Nineteen entities asked for almost $3 million in total from the recreation, arts and parks, or “RAP,” tax grant for recreation this year.
The county only had about half that to go around.
“We have decided that we're going to allocate those monies on a population basis,” Councilmember Roger Armstrong said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Nov. 7. “Those are all for public entities. That's publicly held property—that's not private or nonprofit property.”
Utah law allows the county to reinvest some of its sales tax revenue in arts and recreation opportunities. That’s led to the RAP cultural and recreation grants.
Of the 2024 recreation grant’s $1.5 million available, half went to the Snyderville Basin.
About 20% each went to Park City and the South Summit area. North Summit got the rest.
Fifteen of the 19 proposed projects got funding including the Ure Ranch near Kamas and the 910 Cattle Ranch in western Summit County.
Both are big-ticket open space purchases the county is pursuing.
The Ure Ranch will receive $40,000 for recreation planning, not for any physical facilities.
In the latest plan for the 834-acre site west of Kamas, parcels along West 200 South are reserved for recreation opportunities. Other parts will remain as a working ranch and open space.
At 910, which is 10 times as large as the Ure Ranch, the county will use $200,000 to renovate an existing trailhead parking lot and add toilets and picnic pavilions.
Other projects around the county include a new hockey scoreboard at Park City’s Quinn’s Junction ice rink, resurfacing courts at Willow Creek Park and funds for Henefer’s recreation center.
The county distributed the RAP cultural grant in May, mostly to area nonprofits.
