San Juan Commission talks Public Safety Building, ‘Christmas Gift’

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission discussed a large unexpected sum of money, road maintainence and the public safety building at their latest meeting.
At the October 4 meeting, the commission learned about the receipt of $8.69 million from the federal government as a result of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act.
County Administrator Mack McDonald explained the $8 million in Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds can be used for any governmental purpose other than lobbying activities.
“I guess it’s Christmas time and we received a Christmas present and we have to figure out how to spend it.”
The funds come from a section of the $2 billion ARPA act that determines the eligibility of counties for the funds based on a negative revenue impact due to implementation or changes to a federal program.
San Juan Counties' eligibility for the $8 million is based on underfunding of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program or PILT.
Under PILT the Department of the Interior provides annual payments to counties for “entitlement lands” including BLM-managed land, national parks, and national forests.
Constrained funding between 2005 and 2018 has resulted in prorated reductions to the amounts paid to PILT recipients. McDonald said he spent time trying to find additional strings attached to the funding but couldn’t find anything.
“To me all I can find in here is they’re pushing this money out the door to help. We’re one of those counties that definitely need the help.”
While CARES act funds had specific guidelines for the funds, the only guidelines for these funds are that they not be used for lobbying activities, with annual reporting required for any spending of the funds.
McDonald reported with so many uses available for the funds the county will return to the commission with a strategy on how to spend the funds when the time comes.
At the meeting, the commission also approved to continue its agreement for road maintenance with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
County Road Department Director TJ Adair reported the six-year agreement with the BIA expired on September 30.
Adair reports the new agreement is the same except for a 24-percent increase in the proposed price that the BIA will pay the county for maintenance of its roads. Options exist to renew or modify the agreement each year.
The agreement includes maintenance for 128.51 miles of BIA roads located in San Juan County. Including 44.41 miles of roads in the Western Navajo Agency and 84.1 miles in the Northern Navajo Agency.
Commissioner Bruce Adams also took time to thank Adair for his work monitoring flooding conditions in Spanish Valley overnight on October 2.
Also during the county commission meeting, a public hearing was held for the approval of a $26 million request from the Permanent Community Impact Fund Board (CIB) for a remodel and expansion of the county public safety building.
McDonald explained that in 2021, the county used Federal CARES funds to commission a feasibility study for a remodel and expansion of the public safety building at 297 S Main Street in Monticello.
While original estimates placed construction and remodel costs at $17.98 million in January 2021, rising costs and inflation have pushed the estimate to $26.05 million.
Issues highlighted as part of the study include the lack of proper divides between male and female populations at the jail with just a drape between the areas providing for privacy.
Additional health concerns exist as the building’s systems have gone beyond their life expectancy including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and control systems. Additionally, the facility, built in 1987, lacks an isolated medical unit. Other concerns include the safety of the courts currently housed in the building.
The proposed facility would address those needs and expand the capacity to house inmates.
In addition to needs at the facility, McDonald outlined opportunities as well. San Juan County is one of two jails in Utah to offer a Sex Offender Therapy program. Utah pays the county $53.93 per day for each inmate housed and $13.85 for each of the inmates that participate in therapy. With additional beds as part of the remodel it’s anticipated that with an average of 74 inmates per day and 62 in active therapy the program revenue would reach $1.77 million.
In addition to State programs, the county has been approached by the Federal Court System about housing four-corner inmates currently in Denver. The county projects a potential revenue of $2.58 million between the federal and state programs.
The application to the CIB will likely result in an offer of a long-term loan. McDonald reports that a 30-year loan at a three-percent interest rate would result in an annual payment of $1.33 million, which should be covered by the revenue from programs in the building.
The commission unanimously passed the funding request to the CIB.
The commission also approved an overnight overlay for a property in Spanish Valley just off Highway 191.
The proposed development includes 12 units for nightly rentals and 5 commercial units. As well as 8 RV spots on a neighboring lot. Members of the County Commission also acted as the board of equalization at their latest meeting.
During the board of equalization, the commission approved low-income abatements for 22 properties including three veterans.
The board also approved 70 changes to the values of properties in the county. 28 property owners saw their values changed to correct errors from the county software systems
The remaining 42 approved changes were recommended by Judge Randy Kelly following hearings held at the end of August.
County Assessor Rick Meyer reported in all the changes dropped county values by about $8 million.
The commission also accepted an invitation to participate as a cooperating agency for a proposed Emery County land exchange.
The John Dingell Act’s land exchange does not take any acreage managed by the State Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) out of San Juan County but the proposed exchange would see 1,380 acres currently managed by the BLM become SITLA-managed.
The proposed exchange would be one large block in northern San Juan County. The area mostly encompasses the hill on highway 191 leading into Spanish Valley.
Members of the commission also heard reports regarding mine mitigation efforts happening in northern San Juan County.
Remediation efforts are planned at two locations in Lisbon Valley south of La Sal at sites named the Radon Mine off Hecla road and the Columbia Shaft off of Homestake Spur
The projects began on October 10 and are planned to be wrapped up by the end of 2022.