Congressman Blake Moore visited Summit County on Tuesday for a briefing about two crucial area initiatives that benefited from $26 million in federal funding the freshman Republican helped secure.
Moore met with members of the Summit County Council and county staffers, visiting locations associated with the county’s Weber River Watershed Resilience Project and High Valley Transit’s bus rapid transit plan along S.R. 224. The congressman helped bring $1 million and $25 million in funding to the respective projects.
“I thought it was a very good visit. I was happy for him to come,” County Councilor Glenn Wright said in a Thursday interview. “We really wanted to thank him. He did a nice job getting us some funding for several projects.”
The group first traveled to the Rockport Reservoir, an important Park City water supply,
to see Weber Basin Water Conservancy District operations and later went to a treatment plant near Promontory Ridge. The visit also included a stop to the Mountain Regional Water Special Service District’s operations on the West Side.
The stop allowed Moore, county staff and representatives from the water districts to tour the watershed and see key project sites essential for resiliency. Jessica Kirby, the county’s public lands manager, has been developing the fire mitigation and watershed restoration project.
The $1 million secured by the congressman helps create a fund for fuel reduction treatments that will aid the watershed in the event of a severe wildfire, which protects it as a source of drinking water.
“What he got us funding for is a forest health project that will hopefully prevent a debris flow into that part of the river,” Wright said.
He explained if a serious fire occurred, certain areas along the Weber River could be negatively impacted by debris flow that could lead to interruptions in service for significant periods. Wildfires could also lead to costly repairs. Wright referenced a 2018 fire in Duchesne County that led to a $28 million project to upgrade the treatment plant to ensure water is properly cleaned.
“[Debris flow] would really disrupt the water supply to the western part of Summit County, but it would also create some pollution issues for the Weber River in general,” he said.
The Weber River Watershed Resilience Project, which is a partnership between state and county agencies, local water districts, the U.S. Forest Service and nonprofits, is often praised for its collaboration.
Moore traveled to the future High Valley Transit District headquarters, which will be located near The Home Depot off U.S. 40.
Caroline Rodriguez, the executive director of High Valley Transit, and David Geffen, vice chair of the board of trustees, explained how the infrastructure would benefit the organization. The plans include constructing an 11,000-square-foot maintenance shop, an 18,000-square-foot administrative building and a 31,000-square-foot bus barn, with the price tag totaling an estimated $22 million.
The group later stopped at the Ecker Hill park-and-ride, where High Valley Transit operates out of a tent. The transit district will relocate before the ski season so the area can be used for parking.
They finished with a drive along S.R. 224 to see where High Valley Transit plans to construct designated lanes for public transportation. Moore played a key role in securing funding for the bus rapid transit project, in particular the $25 million the county received through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
“He’s a relatively conservative Republican and we don’t agree on a lot of national issues, but he has been very helpful on local issues for us. We have a high level of communication with his office,” said Wright, who is retiring as a county councilor and running as the Democratic candidate in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District.”
County staffers have also developed close relationships with those who work for Moore, which allows for a successful relationship moving forward, Wright said. He hopes Moore’s office has a better understanding of the issues Summit County faces after visiting. County Councilor Malena Stevens agrees.
“I hope that he learned throughout the visit how critical collaborating is on these issues. Regardless of how much of our county he represents, these issues really don’t have boundaries,” she said on Thursday. “I hope he’s able to continue working with his counterparts … and find other innovative ways to collaborate that benefit across jurisdictions.”