Daggett County approves Dutch John wastewater preliminary engineering report; impact-fee ranges and public outreach planned

The Daggett County Commission voted to accept the Dutch John Sewer/Wastewater Preliminary Engineering Report and heard consultants and staff discuss possible impact fees, a long-term user-rate analysis and upcoming public outreach and funding steps.

The report, initiated in 2023 and completed late 2024, was presented to the commission along with discussion of options for assessing impact fees, timing for rate changes and next steps for applications to state agencies and local bonding authorities.

A presenter describing the study told the commission, "So this is the actual number that you could go up to. We can justify legally to the state. We could justify an impact fee of 80 to $90." The presenter also said that, in some calculations, "probably 75% of the time, there’s something that’s, like, $7,500 to $12,000," and that jurisdictions frequently adopt rates lower than the highest calculated amounts. The transcript did not specify the unit (for example, per connection or per lot) for either the $80–$90 figure or the $7,500–$12,000 range.

Commissioners and staff discussed the practical effects of adopting impact fees. One commissioner said the report "provides that start" for a legally defensible fee and emphasized that the report does not "tie our hands" to a specific fee level because it is preliminary. Another commissioner expressed concern about who ultimately bears costs, saying the commission "has allowed the opportunity to provide some of that future growth" but that they did not want developers and later lot buyers both to shoulder the same charges.

Staff and consultants also discussed a user-rate analysis included in the materials. The presenter summarized the rate outlook: "We can see that if you don't increase your rates in 10, 12 years, you're gonna be wishing you had." The same presenter and staff noted the county's current fund balance and budgeting assumptions and framed the report's recommendations as a responsible attempt to plan for future maintenance and capital needs.

As part of next steps, staff said they would hold outreach meetings for system users. The commission discussed a two-step public process: an initial informational meeting to present identified fixes and system inventory, followed, if the county pursues a formal funding application, by a legally required public hearing. One staff member said, "I can definitely work with Sunrise and get a PowerPoint put together, a presentation of an update," and the commission agreed that the informational meeting would set the stage for any later formal hearing tied to a specific funding application.

Funding and permitting milestones were raised. The presenter asked the commission for approval to submit an application to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for maintenance projects, noting that advancing an application would require public outreach on funding options. Separately, a staff member said the county will "have to have the public hearing on the water side for the CIB bond soon," and the commission discussed coordinating communications with the county clerk and with an individual named Eric who is involved in the bond process.

Following discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the Dutch John Sewer/Wastewater Preliminary Engineering Report (initiated 2023; completed late 2024). The motion was called and commissioners responded, "Aye. Aye." The motion passed. The transcript does not record a second, nor does it name commissioners voting; the verbal tally recorded two affirmative responses.

The meeting recessed after the vote. Commissioners instructed staff to schedule user outreach meetings and to continue coordination on the DEQ application and CIB bond communications.

Notes: the transcript records the figures and process points quoted above; it does not specify units for the numeric impact-fee figures nor the full vote roster by name.