Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Millard County signs cooperator wildfire participation agreement, with staff to define roles
Summary
The commission approved joining the state's cooperator wildfire system after staff and the acting fire warden outlined in-kind mitigation options and reporting requirements; county attorney flagged contract wording that could create separate obligations for counties and fire districts.
The Millard County Commission approved participation in a state cooperator wildfire commitment after a presentation from Copeland Anderson, acting fire warden, and a legal review of contract language.
Anderson described how the participation commitment works and emphasized the county has met recent match obligations with in-kind mitigation such as tamarisk removal, fuels reduction, and equipment purchases. He said the county used FEMA rates to account for volunteer and landowner work and that past years' obligations have been met largely through mitigation and in-kind projects, not cash payments. "Any mitigation, prevention or education can count as in-kind," he said, listing examples including landowner tamarisk removal and public education at schools.
County counsel raised a substantive drafting concern: the agreement's current wording can be interpreted as creating independent obligations for the county and for fire districts, rather than a jointly administered commitment. Counsel noted the —four corners— principle of contract interpretation and warned the written language controls regardless of prior conversations. Commissioners weighed that legal risk against the possibility of very large wildfire-related liabilities if the county did not participate.
After questions about whether the participation commitment can be met entirely through in-kind work and what qualifies, the commission moved to approve the cooperator wildfire agreement. Commissioners directed staff to sit down with the fire district to clarify which obligations each party will meet and to document responsibilities so reporting and training requirements are assigned without gaps.
The motion passed by voice vote. Staff said they will follow up with the attorney-general's office and the fire district to seek clarifying language where possible and to assemble an implementation plan for reporting, training and eligible in-kind activities.
