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Granite County approves $30,000 match to revive dam repair grant application
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Summary
The county voted to commit a $30,000 local match to support a reapplication for a DNRC RRG grant to repair concrete outlets and test steel conduits at a local dam; consultants said the match would improve the grant's competitiveness and staff will add signature pages to next week's agenda.
The Granite County Board of Commissioners voted to commit $30,000 as a local match to revive a Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) River Restoration and Grant (RRG) application to repair outlet concrete and test submerged steel conduits at a county dam.
Consultant Jeremiah Thais, representing Great Western Iron, told the commission the county had applied in 2024 for up to $125,000 but the request had been removed from a prior funding bill because the county did not have a completed match at that time. "We applied in 2024 ... but it was struck out ... Was not a requirement. We just requested a 125,000 for the work. But they decided ... it didn't get funded," Thais said, and recommended a $30,000 local commitment to strengthen the reapplication.
Thais described the proposed work as concrete repairs to an outlet, a sediment-trap and outlet drain for monitoring, and diver testing of two 30-inch steel conduits to evaluate steel thickness and possible suction loss. He said DNRC's new rules favor applications with a higher match percentage of the applicant's operating budget and asked the commission to indicate a match commitment now, with contract work to take place if and when funds are awarded.
County staff provided background on the hydroelectric fund's recent revenue (about $48,008.29 year to date) and operating pressures. Commissioners acknowledged the county's limited cash on hand but said the commitment is a preliminary step in the application process; contracting and expenditures would occur in later fiscal years if the grant is awarded. One commissioner noted the grant would not be contracted until after the legislature and budget processes move it forward.
The board voted to approve the $30,000 match commitment and asked staff to include the signature page on a future agenda for formal execution. The consultant said the application will proceed through the usual DNRC ranking and legislative appropriation cycle, and that the county has time to plug the match into its budget ahead of contracting.
Next steps: staff will prepare the matching-language documents and submit the RRG reapplication; the county will provide a PDF of operating-budget figures as requested by the consultant for the grant packet.
