May 24, 2024 – Virtual birding classes, Eastern Summit County General Plan,



WE COVER…

  • Some opportunities for a virtual birding class with the County Lands and Natural Resources Department
  • Upcoming Open Houses for the Eastern Summit County General Plan 
  • Community Health Assessment is now LIVE and we need your help taking this survey 

TOPIC 1: Virtual Birding Course
Are you interested in learning how to spot and identify local birds? Want to learn more about local avian wildlife? Summit County’s Lands & Natural Resources Department is teaming up with some of their awesome volunteers to bring the community a virtual birding program. We highly recommend attending our “Virtual Introduction to Birding” next Wednesday, May 29 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. as a precursor to future in-person events the department will be holding on the 910 Ranch. More information at: summitcounty.info/virtualbirding

TOPIC 2: Proclamation Declaring June as Pride Month
During this week’s council meeting, LGBTQIA+ Taskforce members Kris Campbell and Virginia Solomon recited a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month. Here is an excerpt from the proclamation which was approved by Council:

“Pride Month serves as a reminder of how much we have to celebrate, and should prompt us to never let up in our efforts to ensure full equality, inclusion, and empowerment for every member of our LGBTQ+ community, and all communities.

LGBTQ+ Pride month is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) people; promotes their self-affirmation, dignity, and equality rights; increases their visibility as a social group; builds community; and celebrates sexual diversity and gender variance.

Summit County is committed to learning how to advance inclusion for LGBTQ+ residents by creating and supporting policies and programs that stand against discrimination and by promoting equality and opportunity for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Visit parkcitypride.org for upcoming events information related to Pride Month, and to learn more about the taskforce.

TOPIC 3: Community Health Assessment is LIVE!
The Summit County Health Department officially launched their Community Health Assessment! This is a survey that is run every five years and gathers data on social and economic factors such as education, transportation, housing, and healthcare access, that impact the lives of our residents.

We know you might be tired of taking surveys, but this is an important opportunity to share your experiences to help shape future health programming and initiatives, lending our health professionals perspective on gaps in services provided in Summit County.

Take the 15-minute survey today, and help us build a healthier community for all! Visit summitcountyhealth.org/cha24 for more information.

TOPIC 4: Eastern Summit County General Plan Open Houses
Summit County is holding two public open houses in Kamas and Coalville to gather the public’s input as the Planning Department prepares to write a new General Plan for Eastern Summit County.

> The first open house is Tuesday, June 4 at Ledges Event Center from 6-8 pm.

> The second is Tuesday, June 18 at the Kamas Library/ South Summit Services Building from 6-8 pm.

The information presented will be the same at both events and residents can stop by any time during the two-hour event to share their thoughts and ideas. For some background, the General Plan is a comprehensive plan addressing the present and future needs of our communities. In Summit County, we have two General Plans: one for Eastern Summit County and one for the Snyderville Basin.

So why does this matter to residents? The goal of the Eastern Summit County General Plan is to use information gathered during the 2023 visioning process to create a specific, actionable, and usable plan. The General Plan is also an advisory document for land use decisions made by the planning commission, county council, and county staff. Staff will update policies, objectives, and strategies based on community feedback.