proponents clarified that the commitment discussed at the meeting was verbal only and that no legal encumbrance would be placed until formal documents are prepared and signed. The group asked staff to produce a revised request with appendix materials and to return with that packet at the next meeting so the county could consider a formal, written decision.

Next steps: staff will obtain legal descriptions and parcel verification, revise the application materials to be specific to the two priority trail segments, and circulate an updated package for county legal review. The proponents were given permission to be placed back on the agenda next week to present the revised materials.