I need to figure out a way to get stuff out on Wednesdays because I usually just spend them writing under deadline and am all out of gas before I can put something out in the newsletter. But I’ll figure it out. For today, I will give you a partial effort, dear reader.

Here’s the MADAR update for last night’s meeting, written by Kevin Walker.

Grand County commissioners like two bills: TRT reform and… one other.

The Grand County Commission during its meeting last night discussed bills before the legislature that it does and does not like. One that it said it liked was TRT reform. There were a few others that it didn’t like, one involving vehicle registration that, from what I understand, would make enforcement of off-highway vehicle registration more difficult. So they didn’t like that one.

There were a few other bill support and opposition items that I will fully inventory tomorrow.

Would redrawing the county boundary be feasible?

This was not a question that the county commission considered last night, but it is always one that I think about whenever inter-governmental cooperation with San Juan County comes up, which was the topic of discussion.

It’s a constant point of conversation: How do we manage all of Spanish Valley in a logical, good manner despite it sitting in two, separate counties. The answer always seems to be cooperation.

I think that’s a fine idea, but what I think would be a better idea is: Take Spanish Valley, and redraw Grand County’s boundaries to fully encompass it.

Are there concerns from San Juan County about losing tax revenue or something on the homes there? Come up with some kind of 10-year revenue sharing agreement to phase tax revenue out of San Juan County’s budget and into Grand’s.

This always comes to mind because of exactly what Kevin Walker wrote in description of the discussion item in the meeting packet. Look at this definition he provides of Spanish Valley:

Spanish Valley is a compact, well-defined geographic area, extending from Blue Hill in the south to the Arches National Park entrance area in the north. Yet the responsibility for planning and managing this area is split between three different legislative bodies: the Grand County Commission, the San Juan County Commission, and the Moab City Council.

It is widely agreed that these three local governments need to do a better job of coordinating their planning and zoning decisions, since actions taken (or not taken) in one jurisdiction can have very significant consequences in neighboring jurisdictions.

Kevin Walker

Okay… So there is this really well-defined geographic and political area called Spanish Valley… but there’s a county line that runs right through it… Why don’t we just fix the core problem instead of putting more effort than should be necessary coordinating with San Juan County?

I’m not actually as dismissive as my tired tone here suggests. I think it’s fine to have a partnership with San Juan County for joint administration of the region. But this thing of having the tip of Spanish Valley in a different county just presents all these administrative and political issues that I feel like could be pretty cleanly fixed with a, granted, perhaps controversial solution.

But anyway. The county discussed partnership with San Juan County and the City of Moab. I don’t have a link to the time stamp on the discussion readily available. Sorry.

Dear Chevy, do not depict trucks busting the crust.

That’s the thrust of the letter that the county voted to send to vehicle manufacturer’s marketing departments. Chair Mary McGann described seeing a commercial recently in which a truck turns off the road, and the point of the commercial is that the vehicle is for “making your own roads” or something like that (not an exact quote).

During the discussion, Commissioner Evan Clapper suggested offering an olive branch (not a fig leaf!) to manufacturers in the letter by adding something like, “Hey, instead of depicting trucks going off road, come film in Grand County and we’ll help show you how to do it right.”

They’ll refactor the letter a bit before sending it to integrate that feedback.

Romney supports raising the minimum wage.

This should have been a story this week but wasn’t. Oh well.