County attorney briefs commission on victim-advocate hiring, UAC legal support and DUI training

The county attorney updated commissioners on staffing and legal support options and highlighted recent law-enforcement training.

County Attorney (speaker 3) said the commission is interviewing candidates for a previously approved victim advocate position and will hold in-person interviews to ensure candidates fit the team. "We've got some interested candidates," he said, noting the commission will meet them in person.

On potential legal support, the county attorney explained that the Utah Association of Counties (UAC) has offered the services of counsel Eric Clark for an annual flat fee of $10,000 to assist counties statewide on litigation and related matters. The attorney described the arrangement as a way to centralize expertise for cases affecting multiple counties and said the expense is budgeted within legal services. A commissioner asked whether the flat fee risks paying for less than the value received; the county attorney responded the fee is fixed, budgeted and designed to offset duplicative costs across counties.

The attorney also praised a recent DUI 'wet lab' training presented by Sergeant David Bowles and the Milan Police Department, where volunteers participated to help officers practice field sobriety tests. "He did a phenomenal job," the attorney said; commissioners said the training was well attended and asked for additional sessions.

Why it matters: The victim-advocate hire affects county victim services capacity; the UAC legal support offer could change how the county engages counsel in multi-county litigation. Commissioners asked for clarity on the fee's value and whether it duplicates other centrally assessed fees already paid to UAC.

Next steps: The county will continue interviews for the victim-advocate role; commissioners requested clarity on UAC fee scope and reporting on the arrangement.