The Bluff Town Council voted unanimously Jan. 28 to approve a subaward agreement naming the Rural Utah Project Education Fund (doing business as Stewardship Utah) as a subawardee on an Environmental Protection Agency government-to-government grant.

Council members said the decision keeps local preparation and partner work moving while the federal grant program is temporarily paused. The council discussed a conflict-resolution clause and a compliance-and-monitoring appendix but approved the agreement as drafted.

Project manager Malia Collins told the council she and partner staff “have put together our document of our partnership agreement between town of Bluff as well as rural Utah project education fund.” Collins noted the group circulated the draft to council and staff for review.

Lanice Peterman, who identified herself as the rural director for the Rural Utah Project Education Fund and as “the mayor of Helper,” introduced the partner organization and said it will operate under its 501(c)(3) name while partnering on the project. Peterman said the group has worked with Bluff staff previously and is “excited to partner with you all to get this community center building activated and, to help in whatever way we can.”

Council discussion focused on two contract details: the dispute-resolution provision (identified in the document as section 5) and the compliance-and-monitoring procedures in the agreement appendix (page 9). Town staff and council members said those sections are generic and can be tightened later. The council discussed that one member of staff — identified as Chris in the meeting — had not yet reviewed the draft but that other reviewers had, and no substantive objections had been raised in the meeting.

Council members noted that the EPA and related federal grants are currently on hold following a court injunction. One council member summarized the situation: federal officials have paused the grants, and “by some day early in February, the federal government is supposed to outline what grants are affected.” The council voted to approve the subaward agreement so partnership work can continue while the broader legal and federal grant status is clarified.

Motion and vote: a motion to approve the subaward agreement was made and seconded; the council approved the agreement by unanimous voice vote. The meeting record does not show a roll-call tally.

The council did not adopt changes to the agreement at the meeting; members said staff and the partner organization will follow up on tightening dispute-resolution language and on the drawdown/compliance language in the appendix as needed.

A forward-looking note: council remarks indicated that final federal direction may arrive in early February, and the town plans to continue partner coordination pending that guidance.