Mike Gottfredson serves as the Deputy Director of Community Development for Duchesne County, according to a correspondence dated August 25, 2026. In this capacity, Gottfredson oversees administrative functions related to land use, including the review of conditional use permits and the monitoring of industrial site compliance within the county.
In August 2026, Gottfredson was involved in the regulatory oversight of surveying and staking operations for the Horse 2 pad. On August 25, 2026, Gottfredson sent an inquiry to WEMI regarding whether the company or its representatives had notified all surface owners of Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Site, pipeline, and access road survey staking operations affecting their property prior to such staking taking place. His inquiry specifically requested information regarding whether any staking had occurred that affected the Skeens parcel (#00-0033-6901) or the ABT Mechanical, Inc. parcel (#00-0009-8198). In a response dated August 26, 2026, WEMI representative Jacob Woodland stated that WEMI did not provide the specific staking notice contemplated by subsection H of Ordinance #24-409 to the Skeens or ABT Mechanical properties because those entities were not the surface owners of the parcels on which the survey staking was authorized.
Gottfredson's administrative duties also involve the issuance of conditional use permit approvals. On August 11, 2026, Gottfredson issued a letter approving a conditional use permit for WEM Operating for an oil and gas drilling and production site on Parcel #00-0009-7802, owned by Phillip Moon Ltd. This approval was for the development and operation of four wells on the Horse 1 Pad, identified as Kava 4-4-5-2-44H, Kava 4-4-5-2-6H, Kava 4-4-5-2-5H, and Kava 4-4-5-2-3H. The approval was issued following an administrative hearing that was held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at the Duchesne County Administrative Building. As part of the permit conditions, Gottfredson required the applicant to notify all surface owners of survey staking operations affecting their property prior to such staking taking place.
In addition to industrial permits, Gottfredson's office handles public notices regarding zoning amendments and subdivision reviews. On August 19, 2026, Gottfredson, acting as Assistant Community Development Administrator, issued a public notice regarding a preliminary plat for the Defa’s Dude Ranch Subdivision, proposed at Section 26, Township 2 North Range 9 West, USB & M, on the North Fork Road, north of Hanna. Furthermore, a notice published on September 24, 2026, announced a public hearing for the Duchesne County Planning Commission to meet on October 7, 2026, to review a request by Stacy Stringham to rezone Parcel #00-0035-1520 from the A-5 Agriculture zoning district to the A-2 Agriculture, 2-acre zoning district in the Tabiona area. This rezoning request was scheduled for consideration by the Duchesne County Commission on October 19, 2026.
What this means for Duchesne
For the residents of Duchesne, Gottfredson's role involves managing the intersection of industrial development and land use. By overseeing conditional use permits and zoning changes, his office ensures that projects like the Horse 1 Pad and various agricultural rezoning requests follow established county ordinances and notification requirements for impacted property owners.
