County gets large EMS grant, approves purchases for road department

Members of the San Juan County Commission spoke about community efforts related to flood relief, learned of a large EMS grant and approved items for the road department at their latest meeting.

Members of the San Juan County Commission approved a formal ratification of a local emergency declaration in response to flooding across the county at the November 10 meeting.

The order aligns the county with parallel declarations issued by the state, Navajo Nation and Town of Bluff.

At the meeting commissioners also offered their praise and support for cooperation in the county.

Commissioner Silvia Stubbs thanked residents and local partners who stepped up during recent flood devastation, noting stories of assistance for those with damaged homes, displaced animals and sharing of goods to impacted community members.

Commissioner Lori Maughan also gave a shout-out to county employees, department heads and residents who logged long hours and provided in-person support to help neighbors impacted by the recent flooding.

Commissioner Stubbs also shared that county contractors have finalized agreements for a temporary bypass routing and eventual structural repairs on the damaged Comb Wash Bridge.

Road Department Director Todd Adair also presented and received authorization to purchase culverts for several county maintained roads. 

Adair shared that the heavy runoff caused major washouts from Spanish Valley down to the state line. The county approved up to $100,000 in purchases.

The commission also approved two heavy-machinery purchased for the road department including $245,000 for a Cat soil compactor to replace an obsolete roller. 

The purchase was covered through surplus federal fire reimbursements earned from county road work.

The commission also approved a Cat Motor Grader for $205,000. That purchase was made as the county exercised an option on a lease.

County officials got huge news from the Emergency Medical Services Department. 

Director Jeremy Hoggard shared that the county had been awarded a $397,000 grant through the Rural Health Transformation program.

A total of $12.5 million from federal funds were set aside for EMS services in Utah. Hoggard shared that “Lots of my friends on the rural EMS side were denied... so we feel extremely fortunate that we were able to get this funding,"

The county grant will be used for two items including a $236,000 purchase of a 30-foot enclosed simulation trailer. 

The solar-powered mobile unit includes an exact replication of an ambulance interior to provide hands-on CPR, first-aid and clinical simulation training for county staff, as well as local high school health students. 

The trailer can also double as a command post for emergency situations in the county.

$55,000 of the grant will also be applied to a heavy-duty quick response vehicle. Built on a one-ton chassis with an off-road leveling package and a custom medical storage bed. 

The vehicle can help respond to remote situations in the rural county in areas where standard ambulances cannot travel.

Members of the county commission also accepted an invitation from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to act as a cooperating agency in the development of Southern Utah Resource Management Plans. 

Members of the commission accepted the invitation and designated Public Lands Director Nick Sandberg to represent the county on the board while retaining final signatory authority with the county commission.

Members of the commission also got an update from County Facilities Manager Sam Long the awaited Public Safety Building Redesign.

The commission approved a modification with the project architects. The architectural changes will lower total construction costs are are fully covered by the state Community Impact Board (CIB) funding. Groundbreaking for the Public Safety building has been targeted for April 2027.

Members of the commission also accepted an agreement with the state department of health to support pediatric autism diagnostic clinics and also joined a class-action opioid settlement with Albertsons grocery stores. 

The settlement payouts will be used to continue to fund local jail substance abuse counseling, post-treatment support groups and free Naxolone kits, with officials noting those kits have achieved three overdose reversals in the county this year.