Commission recognizes Chris Heaton as Kane County Cowboy of the Year

The Commission met on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the commis­sion chambers at the Kane County Court­house. Commissioners Meyeres, Kubeja, and Brown were in atten­dance. The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

One attendee, a resi­dent of Davis County, requested that the county consider creat­ing a DOGE (Depart­ment of Governmental Efficiency) commit­tee consisting of local county residents.

The commission next unanimously approved consent items consisting of Check Edit Re­ports for August 6, 13, and 20, 2025, and the commission meeting minutes for August 5, 2025.

Chris, Cassie, and Lyza Heaton at the Kane County Commission meeting on August 26, 2025. Photo by Don Jennings.

The regular session agenda opened with the commission recog­nizing Chris Heaton as the Kane County Cowboy of the Year. Chris, his wife Cassie, and daughter Lyza stood for a photo after he accepted the honor from the three commis­sioners.

Next, Chief Barnard of the Cedar Moun­tain Fire District and members of the dis­trict board provided the annual update on the district’s services and operations, fol­lowed by the tabling of the discussion and possible approval of by-law edits for the Kane County Council on Aging. The com­missioners then unanimously approved a re­quest from the county planning commission to refer a proposal to create an Agricultural Protection Area to the Agricultural Advisory Board for review.

Nate and DeAnna Lee next stood to describe the details of their request for a zoning change from Agricul­tural to Rural 10 for their property near Sky Haven Mountain and the North Fork Area for the purpose of a glamping business. After that Land Use Administrator Shan­non McBride outlined a proposed ordinance for an easement vacate and a housekeeping revision to Land Use Ordinance Chapter 21.

The commission went into public hearing at 11:12 a.m. to dis­cuss the three items above. One member of the public stood up to oppose the zoning change requested by the Lees. A motion to deny was made by Commissioner Brown and did not pass, with Brown voting aye and Kubeja and Meyeres voting nay. A motion to approve was made by Commissioner Mey­eres and was passed with Brown voting nay and Kubeja and Meyeres voting aye. The easement vacate and land use ordinance revision were passed unanimously.

Next, Kane County Human Resources Officer and Records Of­ficer Rhonda Gant was appointed as the county’s Chief Administration Officer for Data Privacy, and Commissioner Kubeja provided an update on the ongoing Opioid Settlement. All three commissioners then voted to close the con­tract for outdoor toi­lets at the Toadstools, Belly of the Dragon, and the Sand Caves after Labor Day due to excessive costs. The commission will re­view the possible costs for an outdoor toilet at the Toadstools at a future meeting.

After brief reviews of legislative and as­signment issues, the meeting adjourned at 12:28 p.m.

Kane County Com­mission meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 2 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at the Kane County Courthouse. Agendas and meeting minutes can be found on Utah’s Public No­tice website at utah.gov/pmn/ and at the county’s website at kane.utah.gov.