The Commission met at 2:00 p.m. in the School Board Room at the Kanab Center on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Commissioners Heaton, Kubeja, and Meyeres were in attendance.
Commissioner Heaton noted for the record that all commission meetings going forward would be at this time and location due to construction at the county courthouse, adding that meetings will need to be kept to 2 hours to accommodate the county school board, which meets at 4:00 p.m. The dates of upcoming commission meetings are unchanged. Members of the public who wish to be kept up to date on commission meeting details, including agendas, locations, times, minutes, and recordings, are encouraged to visit Utah’s Public Notice Website at https://utah.gov/pmn/.
The meeting was called to order at 2:01 p.m. Commissioner Meyeres provided the invocation and Commissioner Kubeja led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance.
About twenty members of the public attended the meeting. Seven stood up to speak during the public comment period, which lasted just over 10 minutes. Three of those expressed their opposition to the Willow Creek PUD, one lauded the food service provided to local seniors, and the rest commented on the SITLA agenda items, noted below.
After approving consent items, the commission addressed the regular agenda. The commissioners agreed to take items out of order to accommodate for time.
After discussion, Public Lands Director Taylor Glover was directed to explore solutions for orphaned sections of county road belonging to SITLA. Next, Commissioner Meyeres presented on commission letters of support for Community Project Funding requests. The commission also voted to support additional changes to the courthouse main entrance during construction, as well as continued efforts to provide an effective food delivery solution for the county’s active living centers.
Dusty Reese and Chris Heaton of the Kane County Farm Bureau updated the commission on the bureau’s recent work, and five new members were appointed to the Kane County Economic Development Board, including Kevin Barnes, Mitch Stadtlander, Boyd Corry, Joseph Sorensen, and David W. Schmuker, with terms ending on 12/31/2024.
Additional items on the agenda included:
Two zone changes unanimously recommended by the County Planning Commission
Discussion of initiation of the standard periodic review of the Kane County General Plan by Land Use Administrator Shannon McBride
A discussion of zoning terminology in regards to SITLA-owned land
A parking arrangement with the elementary school during courthouse construction
A resolution authorizing the temporary closure of certain county roads due to high snowpack, and
Undertaking a contract with Greg Hughes to act as Policy Advisor for the Commission.
Regarding the item above, Commissioner Meyeres commented, “Greg Hughes has helped Washington County and the Sheriff’s Association, and we’ve seen those two entities have successes,” noting that Mr. Hughes cares deeply about Kane County, has met with the commission and local residents, and will provide a connection with state decision makers that will benefit the county.
Several agenda items were tabled due to time. It’s clear that adjusting to the new location and schedule constraints will take some getting used to as the commissioners work to meet their mandate during the courthouse construction project.
The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn at 4:02 p.m. The motion carried unanimously.
Kane County Commission meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 2:00 p.m. in the School Board Room at the Kanab Center.
