Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in 6. 

We’ll kick things off with a recap of this week’s Council of Governments meeting. Then, we’ll cover Dakota Pacific’s revised proposal for the Tech Center in Kimball Junction. Finally, we’ll finish up with ways you can get involved in the county’s community visioning process. 

Ok…let’s get into the news.  

Council of Governments 

On Tuesday, January 31 the Council of Governments, or COG, met for the first time in 2023! The first order of business was to introduce Summit County’s new County Manager, Shayne Scott, as well as our new Council Members, Canice Harte and Tonja Hanson, and the new Francis City Mayor, Jeremie Forman. 

Also at the meeting, the County’s Community Development Director, Pat Putt, gave an update on the master planning process for Emergency Medical Services across the county. 

So far, Safe Tech Solutions, the entity the County contracted to conduct the study, has analyzed data including things like ambulance activity, call volumes for emergency, non-emergency and interfacility transports, and financial data. They’ve also conducted a series of interviews with stakeholders from Summit County, Park City / Snyderville Basin, North Summit and South Summit.

From here, Safe Tech will present a possible EMS system to key Summit County Stakeholders in the coming weeks. After that meeting, they will take stakeholder feedback to modify and adjust a possible EMS system plan by the end of April. Finally, they’ll schedule and conduct three in-person community presentations of the possible EMS system in late April, early May. 

This is an important step in ensuring the County’s EMS system is reliable, viable, and sustainable for all residents and visitors now and into the future. Stay tuned for more over the next couple of months on this topic as we get closer to a final solution option. 

Dakota Pacific 

Dakota Pacific was back in front of the Council this week to present an amended development proposal. 

To refresh our listeners on the Dakota Pacific Development Agreement, in late 2021 the developers presented an original development proposal for the Summit Research Park or Park City Tech Center located in Kimball Junction to the Council. 

Following their presentation, they received significant feedback from the community. The feedback took them back to the drawing board to come up with a revised proposal and update their traffic impact study. It was also agreed at that time that the impact study must be peer-reviewed before moving forward.

How the “Plan C” proposal from the developers differs from past proposals:

• 30 percent of residential units we were decreased
• Eliminated some of the overall density
• Eliminated the full-service hotel which improved the net affordable housing benefit
• Reduced the tallest building of the development by 10 feet
• Increased the ratio of affordable and workforce housing by a small margin
• Increased the ratio of privately-owned residences by almost double
• Added a “Central Park” 2 acre community amenity and retail opportunity
• Added age restricted apaprtments for our senior citizens
• Added 75,000 sq. feet of commercial space to promote economic diversity

In terms of what happens from here, the County Community Development staff have received the Traffic Impact Study peer review, which we mentioned earlier, was completed by the Wall Consulting Group. They are currently reviewing the report and a separate work session on the Traffic Impact Study is scheduled for NEXT WEEK at the Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on  Wednesday, February 8.

Also at that meeting, the Council plans to work with the developers to outline clear-cut next steps in terms of reaching a final decision.

Our Summit Kick-Off Event 

Summit County is undertaking a community visioning plan to establish a roadmap for the future of our County! There’s still one more kick-off event taking place from 6 – 8 PM on Tuesday, February 7 at the Kamas Branch of the Summit County Library. We hope to see you there to learn more about the visioning process and how you can get involved. 

Community members also have the opportunity to take the “Summit County Talks” survey now through March 31. It’s an important opportunity to share how you view Summit County as it is now, what you love about our community, and what opportunities you see for it in the next 10-20 years. The survey is available at oursummitcounty.com 

Outro 

Alright, that’s all the news we have for this week, tune in next week for more on Summit in 6.

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Council Retreat 

On Friday, January 20, the County Council and County Department Heads gathered at the Kamas Branch of the Summit County Library to review the Council’s strategic priorities, hear from staff on the successes and lessons learned from 2022, and discuss how both of these will affect and guide the work plan for 2023. 

The group covered topics from transportation and congestion to local housing choice to environmental stewardship to land use and regional planning. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks when the 2023 Work Plan is established. We will review that when it comes to give listeners a look at what the county will be up to this year.

Public Lands News 

At this week’s council meeting, the Summit County Council approved a recommendation by the Summit County Interim County Manager, Janna Young, to enter a joint funding agreement with Summit Land Conservancy to acquire an agricultural easement for 99 acres in the Kamas Meadows known as Andrus Farm. This easement marks the first use of the $50 million General Obligation Bond funds approved by voters in 2021 to preserve open space in Summit County.

County Council Chair, Roger Armstrong, shared: “The Meadows are a vital part of the Kamas Valley’s agricultural heritage, scenic open space and vital watershed. We’re pleased to move forward with this agreement in partnership with Summit Land Conservancy and are eager to protect and preserve additional areas of Summit County for future generations, while working together to leverage our public funds with Summit Land Conservancy’s federal grants to extend the life and reach of the GO Bond funding.”

The Open Space Advisory Committee reviewing purchase opportunities for the GO Bond funding made it clear that Eastern Summit County is a high-priority area for the committee to conserve and protect. This is really exciting news in achieving that mission. 

You can read more about the purchase and the history of the property on the homepage of summitcounty.org. 

And, in more public lands related news…On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which included $1 million for Summit County’s Weber River Watershed Resilience Partnership. 

The Weber River Watershed Resilience Partnership includes Summit County, the United States Forest Service, Utah Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy, private landowners, and other state agencies and nonprofits. It focuses on watershed restoration and fire mitigation treatments in the headwaters of the Weber River aimed at building landscape-scale resilience to catastrophic wildfire and protecting this critical water source to Summit County and downstream users. 

This funding will go towards planning and implementation of fuel reduction initiatives within the Upper Weber Watershed, such as selective timber harvest and thinning operations. These tactics, when used in conjunction with returning controlled fire to the system, will help make our forested lands healthier and wildfire adaptive, as well as reduce the negative effects of post-fire impacts on the watershed.

Again, you can read more about this funding and the Weber River Watershed Resilience Partnership on the homepage of summitcounty.org. 

Community Visioning

Summit County is undertaking a community visioning plan to establish a roadmap for the future of our County! There’s still one more kick-off event taking place from 6 – 8 PM on Tuesday, February 7 at the Kamas Branch of the Summit County Library. We hope to see you there to learn more about the visioning process and how you can get involved. 

Community members also have the opportunity to take the “Summit County Talks” survey now through March 31. It’s an important opportunity to share how you view Summit County as it is now, what you love about our community, and what opportunities you see for it in the next 10-20 years. The survey is available at oursummitcounty.com. 

Next Weeks’ Preview 

Finally, we just wanted to give a quick preview into some important topics being discussed at next week’s County Council meeting, happening on Wednesday, February 1 at the Ledges Event Center. 

Next week’s agenda includes a public hearing and possible action on a special exception for High Valley Transit, as well as a continued work session and discussion related to the Dakota Pacific Development Agreement. Information on how to participate in or just listen into weekly Council meetings can be found at summitcounty.org/engage.

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RAP Recreation Grant Recipients 

The Summit County RAP Recreation Committee was in front of the Council this week to present their amended 2022 grant recommendations to the Council.

For some context, the RAP Recreation funding is used to finance, in whole or in part, parks, botanical operations and recreational facilities throughout the County. 

The committee received sixteen (16) online applications from across the County for a total funding pool of $1,140,000. They recommended fourteen (14) organizations be funded. 

Council approved the recommendations. You can find a full list of recipients on the news section on the summitcounty.org homepage. 

Community Visioning Open Houses 

Summit County is undertaking a community visioning plan to establish a roadmap for the future of our County! Please attend one of the three kick-off events to learn about the project and how to stay involved. 

The events will all take place from 6 – 8 PM on…. 

1. Tuesday, January 17 at the Ledges Event Center  
2. Thursday, January 26 at the Richins Building in Kimball Junction 
3. And Tuesday, February 7 at the Kamas Branch of the Summit County Library. 

For more information please visit www.oursummitcounty.com 

Kimball Junction Open Houses 

Earlier this week, UDOT hosted two public scoping meetings, one in-person and one virtual, to share information on their Kimball Junction Environmental Impact Study and answer questions. 

In case you missed the open houses, you can still watch a live stream of Wednesday’s meeting on the Summit County, UT Facebook change. It was a great conversation with the project team and members of the public asked some insightful questions. I highly recommend. 

Just a reminder to the community, UDOT is still hosting a public scoping comment period for the project that will be open until Jan. 27, 2023. Community members can give comment online at the bottom of the project website: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. The website also has more information on the study, the public meetings so be sure to check it out. 

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County Manager 

In a special session on January 5, the Summit County Council unanimously appointed Shayne Scott as the new Summit County Manager. Shayne will begin February 7.

The County Council said the following in a joint statement:

“The Council deliberated in multiple sessions concerning the finalists to ensure we selected the best candidate to lead our organization. We believe Shayne will make an excellent County Manager and look forward to working closely with him in this role.”

A little background on Shayne…he served as the City Manager of Kaysville for more than six years. Before his time in Kaysville, he was the City Manager of Parowan City for six years. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a bachelor’s degree in Geographic Information Systems from Utah State University.

Following Tom Fisher’s resignation last July, County Council initiated an extensive process to recruit, evaluate and appoint a new county manager. This process included working with a national recruiting firm and a screening committee of county employees and county residents from a variety of backgrounds. Shayne was selected from three finalists who interviewed with the County Council and groups of elected county and municipal officials, department heads and community members. 

The Council also extended gratitude and appreciation to Janna Young for her dedication serving as Interim County Manager over the past six months. We echo that sincere thanks to Janna for stepping up and leading us well the last ½ a year. 

Welcome aboard to Shayne.

Swearing In Ceremonies

This week’s County Council meeting started out with back-to-back swearing-in ceremonies for the officials who were elected into office by voters this past November. 

Chris Robinson and Canice Hart were officially sworn in to the County Council. 

Margaret Olson was sworn in as the County Attorney; Cindy Keyes as the County Auditor; Justin Martinez as the County Sheriff; and Eve Furse as the County Clerk.

Finally, council member Roger Armstrong was appointed as the County Council Chair and Malena Stevens as the Vice Chair. They will serve in these roles for the next year.

Glenn Farewell 

Also, at this week’s council meeting, we said goodbye to Glenn Wright whose term on the County Council has come to an end. 

Since 2017, Glenn has been a fierce steward of the environment, helping to advance Summit County’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals through his leadership on the Community Renewable Energy Agency program and his heavy involvement in the County’s public lands program, as well as fuel reduction and fire mitigation efforts in the Wildland Urban Interface of the County. 

Glenn was a stalwart representative of the County in more ways we can mention. He will be greatly missed in his role on the County Council. Thank you for your service and dedication to improving the health, safety, and welfare of this community. Your work has helped make Summit County an all-around better place for those who live and visit here.

Community Visioning Open Houses 

Summit County is undertaking a community visioning plan to establish a roadmap for the future of our County! Please attend one of the three kick-off events to learn about the project and how to stay involved. 

The events will all take place from 6 – 8 PM on…. 

1. Tuesday, January 17 at the Ledges Event Center  
2. Thursday, January 26 at the Richins Building in Kimball Junction 
3. And Tuesday, February 7 at the Kamas Branch of the Summit County Library. 

For more information please visit www.oursummitcounty.com 

Kimball Junction Open Houses 

Finally, UDOT is preparing an environmental impact statement or “EIS” to evaluate improvements at the I-80 and SR-224 interchange at Kimball Junction, and on SR-224 from Kimball Junction through the Olympic Parkway intersection in Summit County. 

The EIS is building on the work done in the Kimball Junction and SR-224 Area Plan which analyzed several solutions (30 to be exact!) and narrowed the options down to three alternatives. These include intersection and pedestrian improvements and larger, more complex transportation solutions all to be further evaluated in the EIS.

UDOT is hosting two public scoping meetings, one in-person and one virtual, to share information on the study and answer questions. 

The in-person open house is Jan. 10th from 5:30 – 8:00pm at Ecker Hill Middle School. The community will have an opportunity to review the materials and speak directly with team members. 

The virtual public meeting is on Jan. 11 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm on Zoom, with a presentation followed by a question & answer session. 

In addition, a public scoping comment period for the project will be open until Jan. 27, 2023. Community members can give comment online at the bottom of the project website: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. The website also has more information on the study, the public meetings so be sure to check it out. 

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Dakota Pacific Traffic Impact Study Peer Review  

Up first, we have a quick Dakota Pacific-related update for our listeners. Recently, Dakota Pacific submitted an updated Traffic Impact Study for its proposed redevelopment of the Summit Research Park or Park City Tech Center in Kimball Junction.  

As part of the review of the updated study, the County Council elected to commission an independent, third-party peer review of the study based on input received by residents last December who wanted the County to verify Dakota Pacific’s data. At this week’s council meeting, after an RFP process conducted by county staff, Community Development Director, Pat Putt recommended to the Council that the county hire Wall Consulting Group (WCG) as the third-party who will conduct a peer review of Dakota Pacific’s updated traffic impact study.  

The Council supported the recommendation. From here, a contract and disclosure affidavit will be drafted and executed, and the peer review will commence. We’ll keep you updated in the coming months on what comes next for the Dakota Pacific Development agreement.  

Truth in Taxation + Budgets

Last week, we reported on North Summit Fire District’s Truth in Taxation public hearing, noting that the Council pushed the decision on the district’s proposed tax increase to this week.  

At this week’s meeting, the Council heard from North Summit Fire Chief, Ben Neilson, who gave more detail on the over 1 million dollars that the district allotted towards payroll in their 2023 budget. After reviewing the breakdown Chief Neilson provided, the Council approved the tax increase and the district’s 2023 budget. 

This week it was Snyderville Basin Special Service District’s turn to hold their Truth in Taxation public hearing regarding their proposed 19.9% tax increase. After hearing from several members of the public, the Council approved the increase. 

Finally, the Council approved the 2023 County budget, which included a 10% COLA for county employees and a 12% COLA for sworn officers in the Sheriff’s Office, as well as the 2023 county fee schedule.  

Acknowledgement of Retirements 

Also at this week’s  Council meeting, the council recognized the retirements of two long-serving employees who made a tremendous impact on Summit County throughout their 25- and 30-year tenures, respectively. 

Robin “Nino” Judd retired this week from the County’s Finance Department, taking with her a huge amount of institutional knowledge. There was not a single purchase made in the County with which she was not involved. The County will miss her skill and oversight of our finances, her humor, and great friendship. We wish Robin well in her retirement. 

Derrick Radke also retired this week after 30 years combined as the County Engineer and Public Works Director, his contributions visible throughout the County for there is not a single transportation facility, construction project, or road improvement which he did not touch. Colleagues spoke about how Derrick lifted up others, his tremendous work ethic, invaluable advice and guidance, among other attributes that made him an excellent coworker and leader. Derrick will be greatly missed as well. 

 Episode 50 + Survey  

Before we go, we just wanted to recognize that this is our 50th episode! It’s been so fun breaking down county council meetings, letting you know about community engagement opportunities, and more every week.  

We’ve learned a lot on this podcasting adventure this year, but we know we can always do better! We’ve created a short feedback survey for our listeners to share their thoughts! Let us know what you liked, what you didn’t, or what you’d like to see more of! You can access the survey at summitcounty.org/engage under the ‘get involved’ header! 

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2023 Budgets + Truth in Taxation 

Ok, let’s talk about public hearings. At Wednesday’s Council meeting, North Summit Special Recreation District, Park City Fire Service District, and Mountain Regional Water Special Service District all held public hearings on their 2022 budget amendments and 2023 budgets. After hearing from members of the public, all three entities had their budgets for next year approved. 

There was also a public hearing on the County’s proposed 2023 budget, including the proposed 10% COLA or cost of living adjustment for county employees. No decision will be made until next week, on December 14, when another public hearing will be held. More on that a bit later in the episode. 

And, finally there was a Truth in Taxation public hearing held for the North Summit Fire Service District. 

Before we move forward talking about the public hearing, can you explain what Truth in Taxation is?  

Sure! Truth in Taxation is a process established by the Utah State Legislature where the county and its taxing entities (like school districts or special service districts) are required to hold a public hearing and inform taxpayers of proposed tax increases prior to the Council voting on and making changes. The process encourages transparency and provides an opportunity for residents to comment on the proposal before the County Council makes any final decision.

Ok, now back to the North Summit Fire District’s Truth in Taxation public hearing. The Council heard from dozens of community members who expressed concerns and asked questions about the district’s proposed tax increase. Ultimately, the Council pushed the decision on the increase to next week, December 14, awaiting more detail from NSFD on the $1 million + they’ve allotted towards payroll in their 2023 budget. 

To be clear, the public hearing regarding NSFD’s proposed tax increase is now closed. Next week, on 12/14 at the Richins Building in Kimball Junction beginning around 4:10 PM, the Council will make their final decision on the increase and their 2023 budget. 

Upcoming Public Hearings + Truth in Taxation

Speaking of next week, on Wednesday, December 14th there will be a few more public hearings we think our listeners should be aware of! 

There will be a continued discussion and final decision on the County’s fee schedule, which we reported on last week, as well as on the County’s 2023 Budget. In addition, the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District will be hosting a Truth in Taxation public hearing regarding their proposed 19.9% tax increase. 

Again, these hearings will take place on Wednesday, December 14, beginning at 6 PM at the the anchor location Sheldon Richins Building, 1885 West Ute Blvd, Park City, UT 84098 

Please join in person if you would like to comment on any of the topics being discussed. If you can’t make it in-person, comment will be taken on Zoom. We’ll have the Zoom info up on the homepage of the County’s website right there under the news section. 

Don’t want to comment, but still want to listen in? The Council meetings are always streamed live on the Summit County, UT facebook page. 

BRT Community Engagement 

Ok, moving on…in case you haven’t heard dedicated bus transit lanes are coming to Summit County and Park City! 

The County has been working on this project for the last 5 years as a solution to traffic congestion and safety along SR-224. So far, we’ve secured $24m in federal funding and $30.3 m in state monies for the project. 

Now,  together with the Federal Transit Administration and in cooperation with project partners High Valley Transit, Park City Municipal and UDOT, the county has prepared a Categorical Exclusion, or CatEx under the National Environmental Policy Act for the SR-224 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project. Basically, the CatEx is a federal requirement that allows us to move into a final design of the project, which is expected to start in January of 2023.

The BRT project is specifically intended to enable the existing 10 White Electric Xpress bus service to operate as a true BRT system by providing frequent, fast, and reliable transit service in dedicated lanes. 

More information about the project will be provided on December 12 at an open house, where project team members will be available to answer questions and talk with members of the public. The open house will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Summit County Sheldon Richins Building, located at 1885 W. Ute Boulevard in Park City. 

In the meantime, you can always visit the project website for more information about the study at sr224brt.com.

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County Manager Interviews 

In case you missed it, Tom Fisher resigned as the County’s Manager earlier this year, and for the past several months Janna Young has been serving as the Interim County Manager while the hiring process for a new Manager takes place. 

This week, the final round of interviews for three finalist candidates are taking place. We will keep you posted in the coming weeks on the final decision.

Public Hearings 

Ok, up next we have some important dates to share with you concerning public hearings taking place this month. 

Next week, on Wednesday, December 7, at the Ledges Event Center beginning at 6 PM there will be public hearings for:

• The 2023 county budget, and 
• North Summit Fire District’s proposed tax increase. To learn more about NSFD’s proposal, please visit: summitcounty.org/NSFD.
  

Then, on Wednesday, December 14, at the Richins Building beginning at 6 PM there will be public hearings again for the 2023 county budget and for the proposed tax increase by Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District. 

These are key opportunities for members of the community to give their input on their tax dollars and how they’ll be spent, so be sure to mark your calendars. 

Fee Schedule 

Speaking of public hearings there will also be a hearing on the proposed changes to the county-wide fee schedule  on December 14th.

The changes were presented at this week’s Council meeting, and so we wanted to give our listeners a quick rundown and some context on what’s being suggested: 

The Engineering Department is proposing to create a new fine category for starting work without the appropriate Engineering Permit, and to increase the fines associated with creating an illegal driveway encroachment among other proposed changes which can be viewed online at bit.ly/summitfees. They also proposed to increase the fine associated with other violations not listed to serve as a catch all for construction mitigation infractions. Lastly, Engineering proposes to decrease the fine associated with an illegal excavation of private property (second offense) to align with the maximum fine stated in the Code. 

The Stormwater Division wants to increase their fine fees relating to recurring noncompliance issues. 

Animal Control would like to change the fine for failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination to $50 from $100. 

The Facilities Department is proposing changes to the fees for the Ledges Event Center. They would like to restructure the fees to a daily rate, with an hourly option, and a minimum four-hour block. 

The Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department is requesting an amendment to the Solid Waste Annual fee from its current rate of $60 per residential unit per year to $80 per residential unit per year. 

The Recorder’s Office wishes to add surveyor review fees for new subdivision and condominium plats, amended subdivision and condominium plats, and boundary adjustments. 

Our Emergency Services Department would like to re-activate the Community Emergency Services Response Training (CERT) here in Summit County, which has been inactive for several years. The recommended fee is $50.

Finally, the Building Department is requesting to remove the “Agricultural Building reduced valuation calculation” as well as all plumbing, electrical and mechanical fees associated with agricultural buildings. To cover administrative and inspection costs agricultural buildings are proposed to be permitted as utility garages. 

You can read more about these proposed changes at: bit.ly/summitfees and attend the public hearing on December 14th at the Richins Building to give your input.. 

Fraud Guard 

Lastly, we just wanted to alert our listeners that there has been property fraud occurring in our community. Earlier this year, the County Recorder’s Office implemented a fantastic tool called Fraud Guard which helps you prevent becoming a victim of property fraud.

All you have to do is register your name and when a document is recorded with your name on it you will be notified via email. This gives you early warning of property fraud being committed in your name.

You can subscribe to Fraud Guard Alerts today on the homepage of summitcounty.org right there under the news section! If you have any questions, please contact the Recorder’s Office at 435-336-3238.

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Canvass

The Canvass of the 2022 General Election happened on Tuesday, November 22, where the Council certified the election results. 

We anticipate the results will be as follows:

• Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson, Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez, and Summit County Clerk Eve Furse held their offices.  
• Cindy Keyes, former Finance Director for the Summit County Health Department, will become the new County Auditor. 
• Chris Robinson maintained Seat D on the Summit County Council, and Canice Hart won Seat E on the Council. 
• As for the School Board seats…
  • There were two races for North Summit School Board seats 4 and 5, which Kevin Orgill and Vern Williams won.  
  • Matthew Weller and Olivia Gunnerson took the open South Summit School Board seats. 
  • And Meredith Reed and Nick Hill won Park City School Board’s two open seats.

You can view the full results on the home page of summitcounty.org in the news section. 

Democratic Convention

This past Saturday, November 19, the Summit County Democratic Party voted 67-42 to elect Tonja Hanson to fill the open seat on the Summit County Council following council member Doug Clyde’s resignation earlier this month. 

Tonja is a fifth-generation Summit County resident. She was born and raised in Coalville, and still resides there today. 

Her background is in marketing and hospitality, and she has experience working for Vail Resorts, POWDR Corp., Sun Valley Resort, and Snowbasin.

In addition to currently serving on the Coalville City Planning Commission, she is also the vice chair of the Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC). 

Tonja was officially sworn into her seat on Tuesday, November 22 at a County Council special meeting. Congratulations, Tonja! 

Property Taxes 

Property taxes are due NEXT WEEK on November 30. Visit summitcountytreasurer.org to pay your bill online, arrange for automatic payments, change your mailing address, or set up email notifications. 

If you have any questions, please email the Treasurer’s Office at treasurer@summitcounty.org or call (435) 336-3038.

Upcoming Event 

Lastly, we wanted to inform you all about an upcoming event at The Eccles Center on November 30th at 6 pm. Law Enforcement Officer, Jermaine Galloway will be presenting on: “Current Alcohol, Drug and Concealment Trends.” 

Officer Gallaway is known nationwide for his educational and poignant speaking engagements. He has nearly 20 years of experience in law enforcement. Much of that time has been spent focused on combating underage drinking and drug abuse. He is a highly respected and internationally recognized instructor on trends in drug/alcohol culture and enforcement.

A light dinner will be available before the presentation. Spanish translation services will be provided. You won’t want to miss this event!

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Council Schedule

Ok first up, we wanted to give a rundown of the Council’s schedule through the end of this year. 

The Council will not meet in regular session this week, on Wednesday, November 16. Their November 23 meeting was canceled as well. 

The Canvass of the 2022 General Election, where the Council will certify the election results, will take place on Tuesday, November 22 at 4 PM.

Moving into early December, the Council agenda is packed with Truth in Taxation public hearings (December 7 for North Summit Fire District and December 14 the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District) and county budget resolutions. 

We’ll keep our listeners in the loop with more information on the official election results, truth in taxation public hearings, and the County’s 2023 budget in the coming weeks. 

Winter Safety Reminders 

Winter is right around the corner and seasonal parking limits went into effect on November 15 and will last through April 15. There will be NO on-street parking on County roads, unless otherwise marked. 

For more tips on being safe this winter, including how to properly store snow on your property, how snow plowing works in the County, and more, you can go to the homepage of summitcounty.org and click “2022-23 Winter Safety Reminders” right under the Summit County News section. 

Property Taxes 

It’s tax bill season! Property tax bills were mailed at the beginning of this month. 

Taxes are due in just two weeks on November 30. At summitcountytreasurer.org you can pay your bill online, arrange for automatic payments, change your mailing address, and set up email notifications. 

If you have any questions, please email the Treasurer’s Office at treasurer@summitcounty.org or call (435) 336-3038.

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2022 General Election

The 2022 General Election took place this past Tuesday, November 8 and we just wanted to take a moment to review some key local preliminary outcomes. 

To clarify, we’re reporting these as of Thursday, November 10. The canvass to certify the official results is not until November 22. 

Okay so… 

• Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson, Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez, and Summit County Clerk Eve Furse are positioned to remain in office.  
• Cindy Keyes, former Finance Director for the Summit County Health Department, will become the new County Auditor. 
• It also looks like Chris Robinson is positioned to maintain Seat D on the Summit County Council, and Canice Hart currently is in the lead for Seat E on the Council. 
• As for the School Board seats…
  • There were two races for North Summit School Board seats 4 and 5, which Kevin Orgill and Vern Williams are in the lead to win those. 
  • Matthew Weller and Olivia Gunnerson are in the lead for the open South Summit School Board seats. 
  • And Meredith Reed and Nick Hill look like they’ll take the Park City School Board’s two open seats. 

Again, we’ll circle back on these in a couple weeks after the canvass has taken place. 

RPO Designation 

Ok, moving onto this week’s County Council meeting. First, the Council approved the designation for a Wasatch Back Rural Planning Organization. 

You may be wondering what a Rural Planning Organization is, and you’re not alone! It’s a new concept to me too. bridget, you want to explain a bit more? 

Sure. So, in 2016 Congress elevated the role of local officials in statewide planning so that states (in this scenario, state entities like UDOT) must “cooperate” rather than “consult” with local governments. 

An RPO will do a number of things including: develop regional long-range multimodal transportation plans; prioritize transportation projects they believe should be considered for funding in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan process, and in local transportation improvement programs; foster the coordination of local planning, land use, and economic development plans with State, regional, and local transportation plans and programs; and provide technical assistance to local officials.

The Wasatch Back RPO that Council approved this week will consist of  Summit County, Wasatch County, and the cities within them. Each community will appoint one representative as a member of the board, and Mountainland Association of Governments will act as the administrative and technical staff to the Board, provide coordinating consultant services, and prepare and administer the annual work program and budget.

At the end of the day, the most important thing our listeners should take away from this is that by establishing an RPO, Summit County’s transportation priorities will be elevated with UDOT because we’ll have a seat at the table to advocate for them! 

Mental Wellness Strategic Plan

Next, the Council approved a Mental Wellness Strategic Plan that will address gaps identified in mental health and substance abuse treatment and service within Summit County. The development and execution of this plan is a community-based effort and would not have been possible without the work of countless individuals and organizations in the Summit County community.

This Strategic Plan serves as a document to guide the community’s shared goals in mental wellness. These goals include:

• Expanding community access to mental health & substance use programs and services
• Increasing prevention and education around mental health & substance use
• Ensuring success and sustainability of mental health & substance use programs
• Establishing systems to support life during recovery and reintegration into the community
• Ensuring equity of mental health & substance use programs and services for Latino population and underserved community members

By addressing issues of mental health and substance use, the quality of life for all Summit County residents is enhanced.

Snow Talk 

Ok, up next, join Summit County, Park City Municipal, and our local resorts (including Deer Valley, Park City, and the UOP) at the Park City Hospital Blair Education Center THIS Monday, November 14, from 6-8 p.m. for a community presentation and open house about the upcoming winter season. Dinner and childcare will be provided.

If you are unable to attend in person, the presentation portion can be viewed live on Zoom. Questions will not be taken via Zoom. Please join us in-person for questions and conversation!  You can find the Zoom link and more information on the summitcounty.org homepage under “Summit County News” and selecting “SnowTalk”. 

Veterans Day 

Finally, this Friday November 11 is Veterans Day.. Each Veterans Day is a remembrance set aside to honor those who have defended our country. 

So, today, we wanted to pause to reflect on the sacrifices of the men and women who have served our nation—ordinary Americans performing extraordinary service. 

We express our sincerest gratitude and deepest appreciation to and for all Veterans. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and selfless valor.

And, in case you missed it, we’ve been highlighting Summit County Veterans all week! Go to summitcounty.org homepage and find the Summit County Veterans highlight under the News Section to read their stories! 

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