If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. This proved especially true for the Uintah Transportation Special Service District on Thursday when new Executive Director Cheryl Meier made a presentation to the Community Impact Board with a funding request. In December, the CIB heard a request from the Transportation District to fund the Ouray Bottom Road project that is aimed at repairing a 1.3 mile section of Seep Ridge Road that floods on a regular basis due to high water from the Green River. At that time, the CIB approved a 50/50 grant/2.5 percent interest loan for the project amount of approximately $4.5 million dollars. Fresh in her position last month and with the funding meeting scheduled for February 7th, Meier decided to make a request of the CIB to renegotiate the terms of the funding offer and she was invited to make a presentation at Thursday’s meeting. The result was well worth the effort as the original offer was withdrawn and the Ouray Bottom Road project was funded for the full $4.5 million dollars with 100 percent grant money. “I think showing the CIB that we have a director now made a difference,” shares Meier, who says she was able to present on the district’s finances and show that the district does not have money for new projects without draining savings. She also explained that this piece of road is a primary access to 2,864 operating oil and gas wells and is also an access into the Book Cliffs with an over 90 mile detour when this piece of road is inaccessible. Construction on the project is anticipated to begin this year.
