Cache County Council Regular Meeting - December 9, 2025

- The council formally recognized outgoing member Barbara Yost Tidwell with a resolution praising her nearly nine years of service, leadership roles, and advocacy for employees and fiscal responsibility. Tidwell gave brief farewell remarks thanking her husband, colleagues, department heads, and the public. - The council approved the agenda and the corrected minutes from the 11/18/2025 regular meeting and truth-in-taxation meeting. - County leadership reported employee Christmas bonus checks were being distributed and that the COG leadership changed, with Mayor Buys selected as chair and Mayor Peterson as vice chair. - The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources presented a PILT payment of $19,160.27 for county-managed properties, and the council accepted it. - After an RFP process, the council awarded the county’s five-year external audit contract to Joan Simpkins, which was the low bid among three firms. - The council heard an update on ARPA-funded projects: 59 of 76 projects are complete, and the Appropriations Committee recommended pulling back funds from projects showing no significant progress by 3/31/2026 so the county can spend all ARPA funds by 12/31/2026. - The council approved the 2026 meeting schedule, with amended February dates to accommodate a conference, and also approved the county holiday schedule, including Juneteenth observance. - Two tax relief hardship requests were considered: one parcel was denied for incomplete financial disclosure, and another was approved for a 29% abatement. - The council approved a corrected Paradise public infrastructure overlay rezoning ordinance after a previous legal-description error, allowing a future telecommunications facility conditional use permit. - The Cache Open Space Advisory Committee recommended, and the council approved, round-one open space application resolution 2025-48 for the Vivian Christiansen, LLC property north of Richmond. This begins due diligence and funding review for a 334-acre conservation project. - The council adopted resolution 2025-49 creating a county data privacy program required by state law, with one abstention noted. - The 2026 budget was approved as amended after several changes, including restoring library funding only for the first six months, adding $1,000 for public lands council membership, adding $7,000 for council equipment, moving $3,200 in executive funds to miscellaneous services, and adding up to $86,000 for a full-time auditor/finance staff position. - The council discussed but did not add budget funding for a future board-of-equalization hearing officer, deciding to revisit the issue later and possibly use county staff training or a future budget opening. - Public comment and council discussion strongly emphasized support for the county library, with concerns that a funding interruption could affect accreditation. The council chose a six-month funding approach for now, with the possibility of revisiting midyear based on progress. - The meeting ended by moving into executive session for real-property/development strategy and personnel-related discussion.