Uintah Basin AOG urges municipalities to add projects to new Utah Project Portal before May 1 deadline

Kevin Yac, a staff member with the Uintah Basin Association of Governments, told the Duchesne County Council of Governments that the state is moving grant applications to a new online system and urged municipalities to prepare project lists for the Community Impact Board (CIB) and other state funding programs.

"That project portal will officially open the January 1," Yac said, explaining the portal will move applications from paper lists to a central, digital submission system covering loans and grants managed by the governor’s office of planning and budget and agencies such as the Division of Water Quality and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. He said the local AOG will continue to assist towns with entering projects and preparing competitive applications.

Yac outlined key timing and process details: county-level prioritization meetings typically occur in February–March; the state’s submission deadline is May 1, after which projects cannot be adjusted; and the state fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. He also said the AOG’s deadlines for vetting applications will remain unchanged and that staff can provide one-on-one support to new mayors and municipal staff.

Council members asked procedural questions about participation. Yac said the portal will initially focus on CIB submissions but will be expanded to incorporate other state grant programs, and confirmed the AOG had met with the portal developers to smooth the transition. He encouraged municipalities to contact AOG staff for help entering projects and noted the AOG will circulate paper copies of the rules while members familiarize themselves with the online interface.

The council did not take formal action on projects at the meeting. Next steps indicated by AOG staff include scheduling county prioritization meetings in the late winter/early spring window and circulating guidance materials and calendar invites to member municipalities.