With a new year starting, it was a great opportunity to speak with Carbon County Commissioner Larry Jensen to reflect on the year 2022. Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with him to talk about economic development, sewer projects and new businesses.

“I think our big efforts were pointed towards our economic development efforts to try and diversify and bring in new industry and assist local businesses in their growth. I think we’ve had some good success there with Shanny Wilson in economic development efforts. There’s been a dozen businesses that we’ve helped, that have expanded and hired additional people,” said Commissioner Jensen. Over the last two years, there has been 85 employees hired through these smaller business expansions that otherwise were not employed. This does not count the many individuals hired at Intermountain Electronics through their big expansion. This growth in jobs will assist with the local economy for the county and surrounding cities.

There was a huge sewer project that began last year along Ridge Road that will help entice large businesses to set themselves up near the railway. “So new industry that would locate along that railroad spur that goes to Savage’s coal load out. Properties along that rail are the areas where a lot of folks have interest in locating. So this sewer line would make it available, sewer hook-up available along that area. We have companies right now, there are several, that are looking specifically at that area, and if they had to install the entire sewer system to get to their facility, it would be a deal breaker for them and they would not be able to do it,” explained Commissioner Jensen. Once completed this will be an ideal area for new companies to set up shop along that railway route without the worry of sewer lines.

Currently, the county is working with some companies to help bring in brand new businesses to the area. “We have four companies we are working with now; several are coal related that would use coal in the processing that would help with the coal mines to being able to sell coal to these people. They would take the coal and do some different things with it – coal to fiber, make hydrogen, make fertilizer. These facilities as they’re built, their significant costs to build them and once those are built the tax base for the county now gets increased and we’re able to, the goal is to reduce the tax on the homeowners,” said Commissioner Jensen. This would help to shoulder some of the personal property taxes like the coal mines and power plants use to do in the past.

To stay posted on the dealings within Carbon County, you are invited to attend the Carbon County Commission Meetings held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 4:30 pm at the Carbon County Administration Building located at 751 East 100 North.