The County Call

Dear Friends,

My work as one of your new county councilmembers has officially begun and we’re off to an exciting start. This is part of my first monthly newsletter and is designed to provide a brief overview of our recent work, a monthly topic, and other highlights.

Disclaimer: This is one councilmember’s opinion and does not represent the entire governing body or the County as a whole. To subscribe to my full newsletter, please visit lukesearle.vote.

First, the Wasatch County Council meets the first three Wednesdays of each month starting at 4 p.m. with public hearings beginning at 6 p.m. The second Wednesday is a work meeting. During each meeting, the Chair gives the public an opportunity to provide comments. You are welcome to participate in person or via Zoom. Agendas, meeting materials, minutes, and recordings of past meetings can be found here.

Chair & Board Appointments

During our first meeting, we chose Spencer Park as Council Chair and Karl McMillan as Council Vice-Chair. Board assignments were determined and can be found here. Staff is also working on descriptions and links to the affiliate meetings.

Monthly Topic: Synergy & Strength in Collaboration

During my short time in office, I’ve noticed proactive steps being taken to achieve optimal collaboration. My goal is to continue to strengthen these efforts to ensure we’re working strategically with other local entities, our neighboring counties, and our state representatives.

We unanimously approved an interlocal agreement to participate in a Regional Planning Organization with all other municipalities in Wasatch and Summit Counties. My hope is that this will allow for better coordination on issues like transportation, which affect the entire Wasatch Back.

The following are meetings and organizations Wasatch County already participates in:

• Interlocal Meetings

• Local Regional Planning Meetings

• Public Lands Meetings

• Utah Association of Counties

• Mountainland Association of Governments

It’s also worth noting that although the Council is a part-time body, we’ve made it a priority to participate in Utah’s legislative process. Several of us attended County Officials Day on the Hill, including our county manager. Our involvement during legislative sessions is crucial. A longtime commissioner said, “If you’re not at the table, then you are on the menu.”

There are many efforts underway, all with the best intentions to better the lives of Utahns and plan for future generations. That said, nothing is perfect. We genuinely need and wholeheartedly welcome input from business owners, longtime residents, newcomers, and representatives of our local governments as we navigate these processes together.

Additional Happenings

I received my orientation as a trustee for the library board, which I have the privilege of serving on as the Council representative for at least the next two years. I am excited to advocate for our library and make sure staff members have the tools they need to further their mission.

County Highlight

In this month’s highlight, I want to shed light on those whose terms of office started this past month. Some of these individuals were newly elected with me and others are re-elected officials. The list includes:

• County Council Seat C Erik Rowland

• County Council Seat F Karl McMillan

• County Council Seat A At-Large Luke Searle

• County Attorney Scott Sweat

• Clerk/Auditor Joey Granger

• Sheriff Jared Rigby

This update is just scratching the surface of the progress we’ve made this month. I didn’t cover many of the agenda items of our meetings, including regular updates about the MIDA Project in Wasatch County, planning and zoning items, appointments, and items from our County Manager Dustin Grabau.

If there is something you would like more information on, please reach out to me for an individual response at lsearle@wasatch.utah.gov or (435) 746-0227. If you would like to reach the entire Wasatch County Council, you can email council@wasatch.utah.gov.

In closing, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude for your support. It is truly an honor to serve the people of Wasatch County.

Regards,

Luke Searle

Wasatch County Councilor