Duchesne County closes public hearing after broad local support for Uinta Basin Railway bond request

Duchesne County commissioners held a public hearing to gather comment on a request to allocate private activity bonds to help finance the Uinta Basin Railway, and after several public statements in favor of the project the commission closed the hearing without taking action.

Tim Stratton, bond counsel for the Seventh County Infrastructure Coalition, told the commission the hearing fulfilled a public-notice requirement in IRS tax regulations for tax-exempt private activity bonds and that “No action is taken today.” He confirmed published notices met IRS requirements and said the county would be asked to approve the bond issuance at a subsequent meeting.

Why it matters: supporters say the railway would reduce long-haul truck traffic, expand markets for regional agriculture and natural-resource industries, and unlock private and public investment that could spur manufacturing and higher-paying jobs in the Uinta Basin.

Multiple speakers urged the county to back the allocation. Irene Hansen, speaking as a private citizen from Roosevelt, told commissioners she had worked in local economic development and called the project timely. “The stars are aligned,” she said, urging the commission to be courageous in supporting the plan. Commissioner LaVida, addressing the chamber from the dais, said she supports the project and described rail’s historic and potential future economic role for the region.

A written statement from Reg Johnson, director of the Utah Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, was read into the record. The letter said state coordination with federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Surface Transportation Board has helped the coalition navigate federal permitting challenges, and it noted the coalition’s financing plan includes a commitment of up to $2,400,000,000 in bonds. The statement said, “This project is expected to create thousands of high paying construction jobs.”

Local business and government representatives also spoke in favor. Steve Rogers, director of public relations for Patriot Engineering, said the railway would be “a big boon for all of us,” citing safety and environmental advantages over truck traffic on Highway 40. Greg Buxton, principal engineer for Patriot Engineering, reiterated support for the project, and a Roosevelt City representative said the city backed the expansion into the Price area.

After public testimony, Commissioner Billing moved to close the public hearing; Commissioner John Gallows seconded. The transcript records four “Aye” responses and no recorded “No” votes. The commission took no further action at the meeting; Stratton said the county’s formal approval of the bond issuance would be requested at a subsequent meeting.

What’s next: the commission will be asked at a later meeting to act on the formal authorization to proceed with issuance of private activity bonds for the project. No date for that vote was provided in the recorded hearing.

Reported speech and attributions in this article come from hearing remarks and a written statement read into the record during the Duchesne County public hearing on private activity bonds for the Uinta Basin Railway.