Commissioners approve MOUs, pandemic relief agreement

Sheila McGuire, Herald Reporter
Posted 4/14/21

Uinta County Commission meeting coverage

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Commissioners approve MOUs, pandemic relief agreement

Posted

EVANSTON — Although there were several items on the agenda, it was a fairly brief meeting for the Uinta County Commissioners on Tuesday, April 6, as most of the items were for routine items such as approvals of annual grants.

Uinta County Public Health Nurse Manager Kim Proffit, who asked to be allowed to present first, requested approval of an amendment to a memorandum of understanding with the Wyoming Department of Health for maternal and child health services. The amendment decreased the amount of funding by about $10,000 to approximately $111,000 due to budget cuts at the state level. Proffit said she did not believe the decreased amount would negatively impact service provision at this time.

Proffit also requested approval of an agreement with WDH for $9,600 for the appointed county health officer to provide support to public health for a term from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. Proffit said this was an annual preparedness and response contract that sets forth the terms and conditions for the public health officer to provide that support. Both of Proffit’s requests were approved.

Next on the agenda, Mark Tesoro, president of Southwest Wyoming Off-road Trails (SWOT)a, requested approval of a memorandum of understanding with the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources to formally enroll previously-designated routes and trails into the state’s Off-road Recreational Vehicle Trails Program. Tesoro, who is publisher of the Herald, said the SWOT project is coming along nicely and the group is working with the Wyoming Department of Transportation on connecting some of the trails and has also submitted paperwork to become an official 501c3 nonprofit organization.

After approving the SWOT MOU, commissioners approved an Airport Coronavirus Relief Grant Program agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration for $9,000 to provide funding for eligible costs incurred at the Evanston airport. Gary Welling, with the airport joint powers board, said the $9,000 would be in addition to approximately $30,000 received last year in COVID-19 relief funding for the airport. Welling said the funds are 100% from the grant and there is no county match required.

Commissioners also approved the annual Wildland Fire Management Operating Plan between the county and the Bureau of Land Management, detailing the cooperation and responsibilities of various agencies in responding to wildfires, as well as a highway safety grant from the Wyoming Department of Transportation Highway Safety Program for $5,500 to enforce seatbelt usage.

County planner Kent Williams presented plans for a new seven-plot subdivision just outside the Lyman city limits, with access from County Road 251. Property owner Kate Lamberti spoke in favor of resolutions to change the zoning in the area from agricultural/resource/development to residential and the approval of the subdivision. Commissioners voted to approve the development.

Finally, commissioners also approved a lease agreement with Vector Disease Control International, the company the county has opted to contract with to provide mosquito abatement, for use of shop space near the old Evanston landfill. The company will be leasing the shop space to set up operations for $1,350 per month through June 30, 2022.