Cache County Council Regular Meeting – 09-23-2025

- The council unanimously approved the agenda and later approved a resolution canceling a $475.27 tax obligation tied to a bankruptcy case, based on legal limits on collection after the bankruptcy process. - County Executive Dan Daines reported that budget work is underway, with department and elected-official budget meetings beginning the next day. The council also unanimously confirmed Kurt Webb as deputy county executive. - Logan Regional Hospital gave an update on its operations and community benefit reporting, emphasizing that it provided about $13.4 million in charity care/financial assistance in 2024 compared with an estimated $2.1 million property tax liability. Hospital leaders also said a long-running campus project is nearing completion and expansion of the emergency department and lab may be sought in the next 1–2 years. - The council held a public hearing and then approved the Lauer Foods rezone near Richmond, changing about 7.88 acres from agricultural to industrial for parking/staging and related uses tied to the company’s expansion. The applicant said the adjacent land was purchased as a buffer to protect the family business from future encroachment. - A small overlay rezone in Paradise for a telecommunications facility was approved after discussion of tower design and the town’s concern that towers there should be stealth or building-mounted under its code. Staff clarified the overlay would apply only to a very specific “postage stamp” area, not the full parcel. - The council denied the Sparks Venture rezone near Smithfield after Planning Commission recommended denial and staff cited substandard access roads, future service concerns, and potential septic limitations. The property owner said the land is largely unfarmable and he wanted to create an industrial use and tax base, but the council followed the denial recommendation. - The Greenfield Milling industrial warehouse rezone north of Richmond was approved. The company said the property is already being used for warehouse/staging purposes and the rezone is needed to make that use compliant. - The council reviewed proposed raises for full-time elected officials and council members, with debate centered on fairness, market comparisons, public perception, and the fact that council members are part-time while other elected officials are full-time. No final decision was made on the full ordinance; the council approved the elected-official portion for full-time offices but removed council pay from that action so it can be handled separately later. - The third-quarter budget amendments were approved, including funding for the new deputy executive position and a $5,000 transfer to the Cache Community Foundation for America 250-related activities. The council also kept in place funding to buy out a senior center truck lease, since staff said the lease cannot be terminated early. - The council approved changing the sales-tax apportionment for the 0.3% tax from 75% public safety / 25% transportation to 60% public safety / 40% transportation, effective January 1, 2026. The council then struck two pending action items related to the optional municipal plan from the agenda for further work.