This is an old news article. The events in this article are from December 2022.
LOA, Utah (December 5, 2022) — The Wayne Commission met Monday. They discussed matters relating to the Sheriff’s Department and the runway extension.
Sheriff’s Department Business
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department presented at the meeting, stating that because they have been short-staffed this year, deputies have not been able to take their vacation time.
At the end of each year, vacation time accrued over the cap is lost. Only 144 hours can be “rolled over” into following years. The deputies don’t want to be “punished” by losing their vacation hours simply because they were unable to take vacation time. Clerk/Auditor Ryan Torgerson will provide recommendations on how to handle the problem in the next meeting.
Additionally, Micah Gulley was sworn in as sheriff of Wayne County to fill in for the remaining month of the current term. Dan Jensen, who has served as sheriff for the last four years, abruptly resigned in October, prompting the county to fill the vacancy early.
Gulley was elected as sheriff for the term starting in 2023.
Farming on the Runway Extension Land
David Brinkerhoff and Boone Taylor presented to the Wayne commission regarding their continued farming of land near the airport. The land had been sold to the county for an extension to the airport runway. That transaction occurred sometime around 2005, yet the runway extension has still not occurred.
Over the years, the county has incurred some costs to maintain the newly-purchased airport land, yet no lease agreement had ever been signed allowing for the farming of the land. Commissioner Roger Brian proposed charging the farmers $500 a year for their use, including property taxes. Mr. Brinkerhoff agreed to the proposed terms, and a lease agreement will be drafted, to be renewed every few years.
The county does not expect the FAA to fund a runway extension for at least 5-10 years.
– The Byway
Read about the Wayne’s February 21 commission meeting here.