Hi everyone, Happy Labor Day weekend and welcome back to another week of news of Summit in Six.
Today, we’ll be talking about the recent court ruling on the Dakota Pacific referendum signature packets, the upcoming Public Health Speaker series, and more!
TOPIC 1: Judge rules Dakota Pacific referendum petition moot
On Tuesday, Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik said the lawsuit filed by residents opposing the Dakota Pacific Real Estate development at Kimball Junction is irrelevant, or moot.
Supporters of the referendum brought a legal case against County Clerk Eve Furse, who stated she could not legally verify enough signature packets to bring the decision of the development application to the ballot for County voters this November.
In this year’s legislative session the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 26, which changed the approval process for developers working with counties to submit development applications.
Jude Mrazik’s ruling was that Senate Bill 26 made the referendum moot because the decision the petitioners were trying to overturn had no impact on what happened to the Dakota Pacific development.
“Ultimately, my office’s responsibility is to uphold the law, which I’ve remained committed to throughout this entire process.” Summit County Clerk Eve Furse said. “The Clerk’s office looks forward to seeing how the legislature clarifies the referendum processes for both voters and local governments across the state.”
Because the referendum was ruled to be moot, the Judge did not weigh in on the signature collection issue (or whether Furse was right or wrong to dismiss some of the signature packets). In July of this year, in response to this referendum dispute, the Utah Rules Review and General Oversight Committee voted to begin drafting reforms to Utah’s referendum statute.
TOPIC 2: Fall Weeds Tour 2025
The Summit County Weeds Division is hosting a Community Noxious Weeds Tour to educate residents on the “most-wanted” weeds here in Summit County!
This tour is extra special because Utah’s leading biocontrol expert, Amber Mendenhall, will be joining us. She’ll show AND tell us how Summit County is harnessing noxious weeds’ natural enemies (like insects) to slow, contain, and control their spread.
The event is next Saturday, September 6, 2025 from 9 AM – 12 PM at the Richardson Flat Park & Ride. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP (for free!) at summitcounty.info/weedstour25 to let us know you’re coming!
TOPIC 3: Volunteer Opportunities
The Summit County Council is seeking to fill vacancies on the Mountain Regional Water Special Service District Administrative Control Board and Administrative Control Board of the Timberline Special Service District.
To be eligible to serve on these boards, you must be a registered voter with a primary residence inside the boundaries of the special service district.
- Mountain Regional Water:
- The board is seeking to fill ONE vacant seat
- Meetings are typically held at least once a month on the second Thursday at 6:00 pm.
- Timberline:
- The board is seeking to fill ONE vacant seat
- Meetings are typically held at least once a month on the last Wednesday at 6:00 pm.
Interested applicants for either of these positions must submit an application online at: summitcounty.info/volunteer. For further information, contact Amy Jones: 435-336-3042. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
TOPIC 4: Mobile Mammogram Clinics
1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Utah is among the lowest in the nation for mammography screening and breast cancer is the most common cancer among Utah women.
The Intermountain Health Mobile Mammogram Clinic will be in Kamas on September 29, 2025. Give Intermountain a call: their phone number is 1-833-626-6646. Or go online at: IntermountainHealthcare.org/mobilemammo.
TOPIC 5: Climate Change + Public Health Speaker Series
The next event in Summit County Health’s Speaker Series coming up on Sept. 30 at the Kamas City Event Center (next to the Kamas rodeo grounds).
The event is titled, “The Air We Share: Changes in local air quality and how it impacts your health.”
At this event, you will learn how:
- Nature, humans, and a changing climate affect air quality
- Bad air days negatively impact our health + what we can do
Details and registration at summitcountyhealth.org/speakerseries.
TOPIC 6: Weed of the Month (Phragmites)
Up next is a segment we like to call Weeds of the Month! In the studio with us today is Summit County Weed Enforcement Officer Dan Pena to talk about Phragmites. So, Dan, why is it important to talk about Phragmites right now?
This is the time you see it. This is the time to start treating for it. We do have some in our county, we don’t have a lot, but if you go to some of the other neighboring counties, they do have a lot, and we’re just trying to prevent that from becoming a bigger problem than it already is.
And, so, what’s the best way to control Phragmites?
Herbicide is probably the best option for treating phragmites. Some people have tried to mechanically control it, and a lot of times you just spread the seeds just because of extensive rhizomes.
So, it sounds like herbicide is definitely the best way to control the plant?
Yeah, I would definitely try to use an herbicide if possible.
And your team has herbicide available for the community, right?
So, actually, for this one, we do not. It’s one that you need to have someone professionally do it just because it’s usually around water areas and you have to have an applicator’s license to buy the herbicide to treat this. So, if you do see it out in the community, please let us know so we can assess the situation and go from there.
Awesome. If our listeners want more information on Phragmites, including information on other control methods, visual descriptions, photos, and more, you can visit summitcounty.info/idweeds, and on that page, you’ll also find the contact information for this team. Dan, is there anything else you want to add?
Like I said, we’re always ready to talk to our community and help you find the best solution for your property – whether that’s herbicide, hand pulling or tillage, or more creative solutions like biocontrol, grazing, and so much more. Please reach out anytime or stop by the shop
Yeah, I can speak from firsthand experience, this team is a GREAT resource for you to take advantage of if you have noxious weeds on your property. They’ve taught me so much!
We are really focused on education and helping our community. In fact, twice a year, we host a Community Noxious Weeds Tour, visiting sites around Summit County to show how to identify and control specific weeds. Partners like Swaner, Basin Rec, USU Extension, and Utah’s biocontrol expert, Amber Mendenhall, join us. It’s a great event for residents to join because noxious weeds are a community challenge, and we’re tackling them together.
The Community Noxious Weeds Tour is my favorite event of the year! Our next one is NEXT WEEKEND on Saturday, September 6. If our listeners want more information on that tour, visit summitcounty.info/weedstour25.
Alright, I think that’s it for now. Thanks for being here today, Dan, and for sharing all your knowledge on noxious weeds.
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