ST. GEORGE — During its first meeting in its new home on Tuesday, the Washington County Commission approved a variety of measures including the use of tourism dollars to fund a part of the ongoing expansion at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins.
The commission met Tuesday in its new chambers set on the fourth floor of the new Washington County Administration Building. Commission Chair Adam Snow welcomed those who came to attend the commission’s inaugural meeting in the new building, yet also noted parts of it weren’t quite finished or accessible yet.
Because of that, the new building was having a “soft opening” for now, he said.
Snow previously told St. George News that the county was waiting on the completion of the neighboring parking facility before holding a grand opening of any kind. Delays have been the result of supply chain issues, he said, adding that some of the items yet to be delivered are needed to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said.
Despite the setbacks, the County Commission was able to meet in a new room that was much larger than the one in the former building.
As the meeting progressed, one of the measures passed by the commission was the approval of a recommendation from the county’s tourism advisory board to grant $500,000 to Tuacahn as a part of its overall expansion and upgrade process than began last year.
The funding will come from the transient room tax, or TRT, which is collected from a tax imposed on the rentals of rooms at hotels, motels, tourist homes, campsites and similar accommodations. Collected TRT revenue is state-mandated to go toward tourism-related projects and marketing, As such, tourism dollars will be used to fund Tuacahn’s seating expansion and not involve money collected from county taxpayers.
Tuacahn, which is counted among the top three economic drivers in the county related to tourism, is requesting funding to cover a 280-seat expansion to the complex’s outdoor amphitheater that currently seats 2,174. The funding also would be applied to needed infrastructure to accommodate the additional seating.
Tuacahn is asking for $250,000 from the county’s 2023 budget and another $250,000 from the 2024 budget.
“As Tuacahn is a major contributor to tourism – especially in the summer months – we feel this is a good use of tourism money to improve the visitor experience at Tuacahn,” Britney McMichael, the new director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office, told the County Commission.
It is estimated that Tuacahn produces an economic impact of $100 million annually for Washington County.
“Tuacahn is a great asset in our community and a great visitor asset as well,” Commissioner Victor Iverson said.
The funding from the county comes in addition to around $900,000-plus granted to Tuacahn from the state for its expansion and complex upgrades, Commissioner Victor Iverson told St. George News.
Tuachan also has received $200,000 annually from Washington County since 2015 through TRT funds, along with an additional $125,000 from the county’s Recreation Arts and Parks tax fund.
The County Commission also voted to accept state funding for flood mitigation measures and approved its immediate use by the county’s Emergency Services.
Washington County received $165,000 from the state for flood preparation, which will now be used to purchase more sandbags, flood response trailers and other flood-related items. This will build on the county’s current preparation efforts, which include a recent delivery of 100,000 sandbags.
With record snowpack in the mountains across Utah, state and local officials worry major flooding incidents may occur if that snow melts too fast as temperatures rise with the spring. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently issued an executive order tied to flood preparedness ahead of any potential flooding.
The commission also passed a resolution outlining its efforts to tighten and enhance the county’s election process in answer to concerns that have been regularly expressed by particular county residents following last year’s Republican primary election.
Snow said the commissioners took their constituents’ concerns to the Legislature and that helped shape elements within 11 election-related bills passed during the recent legislative session. However, while some at Tuesday’s meeting thanked the commissioners for their efforts, the majority continued to say the commissioners still hadn’t done enough.
They also repeated calls to abandon the use of vote-tabulating machines in favor of returning to counting votes by hand. Demands that the County Commission ease its public comment procedures and have its meetings start later in order to promote better public accessibility also were made.
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