Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six. This week, we’ll cover some key items from this week’s County Council meeting, including a weekly report on the Utah State Legislature’s General Session and an update on a Summit County housing authority for our community. Then, we’ll give a forecast from our friends over at UDOT Wasatch Back and wrap things up with some messages from the Summit County Health Department. Alright, let’s get into the news! 

Topic 1: Legislative Update 

On Wednesday’s County Council meeting, Deputy County Manager, Janna Young, reported on the activity happening at the Utah State Legislature’s General Session this week. 

Some key bills Janna highlighted were:

• 
  
• House Bill 256 which is the short-term rental bill working its way through the legislature. In general, Janna noted that this bill could help the county because it would allow easier regulation of short-term rentals in Summit County.
  
• Another bill Janna highlighted was House Bill 300 which, if passed as currently written, would do away with the mail-in ballot voting option in the State of Utah as well as other voting-related stipulations. 90% of voters in Summit County choose to vote by mail which means this bill is concerning to Summit County as it would make voting more difficult and goes against the preferred method of voting for our voters.
  
• And there are two school-based health care services bills that could affect the County: House Bill 281, which would prevent the organizations the county contracts with to provide behavioral health services in our K-12 schools from providing those school-based services, and House Bill 102, which would defund health services in K-12 schools and would get rid of dual-language programs in our schools. Summit County is very concerned about these two bills and will continue to follow them closely.
  

For more details on the bills we’ve mentioned and other legislative updates, visit summitcounty.info/councilrecording and click item number 4 listed below the video. 

Interested citizens can watch Utah’s 2025 legislative session in real-time at le.utah.gov and click on the “calendar” button. Click on the desired meeting and the committee webpage will have links to materials and the audio/video recording. 

Additionally, the State Legislature’s website allows citizens to sign up to follow individual bills and receive email alerts whenever action is taken on the measure. To sign up for alerts, go to le.utah.gov, and click on the “Bills” tab at the top of the page. Then either perform a bill request or keyword search. Once you’ve located the desired bill, click on “Track this” or “Email notification” underneath the photograph of the bill sponsor. The website for each bill also provides the bill text, status information, audio/video of any committee hearings or floor debates, and details on the bill sponsor.

Topic 2: Housing Authority Update 

Before we dive into the Housing Authority update, for some context, the Housing Authority was created by the County Council on December 11, 2024. The purpose of the Housing Authority is to manage and provide affordable housing, especially for low- and middle-income families, located within the jurisdiction of the Authority. The Housing Authority boundaries are the unincorporated area of Summit County (no towns or cities are included in those boundaries).

At this week’s County Council meeting, draft bylaws for the Housing Authority were brought before the Council. There was a lengthy discussion regarding the terms and conditions related to the Board of Commissioners for the Authority – including how many commissioners should sit on the board, term limits for commissioners, the qualifications of commissioners, and the County Council’s involvement with the board and housing authority overall. 

Council requested that the Commission be comprised of: 

1. 
   
2. One member that lives in the North Summit School District
   
3. One member that lives in the South Summit School District
   
4. One member that lives in the Park City School District
   
5. Two County Council Members
   
6. One member who lives in deed-restricted housing
   
7. One member at large
   

Council also requested that Commissioners serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms, including portions of unexpired terms; and asked staff to draft preliminary interview questions for the potential commissioners and some recommendations regarding background.

If any of our listeners are interested in serving on the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Summit County will advertise the vacancies at a future date on summitcountyutah.gov. 

TOPIC 3: Council of Governments Meeting Reminder 

Before we move on from our Council recap, we wanted to mention to our listeners that there will be a Council of Governments meeting next Tuesday, February 4. At the meeting the Council, along with each city mayor, will review and discuss feedback the Summit County Planning Department received from General Plan surveys that were administered to the community last year. The group will also review Transportation Sales Tax Revisions and a reprogramming request for the Old Ranch Road project as it relates to Transportation Sales Tax funding. 

The community is invited to attend this meeting in-person at the Council Chambers located within the Courthouse in Coalville (60 N Main Street, Coalville) OR tune in on Zoom at summitcounty.info/cogzoom (that’s cogzoom in all lowercase). The meeting will begin at 6 PM again on Tuesday, February 4. 

Topic 4: Weekly UDOT Update & Dashboard Reminder 

ICYMI: earlier this month, the Utah Department of Transportation (aka UDOT) launched UDOT Wasatch Back to bring increased communication to drivers traveling in Parleys Canyon and the Park City area.

UDOT Wasatch Back provides real-time updates and driver education on social media (@udotwasatchback on Instagram, Facebook, and X) and at wasatchback.udot.utah.gov. 

This week’s forecast from our friends at UDOT Wasatch Back is: 

Traffic will remain busy this weekend in and around Park City, especially with winter weather in the forecast. Make plans to carpool, or ride Park City Transit and High Valley Transit for free. Use public transit from the Ecker Hill (I-80) and Richardson Flat (US-40) Park & Rides.

Another weekend storm is on tap, with snow moving in late Friday through Sunday. Snow looks to return Wednesday, so expect increased weekday crowds at the resorts. Winter driving skills will be needed, check traffic cameras at wasatchback.udot.utah.gov. 

And Sundance wraps up this weekend, so expect crowds to die down Monday — but not for long. The FIS World Cup kicks off next Thursday at Deer Valley. Catch a free bus at Richardson Flat Park & Ride to avoid parking hassles.

Topic 5: Health Dept. Messages 

We’ll wrap things up today with a few messages from the Summit County Health Department! 

First up, is a call to Summit County parents of 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders! The Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention or SHARP survey provides the youth in our community a chance to share their voices on community climate, school safety, underage substance use, mental wellness, and more. The survey is anonymous, voluntary, and confidential. Results are used by numerous local organizations that provide valuable services for our children. The Health Department asks that parents give permission and encourage their children to take the SHARP Survey this year. To help you and your child prepare, a frequently asked questions page is available at  https://sumh.utah.gov/data-reports/sharp-survey/#survey-questions-and-privacy.  

Switching gears: the Summit County Health Department is holding a Stop-the-Bleed training on Feb. 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Downstairs Conference Room at their Park City Clinic (650 Round Valley Drive). This class is for anyone who would like to learn life-saving information. The course will be taught by Intermountain Healthcare and free tourniquets will be handed out after you complete the course. Email mrc@summitcountyutah.gov to reserve a space today! 

And, finally, January is Radon Awareness Month: Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that can build up inside buildings and homes. Now is a great time to test for radon levels because windows and doors in your home are usually closed all day and that helps with a more accurate reading. Testing your home is the only way to know if radon levels are high which could cause an increased risk for lung cancer in you and your family. Test kits are available at ALL Summit County Health Department clinics. We have more info on how to test for radon in your home at summitcountyhealth.org.