Five County News

2023-06-04 what the Five County AOG is about.


  FINAL FY2023 BUDGET REVISIONS AND DRAFT FY2024 BUDGET
Each June the Five County Association of Governments prepares final budget revisions for the current fiscal year. It also prepares a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  Copies of the Proposed FY2024 Budget, and FY2023 Final Budget Revisions, are available here on this webpage for public review (see directly below), or can be viewed in person during regular business hours (9am to 5pm MDT M-F) at the Five County Association of Governments Office, located at 1070 West 1600 South, Building B, St. George, UT. 

Click HERE to view the Final Budget Revisions for FY2023 that ends June 30, 2023. (note: this is a PDF file)

Click HERE to view the Beginning FY2024 Budget (for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024). (note: this is a PDF file)

  FIVE COUNTY AOG WILL HOLD TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON IT'S BUDGETS
The Five County Association of Governments, the governing body of the Association, will hold a public hearing on the Final Budget Revisions for the FY2023 Budget (for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023). The Steering Committee will also hold a public hearing the Proposed Budget for FY2024 (for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024). These two hearings will be held on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 during the Five County Association of Governments' Steering Committee meeting which begins at 1:30 p.m.  The two public hearings will be held at Festival Hall in Combined Rooms 5 & 6; 96 N. Main Street; Cedar City, Utah.

Copies of the Proposed FY2024 Budget, and FY2023 Final Budget Revisions, are available here on this webpage for public review (see below) or can be viewed in person during regular business hours (9am to 5pm MDT M-F) at the Five County Association of Governments Office, located at 1070 West 1600 South, Building B, St. George, UT. 

The Public Hearing Notice for these two hearings was published in The Spectrum & Daily News Newspaper on both Monday, June 5 and Tuesday, June 6, 2023 (LINK TO LEGAL AD) (note: this is a PDF file).  The notice is also posted on the Utah Public Meeting Notice website (UPMN LINK) as a public hearing.  

NOTE:  The Budgets are available directly below:

Click HERE to view the Final Budget Revisions for FY2023 that ends June 30, 2023. (note: this is a PDF file)

Click HERE to view the Beginning FY2024 Budget (for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024). (note: this is a PDF file)

  POTENTIAL PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE PRESENTATION
Passenger rail service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, with the possibility of extending that service into Cedar City and Washington County, is being studied. There was a presentation made to the Dixie Metropolitan Planning Organization's governing board, the Dixie Transportation Executive Council, made by Mr. Bryan Thiot, Executive Director of the Five County Association of Governments.

Please click on THIS LINK to view/print that presentation (which was originally done as a PowerPoint presentation). This is a PDF version of the presentation.



   ADVERTISEMENT  FOR BIDS
General Notice:
Five County Association of Governments, (Owner) is requesting Bids for the remodel of, and freestanding addition to, the Five County Association of Governments Office Building in St. George, and other related site work.  Bids for the project will be received at the office of the Five County Association of Governments located at 1070 West 1600 South, Building B, St. George, Utah until 3:30 pm MDT on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. At that time, the Bids received will be publicly opened and read.

Obtaining Bidding Documents:
Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found at the following designated website: www.fivecounty.utah.gov (You are here! SEE THE YELLOW BOX BELOW). The designated website will be updated with addenda, plan holders list, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Campbell Architecture, 46 North 200 East, St. George, Utah 84770. Submit all questions regarding the bid documents to Kim Campbell at kim.c@campbelldesign.us

Pre-bid Conference:
A pre-bid conference for the Project was held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 3:30 pm MDT at the project site. Attendance at the pre-bid conference was mandatory.

Instructions to Bidders:
For further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents. The Owner may reject any or all bids submitted.

Issued by:
Owner: Five County Association of Governments,  By: Gary Zabriskie, Deputy Director;  Date: May 12, 2023

   


 STATE OF UTAH COORDINATED ACTION PLAN
Economic Development In 2022, the State of Utah embarked on a strategic planning process to create a Coordinated Action Plan for Economic Vision 2030.

The purpose of this Statewide Plan is to unify the goals and direction of State government with those of seven regions in the State of Utah. This involves, among other things, aligning each region’s existing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) developed by each of the state’s Association of Governments (AOGs). The overarching objectives are to optimize growth and expand prosperity throughout all counties.

The unified approach to economic development requires the State and regional interests to work together in harmony to advance mutual goals.


The Coordinated Action Plan for Economic Vision 2030 document can be viewed/downloaded by clicking on this LINK.

  ASAP REPORT FOR THE FIVE COUNTY REGION
ASAP The Five County Association of Governments (FCAOG) is a regional organization serving the Utah counties of Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Iron and Washington.  The FCAOG also serves as the regional economic development district as a planning partner with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

Working regionally the AOG develops and maintains a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).  The goals, objectives, and strategies identified in the comprehensive strategic plan, support the economic development goals of the region, as well as those of the counties and communities that comprise the region.

To further its strategic goals the AOG developed an agreement and partnered with the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) to implement an Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP) for its five member counties and produce a final summary regional report.  The May 2023 Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP) is an economic development tool that identifies the most desirable and compatible industries for a single community.


To View/Print the ASAP Report please click on this LINK

  EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AT THE  FIVE COUNTY AOG
 There is currently one open position at the Five County Association of Governments as a Early Childhood Specialist.  

Are you a fun, energetic, outgoing individual who enjoys working with children? Are you interested in helping local childcare providers enhance their business and learn the best science-based practices for teaching and caring for children? Apply today! The Five County AOG is an equal opportunity employer, currently looking for the right person to join our dynamic team as an Early Childhood Specialist.

Click HERE to go to our Human Resources page to view the complete job announcement and position description, as well as specific instructions on how to apply for this position.

  THE ASSOCIATION'S FY2022 AUDIT REPORT
Each year the Five County Association of Governments has an independent audit of our organization conducted by a qualified public auditing firm.  The FY2022 Audit was completed by the Certified Public Accounting firm of Hafen|Buckner of St. George City, Utah and the report was presented to our governing body, the Steering Committee, for acceptance, which they did at their meeting on December 29, 2022.

The FY2022 Audit Report is available for public review as a PDF scanned copy of by clicking on THIS LINK.


  ANONYMOUS ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE HOTLINE
ethics The Utah Counties Indemnity Pool (UCIP) is our Association's "insurer".   A Fraud Tip Hotline has been established by UCIP, in cooperation with Lighthouse Services, LLC. This service has been set up for UCIP members, such as the Five County  Association of Governments, in order to provide their staff and citizens with easy access to report fraud, and keep government open and honest.

Fraud tips can be submitted four ways:
Website: www.lighthouse-services.com/uciputah  (available in English or Spanish)
Toll-Free Telephone:   • English – (877) 410-0007    • Spanish – (800) 216-1288
E-mail: reports@lighthouse-services.com  (must include our Association's name with report)
Fax: (215) 689-3885 (must include our Association's name with report)

  OPPORTUNITY ZONES DESIGNATED IN UTAH
A provision from the tax cut legislation passed by by Congress in 2017 may have positive economic impacts in southwestern Utah, with investors incentivized to develop businesses in some of the area’s lowest-income neighborhoods.  Large swaths of Washington, Iron, Beaver and Garfield counties are among the places across Utah identified this summer as federally-recognized “Opportunity Zones” — areas designated where investors can avoid some taxes in exchange for funding new development.

The hope is that development creates jobs, reduces poverty and sets the groundwork for further economic growth in areas largely being left behind by the state's overall job growth.  This region, including even fast-growing Washington County, still ranks overall as a distressed regional economy, based on federal guidelines, thanks to low wages and a limited mix of businesses.


Click HERE to go to view a PDF map of this region's Opportunity Zone areas.  Click HERE to go to a web page with an interactive map of the nation that you can view all Opportunity Zones. 

  NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN FOR REGION
NHMP A updated regional Multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Pre-disaster Mitigation Plan was developed by the Five County Association of Governments' staff in collaboration with all of the cities and towns, the five counties in this region, as well as the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. The Plan update includes information regarding the type, location and extent potential and regularly occurring hazards in the Five County area and also includes information on previous occurrences of hazard events and the likelihood of a future natural hazard events.

This update was done through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once adopted as a "guidance document" by each entity, the 5-year plan will be valid for that entity until 2027.  If there are any questions on the Plan update, please contact Mr.
Nate Wiberg, Senior Planner, at (435) 673-3548 ext. 105,  or via e-mail to  nwiberg@fivecounty.utah.gov

Click on this link: https://hazardmitigationplan.org  to go to the special web site developed to present the plan to the cities, towns, counties and the public

  COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTORY AVAILABLE    
Community Services Directory 2015 Edition The popular Community Services Resource Directory for southwestern Utah is available. The Directory, published with Community Services Block Grant funding, is distributed through the Community Action Partnership of the Five County Association of Governments. While the Directory is targeted primarily to the under served population, many services apply to all levels of income and need. The Directory is available to view online or may be purchased. 

To view the Directory, please visit the H.E.A.T. and Community Action website at this link: http://fivecountycap.wordpress.com


  COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy The updated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) document for the Five County Association of Governments economic development region was submitted to U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration Denver Region and was approved by that federal agency. For more information on the CEDS document, please contact Bryan Thiriot, Executive Director, Five County Association of Governments, via e-mail: bthiriot@fivecounty.utah.gov or by telephone: (435) 673-3548.

Click HERE to view the approved CEDS Document.  (7.26MB PDF file)

  THE ASSOCIATION HAS A MICROLOAN LOAN PROGRAM
Southwest Utah Mocroloan Program The Five County Association of Governments has a microloan fund. The purpose of this fund is to create permanent, long-term jobs within the southwestern region of Utah by providing needed financing to qualified businesses for eligible activities.  Loans made through the fund are intended to help when commercial financing proves unreachable.  Funds loaned at interest are repaid into the program and recycled to other businesses, thus allowing an on-going job creation program. Funds are available in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington County, Utah.  

The Southwest Utah Microloan Program, established by the Five County Association of Governments, focuses on loans of $50,000 or less with most being $25,000 or less. The importance of these loans lies in their ability to offset the difficulty that businesses experience in receiving traditional bank financing.


To find out more about the loan fund, please contact Gary Zabriskie, Director of Community and Economic Development at:  gzabriskie@fivecounty.utah.gov , or phone (435) 673-3548 ext. 126


As required by Utah Code the Five County Association of Governments publishes all of its public meetings on the "Utah Public Meeting Notice" (UPMN) web site.  

You can search for our meetings by date or subject keyword.  To locate all of the meeting announcement postings published on the UPMN site by the Five County Association of Governments you can use this link and use the "Advanced Search" tab. You will need to type in the word five into the "Entity" box, highlight the "Five County Association of Governments" link that comes up, select a date range you want to view and then click on the "Submit" button. It will then show all upcoming meetings scheduled by the Five County AOG in the date range you selected.

Alternatively, you can use this LINK, choose to Find a Notice, and select "Associations of Governments" for Government type, choose "Five County Association of Governments" for the Entity, and you will see the Public Body list with links to each of them.


Click Here for more Info on what the Five County AOG is about.