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Letters to the Editor

Summit County deserves better

Editor:

I have read with disgust the recent articles about County Attorney Dave Brickey and his rather obvious disregard for the law. The County Attorney’s very job is making sure that Summit County obeys the laws and then prosecuting those who break the law.

It appears rather obvious that Mr. Brickey knowingly violated state law. Utah law requires an elected county official to live in that county when they run for office. Mr. Brickey lives in Salt Lake with his family and has for many years. There is no honest factual dispute about this.

So why do we care? First is simply the concept that if our elected "chief legal officer" knowingly and openly violates the law that governs his office, what does that say about the standards of our community. What legal standards can we expect of others?

The troubling part for me is that despite Summit County’s efforts to change this, Summit County is still perceived by many in the legal community to be "low-lying fruit" for groundless litigation. The logic is that if you file lots of lawsuits, the County Commission and/or County Attorney’s office will eventually screw something up and, in order to cover their tracks, they will settle the case. The perception that Summit County does not have its legal house in order is certainly not helped by having our County Attorney break the law. The current County Commission and other departments have worked hard to try and solve our legal quagmire, but as long as our County Attorney cannot follow the law, it will be difficult to change the perceptions in the legal community.

Finally, what is up with an elected official accepting an apartment for "nominal" rent? Elected officials are not supposed to accept gifts valued over $50. Just the appearance of the county’s principal prosecutor accepting an apartment from a defense attorney is bad. Maybe local developers should start giving the County Commissioners homes in Deer Valley for "nominal rent." After all, the County Attorney is not going to prosecute them.

Summit County deserves better.

Dave Allen

Park City

Regarding the gay mass

Editor:

I am confused by the announcement of a "gay mass" in a recent edition. My confusion is based on having friends, who are gay, in both the U.S. and Europe, who would probably shy away from this type of publicity, preferring anonymity. So, is this really being discriminating to the gay community in segregating their worship, and could it be that this is just another example of a church leader in Park City doing some "political showboating?"

I also have friends who are excluded from full participation in mass because of their marital status, i.e., being divorced. I’m cynical enough to believe that if there was some mileage in it for the church, there would be a "divorcee mass."

Sincerely,

Don Pritchard

Park City

Alternative transportation

Editor:

As we consider how to save our snow, February is decision time for the city to mandate alternative transportation tools to mitigate traffic by employees and guests from Empire Pass in upper Deer Valley. Within six years, this $1.5 billion development will attract over 170,000 visitor night stays, and employ hundreds. The applicant opened the 1999 development agreement a year ago to request a transfer of density from the Park City Mountain Resort, proposing to add 80 units and annex the hill areas into the city. The annexation provides an opportunity to clear up several concerns. One concern is adequate alternative transportation tools to reduce traffic.

The existing agreement gives our city the ability to mandate three tools: 1) a gondola; 2) a van and shuttle service; and 3) a park-and-ride lot for Empire Pass employees. People would move between Empire Pass and Old Town, or travel further with transit to homes, hotels and park-and-ride lots. However, the proposed agreement would only include a shuttle service and a park-and-ride lot by Richardson Flats at Quinn’s Junction, but no gondola. We get more visitors and fewer solutions. The new agreement does include 650 extra public parking spaces and additional land for recreation. Alternatively, the city could build a more useful park-and-ride lot on IHC land by Quinn’s recreation complex.

I believe it’s not if but when we need all the alternative transportation tools. With two of the nation’s most popular ski areas in Park City, we already need more ways to entice hotel guests, day visitors, residents and employees to leave their vehicles behind. The gondola is a desirable alternative and we may need several within 10 years — to get our great town back.

The gondola is already in the 1999 agreement. If you would like to keep it or comment otherwise, please contact your City Council members or come to our Thursday night council meeting on Feb.1 at 6 p.m. It’s time for the final decision and, in Park City, we are governed by those who speak up.

Joe Kernan

Park City Council Member

Nowhere to ‘Park’ City

Editor:

I am a senior at Park City High School. This year, after a year of waiting and a random drawing, I was finally allowed to park in the Eccles lot. However, with the arrival of Sundance, I was told that 50 spots are open to seniors. Let me say that again, 50 spots for roughly 300 students. Oh, and did I mention that of the $50 deposit we paid at the beginning of the year for these spots, we get absolutely no compensation if we lose parking for this period? I went to inquire on where we would park if we didn’t get a spot at the school, and the man now in charge of this situation told me, and I quote, "That’s not my problem." Well, no it’s not, because now it becomes the city’s problem. Not only does this city have to deal with crazy people who insist on driving when they come here but now it has to deal with livid high school students not allowed to park where they paid to park.

When I commented on this, I was told to "do the environmental thing" and take the bus. Well, unfortunately, the reason so many seniors prize their parking pass is because we can’t take the bus. Between jobs right after school, extra-curricular activities, working parents, sports after school, zero hour classes and internships, riding the bus is simply not an option. Yeah, I can get to school on time, but I can’t take the school bus out to my internship, and I can’t ride the bus home, walk to my house, get in my car, and make it to work by 3 p.m.

So no, Mr. ——, it’s not your problem. It’s everyone else’s. However, you know what would make me stop complaining? Maybe you can drive my carpool buddies and I to everything we have going on during Sundance. Then you’ll see why I need a pass so bad.

A very angry,

Meagan Gonsalves

Park City

A generous gift from White Pine

Editor:

Thank you, White Pine Touring Center, for donating 13 pairs of cross-country skis to the students of Treasure Mountain International School. We truly appreciate your generous support in providing unique fitness opportunities for the students of Park City.

Sincerely,

Susie Graves and the TMIS Physical Education Department

Air Force recreation fraud

Editor:

As a veteran, I was very shocked at the proposed "Military Morale Facility" and the comments made by the representative of Wadsworth Construction about the use and nature of the project.

If there were a real interest in the welfare of active duty military personnel to have a facility in Park City, the Air Force would be offering members recreational opportunities at the Imperial Hotel on Main Street this season, not the use of some condominium "lock-out" at the discretion of a private owner sometime in the future.

This project smacks of backroom deals and under-the-table negotiations over a prime parcel of Summit County real estate and the profits that will be made on the backs of our military service personnel. The comments of the Wadsworth representative about the profits being made were reprehensible and an insult to the men and women that serve this county.

I intend to aggressively contact all of the relevant Congressional, Air Force, DOD, and oversight authorities and urge them to investigate this project. I would also urge my fellow citizens to write to their congressmen and demand an investigation of this project and the profiteering that is taking place on the backs of our military service personnel.

Larry Finch

Park City

Letters

Actually, tech park makes most sense

I believe there is an opportunity to further enhance the economic vitality and resilience of our town by attracting a Fortune 500 headquarters to a mixed-use tech park.



See more

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