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Tri County Health briefs Daggett commissioners on funding, prevention grants and local public‑health challenges
Summary
Tri County Health told Daggett County commissioners its revenue is driven largely by federal grants passed through the state, highlighted a roughly $100,000 annual tobacco‑prevention pass‑through for schools, warned of staffing cuts after a COVID‑era peak in 2021, and discussed local constraints on septic systems and water infrastructure that affect development at Taylor Flats.
Tri County Health Department representatives presented their annual report to the Daggett County Commission on a range of public‑health topics, detailing revenue sources, prevention programs and barriers to local development posed by water and wastewater rules.
Kurt, a Tri County Health representative, told the commissioners the department ‘‘has to report annually our finances’’ under the interlocal agreement and state law and that ‘‘our revenue is primarily federal grants that are passed through through the state,’’ supplemented by charges for services, some state grants and county contributions under the local agreement. He said salaries and benefits are the department’s largest expense.
The presentation highlighted a small grant program for tobacco prevention: ‘‘Most years, we’re able to offer about a $100,000 in small grants for local entities’’ to support evidence‑based, measurable school programs such as the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) initiative; students who participate may receive scholarships and are encouraged to engage with legislators or local officials about prevention work.
Kurt warned of uncertainty in federal funding and said Tri County ‘‘hit our peak staff in 2021 in response to COVID’’ and has been holding positions vacant through attrition as it prepares for possible federal funding changes. He described core services—nursing, emergency preparedness, health promotion and environmental health—and invited questions about local needs, including home‑health services.
On clinical and prevention priorities, Kurt said unintentional injuries (including drug overdoses), suicide and teen pregnancy are leading causes of death for younger residents in the district. He said the Tri County area has trended near the top of statewide rankings for these metrics: overdose rates were highest in 2022 and appeared lower in 2023–24, and teen pregnancy has been consistently high in the district over recent years. He cautioned that Daggett County’s small population makes county‑level statistical comparisons difficult: many analyses combine the three counties in the health district to produce meaningful rates.
Commissioners and Tri County staff also discussed environmental‑health constraints that affect development. In response to a question about new on‑site wastewater technologies, an agency staff speaker (Speaker 4) explained manufacturers must be reviewed by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and added to state administrative rules before local permitting and certification can follow. The staff speaker said the state rule is the standard Tri County uses and that alternative systems often require separate certification for installers.
Participants said setbacks and well‑protection zones are major development limitations. Speakers described a commonly cited ‘‘six lots’’ guideline as a rule of thumb rather than a formal regulation, and said many local lots are roughly 100 feet by 100 feet (about a quarter acre), which constrains where wells and septic systems can be placed. Shared potable water systems and consolidated wastewater facilities would ease those constraints for large projects such as Taylor Flats (roughly 900 lots), but require planning, property‑owner coordination and funding.
Speakers cautioned that many smaller, footprint‑reducing wastewater technologies entail higher initial costs and ongoing maintenance (pumps, filters, electricity), and some solutions such as mounds are expensive despite reducing footprint. Commissioners discussed possible funding avenues; one commissioner noted a placeholder for culinary water on the county’s 2–5 year CIB list and said it could be moved into the 1‑year list with justification.
The meeting recessed at 10:18 so the commission could conduct municipal building authority business. Tri County representatives said they are available to partner on local solutions, including education for property owners about options and possible assistance in pursuing funding or feasibility work.
