Millard County Commission vacates Class D roads for Notch Peak solar project, 2-0

The Millard County Commission voted 2-0 on Oct. 6 to adopt Ordinance 26-10-06, vacating several Class D county roads inside the proposed Notch Peak solar project area and removing them from the county general plan and transportation map, according to the meeting minutes. The vote came after a public hearing and after amendments to a maintenance agreement for a new road along the project's northern edge were read into the record. Commissioner Bill Wright was excused, so only Chairperson Trevor Johnson and Commissioner Vicki Lyman voted ^[1][2].

Bryan Harris, representing the Notch Peak project, told the commission that the roads run through property that will be fenced. He proposed that the county vacate them and that a new road be built along the north side to keep public access to surrounding public lands. A representative of the BLM Fillmore Field Office said the agency supports the vacations and has no opposition, and Harris confirmed that all easements had been signed. The county's interim attorney read a letter from UDOT about the project. No one else commented at the hearing ^[1].

Lyman raised concerns that the new road be properly graveled to county specifications and asked that the vote wait until a road maintenance agreement was in place. County Road Supervisor Brandon Winget said his understanding was that the road would be packed dirt and that, as a Class D road, it would need to be upgraded to Class B if the county were to maintain it as a gravel road. The commission added gravel depth, road width and a completion deadline to the agreement, and Harris said the new road had already been constructed and compacted. The commission then adopted the ordinance and approved the agreement ^[1].

The commission amended its 2026 budget by resolution after a public hearing at which no one commented. The transfers included $1 million from the general fund to special projects, $3 million to capital projects, $14,800 for GIS (ESRI) licensing and $22,000 for IT contracts. They also included $1 million from federal LATCF funds to cover fire and flood mitigation costs and a $25,000 transfer within capital projects for replacing computers ^[1].

The commission approved a loan of $89,417 to the town of Kanosh with a term of up to 10 years at the current rate of the state's Public Treasurers' Investment Fund. The loan is repayable from the town's annual tax distributions if state and federal emergency aid reimbursement is not received. Kanosh Mayor Wenda Crabb said the town had borrowed from another account to cover mitigation expenses and questioned how much mitigation work it can afford, and said the town may not be able to make loan payments if the borrowed funds are not reimbursed. Johnson said the county does not want to assume responsibility for the outstanding costs, and the interim attorney said the town may choose not to sign. A similar loan resolution for Meadow was dropped because the town paid its invoices ^[1].

Lyman said there was not enough information to act on a letter of support for Creekstone Energy's BLM right-of-way application, which county planner Adam Richins said would provide a utility connection through BLM land. She asked for a map and details, and the item was put on the next agenda. The commission also approved a letter of support for a federal PROTECT grant application that UDOT will submit. It ratified an emergency purchase of a Caterpillar long-arm track hoe for the road department for fire and flood mitigation and an EMS interfacility transport agreement with Juab County. It also heard a request from a mental health clinic for help buying a transcranial magnetic stimulation chair ^[1].