Hi everyone and welcome back to another week of Summit County news here on Summit in Six. This week we’ll cover local results from the 2024 General Election, a quick update on last night’s Dakota Pacific Public Hearing, and more. Let’s get into the news!

General Election Results 

The 2024 General Election is over and, while results will not be certified until November 19, we have unofficial results updated as of November 7.

Three council seats were up for election this year, including Summit County Council Seat A where incumbent Roger Armstrong leads with 8,378 votes over Tory Welch, who currently has 6,670 votes.

Tonja Blonquist Hanson ran unopposed for Summit County Council Seat B.

Summit County Council Seat C, currently held by Malena Stevens, who did not run for reelection, has Megan McKenna in the lead at 8,028 votes and Ari Ionnides with 7,002 votes.

The County Assessor, Recorder, Sheriff, and Treasurer were also up for reelection. All incumbents in those offices ran unopposed for another term.

Other ballot initiatives, included Proposition 18, the “Emergency Services Sales Tax” currently with 10,885 votes for and 3,914 votes against.

The North Summit School Bond currently has 803 votes for and 1,057 votes against.

Just under 53% of registered voters in Summit County cast a ballot in this year’s election.

If you would like to see Summit County’s national, state and school district-level results, visit summitcountyutah.gov/elections. 

Results from the 2024 General Election are scheduled to be certified on Tuesday, November 19 at 4 p.m. during County Council. You can attend in-person at the Courthouse or watch online on Zoom or Facebook

Dakota Pacific Public Hearing 

Last night (November 7) the County Council held a public hearing on a proposed update to the Dakota Pacific development agreement which includes a potential public-private partnership between the County and the developer. Representatives from Dakota Pacific recapped the current proposal before members of the public shared their thoughts and input.

Now that Council has received feedback from the public, they will continue to meet with Dakota Pacific in council meetings to further discuss the proposal. Council Chair Malena Stevens explained that Council may vote to approve the development application as it stands, vote to approve it with changes or vote to deny it.

Ongoing discussions are currently scheduled for council meetings on November 13, November 20, and December 4. No date has been scheduled for Council to vote on the application at this time.

General Plan Updates  

There is still time to participate and provide input on the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County General Plan updates. Last year, the community identified 5 objectives to guide future planning and decision-making across Summit County. Now these surveys will be used to determine when, where, and how these objectives should be implemented. 

Visit https://summitcounty.info/gpupdates to get started. Surveys are open for both the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County now through December 2.

Be a Dark Sky Steward

And if you want to dive even deeper on this topic, attend Recycle Utah’s next “Green Drinks” event on November 12 from 6-8pm at Park City Mountain’s Legacy Lodge. Attendees will hear from Axel Pearson of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who will address the intersection of outdoor lighting and human health, energy efficiency opportunities and emerging research. Register for this event at recycleutah.org.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! In today’s episode, we have details on next week’s Dakota Pacific public hearing, some election day reminders and lots of local environmentally-focused opportunities to learn and engage. Alright, let’s get into the news!

Council Recap – 10/30/24

Elections

Green Business Program Lunch + Learn

And if you want to dive even deeper on this topic, attend Recycle Utah’s next “Green Drinks” event on November 12 from 6-8pm at Park City Mountain’s Legacy Lodge. Attendees will hear from Axel Pearson of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who will address the intersection of outdoor lighting and human health, energy efficiency opportunities and emerging research. Register for this event at recycleutah.org.

County Lands – Willow Planting

Visit https://summitcounty.info/gpupdates to get started. Surveys are open for both plans until November 18. 

Hey everyone, welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six. On today’s episode we have some information on voting, some updates regarding the Dakota Pacific Real Estate conversation and some upcoming community Halloweern-season events in Summit County.

TOPIC 1: Voting Info

The 2024 General Election is right around the corner on Tuesday, November 5. For information on early voting, election day voting, and dropbox locations and hours, please visit summitcountyutah.gov/elections. 

As a reminder, if you plan to vote by mail, your ballot must be postmarked by MONDAY, November 4, 2024 – they day before Election Day. 

TOPIC 2: Dakota Pacific Conversation

In this week’s conversation between Dakota Pacific Real Estate and County Council, a schedule/timeline for the Tech Center Development Application was presented. This timeline covered early development phases and an estimated release of residential units and community amenities. If approved, the development agreement revision is projected to be complete by the end of 2024 and DPRE expects occupancy of up to 170 affordable housing units by 2027. The schedule also went over milestones like SR 224 improvements on the State Transportation Improvement Plan and a deadline for when SR 224 construction to be 50% completed by 2031. 

An estimated civic budget was broken down, totaling $39 million for the project. This includes different plan elements such as a parking garage, transit center, pedestrian bridge, trails, and more. The total square footage of the proposed plan is 1,385,000 sq feet.

If you want to learn more and provide input on the current proposal, there will be a public hearing on November 7 at 5:30 pm in the Newpark Hotel Conference Room.  

TOPIC 3: Summit Bike Share

It’s almost time to wave goodbye to the 2024 Summit Bike Share season. Summit Bike Share will head into hibernation next week, Wednesday, October 30. Head on over to summitbikeshare.com to celebrate another awesome season by taking one last ride with us!

TOPIC 4: Low-Cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic Nov. 9

On November 9, Summit County Animal Control will host a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Animal Control shelter located at 1745 S Hoytsville Rd.

TOPIC 5: Elks Lodge Luncheon for Seniors 

Sign up by November 14th at your local senior center. You can find contact info for each senior center at summitcounty.org/seniors. 

TOPIC 6: Halloween Wellness Fair

TOPIC 7: Dia de Los Muertos Celebration 

On Friday, November 1 from 5-8 pm, the Arts Council invites the community to gather for a Día de los Muertos celebration at CREATE PC Local Artist Collective in Park City located at 1500 Kearns Blvd., space F110.

This is an event deeply rooted in Mexican traditions, where we will honor the lives of those who have passed while focusing on connection, legacy, and the beauty of life.

During the Día de los Muertos celebration, we will gather to join in creating a collaborative Ofrenda with local artist Ramon Ramos. Everyone will be invited to adorn the Ofrenda with marigolds, photos, or other mementos to honor their loved ones. Visual artist, Allison Martínez-Arocho, will also be leading a free handmade paper flower workshop for all ages.

Throughout the evening, traditional foods will be served, including tamales and pan de muerto. There will also be a performance featuring Aztec dancers and face painting.

This event is free and open to the public…all ages are welcome. This special celebration is provided in partnership with Artes de México en Utah and Summit Community Gardens & EATS.

What’s up Summit County, welcome back to another week of news on Summit in Six. Today we have some updates on that Yellow Lake Fire, some voting reminders and some community engagement opportunities to announce. Without further ado let’s get into the news!

TOPIC 1: Yellow Lake Fire Update 

We have the latest update on the Yellow Lake Fire Friday, October 18, 2024 at 9:15 AM. 

Yellow Lake Fire closure areas were reduced on the Ashley National Forest and the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest as of 6:30 a.m. To read the closure order and see an updated map, visit: https://summitcounty.info/yellowlake1018. 

The entire fire area is receiving rain or snow this morning. About one inch of rain has fallen at lower elevations and six inches of snow has been reported at higher elevations such as Bald Mountain Pass on Mirror Lake Highway, SR150.

A winter storm warning is in effect through midnight with temperatures well below freezing.

Many fire resources are being released this afternoon due to weather and minimal fire behavior. The remaining crews are taking advantage of fireline downtime to do tool maintenance, training and extensive After-Action Reviews (AAR). In this process, crews discuss in-depth what they have been doing on the fire; what worked well; what could have been improved; how it could have been improved, and lessons learned. The AAR is a standard process in all levels of incident management.

This morning, a few firefighters are speaking to students at local Elementary Schools, including in Kamas, to personally thank them for their creative thank you cards.

Team transition will begin on Sunday from the California Interagency Incident Management Team 2 to the local Type 3 team comprised primarily of personnel from the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests.

A community meeting will be held on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in the Kamas Middle School Auditorium to discuss the transition, including fire area rehabilitation and closures.

To stay up-to-date on Yellow Lake Fire information, please visit summitcounty.info/yellowlakefire. 

TOPIC 2: Voter Season Reminder

The Clerk’s Office began mailing ballots earlier this week on Tuesday, October 15 so be on the lookout for your ballot in the post! If you do not receive your ballot in the mail, please contact the Clerk’s Office at [email protected] or by calling 435-336-3040.

Did you know? You can track the status of your mail-in ballot, from outbound to accepted, by using Track My Ballot (aka: BallotTrax). Sign up to track your ballot at summitcounty.info/trackmyballot.  

For more information on the Nov. 5 General Election, including voter registration deadlines and early voting, dropbox and election day voting locations and hours, please visit: summitcounty.info/2024generalelection.

On November 9, Summit County Animal Control will host a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic from 10:30am to 2:30pm at the Animal Control shelter located at 1745 S Hoytsville Rd.

TOPIC 4: Elks Lodge Luncheon for Seniors 

The Park City Elks Lodge would like to invite all Summit County Seniors for a free luncheon and entertainment on Saturday, November 23rd from 12 – 3pm at 550 Main Street in Park City. Doors open at 11:30. Bingo and prizes after lunch.

Sign up by November 14th at your local senior center. You can find contact info for each senior center at summitcounty.org/seniors

TOPIC 5: Halloween Wellness Fair 

Today we cover:

Yellow Lake Fire Update

Halloween Wellness Fair

Today, we cover… 

Topic 1: Continued DPRE Discussions 

The conversation between Dakota Pacific Real Estate and Summit County continues. In this week’s county council meeting, representatives from DPR walked the council through a master plan concept that had sketches of the proposed residential areas, amphitheater and plaza that were discussed last week. The County Council discussed the improvements that were made on integrating open space with the existing goals of fitting 500 market rate housing units and an additional 250 affordable housing units. 

Speaking of open space, DPR also went over a map of different walkable trails in the proposal and mentioned that they aim to connect these new trails to the already existing trails and open space network to the south. One of the overall goals in this project is to have this newly developed area benefit and add to the surrounding areas inviting people in to use services and community amenities. The council plans on doing a site visit with the developers next week to get a better idea of the proposed sketches.

To watch the full work session, visit summitcounty.info/councilrecording. 

Please keep in mind these are work sessions, which means no formal action is being taken during the meetings; Council and Dakota Pacific are just working through the details of this potential partnership in public.

Topic 2: Voter reminders

Voting season is right around the corner. We want to remind everyone to register to vote if you are not already registered. You can check your voter registration status at vote.utah.gov. Make sure that both your residential and mailing addresses are correct so that you can receive your ballot in the mail, which will be mailed out on October 15. After the ballots are mailed out, you will have three weeks to return your ballot. 

There are three ways you can turn in your ballot. You can return your ballot to any of the 10 dropboxes in Summit County. Alternatively, you can put your ballot in a mailbox if postmarked and mailed back before November 4th, or you can vote in person on October 31st, November 1st, November 2nd, or November 4th. That’s the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday before the election. If you choose to vote in person you can vote at the Richins building from 8AM to 1PM or you can vote at the Coalville Courthouse from 8 AM to 4PM. Note that voting closes at 1PM on Saturday the 2nd. On election day there will be four voting centers you can choose from and those are The Richins building in Kimball Junction, The Park City Hall Building on Marsac Avenue, Coalville City Hall, and the South Summit Services Building in Kamas. On election day, which is November 5, you can vote any time from 7AM to 8PM.

Topic 3: Calendar Submissions

Calling everyone who loves to photograph Summit County scenery! We want to include YOUR photos in our 2025 Summit County Calendar. Submit now through October 5 at summitcounty.info/calendar25 for a chance to showcase your photography.

All images must be taken in Summit County, be YOUR original work, and be high-resolution (that means no smartphone photos)! 

Winners will receive 3 calendars and will be featured on Summit County’s social media channels! We can’t wait to see your submissions. Once again, submit now through October 5 at summitcounty.info/calendar25.

Topic 4: Yellow Lake fire updates

By now, you’ve probably heard of the Yellow Lake Fire, which is burning in Wasatch County east of Mill Hollow Reservoir on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and sending drift smoke across many parts of Summit County.

Thanks to continued hard work by fire crews, the Yellow Lake Fire is 18% contained, and currently mapped at 3112 acres. A red flag warning is in effect, and the area continues to see unseasonably high warm and dry conditions. 

These conditions also increased Summit County’s Fire Danger Level from Moderate to Very High. Burn permits are closed until the weather is safer for burning.

While the Yellow Lake Fire is actively burning, air quality may be poor throughout locations of Summit County, especially in the morning hours. During this time, sensitive groups should use caution or remain indoors when drift smoke is present.

For real-time air monitoring in Summit County visit: https://www.summitcountyhealth.org

Today, we cover… 

Topic 1: Continued DPRE Discussions 

The Summit County Council and representatives from Dakota Pacific continued their conversation regarding a public-private partnership on the Kimball Junction development property this week. 

The conversation focused largely on open and public spaces that could be offered through the partnership, which includes corridors and streets designed to be pedestrian focused (think: corridors with 15 ft. sidewalks and a woonerf, or living street, that forces cars to slow down), as well as an amphitheater and other designated park-like areas. 

The group also discussed a residential layout concept broken out between two different residential areas, A + B. In Dakota Pacific’s design concept, Residential Area A would be primarily apartments or larger condo buildings approximately 3-4 stories high, while Residential Area B would be lower density housing types like townhomes. 

In terms of density or number of units, Dakota Pacific is looking at 500 total market rate units and an additional 250 Affordable Units. In that 750 unit count, they’d like to include 90 Senior Units delivered through a licensed assisted / independent / memory care facility. 

To watch the full work session, visit summitcounty.info/councilrecording. 

Please keep in mind these are work sessions, which means no formal action is being taken during the meetings; Council and Dakota Pacific are just working through the details of this potential partnership in public. 

Eventually, before any decisions are made, there will be a public comment opportunity for the community to weigh in on a more defined proposal. For now, Council and Dakota Pacific will  continue these discussions with another work session at next week’s Council meeting, so be sure to tune in! 

Topic 2: General Plan Open House

Join Summit County staff for an Open House focused on the Snyderville Basin General Plan Update on October 1 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the Richins Building (1885 W Ute Blvd). 

For some context: a general plan is a guiding document that is used to inform future decisions about the built environment. Community input is used to create policies. Policies become rules. And the built environment conforms with those rules. We need to hear from you now so that we can plan for the future!

At this event, you’ll learn more about the different elements of a General Plan and have the chance to give feedback that will shape the future of your community, so don’t miss out! 

To learn more about the general plan update process, please visit summitcounty.info/generalplanupdates. 

Topic 3: Calendar Submissions

Calling everyone who loves to photograph Summit County scenery! We want to include YOUR photos in our 2025 Summit County Calendar. Submit now through October 5 at summitcounty.info/calendar25 for a chance to showcase your photography.

All images must be taken in Summit County, be YOUR original work, and be high-resolution (that means no smartphone photos)! 

Winners will receive 3 calendars and will be featured on Summit County’s social media channels! We can’t wait to see your submissions. Once again, submit now through October 5 at summitcounty.info/calendar25.

Today, we recap some big ticket items from this week’s County Council meeting which included a conversation on the county’s 2025 budget, the latest on the Dakota Pacific discussions, and some key updates on the Ure Ranch property. 

TOPIC 1: 2025 County Budget

County Manager, Shayne Scott and County Finance Officer, Matt Leavitt kicked off discussions about the 2025 county budget this week with a look at some possible scenarios the county could face next year regarding revenues and expenses.

Due to several council initiatives, specific unexpected expenses, and unfunded state mandates, Summit County is faced with a shortfall between expected revenues and department requests for 2025.

Certain expenditures that may be new next fiscal year include but are not limited to:

The Emergency Services Sales Tax (ESST) ballot initiative could fund the difference between current budget requests and estimated 2025 revenues (which is a difference of approximately $12 million).

Because the ESST must be approved by voters, however, the County won’t know if those funds will be available until after the November election.

If the ESST does not pass, County Manager Shayne Scott recommends the Council go through the Truth in Taxation process to raise property taxes in the General & Municipal funds, which have not been raised in more than 7 years.

If Council chooses to begin the Truth in Taxation process, the timeline requires a public meeting before the November election. Even if Council takes this direction, they could choose to abandon the process after the election, when the results of the ESST ballot initiative have been determined.

If the ESST is not approved by voters AND the county does not go through Truth in Taxation, the County Manager & Finance Officer anticipate a significant cut in services and loss of County personnel.

To learn more about the ESST, please visit: summitcounty.info/ESST. Stay tuned to upcoming Council meetings for more discussions related to the 2025 budget.

TOPIC 2: Dakota Pacific Discussions

Council Members Canice Harte and Chris Robinson gave an update on their discussions with Dakota Pacific regarding a public-private partnership on the Kimball Junction development property.

To review, the primary objectives of the proposed partnership include:

These goals culminate in a mixed-use area master plan for the property owned by Dakota Pacific, as well as the Skullcandy and Richins buildings, which are owned by the County. This could include a new, expanded transit center, an expanded civic center, county-owned affordable housing, senior housing and medical facility, an ampitheater, connection to existing pedestrian trails and space for a potential gondola, which is pre-approved for the area but would likely not be an immediate part of the build out.

If you watch the presentation, keep in mind the proposal is a master plan focusing on the big picture concept, and not a site plan for specific amenities in specific areas.

The presentation culminated in an estimated civic budget that would be split between the County and High Valley Transit, as part of the larger public-private partnership. The budget, estimated at $39 million, is proposed from a combination of  HTRZ monies, potential grant funding, affordable housing land purchases and additional areas.

To watch the presentation yourself, visit summitcounty.info/councilrecording. Stay tuned as more details are discussed and public hearings are scheduled.

Topic 3: Ure Ranch Updates

County Lands & Natural Resources Director Jess Kirby provided an update on next steps in the county’s purchase of the Ure Ranch in Kamas. 

At this time, 57% of the property has been funded and the county is working with the Ure family on a partial closing by December 31 of this year. Council approved bringing additional GO Bond funds (approximately $5.2 million) to meet the December closing for applicable parcels of the Ure Ranch, with the possibility of recuperating those funds through additional funding down the road. 

Based on public input, Council also determined to remove community housing from the use plan for part of the “Homestead” area; and supported moving forward with a preapproved advanced wetland mitigation site on one parcel, and to explore community desire for a USU Agricultural Extension educational facility on the homestead.

For more information on the Ure Ranch and public lands, visit summitcounty.org/countylands. 

The Summit County Council was at the Utah Association of Counties Conference this week, so there was no meeting to report on.

National Voter Registration Day is NEXT TUESDAY, September 17! Did you know? If you haven’t voted since the last Presidential election, your voter registration becomes inactive, meaning the Summit County Clerk’s Office won’t send you a ballot in the mail.

Each year in the United States, millions of eligible voters find voting a challenge because of easily prevented issues like forgetting to update their registration.

In celebration of National Voter Registration Day, now is the perfect time to check your voter registration status (and change it to active if needed), register to vote, or change your address at voter.utah.gov today so you are VOTE READY for the November 5, 2024 Election.– TOPIC 2: COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT

If you live, work or play in Summit County then the Health Department wants to hear from you in their 2024 Community Health Assessment! This assessment is a short, ten-minute survey that lends the opportunity for the public to share their ideas, suggestions, and concerns about public health in our community.

The Health Department is a little over half-way to their goal of 1,000 responses by the end of October…So help Summit County reach their goal to create a healthier community for all by visiting summitcountyhealth.org/cha24 to take the survey!

– TOPIC 3: KIMBALL JUNCTION EIS UPDATE 

Earlier this week, UDOT reached the next milestone for the environmental study they’re working on in the I-80 and SR-224 area. They published the Final Alternatives Development and Screening Report, which among other things, identifies Alternatives A and C as moving forward for detailed evaluation in the Draft EIS. The input UDOT received during the public comment period held in the spring helped them identify additional improvements to Alternatives A and C.

To view the full report, including more detail on proposed improvements to each alternative, please visit: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov/

From here, UDOT will begin work on the Draft EIS which will be published sometime later this year or early 2025 and will include a public comment period and hearing.

The Draft EIS will include a detailed evaluation of Alternatives A and C – including the assessment of impacts on land use, neighborhoods, residential and commercial properties, noise, air quality, water resources and floodplains, special status species, and the visual setting among other resources. The Draft EIS will identify a preferred alternative.

– SPEAKER SERIES EVENT 9/19 IN KAMAS

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! We have a quick episode for you today covering some important voter registration news, the Summit County RAP Tax Grant, and some community engagement opportunities for you to get involved in! Let’s get into the news. 

TOPIC 1 – Voter Registration 

Did you know? If you haven’t voted since the last Presidential election, your voter registration becomes inactive, meaning we won’t send you a ballot in the mail. Each year in the United States, millions of eligible voters find voting a challenge because of easily prevented issues like forgetting to update their registration. 

Check your voter registration status (and change it to active if needed), register to vote, or change your address at voter.utah.gov today so you are Vote Ready for the November 5, 2024 Election. 

TOPIC 2 – Speaker Series 

Learn from experts in our area about new and existing strategies to make sure farmers and ranchers find success even in times of extreme weather and drought on Monday, September 19 at the DeJoria Center in Kamas! 

This is a FREE event open to anyone who has an interest in learning and supporting themselves or those in our community that ranch or farm on land both big and small. Refreshments are provided.

Our panelists include: Summit County Residents Colby Pace of Half Circle Cross Ranch, Craig McKnight of Bill White Farms, Gregg Simonds of Open Range Consulting, and Leah Trapp from the USDA. To register and learn more visit: summitcounty.info/speakerseries.

TOPIC 3 – RAP Grant 

Applications for the Summit County Recreation, Arts and Parks (aka “RAP” ) Grant are available now through Monday, September 30th at 5:00 PM. The recreation grant applies to any publicly owned or operated facility that is used for recreational purposes. The term “recreational facility” is defined in Utah Code to mean “a publicly owned or operated park, campground, marina, dock, golf course, playground, athletic field, gymnasium, swimming pool, trail system, or other facility used for recreational purposes.” 

The grant fund application specifies that ONLY those uses qualify for funding with RAP/Recreation taxes. Please visit the Summit County website summitcounty.org/grants for instructions regarding grant eligibility and to complete the application. For additional information, contact Amy Jones, at (435) 336-3042. 

TOPIC 4 – Connect with your County 

If you’re listening to this podcast, thank you for connecting with us every week! Did you know there are several other ways you can receive information from Summit County too? 

Connecting with us on these various platforms is a great way to help us involve YOU in the decisions and actions of your local government. When we can provide you with information on what’s happening in Summit County and HOW you can get involved, we are ultimately better able to address YOUR values, needs, and concerns while also ensuring transparency and accountability.