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By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

Shay Morrison, acting as Mona’s Community Advisor, reported on the pilot Six County program where Mona had been one of several communities to have a part-time shared city administrator/advisor.

Morrison, who has been working as a Regional Planner for the Six County Association of Governments (SCAOG), represented several communities in his new job as a full-time shared local government advisor for SCAOG.

The program has changed, since first announced, and the job Morrison is doing is now called a local government advisor rather than a shared city administrator, said Morrison.

“Now the Governor has made it a line item in the state budget,” said Morrison. “I will be keeping Mona.”

The budgeted amount is $300,000 but it will depend on the legislature how much of that proposed fund is actually part of the final budget.

That amount, however, would fund two local government advisors for the SCAOG region. That would mean that more communities could be helped.

Through the proposed program the CIB will provide stability for continuous quality planning throughout rural Utah.

“Many of our rural communities do not have the funds for an administrator/advisor,” said Morrison. “I will serve them.”

He will do the job of a city administrator/advisor in the pilot program and will be available to the smaller rural communities in the Six County area.

“There are 45 communities in our Six County area,” said Morrison. “Five of them have full-time administrators.”

He said that Seth Atkinson, Nephi City Administrator, had been hired to work part-time to help and was acting as Morrison’s mentor.

His authority had been, and would continue to be, as an advisor to the mayor, council and staff.

He said that Nephi and Richfield are among the larger communities, and therefore, had their own administrators.

“You do not have the budget to hire a city administrator,” he said.

Randy Christensen, mayor, said that Mona City Council met twice a month but did have work sessions as needed. The planning commission met once a month.

Morrison said he would continue to help with things the city needed help with, as he had been doing, and would look for and administer grants.

He also will assist the mayor and city council with strategic and long-range planning for the city and oversee professional contractors and consultants providing city services.

“I will work with you to provide needed services,” he said.

Morrison presented a handout to all council members, which he said was private information, to all council members indicating the work he had done for them since January.

“We appreciate all you have done for us,” said R. Christensen, “and we are grateful that we will still have your help.”