(A) Member responsibilities.
(1) All applications for the RCGP shall be received, reviewed, and voted on by the members of the CED Board. Applications that are approved will be submitted to the Office of Rural Development in collaboration with the Rural Partnership Board in accordance with SB 0095 and UCA Title 63G, Ch. 3, Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(2) The Board will ensure that approved grants meet eligibility and reporting criteria for a rural county to receive grant money under SB 0095(4)(b), including relevant submission forms, reporting requirements and deadlines.
(3) The Board will not recommend more than $800,000 of aggregate grant awards annually and will work with county leaders to prioritize applicants that:
(a) Align with the existing priorities and goals as defined in the county’s existing Economic Development Plan;
(b) Are consistent with local economic development priorities as defined in the county’s General Plan and Strategic Economic Development Plan;
(c) Demonstrate clear economic need;
(d) Utilize local or in-kind resources in combination with the grant;
(e) Have evidence that jobs will be created; and
(f) Have evidence that there will be a positive return on investment.
(B) Reporting responsibilities.
(1) On or before September 1 of each year, if the county has received a grant under the RCGP in the previous 12 months, the Board shall provide a written report to the Rural Partnership Board that describes:
(a) The amount of grant money the county has received;
(b) How grant money has been distributed by the county, including what companies or entities have utilized grant money, how much grant money each company or entity has received and how each company or entity has used the money;
(c) An evaluation of the effectiveness of awarded grants in improving economic development in the county, including the number of jobs created, infrastructure that has been created and capital improvements in the county;
(d) How much matching money has been utilized by the county and what entities have provided the matching money; and
(e) Any other reporting, auditing or post-performance requirements established by the Office of Rural Development in collaboration with the Rural Partnership Board under subsection (6) in SB 0095.
(2) Note: county staff may be appointed to assist with the creation of reporting documents.
(C) Tenure, requirements and qualifications.
(1) Appointed members of the CED Board shall serve an initial two-year term. At the conclusion of the initial term, the county’s Board of Commissioners may decide to retain the members for additional terms or appoint new members. Terms will be staggered to always maintain experience and tenured Board members.
(2) (a) In order to create a staggering of the Board members, the initial term for the following members shall be three years:
1. The representatives from each municipality;
2. A workforce development representative; and
3. A private sector representative.
(b) Once their initial term expires, they will return to two-year terms.
(3) Each member of the Board of Directors shall attend at least 75% of the meetings of the Board per year. Failure to attend a minimum of 75% of the meetings may result in removal from the Board.
(4) To remain in good standing, CED Board members must attend regularly scheduled meetings in compliance with the following guidelines.
(a) A CED member that is absent for more than three of the regular scheduled meetings in a year, without being excused for official county or excusable business, will be automatically dismissed from the county’s CED Board. Meetings that are changed or rescheduled after the official dates have been posted for the year do not apply towards attendance requirements.
(b) If a CED member has attended two committee meetings, as a committee member, this would excuse one absence from the regularly scheduled meetings, which is a privilege that could be taken advantage of only one time per year, per member.
(c) A CED member may attend a regularly scheduled meeting via electronic means and by notifying the Board Chair at least 12 hours prior to the meeting in question, which would also allow the member the ability to garner the necessary information for the CED member to use to call in. This will be effective only if there is a quorum present at the anchor location.
(d) A CED member must be present at each meeting through at least three-quarters of the scheduled agenda to constitute a presence.
(e) Appointments for Monticello City, Blanding City and the Town of Bluff can send approved city/town representation in their place. Approved city/town representation include: city manager; city/town council; city/town employee; or the respective mayor.
(f) A dismissed CED member remains eligible to apply for a CED vacancy.
(5) Members of the CED Board shall not, as individuals, direct the appointment to or removal from the county’s Economic Development and Visitor Services Office of any employee, nor interfere with the duties or performance of any county employee including the Director.
(6) Except when acting on EDVS business in a regular CED meeting or as a member of an authorized committee, CED members have no privileges beyond those of other citizens to records, materials or produced items that belong to the county’s Economic Development and Visitor Services.
(D) Forfeiture. Any member of the CED Board who fails to fulfill any of his or her requirements as set forth in this section shall automatically forfeit his or her seat on the Board.
(E) Vacancies. Whenever any vacancy occurs in the CED Board, it shall be filled without undue delay by the county’s Board of Commissioners.
(Ord. 2020-08, passed 4-21-2020)