Todd Bennett is amid his first winter as the president and chief operating officer of Deer Valley Resort, attempting to deliver the top-tier service the resort has long been known for even as large crowds arrive in the community.
Bennett on Friday is scheduled to deliver remarks that will likely be some of the highlights of a daylong gathering dedicated to a wide range of Park City-area issues. The annual event, known as Leadership 101, provides an opportunity for the attendees to delve into the mechanics of the area through a roster of prominent speakers from the government, business and not-for-profit sectors.
Bennett is slated to appear alongside representatives from Columbus Pacific Development and EX Utah Development. Columbus Pacific Development has been active at the Canyons Village side of Park City Mountain and previously held the Kimball on Main in Old Town under its corporate umbrella. EX Utah Development, widely known as Extell, is heavily involved in the development of Mayflower Mountain Resort in Wasatch County.
Bennett will likely address broad Deer Valley-related issues, but the appearance with the developers also seems to provide an arena for him to discuss the resort’s vision for the future of the Snow Park base area. There are longstanding development rights attached to the land where the Snow Park parking lots are located and Deer Valley has taken steps toward a major project. There has been early resistance to certain aspects of the Snow Park concept, however.
Bennett could also address the current ski season, which has appeared to be solid across the community. Deer Valley this weekend is poised to launch a satellite parking operation with resort projections calling for full Snow Park parking lots on the weekends through early April.
Bennett and his counterpart at Park City Mountain have outsized influence in a community that is reliant on a tourism-driven economy. The fortunes of the Park City ski industry have broad ramifications for other sectors like lodging, restaurant, transportation and retail since the people headed to the community to ski oftentimes spend money in the other industries. The resorts also have a large impact on the local labor market as they are such large employers.
There will likely be interest in the comments from Columbus Pacific Development and EX Utah Development since the projects are substantial in size and are expected to have regional impacts in an area where growth-related issues like traffic and the loss of open space remain top concerns for people in Park City and surrounding Summit County.
The Leadership 101 event will also cover a diverse list of other issues that drive the community conversation and much of the controversy in the Park City area. Mayor Nann Worel, and Roger Armstrong, who is the chair of the Summit County Council, are scheduled to welcome the attendees with brief remarks followed by a presentation by Myles Rademan, the director of the Leadership Park City training program, about the history of Park City.
Another important presentation is designed to provide an update about the efforts to host a second Winter Olympics in the state, with the Park City area playing a key role in the bid. Calum Clark, a high-ranking official in the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, has been tapped to deliver the remarks about the bid. Salt Lake City is seen as a top contender for the Games of 2030 or those of four years later, and there has been consistent activity related to the bid over the past 12 months.
The Park City Board of Realtors is slated to provide insights into trends in the real estate market, the Park City Chamber/Bureau is scheduled to discuss sustainable tourism and a representative of the Park City School District has been asked to discuss the future of area schools.
Other topics on the Leadership 101 agenda include transportation, affordable housing, and waterworks and wastewater, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. Two development watchdogs are also on the roster of presenters.
“They’ll have a better idea of some of the major things going on” in the Park City area, Rademan said about people who attend Leadership 101, describing the day as providing a “snapshot” of the issues.
Leadership 101 is scheduled on Friday, Feb. 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Blair Education Center at Park City Hospital. Registration for the event costs $50 and includes lunch and refreshments. More information about the event and registration is available on the City Hall website, www.parkcity.org. The direct link is: https://www.parkcity.org/departments/leadership-park-city/leadership-101.