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Summit in Six

Summit in Six

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 Fast news for Summit County UT Political Science Politics & Government
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  • February 6, 2026 — Deep dive into County Lands & Natural Resources

    February 6, 2026 — Deep dive into County Lands & Natural Resources
    Feb 6 2026
    Hello and welcome to Summit in Six, from the communication and public engagement team for Summit County, Utah. Let’s kick things off and get caught up! In this episode, we’ll take a deep dive into some recent land acquisitions by the county. We’re pleased to welcome our guest, Jess Kirby, director of the lands and Natural Resources Department. Jess, the county has recently closed on two major purchases involving historic ranches combined. The acquisitions have brought more than 9,000 acres under public ownership. Can you tell me a little bit about why the county would be interested in purchasing land like this? Thanks for that question. I’m glad to be here. We’re incredibly lucky in Summit County to have a county council and a county government that really supports conservation and land acquisitions. Our county council has as one of their objectives to put lands like this under conservation, and then, with the support from our community, we’ve been fortunate enough to have bond funds that allow us to do that work. When you put it like that, it makes perfect sense. We want to get into some specifics here. So we’ll start with the larger of the two acquisitions, the 910 Ranch, located along both sides of East Canyon Road between Jeremy Ranch and East Canyon reservoir. The 910 contains almost 8,600 acres of pristine forest land and vital wildlife habitat. What can you share about the 910’s history and prior management? The ranch has a very long history. Really exciting things have happened out there — starting way back with with the indigenous people. We have found some significant artifacts on the property. So we do know that we had significant use of the property from our Native American populations, which is exciting. And then fast forward into when settlement started happening in Utah, and in the 1890s the Jeremy family was the first owner of the land. They ran a sheep operation out there on almost 38,000 acres — a very big swath of land. As they sold off different pieces, part of that land is now Jeremy Ranch the neighborhood and then the elementary school there. That acquisition happened in about the 70s, and then the current landowner took over in the late 1980s–early 1990s and has been the sole owner of the property ever since. Why did the county want to acquire and protect the 910 Ranch specifically, and where did the funds come from? This is a really unique property for Summit County. It’s one of the last large contiguous pieces of land that we have in the western part of our county. By contiguous, we mean a large swath of land with one owner. It provide incredible wildlife habitat connections to other protected lands and forested lands owned by the forestry and state lands offices. There’s a state park right next to it, and there’s other forest legacy parcels that are really near it, so it creates this large swath of protected land. The funding, first and foremost, came from our community. The OSAC bond, which is the Open Space Bond that we passed in 2021, was a $50 million bond. It passed with over 70% support from our community. So we got a big thumbs up to go and do projects like this. So that $15 million as our first down payment came from the bond, and then I was tasked with finding the rest. The whole purchase was $55 million, so we had a $40 million deficit. Luckily, at that moment, we had an opportunity to go for a Forest Legacy Grant that allowed us to fill that gap, and we applied and were awarded those funds in 2023. Fantastic! I’m sure every acquisition is a little bit different, but I know we’ll be hearing more about that Open Space Bond again, when we discuss the Ure Ranch next. Before we move on, can you share what’s next for the 910? A lot of planning. For right now, it’s status quo. We’re keeping the land pretty much private. We’re not opening up, we’re not cutting the ribbon, and we’re trying to take our time and be very thoughtful about management and how we open up the property to the public. Like I said, it’s been in one landowner’s hands for a very long time. It’s kind of a wilderness area out there. It hasn’t had a lot of human interaction. There’s lots of wildlife. So we want to be very mindful about how we open that up, though we’ve been spending the last year or two doing some very overarching baseline assessments and conservation easement writing. We’ve done a forest health plan. We’ve worked on the watershed plans. We have a grazing plan. And so now we’re going to take all these plans, put them together, and put an overarching management plan together for the property, which is going to include some recreation. We’ve done several open houses and several surveys with the community, but we do hope to still engage with the community on the recreation plan coming forward. Some stakeholder meetings will be coming up here in the near future, then work session with council, and then we’ll adopt those final ...
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    11 mins
  • November 21, 2025 — Transportation sales tax, Utah Renewable Communities, and more!

    November 21, 2025 — Transportation sales tax, Utah Renewable Communities, and more!
    Nov 21 2025
    Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! We’ve got the latest from the Council of Governments meeting on Monday, and the county council’s Wednesday meeting. This includes a review of the Transportation Sales Tax policy, information on the Utah Renewable Communities program, and much more! Alright, let’s get into the news! TOPIC 1: TRANSPORTATION TAX The Council of Governments met earlier this week to discuss the Transportation Sales Tax, also known as the TST, which is a voter-approved .25% sales tax that pays for regionally significant transportation projects across Summit County. This includes things such as road improvements, active-transportation connections, transit, and safety projects that enhance connectivity, reduce congestion, and promote economic development. The Council of Governments finalized its recommendation for how this year’s TST funds should be allocated. The County Council approved that recommendation during their meeting on Wednesday, meaning the 2025 project funding decisions are now set. This includes funding or partial funding for: A countywide vanpool program (Summit County)Upgrades to the bikeshare program (Summit County)The Hoytsville bridge replacement (Summit County)The Icy Springs Interchange project (Summit County)High Valley Transit’s SR-224 Bus Rapid Transit project (High Valley Transit)Phase 2 of Park City’s Thaynes Pathway project (Park City)Little Kate and Monitor Drive bike and pedestrian improvements (Park City)A transit signal priority technology upgrade in Park City (Park City) Lastly, a total of $483,040.26 of Small Cities Grants will be awarded to Coalville, Henefer, Kamas, Oakley and Francis. TOPIC 2: UTAH RENEWABLE COMMUNITIES If you don’t already know, Utah Renewable Communities, or URC, is a coalition of 19 cities and counties, including Summit County, that are working with Rocky Mountain Power to provide a new option for clean energy. The program’s goal is to support the development of new clean energy sources that would match the amount of energy consumed by homes and businesses. Before moving forward, the URC needs to be approved by the Utah Public Service Commission, which is reviewing the program now. There is a scheduled public hearing set for December 16 at 6 p.m. where anyone can share comments or ask questions. After the hearing, the Public Service Commission is expected to issue a decision as early as January 2026. If the program is approved, Summit County would have 90 days to pass an ordinance to officially join. From there, Rocky Mountain Power would mail two opt-out notices to all local customers, giving them the choice to participate or stick with their current service. If you are interested in attending the Public Service Commission hearing on December 16th, you can attend in person at the Heber M Wells Building in Salt Lake City, or virtually by going to summitcounty.info/URCmeeting. TOPIC 3: CLINE DAHL PROPERTY Next up is an update on the Cline Dahl property near Jeremy Ranch. This is a 30 acre site owned by Summit County that could include housing, a transit park-and-ride hub, and recreation amenities. The current proposal from the developer team includes a recommendation to build more for sale units in place of rental units due to a revision in average income data. They are now proposing about 60% ownership and 40% rentals, with the overall plan calling for 173 total units. The plan also includes community uses like a Basin Rec fieldhouse and space for a new Park City Fire District station, however details and final agreements are still being negotiated with the County and housing partners. Construction wouldn’t start until at least August 2026. TOPIC 4: URE RANCH Now moving on to Ure Ranch, the 848 acre property in the Kamas Meadows area of Eastern Summit County. On Wednesday, Council approved the conservation easements for the North Meadows and Recreation parcels located within Ure Ranch, ensuring the protection of the area’s natural and cultural features by limiting development. These are just two of the six parcels that make up the Ure Ranch property. Staff will continue to advance the remaining four conservation easements for the rest of the property before the end of the year. TOPIC 5: EAST CANYON ROAD CLOSURE Quick reminder: East Canyon Road will begin its seasonal road closure on December 1st and will reopen on April 30th, 2026. TOPIC 6: HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURES To close out this week’s podcast, we want to wish all our listeners a happy Thanksgiving! As a reminder, Summit County offices will be closed on Thursday, November 27, and Friday, November 28, in observance of the holiday. The Sheriff’s Office and local Fire/EMS crews will have limited staff working. Republic Services’ trash pickup will be delayed by one day for curbside pickup on Thursday and Friday. That means, residents who usually receive curbside pickup on Thursday should put their containers out on Friday ...
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    6 mins
  • November 14, 2025 — County employees, new sales tax, how housing helps kids, and more!

    November 14, 2025 — County employees, new sales tax, how housing helps kids, and more!
    Nov 14 2025
    Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! We’ve got the latest from county council’s Wednesday meeting — including a breakdown of county employees, details for a newly approved sales tax, housing data, and more! Alright, let’s get into the news! TOPIC 1: 2026 PERSONNEL BUDGET County council continued its 2026 budget review in this week’s meeting. Kicking off the discussion, County Manager Shayne Scott and Finance Manager Matt Leavitt presented an overview of current employees and a request for funds to support new hires, raises, and employee benefits. A few key stats that might interest you: Summit County currently has 19 elected officials and chief deputies, 373 full-time positions, and 38 part-time positionsThe average age of a county employee is 44The average length of service (meaning time working for the county) is 8 years However, only 38% had more than 8 years of service, meaning there are some long-term employees that skew the result higher Year-to-year, the county spends an average of 62% of its budget on personnel (but the 2026 budget will actually be slightly under that average) Eight new positions were proposed, including a full-time public records coordinator, an additional school resource officer through the Sheriff’s department, and more staff for the finance, engineering, facilities, IT, and waste collection departments. The raises proposed in the upcoming budget include a 2.7% cost of living adjustment for all employees and an additional $1.2 million in funds for merit raises. The county is also raising its 401(k) match to be more competitive in retaining and attracting new employees. The council will continue to hear more about the 2026 budget in the weeks to come. A public hearing on the budget will be held on December 3rd in the Snyderville Basin (location to be determined) and a second public hearing will be held on December 10th at the county courthouse in Coalville (after which the council is expected to adopt the budget). TOPIC 2: COUNCIL APPROVES IMPACTED COMMUNITIES TAX Near the end of the lengthy meeting, council voted 4-1 to approve the “Impacted Communities Tax” (formerly known as the Resort Communities Tax). The new sales tax of 1.1% would be applied to purchases of specific goods and services within unincorporated Summit County, including: Retail sales of physical or digital goodsPaid admission for entertainment and recreational activitiesMeals at restaurants, eateries, catering & other dining options The tax would not apply to unprepared food (like groceries), prescription medications, and gasoline. The intent of this tax is to pay for bonds that would support long-term transportation improvements to benefit residents, visitors, and businesses. The tax takes effect next summer and is expected to bring in about $17 million annually. The total sales tax for purchases in unincorporated Summit County would then be 8.75%. Use of these funds is restricted to transportation infrastructure and transit projects. The goal is to reduce traffic congestion and provide public amenities to improve community connectivity and quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. The county needs to start preparing for the future by establishing a funding source to construct these improvements, some of which begin in 2026. To learn more about the intent of the tax and where the money will be spent, check out the link in our show notes. TOPIC 3: AFFORDABLE HOUSING HELPS KIDS The Summit County Housing Authority is tasked with addressing the housing shortage facing Summit County’s medium and low-income residents — a growing problem facing residents of all ages and backgrounds. Since the housing authority was created in May, the board of commissioners has been meeting monthly to talk with community partners, prepare a strategic plan, and start community outreach efforts. One goal for the housing authority is to increase awareness of the challenges faced by people experiencing housing insecurity. We are excited to share an excerpt from the first of many educational articles from the Housing Authority: “Stable, affordable housing is essential for children — and for Summit County’s future,” written by Kristen Schulz, director of the Early Childhood Alliance and housing authority commissioner. The article begins, “Providing families a safe, affordable, and stable place to live allows children and families to thrive. Research across public health, education, and economics shows that affordable and stable housing reduces toxic stress, improves physical and mental health, provides better educational outcomes, and creates economic stability and opportunities that last a lifetime…” To read the article in full and find links to peer-reviewed research that backs up her claims, visit summitcounty.info/housinghelpskids. TOPIC 4: ELECTION CERTIFICATIONS Did you know? Election results aren’t final until the canvass. A canvass is when the...
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    7 mins
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