The Sanpete County Commission held two meetings in January 2026, on the 6th and the 20th, at the courthouse in Manti. Present at both were Commission Chair Scott Bartholomew and Commissioners Mike Bennett and Jim Cheney, along with County Clerk Linda Christiansen and County Attorney Kevin Daniels. January’s sessions covered leadership assignments for the new year, a contested water plan, a road access dispute that drew a crowd, body cameras for the sheriff’s department, a wildlife land exchange, and a building permit situation in Axtell that laid bare the county’s ongoing water complications.
What Happened
January 6: Leadership, Water, and a Road Fight
The commission opened 2026 by reappointing Scott Bartholomew as Commission Chair and keeping existing duty assignments in place, with two title updates: the Ephraim/Manti Airport Board became the Sanpete County Regional Airport Board, and Six County AOG became R6.
Auditor Stacey Lyon introduced a new process for county finances: electronic fund transfers will now run separately from paper checks and require their own approval. Claims were approved without issue. Payment to Tyler Technologies, however, was tabled after Treasurer Amy Willden raised questions. Lyon clarified that the majority of the Tyler bill covers financial software unrelated to the Treasurer’s concerns. A work meeting with the Assessor, Recorder, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney was scheduled before the next session. (The bill was ultimately resolved at the January 20 meeting.)
On infrastructure, the commission approved a right-of-way excavation license for Silver Spur Construction to install a waterline for the Axtell Spring Development project on South Field Road. The Road Department also picked up a used 2004 Trail King Tilt Deck Trailer from Sevier County for $14,500, which will allow the department to haul equipment and materials without making multiple trips.
The most substantive item of the day was a public hearing on the county’s Water Element, a state-mandated advisory document now added to the General Plan. Gabby Blackburn of Sunrise Engineering explained the element addresses three things: how permitted development affects water demand and infrastructure, how per capita water use can be reduced, and how county systems can coordinate better. Nothing in the plan is mandatory. Commissioner Cheney used the hearing to address Facebook posts claiming the plan would increase the amount of water required to build a home. That claim is not accurate. The water element does not change residential water requirements. Those requirements are not currently under discussion, and any future change would be publicly noticed.
Jeff Jacobsen then addressed the commission on behalf of roughly 14 residents from the Gunnison and Axtell area. His issue: a road leading from Highway 89 to a spillway near Axtell had been gated and locked by Deer Hollow Ranch, owned by a man named Despain. Jacobsen argued the road was a county road and that blocking it was illegal. Road Supervisor Tom Seely confirmed it is a county road, but clarified that the private property on either side of the road belongs to Despain. County Attorney Kevin Daniels gave what amounted to a real-time civics lesson: staying on the road is legal; crossing a fence or going onto private property without permission is trespassing, regardless of how long someone has been doing it. Commissioner Bartholomew pulled ownership maps to show Jacobsen the actual property lines. The bottom line from the commission: call the number on the gate, ask for permission, and if permission is denied without legitimate cause, come back and petition the commission. Jacobsen left frustrated but was told the path forward.
Sheriff Jared Buchanan wrapped up the meeting with four approvals: a $15,000 ADF Equipment Grant application for body cameras (total cost $19,381); a $4,156.83 invoice for an indoor drone from task force funds, to be used in barricaded subject situations or high-risk incidents; a $3,810 repair for a pole camera that had been down for some time; and authorization to open recruitment for a patrol deputy at Grade 7 to Grade 11 pay. The sheriff noted he wants to fill the new deputy position before moving forward with internal promotions.
The commission also approved starting the process to sell a 0.65-acre county parcel (No. 10123) located about two miles east of Gunnison High School, at the request of adjacent landowners Jay Yardley and Kevin Sorensen, who want property lines to reflect current survey work before Yardley sells his farm. New flooring materials for the building department were approved at $7,674.76.
County Clerk Linda Christiansen closed the regular session with Resolution No. 01062026-001, establishing a fee schedule for annexation and incorporation noticing. The resolution covers materials and staff time for radius reviews, mailing list preparation, and notice mailings. Two large projects currently in process (a proposed 1,500-acre annexation into Fairview City and a 900-acre incorporation proposal near Mount Pleasant) made the need clear. Certified mail runs nearly $11 per letter; the resolution allows standard mail for large projects while passing costs to project sponsors rather than the county. Christiansen also noted she is looking into a code provision that may allow reimbursement from the Lieutenant Governor’s office for some incorporation costs.
The commission went into closed session to address pending litigation and personnel matters. No action was taken.
January 20: Land Deals, a Multi-Agency Data Agreement, and a Challenging Conversation About Axtell
The January 20 meeting opened with approval of the Tyler Technologies invoices that had been tabled two weeks earlier, totaling $62,329.31, covering software services from December 2025 through November 2026.
Rocky Mountain Power received approval to run utility lines to Kevin Cook’s rural property. Cook did not attend, but Tom Seely confirmed Cook agreed to complete the right-of-way application and pay the associated fee.
Jolene Rose and Mark Farmer from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources presented a land exchange involving Mayfield Irrigation and two Wildlife Management Areas. The mechanics: Mayfield Irrigation has been negotiating for 30 acres from a state WMA to build an irrigation reservoir. In exchange, the state requires a 3:1 ratio return, meaning 90 acres of private property would go to Utah DWR. Mayfield Irrigation has already purchased that private property within the Six Mile and Twelve Mile WMA areas. The commission approved a letter of support, which is required under state code whenever DWR acquires property in a county. Federal grant funding through excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment is expected to finance the acquisition. Multiple state approvals remain pending.
The Sheriff’s Office came back with three more items. Body camera payments were finalized: $15,000 came from the previously approved grant, with the remaining $4,381 drawn from operations. Twenty-seven OnXmaps subscriptions were approved at $2,429.76 total for patrol deputies, a mapping and tracking service the department had already used successfully with Search and Rescue. Beverly Thomas, who serves simultaneously as Grant Administrator, Emergency Management Administrative Assistant, and Merit Commission Secretary, had her 2026 service agreement approved at $35,000 for the year. Both the sheriff and Commission Chair Bartholomew commended her work.
The commission also approved a $20,000 CWS Plan utilizing the Ephraim Lions Club for fire safety education in schools and youth councils, funded through a Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands grant. The program, which ran at the same funding level in 2025, brings together local athletes, student groups, and youth councils around civic and fire safety programming.
Garrett and Belle King came before the commission seeking a building permit for an agricultural shed on their five-acre lot in Axtell. The situation was complicated: the lot has not been approved as a legal building lot through Planning and Zoning, and Axtell’s water system is currently being upgraded, meaning the Kings do not yet have water access on the property. Building Official Scott Olsen explained that an agricultural building requires no permit or inspections, which also means it cannot later be converted to residential use. Any structure intended for future habitation needs a legal lot first, which requires Planning and Zoning approval, which requires water. The Commissioners expressed genuine empathy for the Kings’ situation while directing them to work with Olsen and Zoning Administrator Heidi Sorensen on a path through the Planning Commission. A potential bridge: the Planning Commission may be willing to conditionally approve an application while the Axtell water line installation is underway.
Permitting software from Enfusion Technologies was renewed for the building and zoning departments at $5,500. A 0.44-foot-by-445-foot county parcel northeast of Spring City (No. 26589) was sold to Sam Schoppe for $280, covering back taxes and fees; the parcel had been acquired by the county through tax sale and was too narrow to have any practical use independent of the adjacent properties. Finally, the commission appointed Gene Jacobson of Fountain Green and Dallin Carter of Manti to the Planning and Zoning Board for three-year terms.
No closed session was needed. The meeting adjourned at 3:00 PM.
Why It Matters
The Water Element adoption had the most public attention in January, and the commission was right to address the misinformation directly. Adding an advisory document to the General Plan does not change what residents need to build a home. It does not raise water thresholds. People who walked out of that hearing or read about it online should know that.
The road access dispute near Axtell points to something that comes up more than most people realize in rural counties: the gap between where a public road ends and private property begins. The county road is accessible. The land on either side is not. That distinction does not always appear on the ground, and people who have used an area for decades sometimes don’t know the difference.
The Beverly Thomas contract is worth noting because it illustrates how much counties like Sanpete rely on contractors doing multiple jobs simultaneously. One person serving as Grant Administrator, Emergency Management support, and Merit Commission Secretary is not unusual here. It is how the county functions.
The Kings’ situation in Axtell is a preview of challenges the county will face as more people try to build on rural lots where water infrastructure is still being installed. The county is not obstructing them. The process exists to protect them from pouring money into a structure they cannot use as intended. But the process is slow, and the Kings are living that reality right now.
What Comes Next
The Axtell water line installation is ongoing. Families in that area watching for building permit availability should monitor progress through the Axtell Special Service District. The Kings were directed to schedule with Scott Olsen and Heidi Sorensen as a next step.
The DWR land exchange with Mayfield Irrigation still needs multiple state and federal approvals. The county’s letter of support moves the process forward but does not finalize it.
The 1,500-acre annexation into Fairview City and the 900-acre incorporation proposal near Mount Pleasant are both actively moving through the county’s noticing process under the new fee schedule. Residents in those areas can watch Utah’s Public Meeting Notice site (pmn.utah.gov) for formal postings.
The next Sanpete County Commission meetings are March 3 and March 17 at 1:00 PM, Courthouse Room 101, 160 N Main, Manti. Open to the public.
Sourcing: This recap is based on official Sanpete County Commission meeting minutes from January 6, 2026, and January 20, 2026, recorded by County Clerk Linda Christiansen. For corrections, email info@sanpeteserves.com.
