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COSAC discusses letters and outreach to landowners after county attorney flags equity concerns
Summary
Staff updated COSAC on a proposed mail/notice strategy for landowners in gateway areas; the county attorney recommended broader geographic targeting and an open workshop to avoid equity/ex parte problems, and members discussed postcards, budget and piloting the outreach in Sardine Canyon.
Cache County staff told the Open Space Advisory Committee on March 3 that the county attorney reviewed a draft letter to certain landowners and advised against singling out individual parcels. The attorney recommended targeting all landowners within identified gateway polygons and pairing any mailed notice with a publicly advertised workshop or open house to reduce equity and ex parte concerns.
Angie, introduced in the meeting as the interim director of development services, and staff explained that targeting by polygon rather than by parcel would apply to all landowners within the gateway area regardless of parcel size. Staff and committee members discussed cost tradeoffs between full letters and cheaper postcards with a QR code linking to materials. One committee member suggested piloting the approach in Sardine Canyon, which would limit the initial mailings to a few dozen addresses.
Committee members also proposed bringing a brief presentation and a small budget request to the county council so councilmembers can provide buy‑in before county staff expend funds on mailings. Staff said existing county planning budgets may cover an initial mailer and emphasized the value of clear explanatory materials so property owners understand conservation easements and how to access program funds.
Next steps: staff will refine outreach options (postcard vs. letter, pilot area such as Sardine Canyon), prepare materials for county council consideration, and consider an open workshop format to present the program and answer property owner questions.
