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We're going to begin with an opening

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prayer, and that prayer is going to be

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offered by Reverend Buddy Harrington of

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the Shepherd of the Hills United

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Methodist Church. Reverend Harrington.

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» Thank you.

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» [clears throat]

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» Will you please bow in prayer with me?

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Heavenly Father, we come before you with

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gratitude for all the blessings you have

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given us.

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We're thankful for the place in which we

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live, work, and share with our families

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in this great nation, and especially in

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Southern Utah.

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Please strengthen the bonds between us

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as neighbors, friends, and family.

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Help us to be filled with faith as were

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so many of our ancestors.

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Help us to put our trust in your

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guidance, even among hardships and the

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uncertainty.

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Sometimes we cannot see the whole

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picture,

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but we know you can.

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We need you to put everything into

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perspective.

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Help us support one another, celebrate

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together,

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and face challenges with courage and

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mutual respect.

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Let your presence be every action.

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Let kindness, cooperation, and

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generosity flourish among us,

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reflecting your love in all that we do.

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We live in a time of war and distress.

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Protect our armed forces and keep them

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safe.

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Help us to find correct solutions to

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resolve conflicts so that the

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possibility of peace can reign.

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Lord, bless our homes, our schools,

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workplaces, and public spaces.

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Grant wisdom and discernment to our

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community leaders.

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May their decisions promote justice,

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peace,

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and the well-being of everyone in our

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community.

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Send your spirit here today

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during any discussion so that we may do

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thy will.

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May the aspirations of peace and

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goodwill be ever before us.

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And again, divine ruler, we give you our

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gratitude.

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Let us be peacemakers in your holy name.

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Amen.

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» Thank you, Reverend.

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We will now have the opportunity to see

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the color guard. The color guard will be

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performed by the Washington County

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Sheriff's Office Honor Guard. They will

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present our colors, after which

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Washington County Attorney Jerry Yeager

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will lead us in the pledge. After After

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Jerry leads us in the pledge, we will

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hear the national anthem will be sung by

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Kaylee Ruth, Miss Washington County. So,

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if you all please rise and remove your

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hats

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and stay stay standing.

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» Please repeat after me. I pledge

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allegiance to the flag of the United

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States of America and to the republic

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for which it stands, one nation under

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God, indivisible, with liberty and

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justice for all.

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» Oh, say can you see

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by the dawn's early light

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what so proudly

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we held

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at the twilight's

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last gleaming,

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whose broad stripes and bright stars

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through the perilous

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fight [singing]

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were the ramparts

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we watched [singing]

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were so gallantly

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streaming?

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And the rocket's red glare,

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the bombs bursting

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in air,

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gave proof through the night [singing]

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that our flag was still there. Oh, say

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does that star-spangled

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banner

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yet

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o'er the land

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of the free

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and the home

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of [singing] the

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brave?

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» Thank you everyone. You can be seated.

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If you guys don't mind, could we have a

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round of applause for Kaylee and her

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rendition?

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Almost feels un-American not to applaud

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at the

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at the end of uh

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at the end of a national anthem,

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especially when sung that well.

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So, today we have the opportunity to

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hear from our three commissioners.

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They're going to speak with us about the

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the challenges, the opportunities, and

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and the future of Washington County. And

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this is their opportunity to talk about

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the things that that we face, as well as

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the things we have faced, and what

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they've done to be able to improve our

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lives here in Washington County. I'm

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grateful to know these three men. We

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have good relationships. We work well

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together on many many projects. It's

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awesome to be able to serve here in a

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county where everybody is so

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collaborative and likes to work

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together, hears one another out, and we

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we find great ways to move our county

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forward. And so, without further ado,

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we'll begin today by hearing from

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Commissioner Almquist, and then he'll

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introduce who comes after him when he's

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done. Please, a round of applause for

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Commissioner Almquist.

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» [applause]

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» Well, it's certainly a beautiful day in

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Dixie. When it rained yesterday and we

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were at an at an event,

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everyone was soaked, but they found a

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place to huddle under the rain, and then

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all I could be was grateful for the good

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citizens that were there, but also the

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raindrops. And it it certainly has, if

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you've noticed,

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wet everything down, washed it all down.

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It's just an amazing day to be in Dixie.

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Um I've got the privilege of thanking,

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as Shawn did already, a few people, and

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then I would also, not by name, cuz then

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you leave somebody out, but I want to

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thank the Dixie Center for their staff

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and putting it all together and giving

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us such a wonderful venue to

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address you. But of course, the mayors

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and here's the infamous clicker

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that goes with this. Um we've got

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mayors, city council members,

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legislators, and of course, our

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congressional partners. There's a few

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that are here that are are some that are

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still in town. And we appreciate those

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who have served in those capacities and

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those who have served in those

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capacities prior to this because they

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stay involved, they continue to spread

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the message of what makes Utah great,

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St. George and Washington County great.

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Um

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in addition to the

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three of us, there is a total there are

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total of nine electeds. So three

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commissioners and then six others, and

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you might recognize some of them are

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here and we appreciate not only our

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prayer, but then there's those who have

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uh

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shown up.

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They won't necessarily be participating

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today, but I can tell you they all work

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hard and we definitely enjoy their

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association.

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In addition to that, we have

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department heads.

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And

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I'm going to just announce right today,

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I don't have a medal or something to

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give them, but they are best of state.

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As we work around with other cities and

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other counties, I can tell you the

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function that they put on and the things

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that they do above and beyond are

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commendable. And so therefore, I'm I'm

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giving them that award.

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As a little bit of an introduction and

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maybe a few announcements, you know, the

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fair is going on.

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We hope you'll attend the fair, but also

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the fact that it is entry free fee free.

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You can just walk in.

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And Mayor Stahli is laughing abnormally

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hard. I'm wondering if that's

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what I said or whatever.

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But it is free. And I want you to know

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there's a a fun many fun events. You can

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look it up online and find out what

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you'd like to attend.

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Um as far as what we would like to show.

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Oh, is somebody in the pictures? That's

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what Mayor Stahli is laughing about.

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Okay, I'll better switch off of that.

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You know, it's it's wonderful when a

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third-party

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group starts to make comments about you,

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especially if they're positive.

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But in this particular case, the Utah

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Taxpayers Association has given us a few

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um accolades, let's say. And I'll get

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into those here in a minute. But I want

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to tell you that

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we care about the purse of the people.

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Because that's what makes us function.

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We're not a corporation, a big business,

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but in reality, as Commissioner Snow

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often says, we really do function like a

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corporation.

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But we don't have businesses that turn

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profits and things like that. Rather, we

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rely on the taxes that are incoming from

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the the people or visitors that come to

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our area.

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And I want you to know that there are

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several things that we consider about

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them, and especially in creating a

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budget and spending your money.

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Which include being

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prudent about what is spent,

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about being very visible in what is

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spent, because you need to know where

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it's going and what it's paying for.

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And then of course, we also need to have

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it

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to be pretty seriously, broadly

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uh influential or broadly beneficial to

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the taxpayers. So, there isn't anybody

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singling out an area of the county that

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should get more. In fact, we strive very

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hard to make sure that there is equality

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amongst taxes being

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paid out or or being used internally or

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externally.

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Um

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there are many requests for tax dollars.

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You [snorts] can only imagine that there

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are many there's always more needs than

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perhaps what you have

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ability to to pay for. And some of them

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are difficult to accomplish across the

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board.

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But, I can tell you honestly that

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» [clears throat]

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» Our feeling is and

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enjoy this metaphor. My wife will roll

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her eyes. Oh, no, a metaphor.

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But, the fact is we have to analyze all

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of those requests on three basic simple

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principles.

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First of all is, does it keep the lights

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on?

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Those are our basic functions that we

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do.

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Does it keep the lights on?

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Then there's another level where people

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come to us and say,

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do we need a new light?

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Well, our question is always, can we

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make this light last a little longer?

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Is it doing what it needs to do without

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suddenly saying, let's get a new one?

282
00:12:55,560 --> 00:13:00,680
The final level of our consideration on

283
00:12:57,839 --> 00:13:02,680
how taxes are budgeted for is

284
00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:05,120
we get these and we kind of have to push

285
00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:07,800
them aside because some people say,

286
00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:10,240
let's have another light.

287
00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:12,600
Well, that grows government, doesn't it?

288
00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:15,000
If we are keeping the lights on and we

289
00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:18,880
are able to deal with a new light

290
00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:20,640
occasionally, once one is burned out,

291
00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,320
then we really don't need to just

292
00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:27,560
keeping keep adding to government. So,

293
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,120
with that said, here is

294
00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:30,080
uh

295
00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,440
the next slide that I'd like you to

296
00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:34,440
observe.

297
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,760
This is that friend that we have in the

298
00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,560
Utah Taxpayers Association.

299
00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:42,240
They have shown that county revenue from

300
00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:44,840
taxes and fees per capita are the lowest

301
00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,920
in the state.

302
00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:50,120
We look at Garfield County and our

303
00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:52,320
friends there and wonder

304
00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,040
I don't sometimes I say to Jerry Taylor,

305
00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,880
why is there not a revolt in your

306
00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,400
county? It's your taxes are pretty high.

307
00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:02,000
But I want you to observe this because

308
00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,640
it speaks well for the

309
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,840
three things that I mentioned about the

310
00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,080
lights.

311
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,200
And

312
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,200
yet we don't feel like we're

313
00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:13,440
cheating anyone of our citizens. We

314
00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:14,960
simply are saying we've been able with

315
00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:18,000
frugality

316
00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:20,440
to become the county in the state with

317
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,840
the lowest revenue from taxes and fees

318
00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,640
per capita.

319
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,400
Another way to put that is simply this.

320
00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:29,480
Maybe a little far, but you can see the

321
00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:32,720
graph on the right that explains this.

322
00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:34,640
But Washington County is also the least

323
00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,839
taxed uh

324
00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:39,560
for

325
00:14:35,839 --> 00:14:41,440
every $1,000 of resident income.

326
00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,920
We're at $11.

327
00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:47,400
We have a few large counties up north

328
00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:50,000
that compete with us. But there again,

329
00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:53,400
when you look at $1,000 of income, $11

330
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:55,200
is being charged or through taxes and

331
00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:59,000
fees to our residents.

332
00:14:55,200 --> 00:15:01,040
Back to the original point, the 426,

333
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,160
I want you to know that there we are in

334
00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,720
that southwest corner, once again the

335
00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:07,200
lowest in that entire chart. And of

336
00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,839
course it makes sense that again,

337
00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:12,800
Garfield is the highest, but we want you

338
00:15:09,839 --> 00:15:14,839
to know that of the money that you pay

339
00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,760
for government,

340
00:15:14,839 --> 00:15:20,200
I I'd ask for a show of hands of saying,

341
00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:22,840
does your government not serve you? We

342
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:26,120
are serving the county and the cities

343
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,440
and other towns that we associate with.

344
00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,640
Here's a biggie.

345
00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,120
Washington County is debt free.

346
00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:35,360
Other than those debts that might

347
00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:37,680
produce an income, we have made the

348
00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:40,520
final payment on our general obligation

349
00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,920
bond, which by the way, when you look at

350
00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:45,920
your tax notices, that GO bond does not

351
00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:48,840
appear anymore. It's paid off.

352
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:51,400
And that's a critical element of us in

353
00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:53,920
that we feel in long-term debt reduction

354
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,920
as well.

355
00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,360
Now,

356
00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,680
this is some great news. I love it every

357
00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:03,440
time that I hear it. I can't take credit

358
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:06,440
for the first 9 years, but the three of

359
00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:10,520
us feel very strong that on as you see

360
00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:13,840
on your left, that for 16 years we have

361
00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:17,000
not changed or raised the mill levy that

362
00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:18,360
is applied to your property taxes. 16

363
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,840
years.

364
00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:23,400
Most

365
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:25,320
other counties have adjusted that many

366
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:28,120
times maybe within those 16 years. In

367
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:30,760
fact, Salt Lake County has just

368
00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:32,920
announced that they're asking for an

369
00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:35,160
additional

370
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:37,120
14.65%

371
00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,520
in their

372
00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:43,080
tax collection on property tax.

373
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:46,240
It was 20 and they had an human outcry

374
00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,880
that dropped it to 14.65.

375
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,160
And then of course you look at Davis

376
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:54,839
County, which is also the article up

377
00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:58,000
there, 20%. And we're just encouraging

378
00:16:54,839 --> 00:17:01,080
sorry, 30%. We're encouraging

379
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:03,080
our citizens to recognize that we can do

380
00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,680
better in Dixie. In fact, we have since

381
00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:08,000
for 161 years.

382
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,000
Um

383
00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:12,120
before I get to this self-portrait of

384
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,911
Victor,

385
00:17:12,120 --> 00:17:14,959
that's coming. I've got your attention.

386
00:17:14,911 --> 00:17:16,480
» [snorts]

387
00:17:14,959 --> 00:17:17,560
» I want to mention a few other things,

388
00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,880
please.

389
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:22,600
Um

390
00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,480
our budgets are online.

391
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:28,680
Our audits that we have conducted by

392
00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:32,120
Hinton Burdick or anyone else

393
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:35,800
are also online since 2007.

394
00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:38,360
So, you can look there on the washco

395
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:40,520
.utah.gov

396
00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:43,440
and look under commission or under

397
00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:45,240
departments and you can find uh clerk

398
00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,800
auditor, all of our budgets. Under

399
00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,120
commission, you can find all of our

400
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,960
minutes.

401
00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:53,440
There's been some uh talk lately that

402
00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:56,160
those things are hidden. They are not.

403
00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:58,560
They are there. In fact, [snorts] our uh

404
00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:01,160
clerk auditor, Ryan Sullivan, is putting

405
00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:03,520
together through a new series of uh

406
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:06,520
software and packages that he purchased

407
00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:09,040
what he's going to call the budget book.

408
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,920
And that is going to lay out extremely

409
00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,760
clearly to everyone

410
00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:16,120
exactly where your money is being spent

411
00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:18,600
and the prior prioritizations. You may

412
00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,680
come in and say, "Hey." to one of us or

413
00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,320
to Ryan and say, "We think this is

414
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,760
misspent." and he can answer those

415
00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:27,640
questions.

416
00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:29,560
Finally, I'd like to mention this.

417
00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:32,040
We want you to stay informed. That's why

418
00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:34,320
we're here doing this. But, it's more

419
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:37,480
than just us sitting up here once a

420
00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:40,200
year. I encourage you to join a club,

421
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:42,680
join a group, a service group, a rotary,

422
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:45,120
an exchange club. You know, participate

423
00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:47,720
in the nonprofits that are existing

424
00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:49,920
here. United We Pledge. If you're

425
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,960
interested in staying politically

426
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:54,960
informed, the best group that I know of

427
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,400
is the Washington County uh Republican

428
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,160
Women.

429
00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:00,120
Everyone should be there. There's like

430
00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:03,400
40 people there sometimes and it should

431
00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:04,720
be 400 because they drew truly keep you

432
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,800
informed.

433
00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:10,480
Um and finally, um

434
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,800
I want you to celebrate America's 250.

435
00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:16,200
Uh Victor Adam may be mentioning this,

436
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:17,760
but it is a landmark time for all of us.

437
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,600
And I hope that you recognize that the

438
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:23,520
principles we stand on are the same ones

439
00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:25,400
that occurred 250 years ago.

440
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,400
Thank you for being here so much. I I

441
00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:29,920
appreciate your involvement, and that's

442
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:33,440
a rundown of my portion until the

443
00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:36,880
question and answer period arrives. Um,

444
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,880
here's that blessed picture.

445
00:19:39,668 --> 00:19:41,688
» [applause]

446
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:47,840
» Yeah, this is me in fifth grade up by

447
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,200
the by the Huron

448
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,320
Canal. I want to go back to this this

449
00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,240
picture right here, and I want to

450
00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:55,280
complain about whoever put the slides on

451
00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:58,040
cuz we used to have a picture that we

452
00:19:55,280 --> 00:20:01,000
were all equal, and suddenly

453
00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:03,000
I have been shortened, and I'm now

454
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,640
demonstrated as the shortest person on

455
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,320
the County Commission. You know, I was

456
00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,440
talking to Mayor Stavely, and I was

457
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,200
complimenting him on on the state of the

458
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,360
city [clears throat]

459
00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:14,880
of Washington City. And And as I was

460
00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:16,680
thinking here today, um, you know, city

461
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,480
government is a little bit like a

462
00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:21,560
football, and and the mayor is kind of

463
00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:23,880
like the quarterback. And I would say

464
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:26,120
that county government, we talked about

465
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:28,920
the nine elected officials, our county

466
00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:32,800
sheriff, our county attorney. Jerry

467
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:35,800
Jaeger is here. Um, Gary Webster, our

468
00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:38,160
recorder is here. Tom Durant is here.

469
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:41,320
Our world-famous uh,

470
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:43,840
clerk-auditor, Ryan Sullivan is here.

471
00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,720
And I'm Actually,

472
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,440
my point of it is is it's

473
00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,600
it's more like rugby.

474
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:52,360
Uh, is David Whitehead here?

475
00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:53,360
Am I Am I going to miss somebody out?

476
00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:56,160
Yes. [clears throat]

477
00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,840
In fact, it's it's a team effort in in a

478
00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,200
lot of ways. I know we have a couple

479
00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:03,960
county employees here. Could Could I ask

480
00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,960
the county employees to stand up?

481
00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:06,560
Thank

482
00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,440
» I did say Gary Christensen, didn't I?

483
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,960
I said Gary Webster and he works for

484
00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,840
Senator Mike Lee. Gary Christensen is

485
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,360
much better looking than Gary Webster

486
00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,640
and I don't even know if Gary Webster's

487
00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:28,080
here. But Oh, Gary Webster's here. Well,

488
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,840
stand up, Gary. Thank you for being

489
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:33,480
here. If anybody has any problems

490
00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:35,920
with Senator Lee's office, go.

491
00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:37,480
My point in having everybody stand up is

492
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,400
it's a little bit

493
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,720
sometimes strange for me to do a state

494
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,480
of the county.

495
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:45,400
I'm the I'm the voice, but in reality,

496
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,840
we have a tremendous team in Washington

497
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:50,520
County. We have tremendous staff that

498
00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,320
work very hard. We have the best staff

499
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,920
ever and I just want to personally thank

500
00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:56,760
them and celebrate them as we celebrate,

501
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:59,440
you know, this last year and we go into

502
00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,880
another one. Um you know, this picture

503
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:04,960
of me it kind of demonstrates my first

504
00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:08,760
point. My My father's family came to

505
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:11,000
Washington in in 1859, 1860 and I know

506
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,880
that because uh Mayor Stahli gave me a

507
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,760
book and it was called the Red Cliffs of

508
00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,600
November and I read that book and I

509
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:19,280
found my family's name as the second

510
00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,960
wagon group in. And a lot of times when

511
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,720
I talk to people

512
00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,800
Oh, yeah.

513
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,960
I know Adam is pretty handsome there,

514
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,720
but um

515
00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:30,520
I want to go back to this handsome guy

516
00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,080
right here. So, um

517
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,880
I I get to talk to a lot of new

518
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,360
residents and people that have moved

519
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,360
here recently and the first question

520
00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:39,280
that always comes is what's our

521
00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:40,640
situation on water?

522
00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,480
And um

523
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:45,760
when I think about my family, my

524
00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:48,240
father's family coming here in 1859,

525
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:50,920
1860, I know what their first question

526
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,840
was. What is our situation about water?

527
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,600
And so, we've been asking the question,

528
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,160
what is our situation about water? What

529
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,360
are we going to do about water? We've

530
00:22:56,160 --> 00:23:00,720
been worrying about water and we've also

531
00:22:58,360 --> 00:23:03,400
been working to solve the problem in

532
00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:05,080
Washington County for a very long time.

533
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:07,640
There's a pro and a con to every place

534
00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:10,040
you live, but I'll tell you our one

535
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,240
disadvantage in Southern Utah is that

536
00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:14,600
water is a limited resource that we need

537
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:17,200
to be thankful for and we need to use.

538
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:20,640
Um just to cheer you all up uh this year

539
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:23,240
we've had a beautiful winter um but a

540
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,760
beautiful winter has a downside to it.

541
00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:29,040
And that is that right now we're sitting

542
00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:32,480
at 53% of our of our snowpack as of this

543
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:34,400
last March. And so we've had a very warm

544
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:36,720
April. I'm sure it's gone down quite a

545
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:39,240
bit. What this means is that we're going

546
00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:41,880
to be dependent on our water

547
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:43,440
storage. And we've been very good

548
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,040
uh as far as building that. And I want

549
00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,760
to go back and I want to I want to tell

550
00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,680
a little bit about the county nexus

551
00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,720
here.

552
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:53,080
Because

553
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:55,160
um in the late 18 in late 19 uh 50s uh

554
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,200
the city started to recognize that they

555
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,680
were

556
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,680
that they needed more water and there

557
00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,720
started to be this competition between

558
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,560
cities and at that time

559
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,520
the county created what is known as the

560
00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:09,400
Washington County Water Conservancy

561
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:12,480
District. And they worked tirelessly to

562
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:14,560
help us meet our water de demands going

563
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,360
into the future. And so a few of the

564
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,760
bragging points that we'd like to talk

565
00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:20,320
about is is the importance of

566
00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,760
conservation.

567
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:25,360
Um over the last few years we've been

568
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,880
able to reduce our per capita use by

569
00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:30,360
50%. We've been able to adopt the

570
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:33,080
highest conservation standards yeah for

571
00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:36,680
new construct new construction and

572
00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:38,000
implement um excessive water surcharges.

573
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,360
I want to talk about that really quick

574
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,080
because most of our water conservation

575
00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:43,560
in Washington County is focused on new

576
00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,960
growth. So if you're going to build a

577
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:48,240
new home here, if you're going to come

578
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,640
in and and and build a new home, then

579
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:52,200
you're going to have to come at it a

580
00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:55,400
certain level of conservation. And some

581
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:57,360
of our uh long-time citizens have said,

582
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,920
"Why I want to necessarily conserve just

583
00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:02,080
so that more people can move here." I've

584
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:03,120
heard that a couple times on on social

585
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,880
media.

586
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:05,960
Well, you can use all the water you

587
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,960
want. We're just going to charge you a

588
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,560
little extra and it's called a

589
00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,920
surcharge. So, anyway, the point of it

590
00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:13,400
is is we'd like to encourage

591
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:16,000
conservation across the the board. We've

592
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:18,680
also been able to replace um

593
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:21,400
turf that's non-functional. We we love

594
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:23,320
grass. We love trees. Uh

595
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:25,800
Um Commissioner Almquist especially

596
00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:27,520
loves trees, if you know him very well.

597
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,000
And if you need a tree planted, he's

598
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,920
really good at it. If you want to know

599
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,920
the variety of a tree that will will

600
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:35,120
thrive here, you can also talk to him as

601
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:37,880
well. What we don't want is to hurt is

602
00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:39,800
to turn into Tucson or a heat desert,

603
00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,800
but we do want to make sure that our

604
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:44,280
outdoor watering goes to good to good

605
00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,760
use.

606
00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:48,240
As we look at water in the future, um

607
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,440
the water conservancy district and the

608
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,680
county and cities are working on some

609
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,040
very important projects going forward,

610
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,520
and this is how we're going to meet our

611
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:59,800
needs. Through conservation, reuse,

612
00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:02,960
groundwater optimization, uh remain uh

613
00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:06,000
remaining uh local supply development.

614
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:07,640
And I'd also like to say that storage is

615
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,320
an important part of that. We have some

616
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:12,200
incredible projects going on right now.

617
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:14,240
A lot of you are probably already aware

618
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:17,480
of the Chief Toquer Reservoir that is

619
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:19,240
well under construction. And soon to be

620
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,000
fully permitted and under construction

621
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,360
as well as a small reservoir known as

622
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,840
Graveyard Wash, which is a project

623
00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,400
between St. George City and the

624
00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:29,600
Washington County Water Conservancy

625
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:31,920
District. In our 20-year plan, we this

626
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,320
year, the water conservancy district uh

627
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:35,680
working with the county as well, was

628
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:38,480
able to secure the real estate for what

629
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:40,360
will be the largest uh storage reservoir

630
00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:43,120
in our county, which is Warner Valley,

631
00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:46,560
and that's a few years out. So, um

632
00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:47,840
but but it's it's to come.

633
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,920
Let's talk a little bit about the

634
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,040
facilities of of the county. You're in

635
00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,840
one of our

636
00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,800
our our facilities right now which is

637
00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,600
the Dixie Convention Center.

638
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:59,640
I don't know how much you all appreciate

639
00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,800
what a great facility this is.

640
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,800
As you look across the the state,

641
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:06,040
there's not as many facilities like this

642
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:08,320
that brings people here. Over 30 million

643
00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:10,200
dollars of economic impact every year is

644
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,480
brought in because of this this great

645
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,400
facility we're here. A few years ago we

646
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,720
upgraded the chairs here, thank you

647
00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:20,080
you're welcome as you sit there. And and

648
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:22,480
I complained about the price tag to to

649
00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,480
some of our folks and then I went up and

650
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,760
sat in some of the Salt Palace chairs

651
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:28,040
and I realized that it was money well

652
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,800
spent and I'm sure that's the reason

653
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,760
that we're able to get as many

654
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:35,280
convention dates as we as we

655
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,000
as we have here at the Dixie Center.

656
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,720
As we look at the Dixie Center, we're

657
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,640
we're maxed out almost year round. We

658
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:43,080
used to have slow times of the year, we

659
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,560
no longer have slow times and we're also

660
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,960
getting to the point that we're

661
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,920
seriously looking at the expansion of

662
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:51,080
the Dixie Center in order to meet our

663
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,960
needs and also meet community needs as

664
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,480
well.

665
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,520
One of our other facilities that we want

666
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:57,400
to brag about this year is our shooting

667
00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,200
sports park. A lot of people don't know

668
00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,200
about the shooting sports park. If you

669
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:03,040
go past the fairgrounds in Hurricane and

670
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:05,800
Purgatory, you'll find the shooting

671
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,720
sports park. Let me explain how it

672
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:10,680
belongs to the county, the county runs

673
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:13,960
it but each one of the shooting

674
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:16,200
ranges are ran by non-profit clubs that

675
00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:18,920
have a venue agreement with us. It's a

676
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:20,720
good way for us to protect the Second

677
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:24,080
Amendment, to have safe shooting. So you

678
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:25,080
have Purgatory Clays, you have archery,

679
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:28,240
you have

680
00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,360
cowboy action, you have um

681
00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,760
practical as well and we also have a

682
00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:35,200
black powder event as well. So anybody

683
00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:37,680
who's involved and enjoys shooting, we

684
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,880
have a wonderful facility there and it's

685
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,520
getting better each and every year. And

686
00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,960
let's talk about Legacy Park which you

687
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,640
have to go by if you're going to go to

688
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,120
um

689
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,240
to the shooting sports park. I don't

690
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,320
know if you know this but there's a fair

691
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,840
in town.

692
00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,840
We're kicking it off and it's fantastic

693
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,600
and

694
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:57,080
Commissioner Almquist stole my my

695
00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:00,640
thunder but I've been pushing for a long

696
00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:03,040
time to to do away with parking fees and

697
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,760
entrance entrance fees and I finally

698
00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,880
pulled it off because you know what?

699
00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:09,120
This is America's birthday and we need

700
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:12,880
to celebrate America and so it's all

701
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,880
free cuz that's what we're doing.

702
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,440
But what I'd really like is to encourage

703
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:22,920
you all to go out especially on

704
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:25,080
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We have a

705
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:27,720
colonial village there that's going to

706
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,760
be set up. There's obviously music and

707
00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,440
and all of the things that a fair has

708
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,800
and really what the fair is is to

709
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:37,640
celebrate our county and

710
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:40,640
so but also Legacy Park continues to be

711
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:42,680
a great venue in in uh

712
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:45,040
in our in our county as well. We have

713
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:48,040
another celebration obviously going

714
00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:50,840
right along with America's 250 is

715
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,120
reopening of the historic courthouse up

716
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,160
on Boulevard right across from

717
00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,880
Angelica's and

718
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:59,040
the reason I say across from Angelica's

719
00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,880
because I I talked to people about our

720
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,680
historic courthouse and then I would get

721
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,120
the question like well where is it at?

722
00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,640
It's like you drive down the Boulevard

723
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:08,520
all the time. How could you miss the

724
00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,720
historic courthouse but just in case you

725
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,280
you need to know it's across from

726
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:15,040
Angelica's. It has been under the care

727
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:18,560
of our of our wonderful partners at St.

728
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:20,640
George City for since 1970 and for a

729
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,720
long time we've asked ourselves what are

730
00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,880
we going to do with this courthouse? How

731
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:26,760
are we going to share it with the

732
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,760
public? It was opened several times. The

733
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,440
the historical society did a lot of

734
00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:33,720
great work but we have a great

735
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,200
partnership with

736
00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:38,760
United We Pledge a local nonprofit which

737
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:41,120
is able to keep it open celebrating our

738
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:43,240
heritage and celebrating America's

739
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,360
county and America's heritage And it's

740
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:47,960
open, it's going to have programming and

741
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:49,960
a lot of things going on. So, recognize

742
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:53,320
that it's your courthouse and you can

743
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:55,560
go. So, um I want to brag a little bit

744
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,360
about one of our other elected offices,

745
00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,320
which is our attorney's office. Jerry

746
00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:02,400
Jager is our new county attorney this

747
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:04,840
year. He is doing an outstanding job.

748
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:06,880
Jerry represents a little bit of a shift

749
00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:09,240
in in our county attorney. He comes from

750
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:11,480
the prosecutor side. For several

751
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,720
decades, I think we've had great county

752
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:15,120
attorneys, but they've come from the

753
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:17,000
civil side a little bit. And when we

754
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,560
think about this county, we think about

755
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,320
the importance of where county

756
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:23,440
government interfaces with the other

757
00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:25,200
local government, you know, we're very

758
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,920
into the public safety. Obviously, you

759
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,960
have you have your local police

760
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,840
departments, but once somebody has

761
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,640
committed a crime, how do we seek

762
00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,880
justice? And um

763
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,520
this has been under the

764
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,720
This has been the work of Jerry and

765
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:41,240
Jerry's been busy, but our community

766
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:43,280
continues to be safe. Justice continues

767
00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,000
to be served. And it's it's hard to

768
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:48,560
believe that you know, they deal with

769
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:50,640
over 2,500 victims every year and uh

770
00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,960
we're so busy down here

771
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:55,200
that the the state legislature just

772
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,920
barely approved another judgeship. So,

773
00:31:55,200 --> 00:32:00,240
we're expecting another judge judgeship.

774
00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,880
Part of that is it does hit our budget.

775
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,400
It means that we're going to need more

776
00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,120
prosecutors, we're going to need more

777
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,320
defense attorneys, and we're going to

778
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,640
need more bailiffs in order to cover

779
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:12,320
that. But he's done a great job at

780
00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,960
instituting training, hiring uh

781
00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:16,240
prosecutors.

782
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:19,200
And he's been busy. You've probably seen

783
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:21,000
the headlines as some very high-profile

784
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,320
cases have been going through our

785
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:25,360
attorney's office. You know, I have to

786
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,680
to say this cuz I see um

787
00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,120
Brock Belknap uh here and uh when I

788
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,520
first became a county commissioner, we

789
00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,640
went about 4 years without a capital or

790
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,760
without a murder. And um of course, I

791
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,600
said that was because of great

792
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:39,440
leadership at the county. Really, it

793
00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:40,360
wasn't. It was a It was It was just a We

794
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,640
had

795
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:45,280
a string of good luck. Um

796
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,960
but we are our crime is still lower than

797
00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:49,480
the normal, and it's because of the

798
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:51,680
great men and women who serve in public

799
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:53,800
safety. I think people need to recognize

800
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,920
how how important that is. And with

801
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,000
this, I'm going to hand off

802
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,480
to my uh

803
00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,600
esteemed uh

804
00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:04,520
county commissioner Adam Snow to talk

805
00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,520
about public lands and finish it up.

806
00:33:05,327 --> 00:33:07,347
» [applause]

807
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,400
» Yeah, I I can't stand behind a podium.

808
00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:14,840
That's just going to drive me nuts. So,

809
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,760
um

810
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:19,680
Commissioner Iverson, it's not that we

811
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:21,320
we made you look shorter in the picture.

812
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,960
It's that we finally told the truth. You

813
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:25,400
had made me shorter before. I can't help

814
00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:26,520
that I'm good-looking.

815
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,520
Um

816
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,760
Okay, federally owned land.

817
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,360
Unfortunately, this is Washington

818
00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:34,600
County. The uh everything in white is

819
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,360
private. Everything in yellow is owned

820
00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:37,600
by the state of Utah, and everything in

821
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,760
orange is owned by the federal

822
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,560
government.

823
00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:43,120
Uh that mirrors the state of Utah pretty

824
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,200
closely. About 2/3 of of the state is

825
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,080
owned by the federal government. About

826
00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,520
2/3 of Washington County, almost 70%

827
00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,360
actually, is owned by the federal

828
00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,880
government.

829
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,480
And that's that's in from lots of

830
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,760
different land managers. Obviously, Zion

831
00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:56,560
National Park is a huge portion. Uh

832
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:59,160
Dixie National Forest from the US Forest

833
00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:01,400
Service. The rest of it's uh Bureau of

834
00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:04,080
uh Land Management from the Department

835
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:07,240
of the Interior. And uh

836
00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:09,879
and what this really means is that

837
00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:11,560
anytime we try to do anything, we have

838
00:34:09,879 --> 00:34:14,280
to go and ask the federal government,

839
00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,440
"Mother, may I please let us do

840
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,960
something

841
00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:19,280
as it crosses federal land?" If we want

842
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,240
to put in a power line uh

843
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,760
for for new power infrastructure, we

844
00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:25,320
have to cross federal federal land.

845
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:27,000
Uh that takes We've got Representative

846
00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,840
Colon Jack here, who's the COO of Dixie

847
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:32,040
Power. Takes years and years to get a

848
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,480
single power line across federal land.

849
00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,760
You'd think that it doesn't disturb

850
00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,960
cause that much disturbance, but I

851
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,240
remember when I first started working

852
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,440
for Congress in

853
00:34:38,240 --> 00:34:43,760
a previous life that

854
00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:45,879
we were trying to time the the

855
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:48,120
getting the land the power line over the

856
00:34:45,879 --> 00:34:50,360
river for when there was a possible

857
00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,120
mating season for a bird and we had

858
00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,919
about a 2 and 1/2 week window for Dixie

859
00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:55,800
power to come and build that to build

860
00:34:53,919 --> 00:34:57,840
that line.

861
00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,320
And that took years to plan for that 2

862
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,280
and 1/2 week window. You want to put in

863
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,960
water infrastructure, you have to cross

864
00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,400
federal land. You want to put in a road,

865
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,800
you have to cross federal land. You want

866
00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:08,400
to to do anything and and it affects the

867
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:10,840
cost of our land as well because we are

868
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:14,120
landlocked not by oceans but by the

869
00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:16,640
federal government. And so

870
00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:18,400
so it also means that we need strong

871
00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,720
federal partners

872
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,240
that whoops, there we go. Wrong one.

873
00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:25,120
Strong federal partners because we need

874
00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:26,760
somebody to help us push back against

875
00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:28,120
bad ideas out of Washington D.C. which

876
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:31,280
honestly most ideas out of Washington

877
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:33,560
D.C. are bad ideas. And so we think and

878
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:35,360
I don't this isn't a political

879
00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:37,200
political event, but I can just tell you

880
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,800
on on ashamed that this administration

881
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,600
is way better to work with in the last

882
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:43,680
administration. They they allow us to

883
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:45,080
talk to them. They're accessible. We

884
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,440
have relationships with them and we're

885
00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:48,040
actually able to get some things done.

886
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,120
So we we thank the administration

887
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,240
Senator Lee, Senator Curtis,

888
00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,480
Congresswoman Malloy who are all really

889
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:56,240
good advocates for us and we're helping

890
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:57,920
navigate the disaster of dealing with

891
00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,800
the federal government on so much of our

892
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,480
land.

893
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,160
Speaking of a disaster,

894
00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:03,720
um

895
00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:05,480
the Northern Corridor.

896
00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:07,560
Uh this is another one that's happened

897
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:09,600
this year is is an update for you and

898
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,680
that we're continuing to work on.

899
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,360
For anybody who hasn't doesn't know what

900
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,600
the Northern Corridor is,

901
00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,920
you have not been paying attention cuz

902
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,880
we talk about it all the time. I think I

903
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:20,160
talk about it in my sleep. But it's a

904
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:22,040
road in in this fast as I can possibly

905
00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,680
tell you it's a road that we need

906
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,720
because there's a pinch point. This is

907
00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,200
not a laser, is it?

908
00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:30,240
It is. Where do I push the laser?

909
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:32,560
Is it the red button? Oh, yeah, it is.

910
00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:33,560
Ah, no, shoot.

911
00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:35,800
Okay.

912
00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:37,920
Carefully you push the red button.

913
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:40,400
There's a pinch point right here,

914
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:43,080
which is the cut in the hill for I-15.

915
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:45,520
Uh right now it is wall-to-wall with

916
00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:48,040
14 lanes of traffic. You got four on the

917
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:50,000
north side of of the frontage road, six

918
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:52,040
for I-15, four on the south side of

919
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:54,520
frontage road. There is not another

920
00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:56,520
square inch of of available space that

921
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:59,400
we could put asphalt. And so we are

922
00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:02,160
trying to move 208 to 210,000 residents

923
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:03,600
in the county and uh roughly 10 million

924
00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,400
visitors, not to mention all the cars

925
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:08,400
that are just traveling on I-15 through

926
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,760
that pinch point right there. And some

927
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,240
of them obviously come down around the

928
00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,840
the south end of the town, but but most

929
00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:17,200
people are traveling through that spot.

930
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:19,320
And most and and as all of us do, nobody

931
00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:21,280
wants to drive miles out of your way to

932
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:23,200
avoid a single traffic light

933
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:25,560
or a few traffic lights. So you just sit

934
00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,880
and sit in it, right? And and what

935
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:30,280
that's what that's doing is it's

936
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:32,240
actually causing traffic failure in uh

937
00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,360
in several of our intersections already

938
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:36,560
and will only get worse. So if we can't

939
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,320
get people around to the south way out

940
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,240
of their way by miles, and we can't put

941
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,800
any more people through the middle, the

942
00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:44,960
only other way to go is to the north,

943
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,520
hence a northern corridor.

944
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,120
And what this is this is the proposed

945
00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,760
route here

946
00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,040
uh in blue Dang it, that is really

947
00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,960
sensitive.

948
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:54,160
Um

949
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,800
in blue and in

950
00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,880
uh

951
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,960
that was a law that was passed in 2009

952
00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,960
called the Omnibus Public Lands

953
00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:02,800
Management Act or OPLMA

954
00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:06,080
that enhanced the Red Hills Desert

955
00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:07,840
Reserve from a desert reserve land to a

956
00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:09,800
national conservation area. But it's

957
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,480
also a deal between the the city of St.

958
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,480
George, Washington County, the state of

959
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:15,360
Utah, and the federal government that if

960
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:17,120
we enhance this from a desert reserve to

961
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:19,800
a national conservation area, which

962
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:21,600
comes with more land protections, that

963
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,560
uh we will also get a road. So in the

964
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,800
exact same legislation that Congress

965
00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:27,840
passed, President Obama signed, that

966
00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:29,800
gave the conservation area, we get a

967
00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,320
road. And in the exact line says that

968
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:33,080
the Secretary of the Interior shall

969
00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:34,960
identify one or more alternative routes

970
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,880
for a northern transportation corridor

971
00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:37,360
in

972
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,240
cooperation with the city of St. George

973
00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:41,280
and Washington County.

974
00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:42,480
That's what it says, right there. And

975
00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:46,520
so,

976
00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:48,080
uh, we we applied several years ago, we

977
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,320
got it approved in the last week of the

978
00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:52,080
Trump administration, it was sued on,

979
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,200
the Biden administration voluntarily

980
00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:57,960
pulled it back

981
00:38:54,200 --> 00:39:01,480
uh, for dumb reasons, and then

982
00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:02,720
the just uh, end of last year, uh, just

983
00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,920
a few months ago, the Trump

984
00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:07,640
administration re-looked at it and said,

985
00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:10,360
"Nope, that's what the law says." And

986
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:12,440
re-re-approved the northern corridor.

987
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,920
We moved very quickly on it. You can

988
00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,440
drive up by Cottonwood Road right now.

989
00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:16,720
You can see there's flags out there.

990
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,720
They've faded a little in the sun now,

991
00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:20,160
but they're bright pink flags and green.

992
00:39:18,720 --> 00:39:22,880
That's the that's the center of the

993
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:23,800
right-of-way. And uh,

994
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,440
and this is a big deal for

995
00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,120
transportation in Washington County.

996
00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,800
Unfortunately, there's a local group

997
00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:30,120
that hired some of their enlisted some

998
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,920
of their friends called Conserve

999
00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:33,040
Southwest Utah. I'm not changing names

1000
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:37,040
to protect the innocent cuz I'm really

1001
00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:40,040
upset about this. But uh, but they they

1002
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:43,120
sued the federal government on that

1003
00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:46,320
transportation route and said that

1004
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:47,680
uh, they they don't want this.

1005
00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,200
And they found a judge in Washington

1006
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,280
D.C. that gave them an injunction. And

1007
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,560
so, everything is held on on hold for

1008
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,640
right now while we continue through the

1009
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:57,120
legal process.

1010
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:59,240
What this means for you is it's wasting

1011
00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:01,000
millions of your tax dollars

1012
00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:02,720
in in multiple ways, not only in the

1013
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:05,680
lawsuits, which are frivolous and

1014
00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:07,840
ridiculous, but also in the cost of

1015
00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:11,080
inflation. Had this road been built in

1016
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:12,760
2009 or 2010, it would have cost tens of

1017
00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:15,240
millions of dollars less than it's going

1018
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,120
to cost us when we build it now. And

1019
00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:19,200
it's all because and I'll show you on

1020
00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:21,720
the next slide here

1021
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:24,320
that road disturbs of actual asphalt

1022
00:40:21,720 --> 00:40:25,880
less than 100 acres of asphalt. Between

1023
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,880
the fences of the right of way, less

1024
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:30,360
than 200 acres.

1025
00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:32,320
The exchange for that roadway

1026
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:36,400
is what we call zone six, which is

1027
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:38,840
almost 7,000 acres over here, which is a

1028
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:41,720
prime prime

1029
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:44,080
recreation and and open space. It's

1030
00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:46,360
beautiful Moquah Valley, Bear Claw Poppy

1031
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:48,680
Trail, some of our our our best gems in

1032
00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:50,800
Washington County happen to be in the

1033
00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:53,160
blue section right over here, which is

1034
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:55,680
private. It's owned by the the school

1035
00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:58,760
kids of Utah. And if the road doesn't go

1036
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,960
through, then this doesn't need to be

1037
00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,280
used as mitigation for that. And it will

1038
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,320
be developed and all those things that

1039
00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:05,640
we really like are going to be gone and

1040
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,760
they'll be under somebody's house and or

1041
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,680
under their basement.

1042
00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:13,360
Any group that calls themselves Conserve

1043
00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:16,880
Southwest Utah, but doesn't mind trading

1044
00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:18,120
less than 200 acres at best for 7,000

1045
00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:20,000
acres. I have a 9-year-old daughter. She

1046
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,240
can do that math on which one's better,

1047
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,520
7,000 or 200.

1048
00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:27,120
Conservation means this was a great deal

1049
00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:30,280
for the tortoise. There's over 10 to 1

1050
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:31,680
ratio of tortoises in this land

1051
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,320
as what we would have disturbed with the

1052
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,520
tortoise.

1053
00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:36,840
We're conserving way more acres than

1054
00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,000
what we're going to disturb. It's what

1055
00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:40,720
the law grants us.

1056
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,480
And yet they're suing on it because it's

1057
00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:43,840
a great way to raise money.

1058
00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:45,040
And I think this organization needs to

1059
00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,440
be called out for what it is. It's a

1060
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:49,200
scam and they should be driven out of

1061
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,200
Washington County.

1062
00:41:49,988 --> 00:41:52,008
» [applause]

1063
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,840
» Anybody unclear on how I feel about

1064
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,160
that? Do I need to keep going? All

1065
00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:01,560
right. Speaking of roads, we'll go on to

1066
00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:03,640
happier things. People often ask, you

1067
00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:05,880
know, man, there's so much growth going

1068
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:07,680
on. There is. How do you plan? We

1069
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,160
actually try not to be reactionary, but

1070
00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,760
very proactive and we work with the

1071
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:12,760
cities.

1072
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:15,400
We work with our Metropolitan Planning

1073
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:18,040
Organization or the Dixie MPO, and we

1074
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:19,400
actually plan out over 40 years in

1075
00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,880
advance of where we think we're going to

1076
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:23,120
need major arterial roads, and not so

1077
00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:24,400
much the surface streets. The cities

1078
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,720
really handle that really well on their

1079
00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,680
own. But, uh, as you can see here, I'm

1080
00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:29,920
not going to go through each and every

1081
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:32,280
one of them, but there are tons and tons

1082
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:34,520
of roads that we have planned, and we

1083
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,760
buy up corridors now when they're cheap,

1084
00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:38,800
when it's maybe just dirt and sagebrush.

1085
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:40,360
Uh, we buy them up now, and we'll we'll

1086
00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:42,160
hold them for a long time, but we we buy

1087
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,800
up easements and corridors where we know

1088
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,840
we're going to need roads in the future

1089
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,120
so that we can purchase them when

1090
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,440
they're cheap and not have to condemn

1091
00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,720
things or use

1092
00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,960
uh, or spend a lot more of your tax

1093
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:52,440
dollars sometime in the future.

1094
00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,600
So, hopefully you can see that we we are

1095
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:57,760
really planning. Um, as far as road work

1096
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:59,960
goes, this year we rebuilt 5 mi of Kolob

1097
00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,880
Terrace Road. Um,

1098
00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:03,640
we did a lot of work after the Forsyth

1099
00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:06,000
fire up on Pine Valley Mountain, a lot

1100
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,920
of work uh, in the Pine Valley area,

1101
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:09,880
tons of culverts and and things to try

1102
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:11,520
and affect the drainage for when the

1103
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:13,280
rain and the snow melt comes and takes

1104
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:15,600
all that debris and the ash down off of

1105
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,960
the burn scar uh, into Pine Valley, and

1106
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,280
then it it actually makes its all the

1107
00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:19,840
way down into the Virgin River through

1108
00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:21,760
the Santa Clara River.

1109
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:24,240
Um, and so that has worked uh, really,

1110
00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,720
really well. We've improved rural roads

1111
00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:26,400
countywide.

1112
00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:27,760
Um,

1113
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:30,360
every time you go out to recreate

1114
00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:31,920
somewhere that's not downtown, and you

1115
00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:33,280
say, "Man, this is a nice road." Or you

1116
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,840
probably don't actually even think about

1117
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,520
it. Somebody actually had to maintain

1118
00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:38,280
that road and get it there so that you

1119
00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:39,960
could drive nicely with your bike or

1120
00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:43,560
your kayak or wherever you're going out

1121
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:47,080
to recreate. Um, we maintained a hundred

1122
00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:50,200
or 833 mi of roads across the county.

1123
00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:52,400
Uh, 90% of those are rated as good or

1124
00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:54,680
better condition. Um,

1125
00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:56,720
and and we've got other major projects

1126
00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:58,760
in 2026 including the Gunlock Road,

1127
00:43:56,720 --> 00:44:00,280
Sheep Bridge Road paving, which cuts

1128
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:02,560
between uh,

1129
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:05,760
uh, Virgin and the highway over to

1130
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:09,160
Hildale, uh, and Ash Creek Bridge, the

1131
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:10,520
Kolob Terrace Road phase two project.

1132
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:11,960
Economic development is another area

1133
00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:12,760
that I oversee.

1134
00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:15,480
Um

1135
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:16,760
we coordinate countywide economic

1136
00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,560
development. And what we really try to

1137
00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,360
do with our partners and and there's two

1138
00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,360
of them that I'm going to talk about

1139
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:23,800
here in a second, but we believe that

1140
00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,960
that government's job is to set the

1141
00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:26,640
table, but it's really the private

1142
00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:29,200
sector that makes the meal. So, we just

1143
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,560
try to to to provide the resources and

1144
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:32,200
allow the

1145
00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:34,240
the free market to to do what it does

1146
00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:36,400
best. Um

1147
00:44:34,240 --> 00:44:38,160
we have two partnerships that we've done

1148
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,520
in this last year. One of them really

1149
00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,240
kicked off. It started a little bit in

1150
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,600
the year before, but but this last year

1151
00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:44,440
is really when it's kind of hit the

1152
00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:46,000
ground running. That's the Southern Utah

1153
00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:47,960
Economic Alliance, which actually used

1154
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:50,040
to just be Washington County. We We kind

1155
00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,600
of gave that name over to

1156
00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:53,640
to another organization and have the has

1157
00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:55,200
a regional aspect to it now because

1158
00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:57,680
there's aspects

1159
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:59,320
outside of of Washington County like

1160
00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:01,240
rail in Iron County that we just don't

1161
00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:02,560
have a a single inch of of rail in

1162
00:45:01,240 --> 00:45:05,160
Washington County and we probably never

1163
00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:07,440
will. But having access to that to the

1164
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:10,080
inland port up in Iron County,

1165
00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:11,320
that hub gives a great economic benefit

1166
00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:12,680
to Washington County where we have

1167
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:13,960
things that they don't have such as a

1168
00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,440
labor force

1169
00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:17,120
that's much much larger, many more

1170
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:20,200
companies,

1171
00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:22,840
and a better quality of life. So, um

1172
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:24,760
over Iron County. So,

1173
00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:26,000
we we developed that. It has a regional

1174
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,480
aspect. And so, especially for

1175
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,760
recruitment or for large regional

1176
00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:31,200
projects, that's the entity that that

1177
00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:32,680
focuses on that. And then if you're

1178
00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:34,640
really just within the four walls of

1179
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,840
Washington County, that's the Washington

1180
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:38,880
County Economic Development Office

1181
00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:41,920
headed up by Darren Prince. Um

1182
00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:43,920
we've supported more than over 1,500

1183
00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:46,520
projected jobs this year

1184
00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:47,720
in the growth both in entrepreneurship.

1185
00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:49,160
We really focus on three areas:

1186
00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:51,240
entrepreneurship,

1187
00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,680
startup companies, right?

1188
00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:54,640
Growing existing companies that are

1189
00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:57,360
already here and helping them expand,

1190
00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:59,000
build, hire more more people, increase

1191
00:45:57,360 --> 00:46:00,400
their wages, and then obviously

1192
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,440
recruitment of other companies to the

1193
00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:03,520
area.

1194
00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,680
Um we've expanded support for local

1195
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:07,800
businesses through 120 plus company

1196
00:46:05,680 --> 00:46:09,960
visits here in Washington County. Uh,

1197
00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:12,120
um, the million 1 million cup program,

1198
00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:14,400
which is an entrepreneurial hub and uh,

1199
00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:16,080
support place where they can they can

1200
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:17,480
um, interact with each other and network

1201
00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:20,400
and and try and solve and work through

1202
00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:21,880
some of their problems. And then, um,

1203
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:23,440
all through the also through size up,

1204
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:25,160
which is really cool

1205
00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:27,040
uh, software program through the

1206
00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:29,480
Southern Utah Economic Alliance, which

1207
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:31,640
is a free resource to any company that

1208
00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:33,640
provides really in-depth market research

1209
00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,080
and market analytics uh, for anything

1210
00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:36,760
that you might need for your business

1211
00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:38,880
and see what your competitors are doing,

1212
00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:41,320
maybe uh, synergies with other companies

1213
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:42,640
or suppliers that you might need. And

1214
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:44,880
uh, and that and that's up and running

1215
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:46,280
on their website now.

1216
00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:48,280
And then the last piece is the St.

1217
00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:50,840
George Airport, which uh, the county

1218
00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:53,200
pays uh, some of the bills for now.

1219
00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:54,840
That is a major economic driver. Uh,

1220
00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:56,840
anybody tried to fly out recently? It's

1221
00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:59,680
it was probably a really busy uh,

1222
00:46:56,840 --> 00:47:02,080
airport. It's it's getting a ton of use

1223
00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:04,600
and we need um, we need a bigger

1224
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:05,800
airport. We need to expand. And so, that

1225
00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,560
uh, that airport is going through an

1226
00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:09,600
expansion. We'll be helping with some of

1227
00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:10,800
the uh, some of the funding on it. The

1228
00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,520
city is bringing in some of the funding.

1229
00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:14,680
The state has come in with with some of

1230
00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:16,800
the funding. And that will provide more

1231
00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:18,360
flights, more airlines. We fly to five

1232
00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:20,480
destinations right now. We're expecting

1233
00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:22,440
to to provide to many more. And that's a

1234
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,600
key piece that companies say they

1235
00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:25,680
continue to look for when they're

1236
00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:27,440
looking to come here or to expand here.

1237
00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:30,120
I need to be able to get out or bring

1238
00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:31,320
people in a lot easier.

1239
00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:34,240
Speaking of the economy, the visitor

1240
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:35,760
economy is is big in Washington County.

1241
00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:37,600
Uh, if you look around, obviously it's a

1242
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:40,160
beautiful place. People want to be here.

1243
00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:42,560
They want to come visit. Uh, that drives

1244
00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:44,080
an enormous portion of our economy.

1245
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:46,000
While we try and diversify, we're trying

1246
00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:49,080
to do uh, so many other things in tech

1247
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:51,600
and bio research, uh, agro research,

1248
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:53,280
desertification tech,

1249
00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:55,520
the the visitor economy is still a major

1250
00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:56,960
piece of it. And so, uh, Zion National

1251
00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:58,800
Park is the second busiest park in the

1252
00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:00,640
country, second busiest National Park in

1253
00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:02,360
the country. We have the busiest state

1254
00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:04,280
park in Sand Hollow, which gets over 2

1255
00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:07,760
million visitors a year.

1256
00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:10,560
Uh Sand Hollow Snow Canyon gets uh my

1257
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:12,360
favorite park, gets um over a million

1258
00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:14,520
visitors a year. Gunlock is over half a

1259
00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:16,280
million a year. Uh Quail Creek gets just

1260
00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:17,680
under a million a year. I mean, it's We

1261
00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:19,960
all of our state parks are very, very

1262
00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:21,880
busy. And uh and so people come here,

1263
00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:23,760
about 10 million a year, come here to

1264
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,360
recreate and to experience what we have.

1265
00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:27,040
We ask them to come and drop off their

1266
00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,400
water and their money and then go back

1267
00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:29,720
home with their memories.

1268
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:32,520
Um

1269
00:48:29,720 --> 00:48:34,560
but that also means that they shop here,

1270
00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:36,160
they spend money here, and that impact

1271
00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:38,760
of the visitor economy, while sometimes

1272
00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:40,720
we like to complain about it, lowers on

1273
00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:43,920
average every Washington County home

1274
00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:46,320
your property tax bill by $1,500 a year.

1275
00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:47,840
That's a lot of money. Um so maybe it's

1276
00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:49,720
not quite as much of an imposition

1277
00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:50,960
sometimes when the road's shut down.

1278
00:48:49,720 --> 00:48:54,520
Um

1279
00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:56,200
with that money, we also are able to uh

1280
00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:58,520
to reinvest in projects that our own

1281
00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:59,440
citizens like to enjoy.

1282
00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:01,200
Um

1283
00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:03,480
just over $5 million

1284
00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:04,880
last year in in things like the the

1285
00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:08,320
brand new Washington Wheels Park, which

1286
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:08,320
is an incredible facility.

1287
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,760
Mayor Stanley started that one off. Good

1288
00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:15,760
job, Mayor. Um

1289
00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:17,360
most of the trails, the parks, the

1290
00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:19,480
trailheads that are in Washington County

1291
00:49:17,360 --> 00:49:21,080
have been funded in part by uh or

1292
00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:23,120
subsidized in part by the funding from

1293
00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:24,280
visitors that have helped pay for those

1294
00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:26,360
things. So when you go out and enjoy

1295
00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:28,240
them, thank the visitors for helping

1296
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:30,240
helping pay for those facilities.

1297
00:49:28,240 --> 00:49:32,720
Um

1298
00:49:30,240 --> 00:49:35,120
Yeah, I've covered that pretty well.

1299
00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:36,640
The legislative session, um thank you uh

1300
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:38,120
Representative Cole and Jack for letting

1301
00:49:36,640 --> 00:49:39,400
me uh

1302
00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:41,960
snap a picture of your picture of you

1303
00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,640
there. Uh we work really, really well

1304
00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:45,440
with our legislators, uh who I think

1305
00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:46,640
we've got two of them here today.

1306
00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,640
Um

1307
00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:52,080
the but but it the county kind of is the

1308
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:54,360
last line of defense against bad ideas.

1309
00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,960
We complain about bad ideas out of uh

1310
00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:58,240
Washington D.C. but occasionally there's

1311
00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:59,560
bad ideas out of Salt Lake City, too.

1312
00:49:58,240 --> 00:50:01,520
Or something that might be a good idea

1313
00:49:59,560 --> 00:50:02,800
somewhere else that does not work here.

1314
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:04,960
And so

1315
00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:07,040
we spend a lot of time at the

1316
00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:08,680
legislature.

1317
00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:10,800
The last couple of years I have kind of

1318
00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:12,280
lived there almost as much as they do

1319
00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:14,120
during the 6 weeks that that they're

1320
00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:15,720
there to to make sure the Washington

1321
00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:18,600
County's interests, your interests, are

1322
00:50:15,720 --> 00:50:20,520
defended and and pushed in in Salt Lake

1323
00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:21,520
City during the legislative session.

1324
00:50:20,520 --> 00:50:23,880
Um

1325
00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:25,480
is way too too much. They get what

1326
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,960
almost a thousand bills a year, right

1327
00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:28,480
representative?

1328
00:50:26,960 --> 00:50:30,400
They they luckily don't pass a thousand

1329
00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:32,000
bills a year. But but they work really

1330
00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:33,680
hard. But that means things are coming

1331
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:36,000
really fast. You don't get to years and

1332
00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:38,400
years to to try and play defense against

1333
00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:39,680
things. You have to work in real time

1334
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:42,000
with them, which is what takes so much

1335
00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:43,920
time up there.

1336
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:45,920
I am the

1337
00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:47,240
the current vice first vice president of

1338
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:49,160
the Utah Association of Counties and

1339
00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:50,960
next week I'll become the president

1340
00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:52,600
through next year,

1341
00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:54,400
which gives Washington County a great

1342
00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:55,680
seat at the table. I have a standing

1343
00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:57,960
meeting every week with the speaker of

1344
00:50:55,680 --> 00:51:01,040
the house, the Senate president, and the

1345
00:50:57,960 --> 00:51:03,120
governor's office to make sure that

1346
00:51:01,040 --> 00:51:05,080
while it it's supposed to be for all of

1347
00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:06,880
the Utah Association of Counties, really

1348
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:08,600
I make sure that I am there for on

1349
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:09,760
behalf of Washington County and that

1350
00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:12,040
that your interests are being

1351
00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:13,120
represented. And it's been it's been a

1352
00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:15,400
great blessing for Washington County

1353
00:51:13,120 --> 00:51:16,800
because it means I can stop bad ideas or

1354
00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:18,560
I can try and tweak things. Say, "Well,

1355
00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:21,720
look, could we change it this way?" And

1356
00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:23,440
we've we've been very very effective at

1357
00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:25,560
doing that.

1358
00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:26,440
So with that, thank you very much. I

1359
00:51:25,560 --> 00:51:29,000
know I think we're going to have some

1360
00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:31,760
Q&A now. So that's the end of my

1361
00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,760
beautiful portion.

1362
00:51:32,290 --> 00:51:34,310
» [applause]

1363
00:51:40,960 --> 00:51:44,360
» Well, I think that that's a lot of

1364
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:46,040
information to digest and we're not

1365
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:47,520
going to let them off easy and and have

1366
00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:49,400
them walk away after giving great

1367
00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:52,160
presentations. We're going to do a

1368
00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:54,920
little Q&A here and so I have some

1369
00:51:52,160 --> 00:51:57,000
questions prepared. And

1370
00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,600
as I ask the question if

1371
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,600
in the interest of time if just one of

1372
00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:02,800
you would raise your hand to answer and

1373
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:05,440
we'll hand the time to you. So I'll

1374
00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:08,360
begin the first question is what do you

1375
00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:10,600
foresee being the biggest obstacle to

1376
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:12,960
the county population over the next

1377
00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:12,960
year?

1378
00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:19,320
» I'll take that.

1379
00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:21,400
The biggest obstacle

1380
00:52:19,320 --> 00:52:24,080
probably housing.

1381
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:25,920
You know when we think about water,

1382
00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:28,160
that's something we can really apply and

1383
00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:30,120
we can really fight that on our own a

1384
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:31,800
lot of the time. When you think about

1385
00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:32,920
transportation, we already talked about

1386
00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:35,520
roads.

1387
00:52:32,920 --> 00:52:38,480
But it's so limited what counties can do

1388
00:52:35,520 --> 00:52:40,320
and even cities can do when private land

1389
00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:43,520
owners want to build something on their

1390
00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:45,720
land. If it's zoned for it

1391
00:52:43,520 --> 00:52:47,880
already, we pretty much have to make

1392
00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:49,720
sure they build it right and that they

1393
00:52:47,880 --> 00:52:51,160
comply with the zoning.

1394
00:52:49,720 --> 00:52:53,680
But if somebody wants to come in and

1395
00:52:51,160 --> 00:52:56,240
change the zone to build a different

1396
00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:58,720
style or density

1397
00:52:56,240 --> 00:53:01,480
we can help with that, but the real fact

1398
00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:03,320
is that in the county portion, let alone

1399
00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:05,160
cities

1400
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,840
we have limiting factors out in the

1401
00:53:05,160 --> 00:53:09,160
county.

1402
00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,880
Distance from population centers where

1403
00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:13,520
they need groceries or they need

1404
00:53:10,880 --> 00:53:14,720
services. We also have limitations on

1405
00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,400
the amount of

1406
00:53:14,720 --> 00:53:18,080
sewage they can put in the ground with

1407
00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:19,960
septic permits.

1408
00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:22,080
There's limits of how much water that

1409
00:53:19,960 --> 00:53:24,000
they can drill a new well. There's those

1410
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:26,040
kind of things. But I'm not being a

1411
00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:29,360
downer. I'm just saying the reality is

1412
00:53:26,040 --> 00:53:31,880
is that housing probably for our kids to

1413
00:53:29,360 --> 00:53:34,480
stay here, for people to come here that

1414
00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:35,960
have expectations of higher income,

1415
00:53:34,480 --> 00:53:38,120
whether they're coming from somewhere

1416
00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:40,440
else that are they're an engineer or

1417
00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:42,880
they're an attorney, that's It's thing

1418
00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:45,760
that our attorney will always say, we

1419
00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:49,120
can get attorneys, but we can't find

1420
00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:50,840
houses for them. So, the point being is

1421
00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:53,240
uh I believe that will be one of the

1422
00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:55,360
biggest obstacles, but I also want to

1423
00:53:53,240 --> 00:53:58,280
tell you there are opportunities that

1424
00:53:55,360 --> 00:54:00,880
abound in Dixie because we have solved

1425
00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:03,520
things many times over, and some of them

1426
00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:07,840
are allowing multiple units on a the

1427
00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:10,600
same parcel, uh perhaps smaller size of

1428
00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:12,360
uh housing unit, but

1429
00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:14,080
also I'm hoping that we can see some

1430
00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:15,960
relief in the interest rates. The The

1431
00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:19,360
legislature has helped with down payment

1432
00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:20,920
assistance for first-time uh buyers, and

1433
00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:24,440
I'm hoping that we can extend that to

1434
00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:26,720
even further uh with some of the reserve

1435
00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:28,080
funds that State Trust Lands holds. I've

1436
00:54:26,720 --> 00:54:30,880
always thought that should be a re-

1437
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:32,120
revolving loan fund. Anyway, lots to be

1438
00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:34,320
done there, but I think one of our

1439
00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:35,840
greatest obstacles will be how we can

1440
00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:38,040
have our

1441
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:40,680
people stay here with reasonable in

1442
00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:41,600
reasonable well-built homes. That's my

1443
00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:43,880
thought.

1444
00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:46,160
» Thank you, Commissioner.

1445
00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:48,000
The next question, the public deserves

1446
00:54:46,160 --> 00:54:51,080
to know where and when we you spend our

1447
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:53,000
tax dollars, including our RAP tax.

1448
00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:55,160
It's difficult, some would say, for a

1449
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:57,040
citizen to see exactly where you spend

1450
00:54:55,160 --> 00:54:58,840
taxpayer funds.

1451
00:54:57,040 --> 00:55:01,240
What are you willing to do to make it

1452
00:54:58,840 --> 00:55:05,080
easier for your constituents to ex- see

1453
00:55:01,240 --> 00:55:07,120
exactly where you spend our money?

1454
00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:09,320
» Well, I guess I'll take that since I'm

1455
00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:10,720
sitting right here. Um so, one of the

1456
00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:12,320
most important things that we do as

1457
00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:14,200
county commissioners is pass the county

1458
00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:16,040
budget. And I can remember, I don't know

1459
00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:18,800
if it was this year or last year, we had

1460
00:55:16,040 --> 00:55:20,640
some sort of item in the on our agenda

1461
00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:22,480
prior, and the room was full of people,

1462
00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:24,320
and they were there, and this item

1463
00:55:22,480 --> 00:55:26,280
passed, and then everybody got up and

1464
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:28,040
left, and then there was supposed to be

1465
00:55:26,280 --> 00:55:30,440
a public hearing on a $200 million

1466
00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:33,480
budget for the county, and not one

1467
00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:36,120
citizen was there to stand up and ask

1468
00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:38,760
questions or speak to it. So, finding

1469
00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:41,400
transparency on on the budget and making

1470
00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:42,720
sure that the public is engaged there is

1471
00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:44,560
one of the most important things that

1472
00:55:42,720 --> 00:55:46,720
we've been trying to do. When I first

1473
00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:49,520
became a county commissioner, one of the

1474
00:55:46,720 --> 00:55:51,280
first things that that I did was we

1475
00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:53,760
implemented um

1476
00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:56,560
this this step where every commission

1477
00:55:53,760 --> 00:55:59,760
meeting we vote on all items, budgeted

1478
00:55:56,560 --> 00:56:00,920
items, that are $10,000 or more. And so,

1479
00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:03,000
if you ever come to a commission

1480
00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:06,040
meeting, any item and it doesn't matter

1481
00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:08,640
if it's it's food for the jail or

1482
00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:11,560
ammunition for the sheriff's office or

1483
00:56:08,640 --> 00:56:13,480
or paper clips for for the

1484
00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:14,960
clerk-auditor's office. Just kidding. I

1485
00:56:13,480 --> 00:56:17,800
know Ryan doesn't use that many paper

1486
00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:20,520
clips because he hates paper. But, um

1487
00:56:17,800 --> 00:56:23,200
but actually the budget process starts

1488
00:56:20,520 --> 00:56:25,600
with our clerk-auditor and that starts

1489
00:56:23,200 --> 00:56:28,040
in late August and then it moves through

1490
00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:30,840
and we are on an annual budget. When we

1491
00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:32,280
talk about the RAP board and and I think

1492
00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:33,960
that the question, whoever asked that

1493
00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:36,080
question, they're probably also talking

1494
00:56:33,960 --> 00:56:38,520
about some of our tourism fund. So, let

1495
00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:40,560
me talk about both of those. So, the RAP

1496
00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:42,320
board actually has an advisory board.

1497
00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:45,640
And when I say the RAP board, we're

1498
00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:49,200
really talking about the 15% of the RAP

1499
00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:51,840
that was set aside for cultural and art.

1500
00:56:49,200 --> 00:56:55,200
The rest of it the other 85% is

1501
00:56:51,840 --> 00:56:57,040
immediately sent to cities based on

1502
00:56:55,200 --> 00:56:59,760
point of sale and population and then

1503
00:56:57,040 --> 00:57:02,120
they they they spend it on through their

1504
00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:04,480
budget process. But, at the county

1505
00:57:02,120 --> 00:57:06,600
portion, the 15% actually has an

1506
00:57:04,480 --> 00:57:08,320
advisory committee. That those are

1507
00:57:06,600 --> 00:57:09,920
public meetings, those are meetings that

1508
00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:12,520
are noticed, the minutes are are

1509
00:57:09,920 --> 00:57:14,960
published, and they vote on it and then

1510
00:57:12,520 --> 00:57:17,360
they recommend it to us and then we take

1511
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:19,560
it into a public meeting. We have a a

1512
00:57:17,360 --> 00:57:22,760
public meeting upon which we vote on it

1513
00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:25,880
again. Similarly, um when we talk about

1514
00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:27,440
all of the tourism tax, TRT, and

1515
00:57:25,880 --> 00:57:29,960
restaurant tax,

1516
00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:32,840
it under state code has what's called

1517
00:57:29,960 --> 00:57:35,520
the tourism tax advisory board. That

1518
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:38,120
board is made up of taxpayers. So, you

1519
00:57:35,520 --> 00:57:40,120
have hoteliers, restaurant owners, etc.

1520
00:57:38,120 --> 00:57:42,520
People who are paying that tax sit on

1521
00:57:40,120 --> 00:57:44,480
that board. All of that money goes

1522
00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:45,920
through that board before it's

1523
00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:48,480
recommended back to the county

1524
00:57:45,920 --> 00:57:51,480
commissioner on how county commission on

1525
00:57:48,480 --> 00:57:54,320
how best to spend it. And so, in the

1526
00:57:51,480 --> 00:57:56,320
it's basically a double step as far as

1527
00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:58,240
spending goes. And then any additional

1528
00:57:56,320 --> 00:58:00,560
money, once again, comes onto our

1529
00:57:58,240 --> 00:58:02,760
commission agenda after it's spent. So,

1530
00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:04,920
how do we I think the questioner also

1531
00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:06,680
wants to know how we can improve. And

1532
00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:09,040
so, there's there's several things that

1533
00:58:06,680 --> 00:58:10,680
we're working on. The the county budget,

1534
00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:13,440
and I keep pointing this way because

1535
00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:16,040
this is where the world's famous

1536
00:58:13,440 --> 00:58:18,600
Ryan Sullivan, our clerk auditor, sits.

1537
00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:21,400
He is actually in county government, it

1538
00:58:18,600 --> 00:58:23,480
is his budget. We pass it, but it goes

1539
00:58:21,400 --> 00:58:25,760
through the clerk auditor's office. And

1540
00:58:23,480 --> 00:58:28,400
so, he's working on ways for it to be

1541
00:58:25,760 --> 00:58:30,440
even more transparent on our website.

1542
00:58:28,400 --> 00:58:32,000
You know, websites have to be rebuilt.

1543
00:58:30,440 --> 00:58:34,240
We're actually rebuilding our website.

1544
00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:36,480
We've actually just barely last year

1545
00:58:34,240 --> 00:58:38,000
implemented an entire new accounting

1546
00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:40,560
software, which

1547
00:58:38,000 --> 00:58:43,080
probably aged most of our county staff

1548
00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:45,360
by a couple years as they had to learn

1549
00:58:43,080 --> 00:58:49,240
this new system. But that new system

1550
00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:52,720
will allow us to to have more reports

1551
00:58:49,240 --> 00:58:55,200
and and it'll be easier to access. All

1552
00:58:52,720 --> 00:58:57,040
of the data is there, but it's not any

1553
00:58:55,200 --> 00:58:58,800
good if you can't find it. So, we

1554
00:58:57,040 --> 00:59:01,240
continue to work on transparency. I

1555
00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:02,760
think we've made leaps and bounds over

1556
00:59:01,240 --> 00:59:04,880
the last few years. It's been a high

1557
00:59:02,760 --> 00:59:06,960
priority of all of us commissioners and

1558
00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:08,800
a high priority of of our clerk auditor

1559
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:10,320
as well.

1560
00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:11,360
» Thank you, commissioner.

1561
00:59:10,320 --> 00:59:13,480
We're going to stay on the money

1562
00:59:11,360 --> 00:59:16,400
subject, and since we only have time for

1563
00:59:13,480 --> 00:59:18,320
one more question, commissioner

1564
00:59:16,400 --> 00:59:19,480
Snow, this is going to you.

1565
00:59:18,320 --> 00:59:21,400
Um

1566
00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:24,200
new home buyers across Washington County

1567
00:59:21,400 --> 00:59:26,600
pay upwards of $20,000 in combined

1568
00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:28,840
impact fees. This is passed directly

1569
00:59:26,600 --> 00:59:31,640
through to the families that are already

1570
00:59:28,840 --> 00:59:34,960
stretched thin by inflation, rising fuel

1571
00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:37,280
costs, and the cost of raising a family.

1572
00:59:34,960 --> 00:59:40,720
At the ribbon-cutting of the Washington

1573
00:59:37,280 --> 00:59:43,360
Wheels Park, Councilman Ivy credited

1574
00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:44,880
generous donations, making no mention of

1575
00:59:43,360 --> 00:59:47,000
impact fees.

1576
00:59:44,880 --> 00:59:49,240
Do you believe home buyers deserve to

1577
00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:52,080
know exactly how their compensatory fees

1578
00:59:49,240 --> 00:59:55,000
are being spent? And if so, why wasn't

1579
00:59:52,080 --> 00:59:57,480
it disclosed at the ribbon-cutting?

1580
00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:57,480
» Yeah, they should

1581
01:00:02,541 --> 01:00:04,520
» [laughter]

1582
01:00:03,120 --> 01:00:06,880
» Is only mine working? Here you go, Alan.

1583
01:00:04,520 --> 01:00:09,520
» A joke? Is that There we go. Okay. Uh

1584
01:00:06,880 --> 01:00:11,360
yeah, they should. But they already are.

1585
01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:13,440
And my understanding is that

1586
01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:14,760
the impact fees they I mean these aren't

1587
01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:16,840
like hidden

1588
01:00:14,760 --> 01:00:18,040
things. Uh maybe it could have been

1589
01:00:16,840 --> 01:00:19,320
I was at the ribbon-cutting for the

1590
01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:21,040
Wheels Park, so I don't I don't think

1591
01:00:19,320 --> 01:00:22,840
that's what uh Councilman Ivy's point

1592
01:00:21,040 --> 01:00:24,240
was not to try and say nobody else

1593
01:00:22,840 --> 01:00:25,880
contributed. Actually, I remember him

1594
01:00:24,240 --> 01:00:27,560
specifically cuz I didn't realize that

1595
01:00:25,880 --> 01:00:29,960
uh impact fees had been used on that

1596
01:00:27,560 --> 01:00:32,360
park. But uh

1597
01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:34,000
it it was mentioned in addition to the

1598
01:00:32,360 --> 01:00:35,400
to the uh

1599
01:00:34,000 --> 01:00:37,120
donations and the the money that the

1600
01:00:35,400 --> 01:00:39,160
county and the and other, you know,

1601
01:00:37,120 --> 01:00:40,520
there's very generous donations from the

1602
01:00:39,160 --> 01:00:42,480
the landowners that I think they got

1603
01:00:40,520 --> 01:00:43,400
their arms twisted into giving the land.

1604
01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:45,600
Um

1605
01:00:43,400 --> 01:00:46,680
but but it's just as an example.

1606
01:00:45,600 --> 01:00:48,360
But the answer I guess the short answer

1607
01:00:46,680 --> 01:00:49,520
is yes. Every every citizen should know

1608
01:00:48,360 --> 01:00:50,560
exactly what's happening with their

1609
01:00:49,520 --> 01:00:52,520
dollars. These aren't government

1610
01:00:50,560 --> 01:00:54,800
dollars. These aren't mine. Uh they're

1611
01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:56,960
not Commissioner uh Iverson's. They're

1612
01:00:54,800 --> 01:00:58,440
or the mayor's. They're your dollars.

1613
01:00:56,960 --> 01:01:00,280
And of course transparency is absolutely

1614
01:00:58,440 --> 01:01:02,880
paramount. Uh and my understanding is

1615
01:01:00,280 --> 01:01:04,200
that those dollars are all they all go

1616
01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:05,720
through the budget process and that

1617
01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:07,920
means that they're all very transparent

1618
01:01:05,720 --> 01:01:10,440
in how and how they're spent. Uh there

1619
01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:12,320
is no secondary second book that we

1620
01:01:10,440 --> 01:01:13,640
actually spend money out of and and we

1621
01:01:12,320 --> 01:01:15,280
hide things in the back of it. That that

1622
01:01:13,640 --> 01:01:18,600
doesn't happen, right? It's all very

1623
01:01:15,280 --> 01:01:20,160
public uh knowledge. Um

1624
01:01:18,600 --> 01:01:21,600
on the tr- but there's kind of two parts

1625
01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:23,960
to that question though. Maybe they

1626
01:01:21,600 --> 01:01:25,880
didn't mean to be or and I know probably

1627
01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:26,680
combined a couple of like questions into

1628
01:01:25,880 --> 01:01:29,000
one, so maybe that was some of the

1629
01:01:26,680 --> 01:01:30,480
combination process there, but but

1630
01:01:29,000 --> 01:01:31,400
impact fees

1631
01:01:30,480 --> 01:01:32,680
because they they mentioned about

1632
01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:34,400
families being stretched thin and

1633
01:01:32,680 --> 01:01:36,160
everything. Well, and and that's true,

1634
01:01:34,400 --> 01:01:38,200
right? But the it's also true of the

1635
01:01:36,160 --> 01:01:40,080
families that already live here.

1636
01:01:38,200 --> 01:01:41,640
And they're they're paying the same

1637
01:01:40,080 --> 01:01:43,360
price at the pump and this

1638
01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:44,560
the the cash There we go, the cash

1639
01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:46,400
register.

1640
01:01:44,560 --> 01:01:48,400
Um and so it's

1641
01:01:46,400 --> 01:01:50,760
it's what we try to do is make sure the

1642
01:01:48,400 --> 01:01:52,360
development pays for development, right?

1643
01:01:50,760 --> 01:01:54,800
That we don't subsidize new development

1644
01:01:52,360 --> 01:01:57,360
by taxing existing residents and say,

1645
01:01:54,800 --> 01:01:59,000
"Okay, hey, uh you want to build a new

1646
01:01:57,360 --> 01:02:00,880
development, so you need to pay for his

1647
01:01:59,000 --> 01:02:03,000
roads so he can go make a bunch of money

1648
01:02:00,880 --> 01:02:05,440
on the new development." No,

1649
01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:07,440
the the new development pays

1650
01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:08,960
for the new development's roads. And and

1651
01:02:07,440 --> 01:02:10,440
the way they do that and the way the

1652
01:02:08,960 --> 01:02:12,120
city provides resources and the way the

1653
01:02:10,440 --> 01:02:13,720
county provides resources for those

1654
01:02:12,120 --> 01:02:16,600
services that we need to provide is

1655
01:02:13,720 --> 01:02:18,160
through impact fees. And so it's it's

1656
01:02:16,600 --> 01:02:20,920
you can't just do away with them. And

1657
01:02:18,160 --> 01:02:22,600
yes, $20,000 is a lot, but uh anybody

1658
01:02:20,920 --> 01:02:25,040
tried to go buy a water meter recently

1659
01:02:22,600 --> 01:02:28,040
or pipe or dig to put something in or

1660
01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:29,360
put in a road? Uh roads are insane. I

1661
01:02:28,040 --> 01:02:31,520
mentioned earlier, they are really,

1662
01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:33,560
really expensive. I remember growing up,

1663
01:02:31,520 --> 01:02:35,840
I think my dad was off by half, but he

1664
01:02:33,560 --> 01:02:37,680
used to always say that the the gorge

1665
01:02:35,840 --> 01:02:39,800
was the most ex When it was built in the

1666
01:02:37,680 --> 01:02:41,720
1970s was the most expensive road in

1667
01:02:39,800 --> 01:02:44,000
America when it was built. And he always

1668
01:02:41,720 --> 01:02:46,640
said he he he'd pause at a million

1669
01:02:44,000 --> 01:02:49,200
dollars a mile. I would kill for a

1670
01:02:46,640 --> 01:02:51,520
million dollars a mile right now, right?

1671
01:02:49,200 --> 01:02:54,360
That they're they're really expensive.

1672
01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:56,080
And so impact fees help off help pay for

1673
01:02:54,360 --> 01:02:56,680
all of those things.

1674
01:02:56,080 --> 01:02:58,480
Um

1675
01:02:56,680 --> 01:03:00,680
and and that's

1676
01:02:58,480 --> 01:03:01,720
you so we can't just do away with them.

1677
01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:03,960
Um and we don't want to put it on

1678
01:03:01,720 --> 01:03:05,840
existing residents. And we try to

1679
01:03:03,960 --> 01:03:07,320
minimize it for new residents who want

1680
01:03:05,840 --> 01:03:08,360
to live here and we try and make that

1681
01:03:07,320 --> 01:03:10,160
it's a delicate balance that we're

1682
01:03:08,360 --> 01:03:11,520
always in search of.

1683
01:03:10,160 --> 01:03:13,960
» Thank you, Commissioner.

1684
01:03:11,520 --> 01:03:15,760
Let's just finish up with a a question

1685
01:03:13,960 --> 01:03:18,080
for all of you and we can start again

1686
01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:20,240
here with with Commissioner Almquist,

1687
01:03:18,080 --> 01:03:22,120
but looking forward for Washington

1688
01:03:20,240 --> 01:03:23,720
County, um

1689
01:03:22,120 --> 01:03:26,040
what are you most optimistic or most

1690
01:03:23,720 --> 01:03:27,960
concerned about and share that with with

1691
01:03:26,040 --> 01:03:29,920
the with the crowd and after

1692
01:03:27,960 --> 01:03:32,040
Commissioner Almquist, we'll go to

1693
01:03:29,920 --> 01:03:34,720
Commissioner Iverson and then finish up

1694
01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:36,960
with Commissioner Snow.

1695
01:03:34,720 --> 01:03:38,280
» I'm most optimistic of the people who

1696
01:03:36,960 --> 01:03:41,480
live here

1697
01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:43,720
because quite frankly, we can't do it

1698
01:03:41,480 --> 01:03:46,840
ourselves and we do receive a lot of

1699
01:03:43,720 --> 01:03:49,360
feedback from other community leaders,

1700
01:03:46,840 --> 01:03:50,720
from citizens because really what they

1701
01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:52,320
want to do is they want to wake up in

1702
01:03:50,720 --> 01:03:54,880
the morning, have some breakfast, go to

1703
01:03:52,320 --> 01:03:56,360
work or go play or do something and not

1704
01:03:54,880 --> 01:03:58,760
worry that the government is going to

1705
01:03:56,360 --> 01:04:01,880
change their lifestyle.

1706
01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:04,720
And because of that, the onus is on us

1707
01:04:01,880 --> 01:04:06,760
to then respond to as a representative

1708
01:04:04,720 --> 01:04:09,080
government, the people and what they

1709
01:04:06,760 --> 01:04:11,280
really desire. Um

1710
01:04:09,080 --> 01:04:13,640
I remember

1711
01:04:11,280 --> 01:04:16,440
I'm the board chair at Dixie Tech. I

1712
01:04:13,640 --> 01:04:19,840
work side by side with Steven and

1713
01:04:16,440 --> 01:04:22,240
together we are on a board

1714
01:04:19,840 --> 01:04:24,640
that is made up of professionals in the

1715
01:04:22,240 --> 01:04:28,600
area, all with one desire.

1716
01:04:24,640 --> 01:04:32,240
Train those in the fields of electrical

1717
01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:35,760
work, welding, nursing, you name it, uh

1718
01:04:32,240 --> 01:04:38,240
diesel repair, huge. Um

1719
01:04:35,760 --> 01:04:40,120
when I look at those who bring in their

1720
01:04:38,240 --> 01:04:42,560
students who are graduating that have

1721
01:04:40,120 --> 01:04:44,040
shown exceptional uh

1722
01:04:42,560 --> 01:04:46,920
skills

1723
01:04:44,040 --> 01:04:49,120
and they brag to us of their not only

1724
01:04:46,920 --> 01:04:50,960
training ability, but also that they are

1725
01:04:49,120 --> 01:04:53,040
at Dixie Tech.

1726
01:04:50,960 --> 01:04:55,560
Um I know that Steven and I have talked

1727
01:04:53,040 --> 01:04:57,880
about this. We get kind of fair klemped.

1728
01:04:55,560 --> 01:05:01,080
A good old Yiddish word. When it comes

1729
01:04:57,880 --> 01:05:04,000
to the fact that these are people just

1730
01:05:01,080 --> 01:05:06,280
starting out or some who have never had

1731
01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:09,400
any education before and I look at that

1732
01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:11,520
and I say there's so much promise. And

1733
01:05:09,400 --> 01:05:13,080
there's no favorites

1734
01:05:11,520 --> 01:05:14,760
when a principal says, "Well, well,

1735
01:05:13,080 --> 01:05:16,320
who's that is asked, "Who's your

1736
01:05:14,760 --> 01:05:19,080
favorite student?" Or "Who's your

1737
01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:21,720
favorite teacher?" Usually, that's a

1738
01:05:19,080 --> 01:05:24,600
long list. And I've got to tell you, I I

1739
01:05:21,720 --> 01:05:26,520
enjoy working with Victor and with Adam,

1740
01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:28,800
all of our county employees and

1741
01:05:26,520 --> 01:05:31,280
department heads and other elected

1742
01:05:28,800 --> 01:05:33,760
because if any of us ever said, "Well,

1743
01:05:31,280 --> 01:05:36,320
what's your favorite thing to work on?"

1744
01:05:33,760 --> 01:05:38,400
It might be a multiplicity of things

1745
01:05:36,320 --> 01:05:40,360
that show opportunity and

1746
01:05:38,400 --> 01:05:42,960
what I'm optimistic about, but it really

1747
01:05:40,360 --> 01:05:44,840
comes down to those who live here and

1748
01:05:42,960 --> 01:05:46,920
how we can serve them. And

1749
01:05:44,840 --> 01:05:49,640
it's Dixie. We've we've always done

1750
01:05:46,920 --> 01:05:52,760
that. We've we've risen a city and

1751
01:05:49,640 --> 01:05:56,040
cities out of nothing. And uh sure

1752
01:05:52,760 --> 01:05:59,440
appreciate the the question. Thank you.

1753
01:05:56,040 --> 01:05:59,440
» Thank you, Commissioner Iverson.

1754
01:06:00,280 --> 01:06:04,360
» That's actually a really great question.

1755
01:06:02,000 --> 01:06:06,480
I just want to echo a little bit. I I

1756
01:06:04,360 --> 01:06:08,200
think a lot about our history and about

1757
01:06:06,480 --> 01:06:10,040
about this Dixie spirit that we talk

1758
01:06:08,200 --> 01:06:11,800
about, these rugged individuals that

1759
01:06:10,040 --> 01:06:14,240
came into this area. This is a really

1760
01:06:11,800 --> 01:06:16,320
special area, Washington County. We have

1761
01:06:14,240 --> 01:06:18,520
these three great western formations

1762
01:06:16,320 --> 01:06:21,040
that meet here, the Mojave Desert to the

1763
01:06:18,520 --> 01:06:22,560
south, the Colorado Plateau, and the

1764
01:06:21,040 --> 01:06:24,440
Basin and Range. Now, the Basin and

1765
01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:26,800
Range, that's Nevada. That's not as

1766
01:06:24,440 --> 01:06:29,400
pretty as the Anyway, we'll move on, but

1767
01:06:26,800 --> 01:06:31,360
it's a it's the Dixie spirit, this idea

1768
01:06:29,400 --> 01:06:33,560
of working together. You know, I I

1769
01:06:31,360 --> 01:06:35,160
talked a little bit about water and how

1770
01:06:33,560 --> 01:06:37,120
difficult it is.

1771
01:06:35,160 --> 01:06:39,640
You know, these great big projects that

1772
01:06:37,120 --> 01:06:41,720
we have going on. But the fact of it is

1773
01:06:39,640 --> 01:06:45,080
it was difficult on the same type of

1774
01:06:41,720 --> 01:06:47,760
scale when our pioneers came. But it

1775
01:06:45,080 --> 01:06:49,880
doesn't I people that move here are so

1776
01:06:47,760 --> 01:06:52,240
impressive. Like the the people that are

1777
01:06:49,880 --> 01:06:55,080
drawn to Washington County, I continue

1778
01:06:52,240 --> 01:06:57,760
to be amazed at the quality of people

1779
01:06:55,080 --> 01:06:59,400
who just want to move here. And and I

1780
01:06:57,760 --> 01:07:01,520
kind of feel like,

1781
01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:04,480
you know, they're all being drawn,

1782
01:07:01,520 --> 01:07:07,000
they're all pioneers. And they all add

1783
01:07:04,480 --> 01:07:09,360
to our community. So, when I think about

1784
01:07:07,000 --> 01:07:11,240
optimism, we've always had to be a

1785
01:07:09,360 --> 01:07:13,360
little bit optimistic here in Washington

1786
01:07:11,240 --> 01:07:14,960
County. We've always had to to believe

1787
01:07:13,360 --> 01:07:17,880
that we're going to get it done. Nothing

1788
01:07:14,960 --> 01:07:20,120
is necessarily easy here, but working

1789
01:07:17,880 --> 01:07:22,360
together, the Dixie spirit, the great

1790
01:07:20,120 --> 01:07:24,760
cooperation that the county has with our

1791
01:07:22,360 --> 01:07:26,680
city partners, with our mayors,

1792
01:07:24,760 --> 01:07:28,400
working to solve problems, that's that's

1793
01:07:26,680 --> 01:07:30,000
what gives me a lot of optimism going

1794
01:07:28,400 --> 01:07:32,000
forward.

1795
01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:34,760
» Thank you.

1796
01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:35,360
Commissioner Snow.

1797
01:07:34,760 --> 01:07:37,720
» Uh

1798
01:07:35,360 --> 01:07:39,880
yeah, same thing on the optimism. I'll

1799
01:07:37,720 --> 01:07:41,480
say things that that worry me. I'll I'll

1800
01:07:39,880 --> 01:07:43,320
answer that part of the question cuz you

1801
01:07:41,480 --> 01:07:45,680
know, that that I'm concerned about. Uh

1802
01:07:43,320 --> 01:07:48,920
cost of living, cost of housing is is

1803
01:07:45,680 --> 01:07:50,360
definitely tough. Um there's a

1804
01:07:48,920 --> 01:07:51,440
I saw Neil Walter here earlier. I don't

1805
01:07:50,360 --> 01:07:54,040
know if he's still here.

1806
01:07:51,440 --> 01:07:56,880
Uh but but he's got a great answer on on

1807
01:07:54,040 --> 01:07:57,880
housing being a real estate expert. Um

1808
01:07:56,880 --> 01:07:59,760
but uh

1809
01:07:57,880 --> 01:08:01,360
but there is not any one item that we

1810
01:07:59,760 --> 01:08:02,480
can just solve, right? I can I can tell

1811
01:08:01,360 --> 01:08:03,680
you if any of our cities or if the

1812
01:08:02,480 --> 01:08:05,680
county or if the state could just come

1813
01:08:03,680 --> 01:08:07,520
in and say And actually, it was funny.

1814
01:08:05,680 --> 01:08:08,960
Last year the the governor

1815
01:08:07,520 --> 01:08:10,480
uh his office kind of threatened, you

1816
01:08:08,960 --> 01:08:12,840
know, if if the cities and the county

1817
01:08:10,480 --> 01:08:14,480
won't around the state, not just here,

1818
01:08:12,840 --> 01:08:15,640
if you won't solve the housing problem,

1819
01:08:14,480 --> 01:08:18,120
we'll come in and solve it for you. And

1820
01:08:15,640 --> 01:08:20,120
everyone was like, "Great.

1821
01:08:18,120 --> 01:08:21,640
Go ahead. If you think you can, go right

1822
01:08:20,120 --> 01:08:23,160
ahead." Turns out they can't, so they

1823
01:08:21,640 --> 01:08:27,160
didn't. Um

1824
01:08:23,160 --> 01:08:29,319
but the the point being that the uh

1825
01:08:27,160 --> 01:08:30,560
some of that is that really low interest

1826
01:08:29,319 --> 01:08:32,120
rates have kept people in their homes

1827
01:08:30,560 --> 01:08:34,480
and they normally would have would have

1828
01:08:32,120 --> 01:08:36,080
moved on, right? They would have

1829
01:08:34,480 --> 01:08:37,839
especially some of the older population

1830
01:08:36,080 --> 01:08:39,000
would have downsized into your, you

1831
01:08:37,839 --> 01:08:41,640
know, condo. They'd have all moved to

1832
01:08:39,000 --> 01:08:42,720
SunRiver by now and they haven't because

1833
01:08:41,640 --> 01:08:44,680
they don't want to leave their really

1834
01:08:42,720 --> 01:08:46,240
low interest rate. Um

1835
01:08:44,680 --> 01:08:48,960
nature will solve some of that issue

1836
01:08:46,240 --> 01:08:51,440
eventually and

1837
01:08:48,960 --> 01:08:54,040
and the rest of them will will move on

1838
01:08:51,440 --> 01:08:55,400
and and and they'll they'll downsize cuz

1839
01:08:54,040 --> 01:08:58,440
even even interest rates right now

1840
01:08:55,400 --> 01:08:59,720
historically are not that high, right? I

1841
01:08:58,440 --> 01:09:01,040
wasn't alive yet. My parents told me

1842
01:08:59,720 --> 01:09:03,400
that there There a one point there's

1843
01:09:01,040 --> 01:09:05,240
like 14% interest rate.

1844
01:09:03,400 --> 01:09:07,120
That we're not anywhere near that,

1845
01:09:05,240 --> 01:09:08,799
right? And they were really happy when I

1846
01:09:07,120 --> 01:09:11,480
got them cuz I owned a mortgage company

1847
01:09:08,799 --> 01:09:12,799
in college. When I got them 6% and they

1848
01:09:11,480 --> 01:09:14,600
thought, "Well, that was a great rate."

1849
01:09:12,799 --> 01:09:16,960
Well, 6% right now you're crying cuz

1850
01:09:14,600 --> 01:09:18,759
it's so high, right? Um

1851
01:09:16,960 --> 01:09:20,279
but but eventually that will normalize

1852
01:09:18,759 --> 01:09:22,720
and people will have to move on cuz life

1853
01:09:20,279 --> 01:09:24,200
just demands that. Um

1854
01:09:22,720 --> 01:09:25,560
but we we there are things that we can

1855
01:09:24,200 --> 01:09:27,359
do. We're working with cities. I know

1856
01:09:25,560 --> 01:09:29,720
the cities are working on it. Of all the

1857
01:09:27,359 --> 01:09:31,319
levers on housing, uh we can't affect

1858
01:09:29,720 --> 01:09:33,400
the cost of land. Everybody sells land

1859
01:09:31,319 --> 01:09:34,759
at the highest price they can. We all

1860
01:09:33,400 --> 01:09:36,080
would do the same when we own land,

1861
01:09:34,759 --> 01:09:38,400
right? Nobody sells it a discount just

1862
01:09:36,080 --> 01:09:39,480
to be a good guy. Um

1863
01:09:38,400 --> 01:09:40,960
we can't affect the cost of the

1864
01:09:39,480 --> 01:09:42,319
materials. We can't affect the cost of

1865
01:09:40,960 --> 01:09:43,880
labor. We can't affect the

1866
01:09:42,319 --> 01:09:45,799
macroeconomic, you know, the interest

1867
01:09:43,880 --> 01:09:48,600
rate side.

1868
01:09:45,799 --> 01:09:50,279
So, we can affect density and we can

1869
01:09:48,600 --> 01:09:52,120
affect a little bit

1870
01:09:50,279 --> 01:09:53,480
uh impact fees, but like I already

1871
01:09:52,120 --> 01:09:55,600
talked about, you can't really just wipe

1872
01:09:53,480 --> 01:09:58,160
them away because that's only $20,000

1873
01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:59,120
off of it and the city has impact. So,

1874
01:09:58,160 --> 01:10:01,600
all you're doing is moving that to

1875
01:09:59,120 --> 01:10:02,720
somebody else to pay for. And so, we can

1876
01:10:01,600 --> 01:10:04,240
affect density and there's things that

1877
01:10:02,720 --> 01:10:05,720
we can we can do and I know cities are

1878
01:10:04,240 --> 01:10:08,800
doing it. The county actually just

1879
01:10:05,720 --> 01:10:10,840
passed uh a new zone where we can

1880
01:10:08,800 --> 01:10:13,240
affect some higher density housing in

1881
01:10:10,840 --> 01:10:15,040
certain areas where it makes sense. And

1882
01:10:13,240 --> 01:10:16,440
uh and so, there's there's things that

1883
01:10:15,040 --> 01:10:18,400
we're working on.

1884
01:10:16,440 --> 01:10:20,400
Um some of that will just take some time

1885
01:10:18,400 --> 01:10:21,960
to work through. I would say cost of

1886
01:10:20,400 --> 01:10:23,480
cost of living used to be water was my

1887
01:10:21,960 --> 01:10:25,080
number one concern. That's moved to

1888
01:10:23,480 --> 01:10:27,760
number two. If Zach's still here, sorry

1889
01:10:25,080 --> 01:10:29,680
Zach. It's now number two, cost of

1890
01:10:27,760 --> 01:10:32,520
living and housing specifically is

1891
01:10:29,680 --> 01:10:34,800
number one. But the reason I am why I

1892
01:10:32,520 --> 01:10:36,880
said amen is that we have continued to

1893
01:10:34,800 --> 01:10:39,840
figure things out here at the lowest

1894
01:10:36,880 --> 01:10:41,120
possible cost in the state. And that is

1895
01:10:39,840 --> 01:10:42,960
the Dixie spirit, right? We work

1896
01:10:41,120 --> 01:10:44,040
together. We we just figure it out. And

1897
01:10:42,960 --> 01:10:45,960
I can tell you since I am at the

1898
01:10:44,040 --> 01:10:47,240
legislature all the time and in and as

1899
01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:48,520
the president of all of all the Utah

1900
01:10:47,240 --> 01:10:50,640
counties,

1901
01:10:48,520 --> 01:10:52,120
so many other counties

1902
01:10:50,640 --> 01:10:53,720
will will turn to us and they'll they'll

1903
01:10:52,120 --> 01:10:55,720
be some big issue that we all care about

1904
01:10:53,720 --> 01:10:57,840
and they'll go, "Well,

1905
01:10:55,720 --> 01:10:58,920
we're behind you, Washington County."

1906
01:10:57,840 --> 01:11:00,480
And I'm like, "No, don't be behind me,

1907
01:10:58,920 --> 01:11:02,600
be next to me. You know, like fight with

1908
01:11:00,480 --> 01:11:04,200
us, but like you you get them and we'll

1909
01:11:02,600 --> 01:11:06,080
support you.

1910
01:11:04,200 --> 01:11:08,120
And well, that's kind of a crap answer,

1911
01:11:06,080 --> 01:11:10,440
but they but they they do that and that

1912
01:11:08,120 --> 01:11:11,880
means that Washington County has strong

1913
01:11:10,440 --> 01:11:13,400
leadership. We work with our our

1914
01:11:11,880 --> 01:11:15,280
delegation at the federal and at the

1915
01:11:13,400 --> 01:11:17,080
state level. We've we've worked

1916
01:11:15,280 --> 01:11:18,760
together. We work with our cities. We

1917
01:11:17,080 --> 01:11:21,760
work with all of our community partners.

1918
01:11:18,760 --> 01:11:23,760
We get things done at a low cost and and

1919
01:11:21,760 --> 01:11:26,120
it's not just a claim. We've proven it

1920
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:27,400
already here. And and it's the best

1921
01:11:26,120 --> 01:11:29,440
managed state and I would say the best

1922
01:11:27,400 --> 01:11:30,880
managed county in the best managed state

1923
01:11:29,440 --> 01:11:33,200
in the nation

1924
01:11:30,880 --> 01:11:34,520
for a reason. And it's it is that Dixie

1925
01:11:33,200 --> 01:11:36,760
spirit. So even any of these tough

1926
01:11:34,520 --> 01:11:39,160
problems that we have facing us, we can

1927
01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:40,680
overcome. We're working on it. Nobody is

1928
01:11:39,160 --> 01:11:41,800
treating this like we do like they do in

1929
01:11:40,680 --> 01:11:43,960
California where it's like, I don't

1930
01:11:41,800 --> 01:11:45,640
know. Let's just go more into debt.

1931
01:11:43,960 --> 01:11:47,360
Nobody's in debt doing this. As you saw,

1932
01:11:45,640 --> 01:11:48,800
we're debt-free, right?

1933
01:11:47,360 --> 01:11:51,000
We don't just throw money at a problem

1934
01:11:48,800 --> 01:11:52,560
and say, maybe that'll fix it or let's

1935
01:11:51,000 --> 01:11:54,960
get some more DEI in there and maybe

1936
01:11:52,560 --> 01:11:57,200
that'll fix it, right? We we solve the

1937
01:11:54,960 --> 01:11:58,560
problem with real solutions and and

1938
01:11:57,200 --> 01:11:59,560
that's what will will get us over

1939
01:11:58,560 --> 01:12:02,520
anything. And that's what I'm most

1940
01:11:59,560 --> 01:12:02,520
optimistic about.

1941
01:12:06,480 --> 01:12:09,880
» Well, let's have one final round of

1942
01:12:08,120 --> 01:12:12,219
applause for our county commissioners,

1943
01:12:09,880 --> 01:12:14,239
their presentations today.

1944
01:12:12,219 --> 01:12:14,239
» [applause]

1945
01:12:14,640 --> 01:12:17,760
» I think they did a fantastic job sharing

1946
01:12:16,360 --> 01:12:19,240
with us what's going on in Washington

1947
01:12:17,760 --> 01:12:21,440
County and we're appreciative to all of

1948
01:12:19,240 --> 01:12:23,560
you for coming out and participating

1949
01:12:21,440 --> 01:12:25,240
today in our state of the county and

1950
01:12:23,560 --> 01:12:26,760
we'll look forward to seeing you again

1951
01:12:25,240 --> 01:12:29,480
in another year. Thanks you so much and

1952
01:12:26,760 --> 01:12:29,480
travel safe.