Blanding city adopts fire plan and economic blueprints

Members of the Blanding city council discussed the Blanding Legacy Trust Fund and adopted plans for economic development and fire protections at their latest meeting.
Members of the Blanding city council passed two resolutions at their December 9 meeting.
One resolution approved the Rural Economic Development Plan or blueprint.
The resolution enables the formation of a committee to prioritize and implement projects identified in the plan.
Among the identified goals include a focus on economic diversification, workforce development, infrastructure improvement, quality of life enhancements, and long-term implementation.
The blueprint should also strengthen the city’s eligibility for state and federal funding and was developed with the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity.
Another resolution adopted the community wildfire preparedness plan.
The five-year agreement focuses on fire mitigation plans as well as safety efforts. City fire chief Corey Spillman explained the plan includes focusing on thinning vegetation and creating fire breaks including a 60-foot wide break lining the city water supply in reservoirs to prevent rapid fire spread.
City staff added that having a successful plan in place saves the city dollars. The Westwater Canyon fire in June of this year was noted as an example. With the city having the plan in place they avoided paying nearly $100,000 for state and federal assistance on the 20-acre fire.
Members of the city council also held a discussion regarding the Blanding Legacy Trust Fund, and how the city wants to relate to the fund moving forward.
City manager Pratt Redd reported that the city aids in fundraising for the trust. City residents are able to opt in to pay to the fund every month as part of their utility bill. Redd reports that check is around $500 a year to the fund.
City council members raised the question if the city should remain involved with the trust which acts as a separate nonprofit.
Concerns related to transparency of the trusts work, with the city’s name tied to the project in many ways concerns persist in how the city relates to the trust.
Options the city proposed includes divorcing itself from its relationship with the trust, dissolving the trust with the estimated $160,000 in assets returned to the city per the organizations bylaws. A final preferred option was to continue the relationship with the trust with a renewed effort to follow bylaws.
City council members recognized the benefits of the trust but noted issues they want to see addressed in order to continue the relationship.
City concerns related to the city’s perception of a lack of transparency including insufficient minutes, agendas, and a failure to follow bylaws regarding board appointments and regular meetings.
Speaking for the trust, Hosler disagreed with the city’s interpretation of the bylaws. Hosler explained the organization was intentionally set up as a separate 501c3 nonprofit to allow it to function independently of city law and regulation. Hosler maintained the city does not have the authority to dissolve the trust, asserting that the trust board would need to vote to terminate the trust.
Hosler reported on recent work of the trust including a $2,000 donation for the Swallows Nest repairs and $4,000 for the Veterans Memorial. The trust also held a vote to reinvest the funds into the stock market to promote growth.
City council agreed to a remediation plan rather than a dissolution, setting a three-month timeline for the trust to achieve compliance to city requests.
Steps include completing the five-person board and reworking the bylaws to ensure adherence to meeting frequency and providing quarterly reporting to the council. Additionally the council asked for a long-term outlook of goals for the trust moving forward.
In other news the city council tabled a contribution of $5,000 towards a regional cloud seeding effort. While the majority of the project is funded by the state to cloud seed in the La Sal and Abajo mountains members of the Blanding city council remain skeptical of the program. Arguing that the success of the project is difficult to measure and shared that the funds may likely be better spent on other long-term water infrastructure projects such as working on the reservoir dam or deep water wells.
At the meeting the council also held a public hearing for a community development block grant CDBG. The federally funded program is administered by the state and can be ued for public works construction, fire safety equipment, housing rehab projects, land purchase and other items. A first public hearing was held at the December 9 meeting with no comments and a plan for a second public comment period to be held at a future meeting.
Members of the city council also received a report from public works that annual precipitation levels are trending well above the median for the year. The city police report shared that two recruits have begun the academy but the department is currently operating “bare bones” due to current staffing shortages. In city airport news it was reported the new fuel system and wildlife fencing projects are nearly finished.
At the meeting city staff and council members honored and recognized the service of departing council members Cheryl Bowers and Eric Grover.