By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
As part of the budget hearings held by Juab County Commissioners, plans were finalized to end Special Service District #1. Nadine Blackett, Annette Kendall and Milton Harmon, all members of the board of District #1, and Virginia Dean, DUP president, met with commissioners for the last time as members of the board. That board has now been dissolved. Rick Carlton, commission chairman, said he wasn’t quite certain why the special service district had been created in the first place. Harmon said he knew why. “The county had the old courthouse,” he said. “Part of it was demolished.” Plans were made, in 1989, to turn the old building into the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers museum and to have a few offices in the building as well. Olene Walker was governor of the state at the time and supported the propositions of turning the old courthouse into a museum. Funding was obtained and a contractor was hired. “I agree with what Milt said, but Special Service District #1 was created to handle the CIB funds which came to the county for rebuilding and remodeling the building,” said Glenn Greenhalgh, chief technology director and planning director for the county. Kendall said she had gone through some of the old records at the museum and found out several interesting things. “This special service district was created to help with the conversion of the Juab County Courthouse into a multi-purpose building,” she said. She said that the books and paper folders are from the Special Service District #1 governed by a board. She had an inventory of binders and folders with records of the district. “Around 2007 forward, complete information became sketchy at best,” said Kendall. “Also the board experienced a change in membership, some positions going vacant.” In May 2014, she said, Boyd Howarth, commissioner, who was a long term member of the board turned the leadership of the board to Michael Seely, Juab County Administrator. Also in 2014, commissioners installed a new board consisting of Seely, Harmon, Blackett and Kendall. Rick Carlton became the commissioner over the building. “As of 2014, the only records kept by the DUP Museum are those regarding rental of museum facilities,” she said. Carlton said that the board had been gathered to consider the 2017 budget amendments. All was being brought to zero so that the money for the 2018 budget could be reflected in the county budget as a line item. Therefore, the general fund showed a minus $6,960 for revenues and a minus $6,960 for expenses. The capital projects fund showed a minus $5,686 for revenues and a plus $37,302 for expenses. “For the 2018 budget, zero revenue and zero expenses are shown because Special Service District #1 is dissolved,” said Carlton. Kendall made the motion to adopt the budget amendments and Harmon seconded the motion. “I am concerned about how the board was dissolved,” said Harmon. “I would like a letter from the county attorney stating that there is no liability for the board.” He said there was a lot of property involved. “The county has been insuring anything that belongs to the DUP,” said Seely. “That includes relics and property.” Carlton said that there was a resolution that needed to be adopted by the board which amended the 2017 budget and adopted the 2018 budget. It states that, “...the governing body of the Juab Special Service District #1 has reviewed, considered and tentatively adopted a budget proposed by the district budget officer for the calendar year 2018...” It also points out that the district has complied with Utah law in the proposing, advertising and public notice of the amendments to the 2017 budget, the tentative 2018 budget and the public hearing to consider adoption. All the data was available to the public for seven days prior to the hearing. The public hearing was held and public comment was given and received. The clerk of the Juab Special Service District #1 will be filed in the office of the clerk of the special service district and the clerk is also directed to certify and file the copy of the budget with the state auditor within 30 days of its adoption. The funds were all transferred to the county’s general funds. Harmon asked if the county would turn the administration of the building over to Chris Wilkey, county buildings and grounds superintendent. Carlton said that the county was already overseeing care of the building and that Wilkey would continue to do so. “The DUP will pledge to keep it clean as we have done in the past,” said Kendall. Everything will continue as it was, except that the district will be resolved. As for money, the county will include the DUP museum in the annual budget. “We will interface directly with the DUP,” said Carlton. “It is in the best interest of the county to do it this way.”
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