The Summit County Council met in a special session May 26th to approve a Resolution saying that the county is formally entering into the Central Wasatch Commission—and to an Interlocal Agreement between the parties.
The Resolution approved by the Council says that the Central Wasatch Commission, known in a previous version as the Mountain Accord, was set up in an Interlocal Agreement in June of 2017 to preserve the environment, activities and watershed in the Central Wasatch.
The Resolution establishes an Amended Interlocal Agreement, under which the county will be named as a member of the CWC and can continue to participate with the body. It says that the county previously participated in the group through an Appointed Commissioner. That post has now been terminated under the Amendment.
It stipulates that County Council Member Chris Robinson will continue to represent the county on the CWC Board.
The Amended Interlocal Agreement says to take effect, it must be approved by the governing bodies of all the CWC members. Deputy County Attorney Dave Thomas said the goal is to accomplish that within the next week, by June 3rd.
Thomas said another stipulation of the CWC is that if the county pays into the program for a project, Summit cannot leave the Commission until either the Interlocal Agreement is terminated or the project is completed.
Thomas also addressed the fear that other members of the CWC would foist a decision onto Summit County. Talking to Council Chairman Doug Clyde, Thomas said a change to the Interlocal Agreement can only be approved by a majority of the CWC board, and a vote of the governing bodies of all the CWC members.
“So I don’t have a concern that if we’re a member of it, that somehow, the majority of other members are going to change the Interlocal Agreement, because they can’t. We’d have to agree to it. And I confirmed with their legal counsel that that’s their viewpoint too. That’s kinda where we sit. If you approve this Resolution, it also approves and authorizes the Chair to sign the counter-signature page. (Clyde) A little bit complex, but as I understand it, the prohibition against us abandoning our membership relates to those periods in which we have already committed to spend money on a project. Is that what it boils down to? (Thomas) Correct. (Clyde) Thank you. So as long as we are willing to write a check for whatever we said we were going to write to, we can still get out.”
County Council Chairman Doug Clyde and Deputy County Attorney Dave Thomas.
