Commissioners urge early ballot return and warn of regional drought; Crofts calls Great Salt Lake "in a state of crisis"

In closing remarks at the June 16 meeting, Commissioner Lorene Kamalu urged voters to ensure mail‑in ballots are physically received by Election Day and recommended using secure dropboxes or mailing early. "Mail‑in ballots must be physically received by Election Day regardless of when they were mailed," Kamalu told the Commission, and she pointed to a convenient ballot dropbox location in Farmington.

Kamalu also summarized a recent Council of Governments meeting attended by mayors and commissioners. She said the Weber Basin Conservancy District is implementing a Level 3 moderate drought response that requires a 20% reduction in water contracts, noted irrigation started late in mid‑May and is expected to shut down early, and promoted pilot programs for warm‑season grasses (hybrid Bermuda) that use 60%–70% less water than Kentucky bluegrass.

Chair John Crofts recounted an airboat tour of the Great Salt Lake with experts and described the lake as "in a state of crisis," asking the Commission and public to "trust experts and scientific models regarding climate variability and the drought." He said three out of four climate models offer hope for saving the lake but emphasized the need for regional cooperation and mitigation.

The Commission did not take formal action on drought items at this meeting, but members noted ongoing efforts to secure state and federal support for regional water projects such as Bear River and White Valley Reservoirs and said legislative attention to the Great Salt Lake makes funding more difficult to secure in the current session.