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Park City seeks more community voices for special events talks

There are concerns rank-and-file Parkites do not have enough representation

The Tour of Utah is fairly new to Park Citys busy calendar of special events, but the bicycling race has become a significant summer draw. Park City leaders plan to expand a panel assigned to study special events in an effort to add more representation for rank-and-file Parkites.
Park Record file photo by Tanzi Propst

Park City will expand a panel that delves into the impacts of special events on the community, a move that is meant add more representation for rank-and-file Parkites.

The Special Events Advisory Committee roster currently includes four members from the community at large alongside nine figures who represent stakeholders like the resort industry. The Park City Council also has representation. There have been concerns the panel is weighted toward the stakeholders, prompting the elected officials to add three more members from the community at large.

The Special Events Advisory Committee was formed in response to widening concerns that Park City’s busy calendar of arts, athletic and other events has led to increased impacts, including traffic, parking shortages and the temporary exclusive use of public facilities and locations. Some have labeled the situation “event fatigue.”

Park City leaders have for years attempted to balance special events and the desire of some for a quieter community. The debate generally involves tourism boosters and businesses that rely on the industry desiring a busy calendar that draws crowds to Park City as well as community members who argue that so many events detracts from the quality of life.

Although large events like the Sundance Film Festival, the Park City Kimball Arts Festival and the Tour of Utah bicycling race are the best known, there are numerous events smaller in scale that also have drawn attention as the discussion about special events has unfolded.

The Special Events Advisory Committee crafts recommendations that are forwarded to the City Council. Members consider the prioritization of events, the citywide event threshold and municipal services, according to a City Hall advertisement seeking the three new members representing the community at large. The panel also reviews and evaluates the performance of events, the advertisement says.

The stakeholders with seats on the panel include the Historic Park City Alliance, which represents businesses on or close to Main Street, the Park City Chamber/Bureau and the Mountain Trails Foundation. Stakeholder seats also represent the restaurant, lodging and resort industries.

The Special Events Advisory Committee meets monthly on the third Wednesday. Meetings, held at the Park City Library, are two hours and start at noon. The advertisement says members spend another between five and 10 hours on committee-related work each month. Someone must be a Park City resident to serve. Terms are for three years and are not compensated. The people who are appointed for the new community at large positions will start their terms in February, the advertisement says.

The deadline for applications is Sunday, Nov. 27. Applications and more information are available on City Hall’s website, http://www.parkcity.org. Select ‘Special Events Advisory Committee Vacancies’ in the Latest News section on the front page of the website.

The City Council makes the selections after reviewing the applications and conducting interviews with the candidates. The advertisement indicates appointments are anticipated on Dec. 15.

More information is available from Jenny Diersen, a special events coordinator for City Hall. She is reachable at 615-5188 or jenny.diersen@parkcity.org.

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