Tuesday, April 18, 2023

It’s been well over a month since the Legislature adjourned sine-die, but the legislative policy work continues as we move into the interim period of the year with legislative preparations for the 2024 legislative session. This issue will give you an update on the plans for legislative interim meetings, the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission, upcoming conferences, federal grant opportunities, and highlight the Governor’s ceremonial signing of some key transportation bills.

Legislative Interim

Last week, the Legislative Management Committee met and approved the Study Items and Schedule for the 2023 interim period. Legislators will meet in May, June, August, September, October, and November of this year to study various policy topics and prepare legislation for the 2024 General Session. Once interim committees meet in May, we will have a better idea of when each topic will be discussed. WFRC will continue to be involved in tracking and engaging in these discussions, and will share any noteworthy updates with you all. Worth highlighting are the relevant study items outlined by the Transportation Interim Committee:

Transit

Overview of UTA and current projects, ridership, cost/rider, etc.
Distribution of UTA services compared to tax dollars received
Ski bus service solutions
Long term plans for FrontRunner and how previous funds are being utilized
Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zones (HTRZs)
Paratransit service coordination update

Active Transportation

Review implementation of Utah Trail Network and how UDOT will prioritize funds

Transportation Funding

State Infrastructure Bank outcomes and uses
Update on the Transit Transportation Investment Fund (TTIF)
UDOT prioritization update on long-term planning (corridor preservation, growth, etc.)

Electrification of the Transportation System

ASPIRE report from SB125 (2023)
Update on Road Usage Charge program
Review Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) electrification programs

Utilities

Transportation Utility Fees (Larson v. Pleasant Grove)

Several other committees will be studying issues related to our work at WFRC, including housing affordability and availability, station area planning, and others. Stay tuned for the first legislative interim meetings on May 16th and 17th.

Unified Economic Opportunity Commission

The Unified Economic Opportunity Commission (UEOC) met last week kicking off the third year of studying and coordinating the State’s economic development goals and strategies. The preliminary meeting recommissioned the Commission’s membership, as well as the membership of its working groups. WFRC, along with a number of our transportation partners will continue to serve as members of the Growth and Transportation Working Group.

Natalie Gochnour, Executive Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, gave a brief economic update to the committee, asking the commission to keep some key themes and economic indicators in mind as they do their work. They were the following:

Mid-Sized State: Utah leap-frogged four states over the last decade to become a mid-sized state for the first time in history. Utah now ranks 30th in population size.
External Growth: Net in-migration contributed approximately two-thirds of Utah’s population growth in each of the past two years. In the past, two-thirds of Utah’s growth has come from ourselves.
Older: Utah’s population 65 and older is projected to increase from approximately one in ten today to one in five by 2050. This occurs because of an aging population and relatively low fertility rates.
Multicultural: One in four Utahns are now a racial/ethnic minority, making Utah more diverse than states like Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Within the next two decades this ratio is projected to increase to one in three.
Elite Economy: Utah’s economy from 2000-2011 generally outperformed the nation, with some ebbs and flows. Since 2011, Utah’s economy consistently outperformed other states and demonstrated considerable strength relative to other states during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utah’s economy has become elite.

The Commission presented the proposed timeline for the next eight months in preparation for the 2024 Legislative Session. Additionally, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) also shared a Summary of UEOC-Supported Legislation and Successes from the 2023 General Legislative Session, a number of which were WFRC priority bills. We look forward to dialogue and discussion in this highly productive and influential group of legislators, executive branch agency directors, and local officials in determining the state’s approach to economic development moving forward.

Transportation and Housing Ceremonial Bill Signing

Earlier this morning, Governor Spencer Cox ceremonially signed a package of key transportation and housing related bills from the 2023 legislative session. The signing was held in Herriman City, with a backdrop of a number of multifamily housing units, further messaging the point that our state and region is experiencing rapid growth. The governor signed a number of bills that WFRC and our partners worked extensively on, and the Governor was joined by those partners, community leaders, and bill sponsors for the signing. The Governor signed the following bills, several of which are explained in further detail in our 2023 End of Session Summary:

H.B. 44 Transportation Corridor Funding Amendments
H.B. 231 Low Income Housing Property Tax Exemption
H.B. 301 Transportation Tax Amendments
H.B. 364 Housing Affordability Amendments
H.B. 371 Working Farm and Ranch Protection Fund
H.B. 406 Land Use Development and Management Act Modifications
H.B. 499 Homeless Services Amendments
S.B. 27 Transportation Revisions
S.B. 174 Local Land Use and Development Revisions
S.B. 185 Transportation Amendments
S.B. 240 First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program

Partner Events and Conferences

WFRC and our team will be seeing many of you in the coming weeks at the ULCT Midyear Conference in St. George, as well as the UAC Legislative Management Conference the following week at the Salt Palace in downtown SLC. Both events give us all the opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of the 2023 Legislative Session as we work towards implementing the legislation and appropriations enacted.

Discretionary grant notices of funding opportunities from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continue to be released. Below is information about a new electric vehicle charging grant opportunity, an update on the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, and an update on the congressionally directed community project funding requests.

(NEW!) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) community grants are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fill gaps in access to electric vehicle (EV) charging by providing funding for EV charging infrastructure in your communities. Award sizes range from $500K to $15M and require a 20% local match. Eligible projects include acquisition and installation of EV charging infrastructure located on any public road or publicly accessible locations (parking facilities, public buildings, public schools, parks, etc.) Here you can find the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and webinar for further information. Applications are due May 30th.

Safe Streets and Roads for All: WFRC, along with five other entities in Utah and nearly 500 entities across the country, was awarded funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program to develop a safety action plan. The Action Plan will 1) identify strategies and project types to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roadways in the region, and 2) to enable communities in the region to be eligible to apply to the SS4A program in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 cycles. However, if a community has already developed a local plan which they believe is similar to a Safety Action Plan, they can use this worksheet as a starting point to determine whether they are eligible to apply to USDOT for an implementation grant in the 2023 cycle (due date is July 10, 2023). For more information on eligibility requirements for these grant types noted above and applying in the 2023 cycle, see the SS4A Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Utah’s Congressional offices have submitted their requests for community project funding (“earmarks”). The requests, which will now be considered by the congressional appropriations committees for inclusion in the FY24 appropriations act. Linked are the requests from Congressman Owens, Congressman Stewart, Congressman Moore, and Congressman Curtis.