Tyson Smith, Regional Economist
The Uintah Basin continued to add employment throughout the fourth quarter of 2014. Average annual employment in the region grew nearly 4 percent from 2013. Despite the sustained growth trend throughout last year, it appears that the economic conditions in the Uintah Basin are taking a turn for the worse.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services relies on several data sources to help describe the state of the economy. The most accurate data available is the nonfarm payroll employment information that is collected through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. However, the resources required to gather data accurately come at the expense of timeliness, which results in a four to six month lag between the time these data are collected and when they are available to the public.
When economic trends change dramatically it is important to understand the recent history of the region, while also using up-to-date information to inform the current economic climate. The most recent data that highlight the shrinking labor market in the Uintah Basin are the unemployment rate and the initial weekly unemployment claims, both of which have jumped significantly to start 2015.
Showing posts with label Construction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Construction. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2015
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Annual Profiles
The Workforce Research and Analysis division has updated information in the county Annual Profiles.
The information available in these Annual Profiles are separated by county and state and include:
The information available in these Annual Profiles are separated by county and state and include:
- quick facts
- nonfarm employment
- unemployment
- major employers
- population
- demographics
- income and wages
- construction
- gross taxable sales
- county rankings
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
New County Pages
See our new County Pages, each with their own URL for easy bookmarking. Find labor market information that has been divided into counties and regions for a quick look at each area.Also find a new look for the Current Economic Snapshots (Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah). These are economic snapshots are a two-page look at the current information for labor force, sales, building and unemployment insurance for each county in Utah, and are updated monthly after the Employment Situation.
These can be accessed on the Utah Economic Data page or on the Labor Market page under the "County Snapshots" link.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
County seeks Uintah’s feedback on new Book Cliffs road study
Grand County Council unanimously approved a letter asking the Uintah County Commission to perform a feasibility study for building a paved road linking the Vernal area to the Moab area. Historically, proposals to pave a road from Vernal to Moab have hit dead ends. Let’s keep in mind that this is still just a feasibility study, this doesn’t necessarily imply that the overall consensus for building a road is favorable, but it is a sign that interest in seriously reconsidering this issue may be gaining. Times Independent
Monday, July 29, 2013
BLM unveils preferred power line routes through Utah
The BLM this week identified its preferred alignment for PacifiCorp’s proposed Gateway South transmission line, connecting Wyoming renewable energy sources to a future substation in Juab County.
The route crosses the southern part of the Uinta Basin, while other options would route the 500- kilovolt line through the basin’s north side and to the south along the Interstate 70 corridor.
The preferred route hews to one of the Bureau of Land Management’s preferences for another major transmission project known as TransWest Express. Earlier this month the BLM released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the right of way for the project, one of two that would move Wyoming power across Utah to consumers in southern Nevada. Salt Lake Tribune
The route crosses the southern part of the Uinta Basin, while other options would route the 500- kilovolt line through the basin’s north side and to the south along the Interstate 70 corridor.
The preferred route hews to one of the Bureau of Land Management’s preferences for another major transmission project known as TransWest Express. Earlier this month the BLM released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the right of way for the project, one of two that would move Wyoming power across Utah to consumers in southern Nevada. Salt Lake Tribune
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Conference center location announced
Uintah County’s proposed conference center will be built downtown just one block northwest of Western Park.
Plans are to construct the center on the block between 200-300 East and 100-200 South, according to County Commissioner Mike McKee.
Uintah County received partial funding for the center through the Community Impact Board, with additional monies for construction developed through a partnership with the Impact Mitigation district.
Paul Hacking, district manager, says the process has been in the planning for over a year and a half.
The logical thing, according to Hacking, was a partnership between the entities for the benefit of the area. He calls the center another piece of the puzzle in growing the Basin’s image.
Under the agreement, Impact Mitigation agrees to pay $3 million in cash toward the construction of the conference center.
Vernal City also has an interest in the building and plans to partner in its operation with the county. Vernal Express
Plans are to construct the center on the block between 200-300 East and 100-200 South, according to County Commissioner Mike McKee.
Uintah County received partial funding for the center through the Community Impact Board, with additional monies for construction developed through a partnership with the Impact Mitigation district.
Paul Hacking, district manager, says the process has been in the planning for over a year and a half.
The logical thing, according to Hacking, was a partnership between the entities for the benefit of the area. He calls the center another piece of the puzzle in growing the Basin’s image.
Under the agreement, Impact Mitigation agrees to pay $3 million in cash toward the construction of the conference center.
Vernal City also has an interest in the building and plans to partner in its operation with the county. Vernal Express
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Starvation State Park cut ribbon on new campground
Utah Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Reclamation, contractors and Duchesne Chamber members gathered at the newly completed Mountain View Campground, located at Starvation State Park, to cut the symbolic ribbon and open the campground facility for the season.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday June 12 at the pavilion located near the entrance of the newly completed 38 campsite facility. Three new camping cabins were also open for inspection for the ceremony attendees. Full hook ups are available at all sites. Uintah Basin Standard
The ceremony took place on Wednesday June 12 at the pavilion located near the entrance of the newly completed 38 campsite facility. Three new camping cabins were also open for inspection for the ceremony attendees. Full hook ups are available at all sites. Uintah Basin Standard
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
New Pedestrian Bridge in Duchesne
The Utah Department of Transportation closed Utah Highway 87 between 8 a.m. And 5 p.m. as the new bridge arrived and was set in place.
The bridge arrived in two sections and was “flown” or lifted into position by two large cranes after assembly on the road deck. The engineering for the bridge was precise and the complete unit settled onto its foundations with little effort.
Pedestrian traffic was deemed to be unsafe on the highway bridge by the Utah State Transportation Board and UDOT.
During the floods of 2011, Duchesne City Mayor RoJean Rowley walked over the UT 87 Bridge to observe the water levels.
Rowley called a meeting with representatives from the state transportation board and UDOT and the group visited the bridge crossing.
The transportation board set aside money for the project.
Final work on the pathway and approaches is continuing. Uintah Basin Standard
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Design work to begin on high school expansion
Uintah High School could be getting something of a facelift in the next year.
In a memo to Uintah School District board members, Randall Upton, business administrator for the district said to refine costs and determine exactly how the facility will look; the district needs to begin to move to the design phase. The broad plan calls for a 16-room addition to the high school to be in place by the start of the 2013 school year.
The district voted to allow the administration and MHTN, a Salt Lake City architecture firm, begin the design phase of the project. Upton noted that the beginning of the design phase does not commit the board to building the project – such approvals would come at a later date, he said.
MHTN architects would be working on a tight time frame. The district hopes to have the new wing at the high school ready for occupancy by August 2013. That would mean construction would need to start sometime in February, Upton said. Drawings need to be done by then to begin work.
Board members and students questioned the impact to students at the school while construction is ongoing. Upton said the project could be worked around to minimize impact to students.
Upton said the anticipated cost would be around $25 to $26 million. The numbers would be refined further as design work progresses.
The high school is the next targeted for expansion or renovation as the Uintah School District tries to keep pace with growing enrollment numbers. For 2011, Uintah School District was the fastest-growing district in the state, up 4.6 percent.
The school district is near completion of its 10-year project to remodel and expand all area elementary schools, Vernal Middle School and Uintah High School. Vernal Junior High School was remodeled before the 10-year plan was outlined seven years ago.
The addition of the wing at the high school is meant to accommodate a reconfiguration of the district, to try and ease crowding at the middle, junior and high schools. Elementary schools should be kept for kindergarten-through-fifth graders, while sixth, seventh and eighth grades would be split between the middle and junior high school. Ninth graders would go to the high school.
The option was seen as more immediate and cost-effective than the construction of another high school, which would require a bond election. The cost would be estimated at $50 to $60 million for construction, not counting the ongoing operation costs, Superintendent Mark Dockins told district members in March. Vernal Express
In a memo to Uintah School District board members, Randall Upton, business administrator for the district said to refine costs and determine exactly how the facility will look; the district needs to begin to move to the design phase. The broad plan calls for a 16-room addition to the high school to be in place by the start of the 2013 school year.
The district voted to allow the administration and MHTN, a Salt Lake City architecture firm, begin the design phase of the project. Upton noted that the beginning of the design phase does not commit the board to building the project – such approvals would come at a later date, he said.
MHTN architects would be working on a tight time frame. The district hopes to have the new wing at the high school ready for occupancy by August 2013. That would mean construction would need to start sometime in February, Upton said. Drawings need to be done by then to begin work.
Board members and students questioned the impact to students at the school while construction is ongoing. Upton said the project could be worked around to minimize impact to students.
Upton said the anticipated cost would be around $25 to $26 million. The numbers would be refined further as design work progresses.
The high school is the next targeted for expansion or renovation as the Uintah School District tries to keep pace with growing enrollment numbers. For 2011, Uintah School District was the fastest-growing district in the state, up 4.6 percent.
The school district is near completion of its 10-year project to remodel and expand all area elementary schools, Vernal Middle School and Uintah High School. Vernal Junior High School was remodeled before the 10-year plan was outlined seven years ago.
The addition of the wing at the high school is meant to accommodate a reconfiguration of the district, to try and ease crowding at the middle, junior and high schools. Elementary schools should be kept for kindergarten-through-fifth graders, while sixth, seventh and eighth grades would be split between the middle and junior high school. Ninth graders would go to the high school.
The option was seen as more immediate and cost-effective than the construction of another high school, which would require a bond election. The cost would be estimated at $50 to $60 million for construction, not counting the ongoing operation costs, Superintendent Mark Dockins told district members in March. Vernal Express
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Roosevelt City dives into new pool project
The regularly scheduled council meeting was moved from city chambers to the Crossroads Community Center when it came time for the pool report. An audience had already started to gather in the designated meeting room there and filled the room to capacity before the public meeting ended.
The large crowd was quiet and attentive as City Councilman Albert Foster took the council members and audience through a quick media presentation to share background information about the history of the pool and the process leading to that evening’s meeting.
“What will it cost to fix the existing pool? What will it cost to replace the existing pool and what would it cost to improve our existing pool facility,” Foster asked.
During the presentation which followed, Foster laid out the financial background and project options.
Roosevelt residents began taking turns at the open microphone to address the city council, mayor, and audience after the presentation.
The remainder of the motion was amended to state that as sufficient additional monies are collected, each additional piece of the complex becomes funded. That is, when sufficient estimated funds are collected, then the indoor pool lanes would be approved. When additional estimated funds are collected beyond that level, then the field house would be added. All council members voted in the affirmative. Uintah Basin Standard
The large crowd was quiet and attentive as City Councilman Albert Foster took the council members and audience through a quick media presentation to share background information about the history of the pool and the process leading to that evening’s meeting.
“What will it cost to fix the existing pool? What will it cost to replace the existing pool and what would it cost to improve our existing pool facility,” Foster asked.
During the presentation which followed, Foster laid out the financial background and project options.
Roosevelt residents began taking turns at the open microphone to address the city council, mayor, and audience after the presentation.
The remainder of the motion was amended to state that as sufficient additional monies are collected, each additional piece of the complex becomes funded. That is, when sufficient estimated funds are collected, then the indoor pool lanes would be approved. When additional estimated funds are collected beyond that level, then the field house would be added. All council members voted in the affirmative. Uintah Basin Standard
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Opponents of refinery expansion focus on health concerns
A document made available by the Division of Air Quality said the expansion would "result in increased jobs and royalty payments to the state" and "ensure a long-term market for Utah crude, supporting job growth and providing significant tax revenues to the state."
Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, criticized the Division of Air Quality's emphasis on economic benefits, and compared it to supporting selling cigarettes door-to-door as a means of job creation.
Dan Riley, vice president of government affairs for Tesoro, said the project would help Utah and wouldn't have the environmental impact some said it would. "This is a great project for Tesoro, for Salt Lake, and for the state," he said. "As opposed to going out of state, we'll be able to process local crude."
Riley said Tesoro plans to reduce emissions with the project. A gas cleanup unit that would be built would remove additional sulfur dioxide, lowering it by 66 tons, he said. Although Tesoro expects sulfur dioxide emissions to decrease as a result of the expansion, the Division of Air Quality reported that there would be an increase in actual emissions. However the actual emissions will not exceed the maximum allowable emissions assigned to the refinery, the district reported. Deseret News
Monday, April 2, 2012
Building boom taking place in Vernal
The Vernal Towne Center as well as other retail and commercial building projects will completed in the coming year. The new growth has led to a staggering increase in the amount of building permit fees the city has collected this year when compared with the fiscal years ending in 2010 and 2011. In fiscal year 2008-09, the city collected approximately $216,000 in building permit fees. In the next two years, it collected roughly $46,000 and $70,000, respectively. As of Monday, the city had taken in about $238,000 in fees for the current fiscal year, which still has three months remaining. Deseret News
Developers already have commitments for the 26-acre Vernal Towne Center from Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft, Petco, and Shoe Carnival. Negotiations are in the final stages with a major department store, a big-name sporting goods retailer, and at least four additional restaurants.
The development also includes space for a hotel, a bank, a gas station and a tire repair shop. The project's tenants will be latest in a string of new arrivals in Vernal that include national chains like Rue 21 and AutoZone.
Developers already have commitments for the 26-acre Vernal Towne Center from Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft, Petco, and Shoe Carnival. Negotiations are in the final stages with a major department store, a big-name sporting goods retailer, and at least four additional restaurants.
The development also includes space for a hotel, a bank, a gas station and a tire repair shop. The project's tenants will be latest in a string of new arrivals in Vernal that include national chains like Rue 21 and AutoZone.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Commission votes to rezone land
Monday’s Uintah County Commission voted to rezone land adjacent to Air Village Hills, laying the groundwork for the construction of a large subdivision to be called Outlaw Country Development.The rezone will take residential and agricultural land and re-classify it for high-density residential housing while expanding commercial property. Vernal Express
Location: Vernal, UT
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Uintah County to fund expansion of dinosaur museum
Uintah County will fund the expansion of a popular state park in Vernal. The county, through its Impact Mitigation Special Service District, will spend $1.5 million to build a new repository and lab facility for the Utah Field House of Natural History Museum State Park. Deseret News
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Feds help pay for Utah’s flood damage
Utah will receive federal aid to pay for this spring’s flood damage. President Barack Obama signed a Utah disaster declaration and ordered federal funds to supplement the recovery effort from flooding between April 18 and July 16.
The funds are available to state, tribal and eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the flooding in the counties of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch and Weber, and the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The state could be eligible for $9.5 million in federal aid. Salt Lake Tribune
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Water purification plant expanding
Vernal’s drinking water comes from Ashley Springs, fed by a series of underground seeps that drain the south face of the Uinta Mountains. It’s been a steady and reliable source of water since the founding of the Ashley Valley in the late 1870s. The good water quality experienced today will be enhanced through the plant’s new clarification system, which is under construction and will take two years to complete.
Construction at the plant is being handled by Flatiron Construction, a Denver-based company, with Del Carter as on-site project manager. Construction is funded in part through the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, with Flatiron’s portion estimated to cost $12 million. Vernal Express
Construction at the plant is being handled by Flatiron Construction, a Denver-based company, with Del Carter as on-site project manager. Construction is funded in part through the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, with Flatiron’s portion estimated to cost $12 million. Vernal Express
Monday, July 19, 2010
Ute Tribe, Questar trade legal blows
A federal judge may have told construction crews they could go back to work, but attorneys for both the Ute Indian Tribe and Questar Gas Management aren't finished fighting over the Stagecoach natural gas processing plant. Attorneys for the tribe said Monday that they plan to ask two federal agencies to address “outrageous conduct” by QGM with regard to the company's alleged failure to secure the proper permits for construction of the Stagecoach plant expansion.
Work on the plant, which was shutdown late last month by tribal authorities, has resumed thanks to a federal injunction against the tribe that was issued July 1. But in court papers filed Monday, attorneys for QGM claim the tribe has failed to comply with the judge's order.
“(The tribe) has told QGM contractors and subcontractors not to come to the Iron Horse site, has ordered them to leave the site, and has threatened them with fines, trespassing citations and vehicle impoundment if they enter the reservation without 'access permits,'” George Haley, an attorney for QGM wrote before requesting that the tribe be held in contempt of court for its alleged actions. Alvina Lee, an attorney for the tribe, said the dispute with QGM occurred because the company failed to follow proper procedures when applying for right-of-way access and failed to notify the tribe of the activity it was going to undertake on tribal lands. QGM also did not acquire the necessary air permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its work on the Stagecoach plant expansion, Lee said. Uintah Basin Standard
Work on the plant, which was shutdown late last month by tribal authorities, has resumed thanks to a federal injunction against the tribe that was issued July 1. But in court papers filed Monday, attorneys for QGM claim the tribe has failed to comply with the judge's order.
“(The tribe) has told QGM contractors and subcontractors not to come to the Iron Horse site, has ordered them to leave the site, and has threatened them with fines, trespassing citations and vehicle impoundment if they enter the reservation without 'access permits,'” George Haley, an attorney for QGM wrote before requesting that the tribe be held in contempt of court for its alleged actions. Alvina Lee, an attorney for the tribe, said the dispute with QGM occurred because the company failed to follow proper procedures when applying for right-of-way access and failed to notify the tribe of the activity it was going to undertake on tribal lands. QGM also did not acquire the necessary air permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its work on the Stagecoach plant expansion, Lee said. Uintah Basin Standard
Monday, June 7, 2010
New school project officially under way
Amid a lot of sun, ceremony and song, local officials, educators and students broke ground for a new Ashley Elementary School on Friday morning. Anticipation is high for the new 80,000-square-foot building, which is expected to cost $13 million and take 12-14 months to construct. It will be built adjacent to the current building, which opened in 1961. “It’s going to have an Ashley Elementary look and it’s going to look like no other elementary school around,” Provo architect Kevin Madson told students gathered for the event, eliciting cheers. The new building will house 27 classrooms, he said, and will be twice as big as the current school. Vernal Express
Tribe vote planned on hatchery
Ute tribal leaders are moving forward with plans to hold a referendum to let their membership decide whether to rescind the resolution that approved construction of the controversial Big Springs Fish Hatchery. The resolution was passed 16 months ago by five of the six members on the tribe’s governing Business Committee. Its purpose is to protect the area for historical religious rites — the water from the springs is used in the sacred Sundance ceremony. It officially designates boundaries and specific sites in the Big Springs area as sacred and protected “continually and perpetually … against development except to enhance the ecosystem, beauty and sacred use of the area.”
However, those opposed to the federal hatchery project at Big Springs maintain that it has crippled access to and use of the sacred waters. A decision by voters to rescind the Business Committee’s resolution could spell the end of the hatchery project which is close to 90 percent complete. Should that happen, it is likely the tribe will have to repay the federal government for the construction costs, said Business Committee Chairman Curtis Cesspooch. “I am pretty sure we will have to repay all the government money, we will have to repay the contractors,” Cesspooch said. There is an additional impact that tribal members need to be aware of as well, he said. “If we do go back on the contract that is going to give us a black eye and that will put us in jeopardy in our other departments for receiving the (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) stimulus money,” Cesspooch said. The tribe has invested $1.7 million of its own money in the hatchery which would be lost as well, he said. Vernal Express
However, those opposed to the federal hatchery project at Big Springs maintain that it has crippled access to and use of the sacred waters. A decision by voters to rescind the Business Committee’s resolution could spell the end of the hatchery project which is close to 90 percent complete. Should that happen, it is likely the tribe will have to repay the federal government for the construction costs, said Business Committee Chairman Curtis Cesspooch. “I am pretty sure we will have to repay all the government money, we will have to repay the contractors,” Cesspooch said. There is an additional impact that tribal members need to be aware of as well, he said. “If we do go back on the contract that is going to give us a black eye and that will put us in jeopardy in our other departments for receiving the (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) stimulus money,” Cesspooch said. The tribe has invested $1.7 million of its own money in the hatchery which would be lost as well, he said. Vernal Express
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