EVANSTON — Three additional items were approved to be added to the Uinta County Commission agenda at the start of the meeting on Aug. 3. Added to the agenda were: Melissa Hintz with a complaint concerning a Fair Board decision; Barney Brisko, County Road & Bridge with a contract; and J-U-B Engineering with a contract for the Fort Bridger Airport.

Fred Coles with Wasatch Engineering was first on the original agenda. Coles stated that Flying M Ranching has surface water rights to the KT subdivision property and wants to assign those rights to Uinta County. Coles asked the Commission to pass a Resolution to transfer the 32 acres of surface water rights, approximately one-half cubic foot of water per acre, in the subdivision over to the county and he would continue to work with Uinta County Attorney Loretta Howieson-Kallas to complete the paperwork  The resolution was approved.

County Treasurer Lori Perkins asked the commission to sign a letter of approval for the assessed mill levies for  tax year 2021; that was approved.

First on the amended agenda was Melissa Hintz, representing her three children who were enrolled in the Youth Agricultural Program (YAP). Hintz asked the commission to overturn a decision by the Uinta County Fair Board, which had disqualified her children from showing their sheep in the market class and livestock sale.

“My kids have kept their sheep at the fairgrounds all summer with the YAP program and we have never had a problem with the fair board before. My kids were told that because they didn’t have two ear tags by June 1, they were disqualified. Four other families did not have two ear tags by June 1, and they were not disqualified,” Hintz said.

Hintz said their sheep had met all of the requirements in the rule book; vet checks, weight limit, and an ear tag. She told the commission that the rule book does not specify how many tags, it only says sheep must have an ear tag. Hintz said two other families were admitted without tags after her children were disqualified and she felt that was unfair. She said a fair board representative told her children they could still show their sheep in the “show class” but the kids wanted to sell them, and if they can’t put them in the market show it is difficult to sell the sheep. 

Commissioner Mark Anderson said the rules should be the same for everyone. He made a motion to overturn the fair board’s disqualification of the Hintz children.

“In appearance, the fair board is just trying to do their job,” Commissioner Brent Hatch said, “and sometimes kids are caught in the middle. The rules have always been the same.”

Hintz said the rule book does not require two ear tags and she felt her children had been treated unfairly.

Anderson said he agreed.

“The children should be treated fairly,” He said. “The fair board should check every person involved on June 1.”

Commission Chair Eric South gave a second to Anderson’s motion and called for a vote. All commissioners voted yes to overturn the fair board’s decision.

Barney Brisko with the county’s road and bridge department asked the commission to approve the contract with Wall Contractors for abutments for the bridge on county road 274. He said he would have County Attorney Loretta Howieson-Kallas do a final review on it. The commission approved the contract pending the county attorney’s approval.

Last of the added items was the Fort Bridger Airport improvements. Airport project engineer, Kimberly Silvester with J-U-B Engineers presented the contract with Straight Stripe Painting for seal coat and runway striping.

“We started work on the airport this morning and just need your signatures on the contract that was already approved on May 4,” Silvester said.

The commission approved the signing of the contract with Straight Stripe Painting.