Daniel council opens dialogue on Staker Parsons land offer and trailer‑park water hookup; funding questions remain

Council members on April 7 discussed several water‑system items, including a land offer from Staker Parsons that could provide in‑kind value for future water infrastructure, and a separate petition by a trailer‑park owner seeking a town water hookup.

Councilmembers said Staker Parsons indicated it would dedicate roughly an acre across the highway from the town well as part of potential grant applications and expected some form of tax‑credit or in‑kind recognition. Town members said they had not made any commitments, noted they have no current funding to build large elements (storage tanks, pump houses, transmission), and asked staff to tell Staker Parsons whether the town wishes to open formal discussions; the council directed staff to express interest in dialogue but stated the town cannot commit to construction absent grant or matching funds.

Members discussed rough cost orders from prior planning work: a prior estimate for a 350,000‑gallon tank was about $550,000 (several years old) and full system upgrades (storage, transmission, line replacements and interconnection) had been sized in earlier studies at roughly multi‑million dollar levels; council members stressed those earlier figures are dated and that detailed engineering and updated cost estimates are required.

Separately, the town reviewed a request from a small trailer park to connect to town water. Staff said the park’s water right appears to be a lease from Central Utah Water (about 3.4 acre‑feet reported) and that the Division of Drinking Water’s grant structure for the proposed project had been premised on individual meters — complicating a simple single‑meter approach the town had earlier considered. Councilors debated whether to accept a leased right (and a recurring ~$800 annual lease obligation), press Central Utah Project for a gift of water to a public entity, or require the owner to shoulder ongoing costs; several council members opposed the town taking a long‑term lease obligation without stronger assurances.

Council asked staff to pursue follow‑up steps: (1) tell Staker Parsons the council is interested in opening dialogue but cannot commit funds without clearer financial commitments and (2) pursue whether Central Utah Project could transfer or gift water rights to the town or what purchase terms would be. Council also directed staff to bring updated water‑rate options and a public hearing schedule to discuss rate changes that would allow the town to finance longer‑term projects.