Commission talks fiber internet, water adjudication

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County commission discussed fiber internet connections, water adjudication in the east part of the county, and approved funds for smoking prevention campaigns at their latest meeting.
Members of the county commission approved a letter of support for Emery Telecom’s efforts to expand fiber with ReConnect funding through USDA Rural Development at the April 2 meeting.
County commissioners approved the letter to support the company’s efforts to receive funds to expand fiber connections to rural portions of the county including the Eastland and Ucolo area.
Speaking at the meeting Emery Telcom Chief Operating Officer Jared Anderson reported on the company’s work over the past few years bringing fiber connection options throughout the county.
Anderson shared that building out to and connecting to the 100 homes they’ve targeted in Ucolo and Eastland could cost as much as $50,000 to $60,000 to connect.
“A typical home that’s say right in the core of Blanding or Monticello, that’s going to cost us more like $3,000. We can eventually make our money back on that, but these require grant funding to make sense of.”
Anderson explained a letter of support from the county will help the scoring on the grant application for the funding.
Anderson also shared they’re built out to Bluff and Mexican Hat with connections to medical facilities and schools in Montezuma Creek and Monument Valley. 
Anderson did share they’re working on permits for Westwater, Halchita and Navajo Mountain, as they have chapter resolutions in support of their efforts, and also noted that Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) has been helpful as well.
Speaking of Halchita, Anderson said they have federal funding and could complete the connection in two months but are still working on a permitting process.
Members of the commission unanimously approved the letter of support to help the company’s effort to receive grants to expand fiber access in the county. The letter reads in part:
“Reliable, high-speed internet provides residents of rural communities and our neighbors with opportunities we may not have access to. It allows for economic development and individuals to overcome potential barriers and accessibility issues faced by the absence of the Internet.”
Members of the county commission also heard a report on general water rights adjudication in the county.
Representatives from the Utah Division of Water Rights presented to the county commission regarding the water adjudication process that is underway in the county.
The process secures water rights by cleaning up the state books with a judicial decree. That decree defines existing water rights, quantifies historic rights and removes abandoned rights from the record. 
Some areas in northern San Juan County have already been included as the division worked in Grand county and parts of northern San Juan County, the division is also actively adjudicating water rights on the Navajo Nation as part of the Navajo Utah water rights settlement.
Division Regional Engineer Marc Stilson explained some of the background and upcoming steps of adjudication to the county commission; a similar presentation was given to the Monticello City council the week previous.
The division is currently in the beginning stages of notifying property owners and water rights owners in the Eastland/Ucola area of the process.
Stilson explained the division is committed to protecting water rights.
“We want to help water users protect their water rights. When a general adjudication is done and decreed, that provides an added layer of protection. We recognize that some water rights are going to be forfeited through the process because they’ve been abandoned through the years. But anybody who is still using water, or still has an interest in using water, talk to us because we can help you protect your water rights.”
The process includes a water right summons being sent to water rights and property owners in the designated area with instructions on how to file water user claims. Division staff will be available to answer questions regarding the claims and will hold a public meeting later this spring to answer questions.
The process will repeat itself in different areas in the county over the coming years including Monticello and Blanding.
Members of the commission also approved a letter of support for an application for funding by the Off-Highway Vehicle group Ride with Respect. County Public Lands Coordinator Nick Sandberg explained the group is applying for a state grant to aid in review and comments on the Bears Ears National Monument land management draft plan. 
The group is applying for a grant through the Division of Outdoor Recreation part of the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
Commissioners unanimously approved the letter in support of the application the letter reads in part,
“Most recently the County benefited from Ride with Respect’s (RWR) input to County comments on the draft Manti-LaSal Forest Management Plan. We expect that RwR will have comments on the draft Bears Ears Monument Plan that will also be useful and complementary to County comments.”
Members of the county commission also approved the award of funds towards two county entities to prevent E-Cigarette, tobacco and drug use by San Juan County teens.
The state program provides funds for prevention programs. The county public health department reviewed applications for the programs and presented two awards to the commission for approval. The county awarded $36,500 to Albert R. Lyman Middle School in Blanding, and $25,000 to the Hozho ‘go Iina 365 Program of the Utah Navajo Health System.
Commissioner also approved a contract with a marketing company to advertise the cancer screening program for former residents of Monticello. A recently resurrected federal program pays for cancer screenings for those who lived, worked or went to school in Monticello between 1941 and 2002 related to the government operated uranium mill. The unsafe practices of the 20th century left an increased risk for Monticello residents to develop cancers.
While the county has made efforts to make locals aware of the free cancer screening program, the marketing is intended to target those who no longer reside in the area to make them aware of the screening program. 
Commissioners also approved a letter advocating for extension of the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. The act is intended to provide stable revenue sources for counties with federal lands who don’t receive traditional income, the act is set to expire.