General Information

Government Type

Special Service District

Entity

Sanpete Conservation District

Public Body

Board of Supervisors

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

Pending Meeting Minutes

Notice Type(s)

Meeting

Event Start Date & Time

September 10, 2026 10:00 AM

Event End Date & Time

September 10, 2026 01:00 PM

Event Deadline Date & Time

09/10/26 10:00 PM

Description/Agenda

Pending Meeting Minutes SANPETE CONSERVATION DISTRICT Thursday, September 10, 2026 Time: 10:00 A.M. USDA Service Center LOCATION: 32 East 450 North Ephraim Utah, 84627 NRCS Conference Room ATTENDANCE: SURPERVISORS: Michael Larson, Scott Sunderland, Bruce Christenson, Scott Mower Excused: Thomas Blackham Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS): Wade Ingram (District Conservationist), Joanna Justesen (NRCS PSS-Admin Assistant) CD clerk, James Longmore (UACD-NRCS), Jesse Durrant (NRCS) Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF): ) BreeAnn Bloomfield (Watershed Planner) Sarah Clancy, Jesse Durrant (NRCS) Excused: JP Contreras (Resource Coordinator) 1. Agenda: Welcome and Introductions: After the Board reviewed the agenda, Scott Sunderland Motioned to approve the agenda, Bruce Christenson Seconded. Motion carries. Board members read through the minutes from August 13, 2026, meeting. Scott Sunderland made a motion that the board approve the minutes. Scott Mower seconded the motion. Motion carried. 2. Clerk Report: a) Joanna reviewed the materials JP provided because JP was absent. She presented the Conservation District Grant amount, explained the related documentation, and noted that Mike's signature is required. She also presented certifications and other documents requiring board signatures, including the fraud risk assessment. There was a slight delay is submissions since all board members were not available at the time of signing. Joanna explained that the Commitment to Serve documents needed to be corrected with the proper county and other updated information. She also shared updates from Cathy's CD Clerk meeting, including changes to SERA forms, reimbursement tracking, mileage eligibility, and prize-money reimbursements. Mileage reimbursements must now cover travel directly from home to the meeting location. Receipts and invoices must clearly identify the purchase, its purpose, and the project or funds involved. Joanna used a Snow College invoice as an example of insufficient detail. If grant funds remain, they may be used for other board-approved activities, such as weed control, provided the required invoice is submitted. The board was asked to suggest appropriate uses for any remaining funds. All invoices must be specific about what is being purchased or distributed. b) Joanna reported to Mike that the Piute check was received from JP, along with checks from Fremont River and Sevier. c) Joanna reviewed the updated reimbursement and SERA sheets. She explained that reimbursement submissions must include meeting attendance, travel time, hotel stays, Excel files, hard copies, final figures, agendas, sign-in sheets, hotel receipts, invoices, and other supporting documents. Managing these materials can be difficult when formats are incorrect, figures do not match, or documents are missing. Joanna proposed creating a Google shared drive for each district. Clerks and directors could upload and review contracts, reports, certifications, budgets, transparency documents, and other required materials. This system would reduce duplicate submissions, make missing documents easier to identify, and allow new clerks to review examples from other districts. Wade asked whether the shared reimbursement sheet was the same version that was distributed to everyone. Joanna confirmed that it was. d) Mike asked how to submit items related to commissioner meetings when no specific agenda is provided. Joanna noted that, under a new rule discussed by Jesse, SERA fund submissions must be made within 30 days. Any anticipated meeting expenses for board members must also be approved by motion at the preceding meeting. Mike observed that many items would therefore need to be discussed and approved before the next meeting. 3.Financial Business: CD Board a) Fourth-quarter State Grant reimbursement: $6,731.13; SERA reimbursement: $2,414.57; total: $9,145.70. b) No-till drill deposit: $185.00 c) Breeann secured a location in Manti for the Watershed event. A debit card charge of $41.34 was incurred to reserve the pavilion and classroom for the two-day event. d) Tree sales from Sevier to Sanpete totaled $1,027.00. Two shared planner amounts for Q1 and Q3 were recorded: $925.25 from Freemont River and Sevier County, and $925.95 from Freemont River. e) SERA: Please confirm whether Bruce attended the meeting requiring reimbursement. Confirmation: Bruce did not attend the county commission meeting. f) The Board discussed renewing the PO Box for Sanpete County lease and approved a 12-month term for $132.00, rather than a 6-month term for $66.00. Bruce Christenson made the motion, Scott Mower seconded it, and the motion carried. g) Payment to TA UACD Grant: A payment of $17,393.73 was approved. Of this amount, $3,478.75 will be divided equally among the districts for shared planner reimbursement. A motion was required to authorize the payment. Scott Mower made the motion, and Bruce Christenson seconded it. The motion carried. Motion To pay Joanna CD Clerk for two months $350.00 per month totaling $700.00. Bruce motioned. Scott Sunderland Seconded the motion. Motion Carries. 4.Board Business: (Board Members) Upcoming Projects and Meetings: I. San Pitch Watershed Education Days: September 16-17, 2026 (Wednesday and Thursday), 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. (Posters will be presented at our October CD meeting, where the winner will be selected.) II. Convention: St. George, November 2026 a) Mike Larson requested a summary of the previous meeting's discussion regarding Breeann's watershed meetings so that the board could proceed with a resolution. Breeann summarized the discussion from the previous Conservation District meeting concerning the watershed meetings she hosts. She proposed addressing watershed-related matters during the Conservation District's monthly business meetings, noting that the initiative had fulfilled its purpose and that attendance had declined. The board agreed that the Conservation District remained valuable and continued to administer watershed funds. b) Scott Sunderland suggested inviting the Watershed Group to CD meetings. Breeann will email the recurring distribution list with meeting details and send the updated list to Joanna, the CD clerk. Mike suggested adding state commissioners and partners, Wade believed this would be beneficial for LWG meeting invitations as well. c) Bruce Christenson moved to merge the Watershed Meeting with the CD Meeting, and Scott Mower seconded. Motion carried. d) Commissioner Meeting Date: Mike Larson will provide the County Clerk with the confirmed date, time, and location at or before the next meeting in October. 5.NRCS Business: a) Final 2026 allocations have been received, with 100% of contracts awarded, totaling just over $6 million. Wade will present the contract breakdown at the October CD board meeting. NRCS will send deferred-funding letters dated October 15, 2026. The letters apply to producers whose 2026 applications were not funded. Producers must respond to retain their deferred applications; NRCS will not follow up with nonrespondents. Board members were asked to share this information with affected producers. The current Secretary of Agriculture is expected to continue the Regenerative Pilot Program (RPP), which Wade called essential for implementing conservation programs and advancing secondary practices through primary projects. Also, Utah is a national IMPAC pilot. Wade said in-person training is scheduled for September 16-17, after which NRCS will prepare 'shovel-ready' applications. NRCS is receiving Strategic Funding Proposals (SFPs) and Priority Resourcing Opportunities (PROs). Richfield has six proposals, and Sanpete has two. District planner James Longmore has been developing proposals in the field. b) The reorganization is complete. The team expects to gain three or four employees, including an administrative assistant, soil conservationist, range conservationist, and civil engineering technician, although three or four employees were lost during the transition. Two new SFPs-San Pitch Oak Creek and North Creek-were identified for Sanpete. Project contracts range from $6 million to $9 million. Additional projects include Dump Rope Canal in Wayne County, Kingston and Marysville, Piute-3, Sevier-0, Cottonwood, Oak Creek, and North Creek. Wade will provide a detailed 2026 breakdown at the next meeting. 6. UDAF Business: Jesse Durrant, Breeann Bloomfield (Watershed Planner), Sarah Clancy, UDAF a) Updates: Jesse has several EDRL's that will need to be presented in a closed session b) Guests: (Sarah Clancy) UDAF will notify borrowers that interest rates will drop to 0% from November 2026 through November 2027, then return to regular rates. Borrowers may request ARDL, EDRL, and similar loan deferrals online by October 31, 2026. UDAF will add a fifth staff member next week to support borrowers statewide. EDRL updates: UDAF received more than 60 EDRL applications between June 1 and September 10, 2026, compared with approximately 40 applications annually during the same period in previous years. After district approval, applicants must submit the requested financial documents before their applications are considered complete and placed in line for funding. Of the 60 applications, 28 remain incomplete because financial information has not been submitted. Sarah clarified that applicants do not need to spend funds before receiving approval. They may request reimbursement for eligible expenses by providing proof of payment or submit an unpaid invoice so that payment can be issued jointly to the applicant and vendor. Applicants may contact UDAF for assistance, as individual circumstances vary and cannot be fully explained on a flyer. Required financial documentation may include: - The previous two years of tax returns - Income statements or profit-and-loss statements - A balance sheet - Business and personal tax returns when the loan involves an LLC or other business entity - Entity documents identifying authorized signatories All required parties must sign, including individuals associated with an LLC. UDAF removed the Social Security number requirement from the loan forms as a precaution. Completed applications are initially submitted to Jesse, JP, or Breeann and then forwarded to Finance. EDRL loans have a seven-year repayment period, with 0% interest for the first two years. No collateral is required. Borrowers may qualify for a third year at 0% interest by collateralizing 50% of the loan amount with water stock or real property, as approved by the UCC. Existing ARDL collateral may potentially be released for this purpose, but it cannot be combined with the new loan and approval is not guaranteed. EDRL loans are available to agricultural producers who experience production losses caused by a natural disaster. UDAF currently has approximately $6.3 million available, with about $3 million committed. Applications totaling approximately $5.5 million have been received, including $2.6 million from applicants who have not yet submitted the required financial documentation and therefore are not currently in line for funding. Additional funding of approximately $6.3 million may become available. A list of required financial documents will be provided to board members at the next meeting. Questions and submissions should be directed to udaf-loans@utah.gov. Board members recommended that Sarah remain for the closed session concerning ARDL loans because of her expertise and ability to provide feedback on submitted documentation. c) Watershed (Breeann Bloomfield): The board will seek bids for a no-till drill before the grant expires on June 30 of next year. Members discussed combining grant funds with additional funding to purchase an 8- to 10-foot drill, with a maximum width of 10 feet. James Longmore, the new Shared CD Planner, will obtain updated bids from Mason Machinery and Carter AG in Richfield. The board will either purchase a new drill or develop a plan to deliver the existing drill to producers. Breeann also reported that two Non-Point Source projects were recently approved and funded. Both participants plan to begin work this fall, with one contract expected within days. Improvements are expected to be completed during the first year, followed by riparian rentals. 7.CD Employee Business: a) Updates: A $120 deposit was issued for the no-till drill. James reported working with JP and Zach to launch the SFPs. Wade commended James for completing Certified Planner Level 1; he is now pursuing Levels 2 and 3. b) James presented the contact list he and JP prepared for distribution throughout the county. Mike approved the poster, which other districts have also approved. James will add further information. The Soil Health Field Days will likely be postponed until next spring, with a classroom in Manti available as a venue. He will solicit bids for the no-till drill for presentation at the October meeting. Jacobs' NRCS contract will also be presented then. 8. ARDL (Jesse Durrant): Scott Sunderland moved to enter a closed session, and Bruce Christenson seconded the motion. The motion carried, and the meeting entered a closed session. Scott Mower moved to adjourn the closed session and reconvene in an open session. Bruce Christenson seconded the motion, Motion carried. The meeting was reconvened into an open session. The board discussed five state applications during the closed session: - Drought Loan Application #1 - $87,000: Bruce Christenson moved to approve the application, and Scott Sunderland seconded the motion. The motion carried. - Drought Loan Application #2 - $50,000: Scott Sunderland moved to approve the application, and Bruce Christenson seconded the motion. The motion carried. - Drought Loan Application #3 - $30,000: Scott Sunderland moved to approve the application, and Bruce Christenson seconded the motion. The motion carried. - Drought Loan Application #4 - $100,000: Scott Mower moved to approve the application, and Bruce Christenson seconded the motion. The motion carried. - Drought Loan Application #5 - $100,000: Bruce Christenson moved to approve the application, and Scott Mower seconded the motion. The motion carried. 9. Other Business: a) Other: The board informed James that he is doing an excellent job and approved a 5% wage increase, effective the first week of October. The board has not yet received specifications for the 2025 contract due to NRCS restructuring but expects an update soon. James's current contract runs through the end of September. b) Next CD meeting will be held: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Ephraim Field Office, 32 East 450 North, Ephraim, UT 84627 in the Conference room. c) Scott Sunderland moved to adjourn, and Bruce Christenson seconded the motion. The motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned.

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Michael Larson, Chair

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

NA

Meeting Information

Meeting Location

32 East 450 North
Ephraim, UT 84627
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Contact Name

Joanna Justesen

Contact Email

joanna.justesen@usda.gov

Contact Phone

1-385-505-7032

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

September 29, 2026 01:07 PM

Notice Last Edited On

September 29, 2026 01:07 PM

Deadline Date

September 10, 2026 10:00 PM

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