This week we’ll talk about: 

• Important information for the 2022 Primary Election.
• Exciting news about the “Summit County, UT” Mobile App.
• A Community Noxious Weeds Tour happening THIS weekend.

Election Info.

The 2022 Primary Election is happening THIS Tuesday, June 28. 

Ballots were mailed to Summit County voters earlier this month. Completed ballots can be returned one of two ways.  

The first is to place your ballot in a Drop Box by 8 PM on Election Day, June 28. There are 10 Drop Box locations throughout the County and their hours vary, check out an up-to-date list HERE. 

You can also return your ballot by mail. Ballots must be postmarked by Monday, June 27. All ballots have a preprinted return envelope, so voters don’t need to worry about a return address.  

If you plan to vote in-person on Election Day, you can do so at Coalville City Hall, the Marsac Building in Park City, and at the Kimball Junction and Kamas branches of the Summit County Library. All of these locations are open on Tuesday, June 28 from 7 AM to 8 PM. 

And, finally, if you need to vote early, don’t stress! Early voting is available NOW to voters at the Summit County Courthouse and the Kimball Junction branch of the Summit County Library from 8 AM to 5 PM on June 25 and June 27. 

“Summit County, UT” Mobile App 

The Summit County IT and Communications Department presented the new and improved Summit County, UT mobile app. 

The app makes it quick and easy to stay informed on all things Summit County. 

• Was your recycling service delayed? You can sign up to receive county service disruption notifications on the “Summit County, UT” mobile app! 
• Do you want to get the latest open space news straight to your phone? You can do so by downloading the “Summit County, UT” mobile app! 
• Want to make sure you never miss public comment on a pending development proposal or other important issue? Get planning commission, County Council, and other agendas straight to your phone or email through the “Summit County, UT” mobile app! 

The possibilities are endless and users can customize their app to notify them only about what they are interested in.

The app also has key functionalities like Request Tracker so that community members can report potholes, pay taxes or fees, request a permit and so much more! 

The mobile app is FREE and available for download in the apple store and on google play. All you have to do is type Summit County, UT into the search bar. We encourage all our listeners to download the app today! 

Questions? Email info@summitcounty.org and the Communications and Public Engagement Team will be happy to help! 

Community Noxious Weed Tour 

Noxious weeds come in many varieties but are all a threat to our county’s natural beauty and native vegetation. 

Summit County’s Weed Control program is hosting a Community Noxious Weeds Tour THIS Saturday, June 25 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM to educate residents on the “most-wanted” weeds here in Summit County.  

At this event, residents will join Dave Bingham, Weed Superintendent, and Dan Pena, Weed Enforcement Officer, at three different locations (Richardson Flat, Jeremy Ranch, and Summit Park) to learn to identify and control noxious weeds on their own properties.  

The bus has filled up, but residents are still encouraged to come join in on the fun! Gloves are suggested, but not required. Coffee and pastries will be provided before the tour begins.

If you would like to join, please RSVP HERE.  

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This week we’ll talk about: 

• Important information for the 2022 Primary Election
• The Community Renewable Energy Agency
• Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee Update
• Long Range Transportation Plan Virtual Feedback Opportunity
• Community Noxious Weed Tour
• THRIVE Teen Wellness Program
• Living with Wildfire Learning Series

ELECTION  

Alright! First up we want to take a moment to talk about some important information regarding the upcoming Primary Election, which is happening on Tuesday, June 28.  

Your ballots were mailed earlier this month. Completed ballots can be returned one of two ways. 

The first is to place your ballot in a Drop Box by 8 PM on Election Day, June 28. There are 10 Drop Box locations throughout the County and their hours vary, check out an up-to-date list at bit.ly/2022dropbox. 

You can also return your ballot by mail. Ballots must be postmarked by Monday, June 27. All ballots have a preprinted return envelope, so voters don’t need to worry about a return address.  

If you plan to vote in-person on Election Day, you can do so at Coalville City Hall, the Marsac Building in Park City, and at the Kimball Junction and Kamas branches of the Summit County Library. All of these locations are open on Tuesday, June 28 from 7 AM to 8 PM. 

And, finally, if you need to vote early, don’t stress! Early voting (which requires no excuse here in Utah) will take place at the Summit County Courthouse and the Kimball Junction branch of the Summit County Library on June 23, June 24, June 25 and June 27 from 8 AM to 5 PM.

COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY  

Moving on to some clean energy news, unincorporated Summit County and four municipalities (Coalville, Francis, Oakley, and Park City) in Summit County have joined a community renewable energy program that aims to launch a default net-100% renewable electricity option for Rocky Mountain Power customers in their communities. 

The program, formally called the Community Renewable Energy Agency (or the “Utah 100 Communities”) formed in response to HB 411, a 2019 bill called the Utah Community Renewable Energy Act, that created a pathway for interested communities served by Rocky Mountain Power to collaborate on creating this first-of-its kind renewable electricity program.  

Several steps remain on the path to creating the new renewable electricity program. The Agency hopes Rocky Mountain Power will file a Program application with the Utah Public Service Commission later this year. Should that application be approved, interested communities will each need to adopt ordinances to finalize their participation. The new renewable electricity program could launch as soon as 2023 or 2024. 

 OSAC UPDATE  

Up next, we have a quick update on the Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee.  

58 applicants were received for the 21 seats available across the three regional subcommittees.  

From here, the County Manager will sort through these applications and make final appointments to the Committees. These appointments will then need to be ratified by the Summit County Council.   

We can expect that the regional subcommittees will start meeting in July.   

LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION  

Did you miss the Engineering Open House event last month? No worries! Visit bit.ly/LRTPRecs to review projects in Summit County’s Long Range Transportation Plan which spans the next 30 years. This virtual feedback opportunity will be open until Monday, June 20.  

COMMUNITY NOXIOUS WEEDS TOUR 

Noxious weeds come in many varieties but are all a threat to our county’s natural beauty and native vegetation. 

Summit County’s Weed Control program is hosting a Community Noxious Weeds Tour on Saturday, June 25 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM to educate residents on the “most-wanted” weeds here in Summit County.  

At this event, residents will join Dave Bingham, Weed Superintendent, and Dan Pena, Weed Enforcement Officer, at three different locations (Richardson Flat, Jeremy Ranch, and Summit Park) to learn to identify and control noxious weeds on their own properties.  

Transportation will be provided for up to 14 people. Gloves are suggested, but not required. Coffee and pastries will be provided before the tour begins. 

If you would like to join, please RSVP here: bit.ly/weedsRSVP  

 FREE TEEN WELLNESS PROGRAM 

 Heads up, Summit County parents! This summer our friends at Live Like Sam are offering THRIVE, a FREE program that will help strengthen and empower your child this summer.  

 THRIVE is for 9th-12th graders in Summit County and works to build confidence, leadership skills, and resilience. The program will take place the week of July 3rd  through the week of Aug 7th. There are six weekly virtual sessions that are one hour long. 

Visit livelikesam.org/thrive for a more in-depth schedule and registration link.  

 LIVING WITH WILDFIRE  

Last but not least, we wanted to remind you about the Living with Wildfire series happening NOW through October. 

Here in Summit County we live with the threat of wildfire all year long and so it’s important to stay informed and prepared about what it means to “live with wildfire.”  

Earlier this month, a learning series called Living with Wildfire began. The series takes place all throughout the county and 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!  

The series is FREE and OPEN to the public. The next event is July 12 at the Jim Santy Auditorium where you’ll learn from emergency management experts about how to plan for an evacuation.  

For a complete list of events throughout the year, visit: bit.ly/wildfireseries.

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This week we’ll talk about: 

• Important information for the 2022 Primary Election
• The fire outlook through August 2022 
• Updates on the Pinebrook Townhomes Project
• Restaurant Tax 2022 grant recipients

ELECTION INFO. 

Alright! First up we want to take a moment to talk about the upcoming Primary Election, which is happening in just two and a half weeks (on June 28)!  

Ballots were mailed out to Summit County voters earlier this week (on June 7) and should be arriving in mailboxes this weekend or early next week!  

As a reminder: There will be a Republican Primary for one of the U.S. Senate Seats, U.S. House Districts 1 and 3, and State House District 4. There will also be a Nonpartisan Primary for South Summit School Board Seat No. 5 and Park City School Board Seat No. 4.  

Check back next week for a rundown on deadlines for returning completed ballots in the mail or via drop box, as well as in-person voting locations and hours!  

In the meantime you can find a complete guide to the 2022 Primary Election at bit.ly/SCprimary22.  

FIRE OUTLOOK

Moving onto some fire-related news. Summit County’s Fire Warden, Bryce Boyer, and Emergency Manager, Kathryn McMullin, were in front of the Council this week to talk about the fire outlook through August 2022 for Summit County. Here’s what they shared…

We had a wetter spring, which has led to more fine fuels, like grasses for example, than we saw last year. The increase in fine fuels creates a much higher chance for a fire to start and travel.  

In addition, despite a wetter spring, temperatures are expected to move above normal, the rain is expected to drop off to below normal level, and winds are expected to be increasing in the coming summer months. This combination will quickly dry out and cure the fuels and may lead to a higher than normal fire danger and growth as we move into late June and July. 

Bryce also mentioned that he will be monitoring whether or not the monsoon season comes in dry or wet. Because there is normally a fair amount of lighting associated with monsoon season, if it comes in dry that would heighten the likelihood of a fire to start and increase the fire’s spread potential.  

Finally, you may notice reservoirs are full right now but as the temperature does continue to rise their levels will drop quickly. A reminder that we are still in a drought and the demand for water downstream, lowers the reservoirs in this higher area.  

With this fire outlook, elected officials are continuously watching fire conditions and monitoring where they are headed so they can best be prepared for what fire restrictions are appropriate to put in place and when it is appropriate to put them in place.  

You can sign up to receive alerts about when fire restrictions are put in place here in the County at summitcounty.org/notifyme. Scroll to Alert Center and select “fire restrictions” to receive email or text alerts. UTAHFIREINFO.gov is a good statewide resource.  

PINEBROOK TOWNHOMES PROJECT 

Up next, the Council also received a briefing from staff and the applicant on a rezone and conditional use permit proposal for a Pinebrook Townhomes project – a 22-unit affordable housing project on Pinebrook Road. 

This was not scheduled for a public hearing yet, so Council did not make any formal decision on the proposal.  The Council discussed their initial impressions of the project to give the applicant and staff direction as to next steps. Ultimately, some expressed a desire to finalize the Moderate Income Housing Plan due at the beginning of October (as required by House Bill 462) before making decisions on any affordable housing projects. 

The individual Council members did provide feedback to the applicant on what could make this project more applicable to the provisions for zoning changes in the general plan. The Council also noted the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission’s negative recommendation on the proposal. 

The developer does reserve the right to get on Council’s agenda to hold a public hearing in the future, but can also modify the project before it is brought back for feedback. Before the Council makes any decision on this rezone request, there will be a public hearing scheduled so stay tuned for more information on this project.

 RESTAURANT TAX GRANTS

And, finally, The Restaurant Tax Advisory Committee presented their 2022 grant recommendations to the Council at this week’s meeting. 

For some context, there were $4m in grant requests from 40 applicants, and just short of $3m was available to award. The committee came to their recommendations after a process that involved six meetings and interviews with each of the 40 applicants.  

Council approved the Committee’s recommendations. To view a full list of funding allocations, visit summitcounty.org and find the news spotlight right there on the homepage!

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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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In this week’s episode we’ll talk about:

• A big grant the County received for watershed restoration and fuel reduction projects
• The approval of the Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee
• The Hoytsville Mural being painted on the Public Works building as we speak
• A County Council recap

UTAH WRI GRANT MONEY  

Some good news to kick things off! Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) awarded $4.6 million dollars in grant funding to support seven major watershed restoration and fuel reduction projects within Summit County, from Parley’s Summit and Weber Canyon to the Provo River Watershed and the North Slope of the Uintas. 

More specifically, the funds include:  

• $3.2 million for Public Land Wildfire Fuel Reduction in the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest and on State and Basin Recreation Open Space 

• $680K for Stream Restoration (specifically for the Weber River, East Canyon Creek, McLeod Creek, and Chalk Creek)  
• $520K for Community Cost Share Wildfire Fuel Reductions Programs  
• $264K for the Pinebrook Masters Association  
• $105K for the Summit Park HOA  
• $150K for Weber Canyon  

In addition, the funds include: 

• $150K for Weed Abatement and Amphibian Monitoring  
• $60K for a Summit County Green Energy Biomass Facility Analysis  
• $36K for Staffing and Project Management 

So, a big congratulations to Jess Kirby, who heads the Summit County Public Lands Department, for securing $2.1 million of the funds for projects that she is directly involved with. A team of collaborative partners, such as USFS, Utah Dept of Natural Resources, Sageland Collaborative, and Trout Unlimited, will implement projects with the rest of the funds. 

It’s a big step in moving forward with really important work! To date, the public land department has secured $5,005,854 for the Watershed Resilience Fund. 

SUMMIT COUNTY OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE  

More good news for Public Lands, the Council approved Ordinance No. 935, officially enacting a Summit County Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) and three Regional Advisory Groups representing each of the North, South, and Western Summit County communities.  

For some background information in case any of our listeners do not know, in November of 2021 Summit County voters overwhelmingly supported and passed a $50 million countywide General Obligation Bond for open space.  

Since the bond was passed, the County Council has expressed a strong desire to heavily involve the community in the decision-making process for where to spend the bond proceeds, as well as receive extensive public input into the criteria used for evaluating available properties to make sure we are meeting the community’s goals. This is why the Council established OSAC and the regional advisory groups. 

The role of the regional advisory groups will be to develop and recommend selection standards to OSAC to be used in evaluating potential properties for purchase or conservation. OSAC, which will be composed of nine members, three from each of the regional advisory groups, will finalize those standards and use them to advise the Council on which properties to consider for purchase/conservation with the open space bond funds.   

Recruitment is open for volunteers to serve on each of the three (3) regional advisory groups representing North, South, and Western Summit County. All interested residents are encouraged to apply before June 15 at bit.ly/OSCAC22. Members of OSAC will be appointed from these three regional advisory groups. 

HOYTSVILLE MURAL 

In case you haven’t heard, the Summit County Public Art Advisory Board, with support from the Arts Council, has procured an historical mural for the Summit County Public Works Building in Hoytsville. This project was conceived in response to a request from Hoytsville residents for public artwork that honors the unique history, landscape, and spirit of the region.  

International Mural Artist, Sasha Primo has spent the last several weeks staying with families in Hoytsville to get a better sense of the community and its heritage to complete the mural. But he won’t be doing it alone! He invites the community to paint with him! Join Sasha on Saturday, May 28, 2022 from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Public Works Building located at 1775 South Hoytsville Road.  

No painting experience is required, and participants need only bring clothes they can paint in, water, sunscreen, hats (weather depending), and their enthusiasm. No need to stay for the entire time! Come for an hour or two and make your mark on this mural that will be part of the North Summit community for years to come! 

The Council will formally dedicate the mural next week on Wednesday, June 1 ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting.  

WIND FARM DEVELOPMENT  

Also at this week’s Council meeting, Enyo Renewable Energy was in front of the Council to discuss their proposed development of a wind farm in the northern part of the County on the Utah/Wyoming border.  

The project includes 31 Turbine Wind Units that will generate approx. 60+ megawatts of power, a solar farm that will generate 50 megawatts of power, and related ancillary infrastructure. It’s expected that the total investment for the project will be approximately $200 million.  

Enyo retained Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham, Inc. (LYRB), a financial advisory firm,  to conduct tax increment modeling and analysis, an energy market study, and a gap analysis in order to portray the feasibility and demand of the project.  

What the firm found is that there is good demand in the market, Utah Energy Companies have specific renewable energy goals to reach within the next decade, and the state offers financial incentives for renewable energy initiatives. However, there is a gap. As it stands, the project is not financially viable by itself; Enyo is looking for local incentives in addition to state incentives and private funding.  

To obtain local incentive that will help fill that gap, Enyo is proposing a partnership with the County that will include public funding for the project in the form of a tax incentive financing mechanism called a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) CRA.  

In terms of what happens from here, Council and Enyo will have to reach an intent resolution which just means intent to study the project further. From there, Enyo will create a project area boundary and provide specific financial models and budgets for that specific area. Stay tuned on more information on this project in the coming months!  

NIGHTLY RENTALS + CONDOTEL MANAGEMENT LICENSES  

Two weeks ago, Council talked about whether or not they’d like to enhance short-term rental regulations in the County by amending both the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County Development Codes on the basis of health, safety, and welfare concerns as the County has seen a large increase in licensed short-term rentals since 2019. 

At that meeting, they asked the Attorney’s Office to prepare a draft ordinance that would suspend the issuance of any new business licenses for the purpose of short term rentals for the next 6 months until they can establish what set of regulations they want to pursue. 

This week, that draft ordinance was presented to the Council for their review. After a lengthy discussion, no action was taken on the ordinance. Instead, the Council asked for a public hearing to be scheduled for their next meeting so they could hear from the community on the issue in order to best inform their decisions moving forward.  

If you would like to provide your input on this issue, the public hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at the Ledges Event Center. The hearing will start after the general public comment period which begins at 6:00 PM. If you can’t make it in person, you can always provide comments via Zoom. Zoom information can be found at the top of every meeting agenda. 

SNYDERVILLE BASIN DEVELOPMENT CODE  

Back in late April, there was a public hearing held on proposed amendments to the Snyderville Basin Development Code with the intention to create water-wise landscaping regulations. Staff took comments made at the hearing back to the office to make necessary adjustments and returned to the Council this week to present an amended version of the ordinance.  

After a lengthy discussion on water rights and the legislature’s role, the Council didn’t take action on adopting the ordinance. Instead, they continued the public hearing on the issue until the June 22nd Council meeting. If you would like to provide input or feedback on this issue, be sure to mark your calendars for that Wednesday!  

EMS UPDATE 

And, finally, County Manager, Tom Fisher, gave a brief update on the EMS Master Planning process at this week’s Council meeting. For some context, we reported on May 13th that there is currently an RFP out to hire an outside consultant who will conduct a master planning process to recommend how the County provides EMS moving forward. Tom shared that the EMS Subcommittee is currently evaluating the bids and should make a selection in the next few weeks. 

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In this week’s episode we’ll…

• Recap some big events that happened this past week including the Wasatch Back Economic Summit, a Council of Governments meeting, and the Trails, Tunes, and Trash Event! 
• Celebrate High Valley Transit Micro’s one year anniversary, congratulate the 2022 Summit County Rodeo Royalty, and talk about Wildfire Awareness Month. 

Wasatch Back Economic Summit 

There was no County Council meeting this week, but on Tuesday (May 17) several members of the Council along with Summit County staff attended the Wasatch Back Economic Summit. The Summit, which Summit County helped sponsor, was a unique regional event that brought together elected officials, industry leaders, and businesses to study and discuss key issues facing Summit and Wasatch counties.

Council chairman, Chris Robinson, spoke on an Elected Officials Panel in the morning, alongside Nann Worel, Park City Mayor, Matt McCormick, Kamas City Mayor, and Mark Nelson, Wasatch County Council. He shared his perspective on regional challenges, opportunities, and unique areas for improvement. 

Jeff Jones, Summit County Economic Development Director; Pat Putt, Summit County Community Development Director; and Caroline Rodriguez, High Valley Transit’s Executive Director, also spoke at the event. 

Pat presented on future growth in the Wasatch Back. With the Wasatch Back being one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, he spoke about how the County plans to manage the growth and maintain our authentic community. He also spoke of development projects that are in the works in Summit County, including the 1,100 bed project at Canyons Village, the Highland Flats employee housing development, the MarketPlace mixed-use development, and the construction of the new High Valley Transit operations facility on the Gilmor parcel. 

Jeff spoke on a panel called “The Future of Employee Retention and Recruitment” he talked about how the pandemic has reset major work trends and how Summit County is rethinking workforce and employee planning, management, performance, and experience strategies. 

And, finally, Caroline spoke about regional transit solutions in the works to better connect Wasatch and Summit County communities. She addressed the challenges, opportunities, plans, and partnerships for future accessibility in the Wasatch Back.

Council of Governments 

Also on Tuesday, the Council of Governments, or COG, met at the Ledges Event Center in Coalville. Derrick Radke, the County’s Public Works Director, was in front of the group to present Road Right-of-Way Preservation Project Funding applications to the COG. 

Only one new application was submitted; it asked the COG to move previously approved monies to preserve land for a future Interchange at Ecker to the project fund for the Silver Creek to Bitner Connector Road. The Council of Governments forwarded a positive recommendation to the Council for the project. If the County Council approves the recommendation, these monies will help secure the final right of way needed for this project, and help pay for the associated land needed for wetland mitigation. 

Derrick also presented Transportation Sales Tax (TST) Project Funding applications. A portion of the TST funds go to the Small Cities to help them with some of their transportation improvement projects. The amount of requested funding exceeded the amount currently allowed under the program. The County Council will have to decide whether or not to approve the entire amount. 

In addition, the COG recommended new funding for the first and second phases of the SR-32 Multiuse Trail, and design monies for two projects applied for by Park City. They also approved reallocation of previously awarded projects related to multimodal/Transportation Demand Management which have become unworkable/unfeasible to be applied to the new High Valley Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility.

Micro One Year Anniversary 

High Valley Transit celebrated the first anniversary of their Microtransit services. In celebration, they shared some impressive stats that illustrated a very successful first year in service. 

Micro completed 152,266 rides; their vans traveled 677,802 miles; their drivers worked 42,900.7 hours; 20,881 High Valley Transit mobile app accounts were created; by the end of the year the service achieved a 4.8/5 star average ride rating. 

Congratulations to them! 

Rodeo Queens Announcement 

Speaking of congratulations…this past weekend, the 2022 Summit County Rodeo Royalty were crowned!

Huge congratulations to:

• Queen Cheyenne Gawreluk
• 1st Attendant Jenasi Noss
• 2nd Attendant Brooke Steinfeldt
• Princess Quincee Call
• 1st Attendant Brooklyn Brown
• 2nd Attendant Nina Hurst

We were in attendance at the event and want to recognize every girl that participated, they did such an amazing job showcasing their talents!

Trails, Trash and Tunes Event 

On Saturday, May 14, families, friends, and Summit County colleagues met up at the Wanship Trailhead for a belated celebration of our trails and the Earth (earth day every day, though right?!).

Nearly 50 people attended the “Trails, Trash and Tunes” event that was hosted by the Summit County Stormwater Coalition and the Summit County Community Development Department.

Kids read books and did arts and crafts supplied by the Library, adults enjoyed beer from Offset Bier, a new Park City brewery, and everyone tapped their toes to music by Summit County resident Andy Bailey.

Huge thanks to Blue Sky, Mountain Town Music, Offset Beer and Mr. Clucker’s Food Truck for contributing to this event’s success!

Wildfire Awareness Month  

And, last but certainly not least, we wanted to remind our listeners that May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Here in Summit County we live with wildfire all year round, so it’s important to stay alert.

Our Department uses several channels to communicate information to the public in both emergency and non-emergency situations (including wildfires). 

We want to take a couple minutes to give an overview of those channels in the hopes that as many people as possible start to utilize them!

1. EVERBRIDGE: Receive critical information in a variety of emergency situations wherever you specify (i.e. home, mobile or business phones, email address, or text). Sign up at summitcountyalerts.org.
2. SUMMITALERTA: The bilingual arm of the County’s emergency communications plan, individuals can text summitalerta to 888777 to receive emergency alerts to their phone in Spanish.
3. SCFIREINFO: A wildfire specific line, residents can text SCFIREINFO to 888777 to receive text alerts on fire conditions (i.e. red flag warnings), prescribed burns, and active fire updates.
4. NOTIFY ME: Be notified when non-emergency announcements are made from Summit County, via email or text. Things like service delays for trash and recycling or a notification when the Eastern Summit Couny Planning Commission posts an agenda for an upcoming meeting. There are so many different options and you can customize your alerts to what you’re interested in. Sign up at summitcounty.org/notifyme. 

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In this week’s episode:

• A potential increase in the regulation of short term rentals in Summit County

• The continued conversation about Emergency Medical Services throughout the county

• And general updates on countywide events taking place in the coming weeks

SHORT TERM RENTALS  

Let’s kick things off with a hot topic among resort communities like ours—short-term rentals. Did you know that Summit County has the highest percentage of short-term rentals in the State of Utah? A full 21.5 percent of housing in the County consists of short-term rentals.  

Even though these types of rentals are so prominent throughout the state and especially here in Summit, both state and local regulation of short-term rentals is really limited.  

At Wednesday’s Council meeting there was a discussion as to whether the Council wishes to enhance short-term rental regulations in the County by amending both the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County Development Codes.  

Several issues with short-term rentals were discussed including street parking issues and rental cars being unfit to access certain neighborhoods in winter conditions. There was also talk of safety issues with these rentals. There is a lack of safety regulations around the rentals themselves, but also visitors are not as aware of local dangers, and can unknowingly engage in activities that could, for instance, cause a wildfire. 

Staff also spoke about the positive results that would come from enacting regulations that help mitigate the issues involved with short-term rentals. There is less housing available for full-time or longer-term residents, our workforce, etc. Short term rentals reduce housing inventory, making inventory more scarce, and driving up the overall cost of housing. Nightly rentals are competing with the lodging industry which pays much more in taxes than a property owner holding a business license does. They suggested these types of strategies would help increase housing stock and allow the workforce to live here.  

Ultimately, Council asked the Attorney’s Office to prepare a draft ordinance for review that would suspend the issuance of any new business licenses for the purpose of short term rentals for the next 6 months until they can establish what set of regulations they want to pursue. 

Some sets of regulations they may choose to explore will require public hearings, so stay tuned in the coming months for opportunities to provide your input to the Council on this issue. We’ll keep you updated through this podcast, on SummitCounty.org, and on Summit County’s social media channels when these opportunities are coming.  

PCFD EMS

Up next, the Council convened as Park City Fire District to discuss their Emergency Medical Services proposal and the future of EMS licensure in Summit County.  

Chief Zanetti of Park City Fire, spoke about the cost to run his district, as well as the effects providing EMS services to Eastern Summit County has on their budget.  

It was agreed that the fire service districts need to be amended and that we need to establish an understanding of the full cost of providing EMS in different areas of the County. The big question is: “What does it cost to provide these services in North Summit, in South Summit and in Park City?”

There is currently an RFP out to hire an outside consultant who will help with this by conducting a master planning process to decide how the County should provide EMS moving forward.  

In terms of what’s next, the Council emphasized that they want to have significant communication with the community about this process to understand what they want to be done and their needs. They called for the next meeting regarding this issue to be scheduled within the next 45 days. Council requested that the baseline EMS report from 2020 be updated and presented publicly again to understand the basics of current EMS service provision in Summit County. So, stay tuned for more in the near future. 

MOUNTAINLANDS  

On a similar topic of emergencies….let’s switch to emergency preparedness and response. At Wednesday’s council meeting, Kathryn McMullin, Summit County’s Emergency Manager, and Shauna Mechem, with Mountainland Association of Governments, presented the 2022 Mountainlands Association of Governments Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. The plan identifies mitigation goals and actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property in Summit County from the impacts of future hazards and disasters.  

Basically, they took a look at natural disasters and their potential impacts (think: wildfires and earthquakes). Then, they made mitigation plans for ALL of these emergencies should they happen.  

These plans were approved by Council.

DAKOTA PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT  

We also have a brief update on the Dakota Pacific Development Agreement. Community Development Director, Pat Putt, and County Manager, Tom Fisher, shared that they have had an initial meeting to hear some of Dakota Pacific’s ideas of what their amended proposal will include when they bring it to the Council next.  

It was estimated, at its earliest, that the new proposal could come in front of Council in July. We know this is a hot button issue in the community and we will keep you updated with more information as we receive it.  

ANNEXATION DECLARATION AREAS   

Back in March, we reported on some proposed amendments to both development codes in Summit County that deal with annexation declaration areas.  

To review: an annexation declaration area is the planned area beyond a municipalities current city boundary where they reasonably plan to have land use authority over in the future. In other words, where the city boundary will plan to expand to in the future and where city services could be provided to in the future. 

The proposed amendments included:  

• An annual commitment to review the annexation declaration areas with the individual municipalities, and  
• A noticing requirement for the County in the event development permits are being applied for within those 88 areas.  

Since we last spoke about the topic, the amendments were formally adopted for both the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County Development Codes.  

These proposed code changes are an effort to increase and improve communications between the County and the cities. If the County receives a development application for an unincorporated area that a city has planned to annex at some point, we want them to have the opportunity to weigh in on concerns or flag issues that would impact them.  

COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS  

Heads up, Summit County! The next Council of Governments meeting is happening on Tuesday, May 17th at 6 pm. If you’re interested, you can join on Zoom or in-person at Ledges Event Center. Highlights from the upcoming agenda include:

• A discussion regarding health equity
• Two public works discussions related to right of way preservation project funding and transportation sales tax project applications
• Update on regional planning

ENGINEERING OPEN HOUSES  

The Summit County Engineering Dept. is hosting TWO events this month to provide residents with the opportunity to learn about a variety of projects outlined in Summit County’s Long Range Transportation Plan which spans the next 30 years. 

At these events, residents can speak directly with County engineers and provide their ideas and feedback on future projects, specifically those taking place over the next decade. 

The first is tailored to Eastern Summit County and is happening on May 18 at the Kamas Services Building: We highly encourage residents who live on the East Side of SR-32 between 2700 N. and the NE corner of Main St. and E 300 N., to attend this meeting to learn more about the scheduled construction of the pathway this summer.  

The second Open House is happening the following day, on May 19, at the Richins Building in Kimball Jct. This meeting is for Western Summit County residents to provide input on projects such as the separation of Kimball Jct. at Ute Blvd. + Olympic Pkwy., a trail along Old Ranch Road, and MORE!

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In this week’s episode, we’ll…

• Recap a congressional tour of the Weber River Watershed Resilience Project that happened this week.
• Cover the 2023 Behavioral Health Area Plan that was presented to Council on Wednesday.
• Talk about Child Care Provider Appreciation Day and Mental Health Awareness Month
• Remind you about two exciting events you should have on your calendars, Summit County!

Weber River Watershed Tour  

[Bridget] 

First up, Summit County’s Public Lands office, which is headed by Jessica Kirby, has been working on a cross-boundary, landscape-scale fire mitigation and watershed restoration project in the headwaters of the Weber River. The project is in partnership with the US Forest Service, local water districts, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations. 

 [Derek]

The project is garnering attention statewide and at the federal level as the partnership works to build a fund for fuel reduction treatments to make the watershed more resilient to catastrophic wildfire, preserving this critical drinking water source for residents of Summit County and those downstream. 

 [Bridget] 

On Monday, May 2, Summit County hosted staff members from the offices of Senator Mitt Romney, Representative Blake Moore, and Representative John Curtis for a tour of the watershed to get a closer look at the Weber River Watershed Resilience Project. The purpose of this outing was to showcase Summit County’s collaboration and strong partnerships around watershed restoration, forest health, and to bring attention to the need to address wildfire mitigation within the headwaters of western Summit County’s drinking water supply. 

 2023 Behavioral Health Area Plan 

[Derek] 

Now, moving into a recap of this week’s County Council meeting.  

 The meeting kicked off with a presentation of the 2023 Behavioral Health Area Plan. Every year the County Behavioral Health Team has to submit this document to the State of Utah. The document outlines the programs and services that the County is required to provide by Utah state code.  

 [Bridget] 

A new program was included in this plan called THRIVE. The program is a partnership with the Live Like Sam Foundation, the school districts, and the University of Utah. In practice, THRIVE creates small groups of elementary-aged students (10-15 person cohorts) that get together to learn, practice and apply evidence-based well being skills to help address issues of youth depression and anxiety.  

 [Derek] 

The Behavioral Health Team also reported that they’ve seen great success in breaking stigma within the Spanish-speaking population. However, this has resulted in higher demand for services received in Spanish which has caused wait times of up to six weeks. They also expect that 17% of clinicians in Summit County are expected to retire by 2025.  

 [Bridget] 

In the coming years, more attention and targeted improvements will have to be made in order to best serve the County’s Spanish speaking community and recruit new clinicians.  

 At the end of the discussion, Council approved the plan.  

 Proclamations  

 [Derek] 

Next up, a proclamation was read asking the Council to declare May 6, 2022 Child Care Provider Appreciation Day.  

 Over half the children under the age of six nationwide are estimated to spend some time in a nonparental care arrangement on a weekly basis. This care provides critical enrichment opportunities and nurtures development for children of all backgrounds. 

[Bridget] 

And, our future depends on the quality of the early childhood experiences provided to young children today. It’s important to recognize that support for high-quality child care represents a worthy commitment to our children’s future. 

[Derek]  

The proclamation was adopted by Council. We wanted to take a moment to recognize all Child Care Providers for their important work. Thank you for all you do.  

 [Bridget] 

Another proclamation was read asking the Council to declare May 2022 as Mental Health Awareness Month.  

 [Derek]  

Mental health is universal; it applies to everyone. In fact, an estimated 16,000 Summit County adults live with a mental health disorder and one out of every ten American children has a mental illness serious enough to impair how they function at home, at school, and with peers. It goes without question that the impact of mental illness reaches families, neighborhoods, schools, and the workplace.  

 [Bridget] 

This  proclamation was also adopted by Council. And, we want to take a moment to thank the many community organizations throughout the county that provide critical mental health resources for all residents. Please take care of your mental health by recognizing when you need help and seek treatment when necessary. You’re never alone!  

 Council Q+A  

 [Derek]  

Join Council members Roger Armstrong and Malena Stevens for a VIRTUAL Council Q+A on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 from 6:00-7:00 PM! 

 [Bridget] 

At the event, you’ll hear updates on the county-wide Open Space Bond, talk about the upcoming fire season, learn how to best navigate the County website and alert system, and have the opportunity to ask Roger + Malena questions about any topic important to you or that you’re curious about! 

 Trails, Trash  and Tunes

[Derek]  

And, finally, we invite you to come welcome springtime, give back to the Earth, and play on the Rail Trail with Summit County on Saturday, May 14 from 12-5 PM at the Wanship Trailhead. There will be live music provided by Mountain Town Music and sponsored by Blue Sky, a beer garden, and some kid-friendly activities as well.  

 [Bridget] 

We encourage walking or riding your bike along the Rail Trail to get to this event. If you must drive, there is limited parking available at the trailhead itself. Thanks to Summit County’s Stormwater Coalition, Community Development Department, and Facilities Department for putting on this event. We are excited to celebrate with you! 

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In this week’s episode we’ll:

• Give you an update on the I80 Hazmat Spill.  
• Talk about what the County Community Development Department is up to, and how their program affects the 2022 Work Plan. 
• Continue the conversation on 501c3 tax exemption revocation appeals, 
• Summarize several county code ordinance changes, and 
• Remind you about two exciting events you should have on your calendars, Summit County!

HAZMAT SPILL UPDATE

[Bailey]

First up, we have a brief update on the I-80 Hazmat Spill/ Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail closure.  

The roughly 100-yard section of the Rail Trail near the Tollgate overpass will remain closed through Friday (April 29th) and potentially until Monday (May 2) while excavation work takes place. 

[Derek]

Summit County Environmental Health continues to oversee the cleanup. Booms in the drainage did well to prevent spread due to the previous weekend’s precipitation. Soil samples were taken to determine the depth the substance reached. The focus for the rest of the week is on removing contaminated soils, which poses a challenge due to excavation equipment access on the Rail Trail. 

We’ll keep you updated with more information on Summit County social media channels as we receive it. 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

[Bailey]

Shifting gears to this week’s County Council meeting, the Community Development Department, Housing Director, and Attorney’s Office were in front of Council to review the scope of work associated with House Bill 462, Utah Housing Affordability Amendments adopted this past legislative session.  

[Derek]

For some background, in their general session earlier this year, the Utah State Legislature placed new requirements on Summit County, and other counties across the state, to develop and adopt a Moderate Income Housing plan by October 1, 2022. The County is required to adopt three or more strategies from a list provided in the statute that will lead to the development of moderate income housing units within the County. The County’s plan also has to identify benchmarks that must be met to implement those strategies, demonstrating the County’s commitment to facilitating the development of moderate income housing within the County. 

[Bailey]

The consequence of not adopting a plan by October 1, 2022, or not fulfilling the requirements of the statute, is the County is made ineligible for transportation and transit funding from the state. 

It will take a significant amount of staff work to complete this plan by October 1st. As a result, the County Manager and Deputy County Manager discussed with the Council on Wednesday proposed revisions to the County’s 2022 Work Plan to free up staff capacity to work on the Moderate Income Housing Plan.

2022 WORK PLAN 

[Derek]

On February 2, 2022, the Summit County Council adopted the 2022 Work Plan, outlining projects prioritized by County Department and organized by Council’s strategic priorities, on which County staff would focus for the year.  

[Bailey]

Typically, the Council does not revise the Work Plan after it is adopted, unless a new issue arises. This year, like we just discussed, the Utah State Legislature adopted several bills that placed new requirements on counties.  

This compelled the County Manager’s Office to suggest revisions to the 2022 Work Plan to both add those items to the Work Plan and postpone or “shelve” others to free up staff time to work on these new items.  

[Derek]

The Council chose not to adopt the County Manager’s recommendations and instead, requested that the Council Chair and Vice Chair meet with staff to figure out where the Work Plan can be revised to complete both the Moderate Income Housing Plan and other Council priorities this year, and will present those suggestions to the full Council at a later date.

TAX EXEMPTION STATUS 

[Bailey]

Last week, several representatives from local community organizations were in front of Council to appeal the revocation of their tax exemption status. Their appeals were accepted by Council given this was the first year that the County did not mail reminder notifications for organizations filing their 501c(3) Non-Profit Property Tax Exemptions.

This week, several more entities’ tax exemption statuses were up for review. 

[Derek]

Council voted to extend the deadline (for this year only) to May 6. This means that any organization who received a revocation letter (dated March 30) and would like to appeal that decision, has the opportunity to stand before Council to present their case. 

If this is you, contact Stephanie Poll, County Assesor, at 435-336-3253 or spoll@summitcounty.org between now (April 27) and May 6. Any further appeals will be heard by the Council at their regular May 11 meeting. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

[Bailey]

There were several public hearings held regarding proposed ordinances that would amend the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County Development Codes.  

Ordinance 936 proposes amendments to the Snyderville Basin Development Code with the  intention to create water-wise landscaping regulations. After a lengthy discussion between Council, Staff, and several members of the public, Staff was directed to take comments back to the office and come back to the May 25th Council meeting with necessary adjustments.  

[Derek]

Ordinance 937, which amends the Snyderville Basin Development Code to require that the County Treasurer replace the County Assessor as a signer on mylars prior to recordation of a subdivision plat and final site plan, was passed. Ordinance 938, which does the same thing for the Eastern Summit County Development Code, was also passed.  

Ordinance 939 establishes an annual review/discussion of municipal Annexation Declaration Areas and a minimum 30-day notice to municipalities for development proposals within ADAs. The ordinance was passed.  

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY 

[Bailey]

Up next we have a final reminder that Spring Household Hazardous Waste Collection day is happening THIS Saturday, April 30th in the Canyons Cabriolet parking lot from 9 AM to 1 PM!  

Think materials like paint, oils, any products under your kitchen cabinet or in your garage that you wouldn’t want to drink. When toxic materials like these end up in the landfill they leach into the ground and into our drinking water, so the goal of this event is to keep them out of our environment.  

[Derek]

Bikes in all conditions will be accepted this year, as well as mattresses for $20 per item. You can view a full list of accepted items at recycleutah.org/events. 

Special thanks to Recycle Utah, Park City Municipal, Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District and Park City Sunrise Rotary for making this event possible!

FAIR TICKETS

[Bailey]

Finally, we’ll end on some very exciting news…The Summit County Fair is back! The 2022 Summit County Fair will take place from August 6 – August 13 this year. 

[Derek]

And, guess what? It’s already time to buy tickets to the PRCA Rodeo and Demolition Derby! Tickets officially go on sale on Monday, May 2 at 9 AM. 

The Demolition Derby is happening on Saturday August 6th at 7 PM. You can buy tickets at bit.ly/summitderby22 

[Bailey]

The PRCA Rodeo will take place Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 at 8 PM. You can buy tickets at bit.ly/summitrodeo22. 

We hope to see you there!

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