This week we’ll talk about
- The upcoming Primary Election and important information associated with it.
- The dedication of the Hoytsville Mural.
- A legislative review with three of Summit County’s state legislators during County Council.
- A public hearing on the drafted ordinance on nightly rentals regulation.
- Open volunteer positions for the OSAC Regional Advisory Groups.
- Closure of open burn season for incorporated areas of Summit County.
- Upcoming Living with Wildfire learning series.
ELECTION INFORMATION
Alright! First up we want to take a moment to talk about elections. The Primary Election is coming up this month on June 28th!
Ballots will be mailed out early next week on Tuesday, June 7th. They should arrive in mailboxes later that week or early the next. In the meantime, sample ballots for each precinct are available online at summitcounty.org/281
We’ll check back in next week to talk about ballot deadlines, Drop Box locations, and where to-vote in person!
HOYTSVILLE MURAL DEDICATION
We reported last week about a historical mural being painted at the Summit County Public Works Building in Hoytsville.
The mural is now complete and it sure is beautiful! Each detail honors the unique history, landscape, and spirit of the area.
For some context in case you missed it! International Mural Artist, Sasha Primo, was commissioned to complete the mural. He spent three weeks staying with families in Hoytsville to get a better sense of the community and its heritage. He even invited the community to paint the mural with him during two community paint days late last month.
On Wednesday, June 1, ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting, the County Council formally dedicated the mural with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
In addition to hearing from Sasha about his process, the ceremony also included a land acknowledgment which recognized that the mural was created on the traditional lands of the Ute, Goschute, and Eastern Shoshone tribes. Local tribe members spoke with Sasha to tell stories and share significant symbols to their culture — all of which helped inform the content of the mural.
A huge thank you to Sasha for being so intentional in his process and for his talents. And, many, many thanks to the local families who hosted him during his stay as well as to those who contributed their knowledge of the area and its history. Thank you to the Arts Council of Park City and Summit County and the Summit County Public Art Advisory Board for making the mural happen.
To reiterate, the mural is really so impressive and a wonderful homage to the history of the Hoytsville area. We highly recommend the Summit County community take time to visit and interact with the art.
LEGISLATIVE REVIEW
Three of Summit County’s state legislators, Senator Ron Winterton and Representatives Kera Birkeland and Mike Kohler attended this week’s Council meeting to talk about the Utah State Legislature’s general session that happened back in March of this year.
The group spoke about House Bill 462, a bill that imposed new requirements on cities and counties to encourage the development of moderate-income housing, including a provision targeted only at Summit County that requires the County to create a Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) in Kimball Junction by the end of this year.
The County is concerned about our ability to meet the deadlines associated with the bill, particularly the October 1, 2022 deadline for the Moderate Income Housing Plan. The legislators said there was no indication a special session was on the horizon to address the deadline However, Rep. Birkeland has a bill file open to repeal some of the provisions of HB 462 and encouraged us to share with her and the bill drafters the hardships with which we are struggling.
NIGHTLY RENTALS
A public hearing was held regarding a drafted ordinance that would impose a 7-month moratorium on the issuance of business licenses for nightly rentals if adopted.
The conversation presented a well-rounded view of the topic. Viewpoints from both the public and council ranged from:
- Being against a moratorium because it would incentivize unregulated rentals / people doing things under the table, infringe upon property rights, and hurt real estate sales and local employment
- To being in support of a moratorium because of how the prominence of short-term rentals negatively affect residential neighborhoods from nuisances such as noise, parking, and trash, to impacting the affordable housing landscape in the County by removing housing stock from the long-term housing market.
At the end of the night, no formal motion was made. County Manager, Tom Fisher, clarified that, at this time, there was not a majority of the Council in favor of a moratorium on business licenses.
From here, Tom will bring back information to the Council to clarify the outcomes they desire by putting in place regulations or enhanced licensing. Then, a work group can be formed to begin the process. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months on this topic as the conversation develops.
OSAC REGIONAL ADVISORY GROUPS
Council officially enacted a Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) and three Regional Advisory Groups representing each of the North, South, and Western Summit County communities.
Now, Summit County is seeking to fill 21 vacancies on the Regional Advisory Groups of the Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC). The purpose of the Regional Advisory Groups is to involve the public in creating, prioritizing, adopting, and recommending Evaluation Standards to OSAC for open space and conservation easements. Meetings will be scheduled on an as-needed basis, and terms will be 1 year for each Regional Advisory Committee.
Summit County is specifically seeking seven (7) members from each area:
For the West Summit Region, we are seeking 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of Park City; 1 representative who resides within the boundaries of the unincorporated Snyderville Basin; and 5 at-large community representatives who reside in West Summit.
For the North Summit Region, we are seeking 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of Coalville City; 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of the Town of Henefer; 1 representative who resides within the boundaries of the unincorporated area of North Summit; and 4 at-large community representatives who reside in North Summit.
And, for the South Summit Region, we are seeking 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of Kamas City; 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of Oakley City; 1 representative who resides within the incorporated boundaries of Francis City; 1 representative who resides within the boundaries of the unincorporated area of South Summit; and 3 at-large community representatives who reside in South Summit.
Community representatives wishing to fill an at-large position may be given preference for having knowledge and experience related to agriculture, natural resources, or recreation.
For more information on the positions available: visit bit.ly/GOBond21.
These are volunteer positions. Interested applicants can submit an application: https://bit.ly/OSAC22. The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
OPEN BURN SEASON IS OVER
June 1 started the closed fire season which means burn permitting for incorporated areas of Summit County is closed until September 15th.
Unincorporated areas can still burn with a permit. Burn permits are regulated through the State Forester and can be obtained by contacting the County Fire Warden at (435) 640-2075.
The Fire Warden is available for permits Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Permits are not issued Friday through Sunday.
Permits are good for three-day periods. Please plan ahead to ensure permits are issued well before your planned burn. Burn permits for weekend burns should be requested by the preceding Wednesday.
LIVING WITH WILDFIRE SERIES
Speaking of fire, here in Summit County we live with the threat of wildfire all year long. It’s important to stay informed and prepared about what it means to “live with wildfire.”
Starting this month, and through October, a learning series called Living with Wildfire is happening all throughout the county. The events will teach you about planning for a fire evacuation, how fire affects our watershed, the impacts of the changing climate on our local landscape, and MORE!
This learning series FREE and OPEN to the public at locations throughout the county.
Events happening this month include:
- Two Spanish language events about preparing to protect you and your loved ones in case of a wildfire. The first event is on June 8 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church; and the second is on June 16 at the Kamas Services Building.
- A Weber Watershed Stakeholder Open House on June 13 at Oakley City Cattleman’s Hall. The event will focus on building resilient watersheds and creating healthy forests.
For a complete list of events, visit: bit.ly/wildfireseries.
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