Cache County Executive David Zook is seeking applicants to serve on the Cache Open Space Advisory Committee, which will assist County officials in managing the county’s $20 million Open Space Bond Issue.

CACHE COUNTY – The county government here is accepting open applications for membership on the Cache Open Space Advisory Committee (COSAC).

That announcement was made Monday by County Executive David Zook.

“I’m excited that the voters supported our proposal to preserve open space in Cache County,” Zook said. “”We’re looking forward to bringing more citizens to the table now to help us implement that plan.”

Zook said the citizens who are interested in serving on the advisory committee are encouraged to fill out the application at found at www.cachecounty.org/executive

Cache County voters approved a $20 Million Open Space Bond in the general election of November 2022. That proposal was the brainchild of former North Logan Mayor Jack Draxler, entrepreneur Eric Eliason and Utah State University professor Steve Daniels, along with the members of an ad hoc committee who shared their vision of the need to provide a legacy of open spaces in Cache County for future generations.

Its purpose, according to Zook, is to pay all or a portion of the costs of purchasing land, conservation easements and other interests from willing landowners in the county in order to protect scenic vistas; preserve open lands near valley gateways; add trails and trail connectivity; and maintain agriculture, waterways and wildlife habitat.

After the bond issue was approved by voters, members of the Cache County Council were somewhat surprised to learn from assistant county attorney Taylor Sorensen in January that state law vested Zook with the authority to appoint members of the COSAC.

Zook said that the COSAC will be a volunteer committee that provides technical assistance and recommendations to Cache County in the development and implementation of the open space and trails program.

All final decisions on the acquisition of land and the allocation of the $20 million from the bond issue will be made by members of the Cache County Council, however.

During the debate over the bond issue leading up to the November balloting, Draxler’s advocates acknowledged that the proposed $20 million would be “… a drop in the bucket” compared to the cost of acquiring land in Cache County.

But Eliason said he hoped that funds generated by the bond issue could be used to bring other dollars into play, including donations of land and money from individuals and non-profits groups as well as money from the state and federal governments.

As proposed in County Ordinance 2023-06, the COSAC would consist of seven voting members appointed by Zook and two non-voting, ex-officio members appointed by the county council.

Four of the voting members would be selected based on their expertise in agriculture, trails, wildlife, waterways or outdoor recreation. The remaining voting members would be selected from the general public.

The ex-officio members will include one member of the county council and an expert in agriculture.

Sorensen also explained that COSAC members will be appointed to one-year terms on the advisory committee, but there will be no limitation on the number of terms they might serve.

Persons interested in serving on this committee must first complete this application at www.cachecounty.org/executive to be considered for appointment.

The deadline for submission of those applications will be 5 p.m. on April 7.

Appointments will be made by Zook, with the advice and consent of the Cache County Council.







Source link