Today we have some information around some upcoming roads projects, the conversation about Lake Rockport Estates Request to connect with Mountain Regional Water, a reminder for The Eastern Summit County General Plan Open House, and some information on the upcoming June 25 Primary Election. Let’s get to it!

Upcoming Roads Projects

It’s no secret in Utah that if it’s not ski season, it’s road projects season! We want to give our listeners a heads up about a big project along US-Hwy 40 beginning Monday, June 17 and continuing through the fall. 

If you are familiar with the massive backup that happens on the southbound I-40 off ramp at exit 2 then you know the area we are talking about, and our engineering and transportation planning teams have been hard at work to remedy that with a new roundabout on the West side of the overpass that connects the Silver Creek Village/Home Depot area and the Trailside neighborhood/Highland Drive area. Most drivers have become accustomed to the temporary traffic signals that have been there since the fall. This roundabout will replace those stop lights and improve traffic circulation.

Summit County received the go ahead from UDOT this week to begin construction on this new roundabout on the West Highland Drive side of the I-40 overpass. So beginning next Monday, June 17, drivers exiting Southbound I-40 at Exit 2 will be guided slighting to the east side of the existing offramp. Traffic shouldn’t be significantly impacted. Drive with caution and obey all signage. We’ve had 6 messaging boards up in the affected areas over the past few weeks to alert travelers about the upcoming construction. If you can avoid driving through this area at peak times, please do so.

Lake Rockport Estates requests to connect with Mountain Regional Water

In Wednesday’s Council meeting, Mountain Regional Water General Manager Andy Garland brought a proposal from the Lake Rockport Estates Board of Trustees requesting a connection of the two water systems.

To provide some background, Lake Rockport Estates was established in 1971 as a seasonal summer cabin community. The water system at the time was designed for seasonal use only.

As growth happened over the past decades, including a spike in occupancy due to the pandemic in 2020, well production failed to keep up with increased full-time residency in the area.

After securing a $3.65 million loan, Lake Rockport Estates completed a new well in February 2024 that was expected to generate 100 gallons per minute. Unfortunately, the source is only producing 21 gallons per minute, leading to the request to connect to Mountain Regional Water’s system.

Connecting the two systems poses a number of challenges and would require an overhaul of the entire Rockport Estates system costing millions of dollars. In addition, annexation into the system would also require 100% of the Lake Rockport Estates landowners to approve the connection unless Council is willing to consider a forced annexation.

Eastern Summit County General Plan Open House

Summit County is hosting a second public open house in Kamas to gather the public’s input as the Planning Department prepares to write a new General Plan for Eastern Summit County.

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

The General Plan is a comprehensive plan addressing the present and future needs of our communities. It is also an advisory document for land use decisions made by the planning commission, county council, and county staff.

The goal of the Eastern Summit County General Plan is to use information gathered during the 2023 visioning process to create a specific, actionable, and usable plan. Staff will update policies, objectives, and strategies based on community feedback.

Feel free to show up at any time during the 2-hour block. We hope to see you there!

June 25 Primary Election Info

Let’s talk about some important information for the upcoming June 25 Primary Election!

Early voting begins next week! Summit County voters can vote early from Thursday, June 20 through Saturday, June 22 and on Monday, June 24. For locations and hours, please visit summitcounty.info/earlyvoting.

If you plan to vote by mail, ballots must be postmarked by June 24, 2024, the day before Election Day.

If you plan to vote using a drop box, ballots must be in a drop box on or before 8:00 p.m. June 25, 2024, Election Day. For a list of dropbox locations, visit: summitcounty.info/dropbox.

And, finally, if you plan to vote in-person on election day, June 25, you can do so from 7 AM – 8 PM at Coalville City Hall, Park City Hall / the Marsac Building, the Summit County Library – Kimball Junction Branch, and at the South Summit Services Building in Kamas. A list of these locations can be found at summitcounty.info/votinglocations.

Please be aware that as the June 25 Primary Election approaches, voters can only vote in ONE party’s primary election. Each ballot is assigned a unique ballot number, which is connected to a specific voter. The Summit County Clerk’s Office will count the first ballot they receive from you. If a second ballot is received, it will alert the Clerk’s Office that you have already voted. The second vote will not be counted, and the Clerk’s Office will notify the Sheriff that you attempted to vote twice (which is illegal).

June’s second Weed of the Month is Leafy Spurge!

What is this history of Leafy Spurge?

A native plant of Eurasia, Leafy Spurge is an aggressive invader of pastures, rangeland, stream banks, and waste areas. It reproduces by seed and rootstock. It is toxic to cattle and may result in their death.

What does Leafy Spurge look like?

This creeping herbaceous perennial plant grows up to 3-feet tall. The leaves are narrow, and 1-to-4 inches long. In late spring, yellow-green flower bracts appear, which cup tiny, inconspicuous flowers that develop in early summer. Seeds are contained in a three-celled capsule, with one seed per cell. When dry, capsules can shoot seeds up to 15-feet from the parent plant. Stems exude a milky fluid when damaged. An extensive root system, up to 20-feet long and more than 14-feet deep with multiple shoot-producing buds makes this plant very difficult to control.

What is the best way to control Leafy Spurge?

Biocontrol is extensive and control is fair to excellent. Herbicides can offer fair to good control, especially when combined with biocontrol. Apply herbicides from spring to the killing frost.

For more information on Noxious Weeds in Summit County, please visit: summitcounty.info/idweeds.