An Association of Local Governments: Serving Southwestern Utah since 1972

Phone:(435)673-3548 Fax:(435)673-3540 Address: 1070 W. 1600 S., Bldg. B; St. George, UT

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.


The Five County Association of Governments is a voluntary association of local governments from the five southwestern counties of the State of Utah. The five counties in southwestern Utah that comprise the Five County Association of Governments are Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington.

This year, 2024, marks the 51st year since the formal establishment of the Five County Association of Governments. Articles of Association were formally adopted in 1973 by the entities who comprise the Association and with their adoption officially created the Five County Association of Governments. While the Five County AOG was officially created in 1973, informal cooperation amongst the five member counties, along with the municipalities within them, as a group, has taken place since the 1950's.

Farsighted leaders of the past envisioned the time when our world-class scenic landscapes, mild climate, beautiful communities and hard-working people would foster the evolution of a major regional center in the West. That time has arrived for southwestern Utah has come into its own. The Five County Association of Governments is a key player in aiding locally elected officials in coping with regional challenges as it begins it's next fifty years of serving southwestern Utah.

The Association has a main office location in the Tonaquint Center High Tech Business Park in St. George City and a satellite office in Cedar City. We also have dedicated staff in several other locations providing important services within our five county service area. More information on the Association, including our Vision and Mission, can be viewed using the "What is The FCAOG" link on the "About" tab above. Our office addresses, as well as maps to locate them, are found using the "Contact" tab above.

Five County News

2024-03-11



   STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024
The Steering Committee is the governing body of the Five County Association of Governments.  The next Steering Committee meeting will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. The meeting will be held in-person at the Festival Hall building, Combined Rooms 5 and 6, located at 96 N. Main St.; Cedar City, Utah.  

Link to a Google map of the meeting location:  https://goo.gl/maps/wbda98LYbKhSVBnx7 .

You can park on the second floor of the parking garage and enter from there.

Information on the meeting, including the Agenda, and materials provided to the Board members, is available on the Utah Public Meeting Notice website (see link below).

Click HERE to view the March 13, 2024 Steering Committee meeting Agenda posted on the Utah Public Meeting Notice website. 

Materials sent to each Committee member can also be viewed/printed by the public on that site.

    ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AVAILABLE
The Five County Association of Governments' contributes to the 2024 Utah Annual Action Plan assembled by the State of Utah’s Housing and Community Development office, which reports on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) activities statewide.

The Five County report for the 2024 Utah Annual Action Plan describes activities completed in the past year and offers the region an opportunity to review and update goals year to year. The progress made in the last year is complemented by an understanding of the expected funds for the upcoming fiscal year and a discussion of the projects to be rated and ranked in the coming year.  For a much more detailed description of the Annual Action Plan process and to view the draft document, please use the link directly below:  

Click HERE to go to the Annual Action Plan webpage.  

Information  on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is available at this LINK


  CEDS DOCUMENT APPROVED
2023 CEDS Document The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) was prepared by FCAOG staff in conjunction with the CEDS Strategy Committee and Steering Committee, through a capacity building grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).    The goal for this strategic plan is to provide guidance for regional growth while promoting a coordinated approach towards region-wide economic development objectives in Southwest Utah.

The CEDS employs long-range planning processes in their development.  This planning method allowed staff to consolidate information from a wide range of stakeholders and synthesize the findings into a comprehensive regional growth strategy.  This consolidation also provides consistent and unified policy direction for regional economic development efforts.

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy adheres to and satisfies all guidelines provided by both the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
 The Steering Committee, the governing board of the Five County Association of Governments, approved the CEDS document at it's October 11, 2023 meeting.

CLICK HERE to view and/or download the CEDS document.

  POTENTIAL PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE PRESENTATION
Passenger rail service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, with the possibility of extending that service into Cedar City and Washington County, is being studied. There was a presentation made to the Dixie Metropolitan Planning Organization's governing board, the Dixie Transportation Executive Council, made by Mr. Bryan Thiot, Executive Director of the Five County Association of Governments.

Please click on THIS LINK to view/print that presentation (which was originally done as a PowerPoint presentation). This is a PDF version of the presentation.



 STATE OF UTAH COORDINATED ACTION PLAN
Economic Development In 2022, the State of Utah embarked on a strategic planning process to create a Coordinated Action Plan for Economic Vision 2030.

The purpose of this Statewide Plan is to unify the goals and direction of State government with those of seven regions in the State of Utah. This involves, among other things, aligning each region’s existing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) developed by each of the state’s Association of Governments (AOGs). The overarching objectives are to optimize growth and expand prosperity throughout all counties.

The unified approach to economic development requires the State and regional interests to work together in harmony to advance mutual goals.


The Coordinated Action Plan for Economic Vision 2030 document can be viewed/downloaded by clicking on this LINK.

  ASAP REPORT FOR THE FIVE COUNTY REGION
ASAP The Five County Association of Governments (FCAOG) is a regional organization serving the Utah counties of Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Iron and Washington.  The FCAOG also serves as the regional economic development district as a planning partner with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

Working regionally the AOG develops and maintains a regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).  The goals, objectives, and strategies identified in the comprehensive strategic plan, support the economic development goals of the region, as well as those of the counties and communities that comprise the region.

To further its strategic goals the AOG developed an agreement and partnered with the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) to implement an Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP) for its five member counties and produce a final summary regional report.  The May 2023 Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP) is an economic development tool that identifies the most desirable and compatible industries for a single community.


To View/Print the ASAP Report please click on this LINK

  THE ASSOCIATION'S FY2023 AUDIT REPORT
Each year the Five County Association of Governments has an independent audit of our organization conducted by a qualified public auditing firm.  The FY2023 Audit was completed by the Certified Public Accounting firm of Hafen|Buckner of St. George City, Utah and the report was presented to our governing body, the Steering Committee, for acceptance, which they did at their meeting on November 8, 2023.

The FY2023 Audit Report is available for public review as a PDF scanned copy of by clicking on THIS LINK.

  ANONYMOUS ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE HOTLINE
ethics The Utah Counties Indemnity Pool (UCIP) is our Association's "insurer".   A Fraud Tip Hotline has been established by UCIP, in cooperation with Lighthouse Services, LLC. This service has been set up for UCIP members, such as the Five County  Association of Governments, in order to provide their staff and citizens with easy access to report fraud, and keep government open and honest.

Fraud tips can be submitted four ways:
Website: www.lighthouse-services.com/uciputah (available in English or Spanish)

Toll-Free Telephone:   • English – (877) 410-0007    • Spanish – (800) 216-1288


E-mail: reports@lighthouse-services.com  (must include our Association's name with report)  Fax: (215) 689-3885 (must include our Association's name with report)

  OPPORTUNITY ZONES DESIGNATED IN UTAH
A provision from the tax cut legislation passed by by Congress in 2017 may have positive economic impacts in southwestern Utah, with investors incentivized to develop businesses in some of the area’s lowest-income neighborhoods.  Large swaths of Washington, Iron, Beaver and Garfield counties are among the places across Utah identified this summer as federally-recognized “Opportunity Zones” — areas designated where investors can avoid some taxes in exchange for funding new development.

The hope is that development creates jobs, reduces poverty and sets the groundwork for further economic growth in areas largely being left behind by the state's overall job growth.  This region, including even fast-growing Washington County, still ranks overall as a distressed regional economy, based on federal guidelines, thanks to low wages and a limited mix of businesses.


Click HERE to go to view a PDF map of this region's Opportunity Zone areas.  Click HERE to go to a web page with an interactive map of the nation that you can view all Opportunity Zones. 

  NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN FOR REGION
NHMP A updated regional Multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Pre-disaster Mitigation Plan was developed by the Five County Association of Governments' staff in collaboration with all of the cities and towns, the five counties in this region, as well as the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. The Plan update includes information regarding the type, location and extent potential and regularly occurring hazards in the Five County area and also includes information on previous occurrences of hazard events and the likelihood of a future natural hazard events.

This update was done through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once adopted as a "guidance document" by each entity, the 5-year plan will be valid for that entity until 2027.  If there are any questions on the Plan update, please contact Mr.
Nate Wiberg, Senior Planner, at (435) 673-3548 ext. 105,  or via e-mail to  nwiberg@fivecounty.utah.gov

Click on this link: https://hazardmitigationplan.org  to go to the special web site developed to present the plan to the cities, towns, counties and the public

  COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTORY AVAILABLE    
Community Services Directory 2015 Edition The popular Community Services Resource Directory for southwestern Utah is available. The Directory, published with Community Services Block Grant funding, is distributed through the Community Action Partnership of the Five County Association of Governments. While the Directory is targeted primarily to the under served population, many services apply to all levels of income and need. The Directory is available to view online or may be purchased. 

To view the Directory, please visit the H.E.A.T. and Community Action website at this link: http://fivecountycap.wordpress.com


  THE ASSOCIATION HAS A MICROLOAN LOAN PROGRAM
Southwest Utah Mocroloan Program The Five County Association of Governments has a microloan fund. The purpose of this fund is to create permanent, long-term jobs within the southwestern region of Utah by providing needed financing to qualified businesses for eligible activities.  Loans made through the fund are intended to help when commercial financing proves unreachable.  Funds loaned at interest are repaid into the program and recycled to other businesses, thus allowing an on-going job creation program. Funds are available in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington County, Utah.  

The Southwest Utah Microloan Program, established by the Five County Association of Governments, focuses on loans of $50,000 or less with most being $25,000 or less. The importance of these loans lies in their ability to offset the difficulty that businesses experience in receiving traditional bank financing.


To find out more about the loan fund, please contact Gary Zabriskie, Director of Community and Economic Development at:  gzabriskie@fivecounty.utah.gov , or phone (435) 673-3548 ext. 126


As required by Utah Code the Five County Association of Governments publishes all of its public meetings on the "Utah Public Meeting Notice" (UPMN) web site.  

You can search for our meetings by date or subject keyword.  To locate all of the meeting announcement postings published on the UPMN site by the Five County Association of Governments you can use this link and use the "Advanced Search" tab. You will need to type in the word five into the "Entity" box, highlight the "Five County Association of Governments" link that comes up, select a date range you want to view and then click on the "Submit" button. It will then show all upcoming meetings scheduled by the Five County AOG in the date range you selected.

Alternatively, you can use this LINK, choose to Find a Notice, and select "Associations of Governments" for Government type, choose "Five County Association of Governments" for the Entity, and you will see the Public Body list with links to each of them.


Click Here for more info on what the Five County AOG is about.