|
JUNE LEGISLATIVE INTERIM MEETINGS + SPECIAL SESSION
The legislature’s interim committees and appropriation subcommittees met last month to study various policy items in preparation for next year’s legislative session. Notable transportation-related items heard this interim included:
- The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) shared an update on the Utah Trail Network to both the Transportation Interim Committee, as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on Infrastructure and General Government.
- UDOT also shared a state-funded transit update to the Transportation Interim Committee, which included updates on the Point of the Mountain Transit project and on FrontRunner strategic doubletracking.
- The Utah Transit Authority shared some highlights on their five-year service plan, TRAX modernization, strategic planning, and debt portfolio.
The Governor also called the legislature into a special session on Wednesday, June 19th to address a number of issues, including amendments related to Intermountain Power Plant, clarifying sunset and repeal dates, challenging new Title IX regulations, making changes to exchange student programs and school district creation, and public lands funding. Special sessions are generally called to address issues that cannot otherwise be addressed during a General Session due to a particular timeline, or other pressing issue.
The Legislature will not meet in the interim during the month of July for summer break and will resume scheduled interim meetings on August 20th.
UNIFIED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
The Unified Economic Opportunity Commission met on Tuesday, July 2nd for their second commission meeting of the interim. The focus of the meeting was to continue the group’s visioning efforts of the 2034 Olympic Games, and dive into the targeted industries of life sciences and fintech. A few notable things from the discussion included:
- Fraser Bulloch shared the intention to “elevate” Utah’s communities (in addition to the Olympic experience and games themselves) as one of the key visioning efforts.
- The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity expounded by sharing some achievements in 2002, such as new infrastructure projects (i-15 expansion, light rail, etc.), and suggested that advancing infrastructure, including transportation, transit, energy, water, and state parks for 2034 will be a key part in elevating the games.
- The Governor shared the importance of all local communities considering how they want to look and feel in ten years.
As a reminder, the UEOC has a handful of standing subgroups that continue to meet, including the Commission on Housing Affordability (CHA). The CHA met this month and heard policy recommendations from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Envision Utah, and the Libertas Institute – all of which recommended changes regarding smaller lot sizes and other zoning regulations. The Commission also heard updates from each of the CHA subgroups, of which WFRC staff have been involved. As a reminder, here are the following subgroups and their topic areas of study:
- Group 1: publicly owned land for housing, short-term rentals, corporate ownership and rental properties
- Group 2: land use, zoning, and parking policies
- Group 3: housing data resources for local governments
- Group 4: deeply affordable housing, Olene Walker program, and vouchers
| 
