EPHRAIM — With Sanpete County preparing for another year in which it awards grants to businesses in the county, the Sanpete Opportunity Board used its latest meeting, held at the Ephraim City Hall, to reorganize its leadership, review the county’s small-business grant effort, and consider how economic development money could also support an industrial park and airport-related projects.

The board serves an advisory role on how certain county economic development funds are used, including the business grant program funded by the state.

The meeting opened with a leadership change as Dennis Marker from Gunnison City was selected to serve as the board’s new chair, replacing Kent Barton, former Manti City manager, who retired this year. The board also selected Dave Oxman from Mt. Pleasant City as vice chair.

Board members then turned to the county’s small-business grant program, which Sanpete County launched in 2024 after receiving Rural County Grant funding from the state. Under that program, businesses apply, present their proposals to the advisory board, pay approved costs up front and then seek reimbursement for 50 percent of eligible expenses.

Grant categories have included equipment, infrastructure, employee training, certifications and other startup or expansion costs.

Jeff Tanner, Sanpete County economic development director, gave the board updates on several previous projects. He said some had been completed and paid out, others were nearing completion and only needed final documentation, and at least one would miss its March 25 deadline because of building-related delays. He also told the board some applicants had faced setbacks ranging from high project costs to personal or family circumstances.

The board also discussed a request involving equipment purchases after Tanner said one business found that a new oven alone would take nearly the full grant amount. Members talked through whether lightly used equipment should be allowed if it would help stretch grant dollars. Faylin Warnick said the county needed to make sure any approved purchases were a sound investment.

“We would have to kind of make sure that the things that they are asking to purchase are in good repair,” she said. Marker said the 50-50 reimbursement structure meant applicants were also protecting their own investment.

“These grants are a 50-50 match, so they’re probably just being sensitive to their own dollars,” he said.

The discussion then shifted to industrial park and airport-related matters. Board members reviewed the county’s $50,000 industrial park development fund, which they described as a tool for infrastructure-related work tied to the county’s four major business parks in Mt. Pleasant, Ephraim, Manti and Gunnison.

Marker said Gunnison had secured a $400,000 Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity grant requiring a $110,000 local match, with $90,000 expected from the StateTrust Lands Administration and a possible remaining gap that could be addressed through the county fund.

Tanner said the fund could be used for site assessments, infrastructure planning, environmental reviews and engineering studies aimed at preparing sites for future growth.

That conversation broadened into airport infrastructure. Board members discussed runway extension goals, instrument upgrades and the possibility of using the industrial park fund for airport-related infrastructure as well.

Warnick said the county also needed to keep future demand in mind. “We’ve got the Olympics coming up in a few years, and it’s going to affect us,” she said.

The board closed that portion of the meeting by approving a new budget framework for the coming year. Tanner presented a proposal under which the county would retain $60,000 in R6 revolving loan funds, increase small-business grants from $85,000 to $90,000 and maintain $50,000 for industrial park development while expanding that category to include airport infrastructure. Warnick made the motion on the final budget proposal, and the board approved it unanimously.

Before adjournment, board members also said they wanted to revisit the scoring rubric used for the grant program before the next round of applications opens. They said the current system appeared to place too much weight on how polished an application looked rather than on economic impact, job creation and project viability. The board agreed to review that rubric again at its next meeting.