Davis County commissioners and staff used a work meeting to map next steps for implementing Utah’s Government Data Privacy Act, agreeing to advance a newly created privacy-coordinator position in the county budget while debating where the role should reside.

The county’s records lead told commissioners the act reaches beyond computer systems and includes any county record containing personal, identifiable information — whether paper forms, microfilm or online applications — and said the county must identify every ‘process’ that collects personal data, prepare citizen-facing notices and adopt a countywide privacy policy. The records official said the work will affect records specialists across departments and requires training and consistent release decisions.

Commissioners and IT staff described the effort as both a compliance and good-government task. One commissioner urged leaving the coordinator in IT to “get it up and going” and reassess after six months; others said long-term placement should sit in a governance, risk and compliance office outside operational teams so policy and enforcement remain independent. An IT leader said the operational burden will be shared: “If anyone in the county is not compliant with this, the county is not compliant,” underscoring that gaps in one department can expose the whole county to audit risk.

Staff warned the county is not yet close to compliance. “Heck, no — this could still take two more years to be able to get in place,” one participant said, noting the county lacks an inventory of where personal data exists. Another highlighted that strong record-retention and data models will make later operational compliance substantially easier.

Several attendees also referenced related state activity: staff reported the legislature may tweak implementation dates after county pushback, but cautioned timelines remain aggressive and counties need to show progress. The county must also account for the Utah Consumer Privacy Act for programs that serve consumers (golf courses, libraries, parks), a separate but concurrent state law that will add workload.

On immediate next steps, commissioners agreed to involve County Clerk Brian McKenzie and other managers in the hiring process. Staff said the job posting has attracted about 25 applicants and that they plan to narrow candidates for interviews; one staff member said they would suggest two candidates for interviews. Commissioners instructed Curtis Koch to amend the budget so the position is moved into the appropriate departmental line and to coordinate the hiring process with department leaders.

The meeting closed with staff directed to continue committee work to draft policy and notice language, inventory county data processes, and return to the commission with recommended organization and formal policy language. The work session adjourned at 10:44 a.m.