Kouri Richins, the Kamas mother of three who was convicted for killing her husband, Eric Richins, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday on what would have been his 44th birthday.

“Today may not bring my brother back. It does not restore the years his children lost with their father, the milestones he should have been here for or the life our family believed he still had ahead of them, but today does matter,” said Amy Richins, Eric’s sister, after the ruling. “Today, the court recognized that what happened to Eric Richins was not an accident, not unexplained and not something our family imagined.”

Friends and family members of Eric and Kouri addressed Third District Judge Richard Mrazik before he made a decision regarding the length of Kouri’s sentence, with Eric’s family and prosecutors angling for life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Meanwhile, Kouri’s defense attorneys and supporters advocated for a less restrictive sentence that would allow her to have a chance at release, emphasizing her love and commitment to her kids and her involvement in the local community before her arrest in 2023.

However, Kouri’s three children wrote letters to Mrazik as part of the sentencing proceedings to ask that he keep their mother behind bars, saying they were scared Kouri would show up to their school and take them away if she were released.

“I feel a lot better about myself now than I did with Kouri,” her youngest son said. “I want her to go to prison forever. If she got out, I would be so scared, really mad and I wouldn’t want to go with her anywhere.”

Her other sons expressed similar sentiments, with her middle child writing that Kouri “took away (his) dad for no reason other than greed” and that she “only cared about (herself) and (her) stupid boyfriends.” They also claimed Kouri was frequently drunk and detailed stories of neglect, including Kouri’s refusal to cook them dinner and decision to make them watch “videos of children starving” in war as a punishment when they complained.

“You were not playing the role as a real mother does,” one son said. “You were doing the opposite, and now my dad can’t be my coach anymore. … You have never said sorry for anything you have done to me and my brothers. I don’t want you to hurt anyone again.”

Eric’s sisters, Amy and Katie Richins-Benson, and his dad, Gene Richins, also addressed the judge, describing Eric as a friend, respected member of the local community and a dedicated father.

“Our family lost a man who represented the very best of what a person can be,” Gene said. “He worked hard to provide a beautiful life for his family. He gave them a home many would consider a dream. … He treated his wife with love every day, yet despite everything he gave, his life was taken from him, not by a stranger, but by a person he should have been able to trust.”

Eric’s family called Kouri’s crimes “calculated” and spoke about the stress Eric’s death, the trial and continued media scrutiny have caused. They also mourned the loss of Eric’s presence in his sons’ lives, saying they will never have their father at their graduations, weddings or standing on the sidelines cheering during a game.

“They are not bargaining chips,” Katie said. “They are not cash cows. They are not props for some twisted children’s book about grief and loss, yet that is what they have been reduced to by Kouri.”

Eric’s sisters said they were afraid for their own safety if Kouri were to be released, too. Katie said Kouri has “demonized and vilified” her constantly since Eric’s death and that a letter Kouri wrote in jail indicated that Katie and her minor daughters are “in (her) crosshairs.”

“I worry about the safety of Eric’s boys, my daughters, my sister and myself,” Katie said. “I am not the only one that is afraid. … Please do not create a possibility for Kouri to endanger Eric’s boys.”

Family members speaking on Kouri’s behalf were similarly attempting to sway the judge in their favor regarding her sentencing, with Kouri’s defense attorneys insisting she was “committed to rehabilitation.” Her attorneys also likened a life sentence without parole to being “treated as a death row inmate,” saying Kouri would have fewer opportunities to participate in meaningful programming at the prison because the prison prioritizes inmates who will be released.

Her attorneys read a statement from Lisa Darden, Kouri’s mother, who emphasized Kouri’s love for her kids and said “her commitment to Eric’s family was genuine and enduring.” She mentioned service projects Kouri had participated in before her arrest, including volunteer work at a food bank and a donation of 100 snow boots to a local elementary school, as well as her dedication to continuing her education while incarcerated.

“Kouri is more than the worst day of her life. She is a mother who has devoted herself to her children since the day they were born,” Darden said. “Kouri has always viewed her greatest accomplishment as her family.”

Renee Odom, Kouri’s sister, said the court case has devastated the Darden family as well as the Richins family.

“Kouri has always been the glue that holds our family together,” Odom said. “Most of all, she loved her husband and her children. … The impact of this tragedy will remain with Kouri and her children for the rest of their lives.”

Kouri’s family members said they didn’t want to diminish Eric’s death, but they urged Mrazik to think of Kouri “in totality.” They said they wanted the door to remain open for Kouri’s children to contact their mother in the future if they wish and that a sentence without the possibility of parole was too harsh.

“The woman I know is compassionate, intelligent, nurturing and deeply human,” Doreen Kouri, her aunt, wrote in a statement to the court. “I do not believe she is beyond redemption. I believe there is still goodness in her. … I ask for mercy. I ask for compassion.”

Kouri’s defense attorneys also read a number of anonymous letters to Mrazik, saying the supporters who authored them were willing to identify themselves to the judge but did not want to be in the public spotlight. The packet of letters also included statements from volunteers at the jail, who said Kouri often serves as a “peacemaker” and a leader for other inmates, offering assistance and emotional support to those who are struggling with their incarceration.

Her attorneys pushed back against prosecutors’ request for a life sentence without parole, bringing statements from a former prosecutor and a woman whose son was murdered to convince the judge of the importance of rehabilitation.

Most notably, Emery Blanchard, whose father killed her mother when she was a child, also appeared in court to make a statement, drawing parallels between her own case and the situation Kouri’s children are in now. She said she had been angry with her father for killing her mother but that she wanted to reconnect with him as an adult.

“He was still my dad, and I still needed him,” Blanchard said. “No amount of time served ever made this situation right. … I’m offering that hearts and feelings can change over the years.”

Kouri also addressed the judge shortly before he made his decision, speaking for approximately 30 minutes as she read a letter she’d written to her three children. She said her sentencing hearing was her only venue to reach the boys because her calls and letters have been blocked by their current caretakers.

She maintained her innocence throughout her speech, which was largely a list of life advice for her kids. However, she also used the opportunity to express her displeasure with the trial, telling her kids that she was sorry a jury determined the future of their family in less than three hours.

“I’m still in shock. I’m still in disbelief,” Kouri said. “Accused and now convicted of such a heinous crime, potentially causing me to never see you boys again. … I will and have always prioritized your safety. I am your mother. That is my job. For anyone to scare you otherwise is just cruel and heartless.”

Mrazik said he was in a difficult position as the judge because Kouri’s children might resent the justice system if he chose a life sentence and they wanted to reconnect as adults. On the other hand, he said, the children might wonder why the justice system failed them if Kouri were released and the boys still didn’t want her in their lives.

“It is simply not possible for anyone, not even those young men, to know how their view of this case may evolve over the next several decades,” Mrazik said.

However, Mrazik said the safety of Kouri’s children and the Richins family was the most important factor in making his decision. He ultimately sentenced Kouri to life in prison without parole, saying that she “is simply too dangerous to ever be free” because Eric’s death was seemingly for financial gain.

Kouri has indicated she plans to file an appeal.

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A Summit County jury on Monday evening found Kouri Richins guilty of killing her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022.

The jury also found the Kamas mother guilty of the four other crimes of which she was accused: attempted murder, a first-degree felony; two counts of insurance fraud, second-degree felonies; and forgery, a third-degree felony.

Summit County prosecutors accused Kouri of killing Eric by poisoning a Moscow Mule on March 3, 2022, and attempting to do so weeks earlier with a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine’s Day. They also detailed a fraudulent scheme to take out a life insurance policy on Eric in January 2022, as well as forging his signature to obtain it, and then claiming the insurance knowing it contained false information. 

Defense attorneys, meanwhile, argued there were too many unanswered questions about the case, such as whether Kouri actually purchased fentanyl or how Eric ingested it, and that prosecutors failed to provide enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The jury began deliberating just before 3 p.m. following each side’s closing arguments and continued for about three hours. 

Around 6:30 p.m., Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik invited the jury back into the courtroom. Twelve jurors listened to three weeks of testimony, but four of them served as alternates and did not participate in the deliberation. The remaining eight jurors were six men and two women.

Kouri and her defense team stood as they waited for the verdict to be read. She was breathing heavily and ultimately lowered her head as Mrazik read the guilty verdict.

The Richins family, including Eric’s father, Gene Richins, and his sisters, Amy Richins and Katie Richins Benson, were present for the verdict, as well as Cody Wright, Eric’s best friend and business partner. They displayed quiet emotion and appeared relieved as Mrazik read the jury’s decision.

A few friends and family of Kouri, including her mother, Lisa Darden, were also present in the courtroom for the verdict.

Kouri has been held in the Summit County jail since her arrest on May 8, 2023. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained her innocence over the past four years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 13. Kouri faces 25 years to life in prison. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.

The trial was initially expected to last five weeks, until March 27. 

The Summit County Attorney’s Office rested its case on Thursday after calling about 40 witnesses to testify and presenting a range of evidence. Defense attorneys initially indicated they would call their own witnesses, but rested their case without doing so shortly after the prosecution finished. The attorneys met on Friday to discuss jury instructions and returned to Third District Court on Monday to deliver closing arguments. 

Mrazik reminded the jury not to be influenced by public opinion, sympathies or biases — and instead advised them only to consider the evidence. He also encouraged the jurors to discuss all the evidence first and then to consider it with an open mind.

The prosecution’s evidence had to leave the jury convinced that Kouri is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for such a verdict to be returned. If the jury was not convinced, or only partially convinced, they were required to give Kouri the benefit of the doubt and find her not guilty. 

Each charge included a set of elements that had to be met for the jury to reach a guilty verdict. 

For example, in aggravated murder, jurors had to find that Kouri intentionally or knowingly caused the death of her husband for monetary gain and/or by administering a substance in a lethal dose to find her guilty of aggravated murder. 

Carefully curated facade

Chief Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told the jury during the state’s closing argument that Kouri crafted an image as a privileged, affluent, successful business owner but that she was incompetent behind the facade. Bloodworth said Kouri was unhappy in her marriage and wanted to leave her husband but that she didn’t want to leave his money.

Prosecutors described how Kouri “gambled other people’s money and lost,” before her business imploded around October 2021. Bloodworth characterized Kouri as a risk-taker who thought her only way forward was for Eric to die. 

Bloodworth detailed each charge and how the prosecutors’ evidence and testimony supported the case, saying Kouri had the means (illicit street drugs containing fentanyl), the motive (financial gain and a desire for a fresh start), as well as the opportunity to end her husband’s life.

He cited testimony provided by Becky Lloyd, a friend of Kouri who worked for C&E Stone Masonry, Eric’s business, who said Kouri told her in December 2021 that it would be better if Eric were dead. Kouri also texted with Josh Grossmann, a handyman with whom she was having an affair, about how Eric needed to go away shortly before his death. 

In January 2022, Bloodworth said Kouri attempted to make herself the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and she asked two people to purchase drugs for her the following month.

Prosecutors reminded the jury about digital forensic evidence that corroborates testimony provided by Carmen Lauber, a former housekeeper employed by Kouri, about setting up drug deals at Kouri’s request, including cell tower mapping and text messages from that time. 

Bloodworth cited a journal entry Kouri wrote about celebrating a business deal with Eric on March 3, 2022, with a Moscow Mule and a lemon drop shot. He noted testimony from the toxicology report and employees with the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner who agreed that Eric ingested a large amount of fentanyl orally. There was also an antipsychotic medication for which Kouri had a prescription found in his body at the time of death.

Prosecutors then described a series of cover-up attempts and inconsistencies between what Kouri told investigators and the evidence. For example, Kouri texted her best friend, saying she tried hard to save Eric. However, a 911 call from the morning of March 4, 2022, showed it took about six minutes for CPR to start after it was suggested by a dispatcher. 

Bloodworth also noted that Kouri planned financial moves for after Eric’s death, including closing on a multimillion-dollar home in Midway despite her business being $1.6 million in debt. She started receiving life insurance payouts in June 2022. 

The prosecutor also said he observed Kouri as only showing emotion when testimony “pierced her facade” and caused a “narcissistic injury.”

‘Paper-thin evidence’

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis was critical of the investigation into Kouri, saying it was “nothing but sloppy” and driven by bias from the Richins family. She said the prosecutors provided speculation but not proof, adding they found evidence supporting their theory that Kouri killed her husband and ignored any evidence contradicting that sentiment. 

Lewis said when Kouri found Eric dead, her “world collapsed” despite suggestions from prosecutors that Kouri did not mourn the loss. 

“They want you to look at a woman in the worst moment of her life and judge her grief,” she told the jury. “They’re asking you to judge how she is acting at that moment and then use that moment as evidence of guilt.”

The defense argued the Richins family tainted the investigation by hiring a private investigator who may have influenced people to consider Kouri as a suspect. Lewis noted law enforcement went back to the Richins home 10 times between March 4, 2022, and Feb. 9, 2026. The defense was also critical of Lauber’s testimony, saying she is not a truthful person and might be willing to say anything to avoid jail.

“Four years of investigation, and they are still trying to find evidence to make their case because they don’t have enough,” she said.

Lewis emphasized the importance of reasonable doubt and asked the jury to consider other reasonable explanations for what happened. She said if they find some, that means Kouri is not guilty. 

For example, if Kouri purchased pain pills for Eric at his request and he was accidentally given fentanyl, then she should not be found guilty of aggravated murder because it was not intentional.

Lewis said if the jury thinks Kouri “might have,” “likely” or “probably” killed her husband, that does not reach the extraordinary proof needed to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

However, Bloodworth had the final word.

“There is no other rational explanation for the evidence,” Bloodworth said. “And despite all the evidence, Kouri Richins doubles down and blames Eric. She is intensely ambitious. See through her facade. Check her ambition. Do not let her get away with murder.”

Ultimately, the jury found that the prosecutors did prove their case.

Neither the prosecution nor the defense was immediately available for comment after the verdict.

Defense attorneys have not indicated whether they will file an appeal, which must be done within 30 days of the sentencing order.

In June 2025, the Summit County Attorney’s Office filed a separate criminal case against Kouri stemming from financial crimes, including five counts of mortgage fraud, five counts of forgery, seven counts of issuing a bad check, seven counts of money laundering, one count of communications fraud and one count of a pattern of unlawful activity. A trial date has not been set in that case.

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Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado.

The Sundance Institute’s announcement on Thursday ended nearly a year of speculation about whether its annual independent film festival will remain in Utah.

“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival. During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute board chair in a press release. “We have a profound appreciation for the finalist cities and their communities — including Boulder, Colorado, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, Utah — who presented overwhelmingly strong proposals and dedicated their time, passion, and commitment every step of the way. We have deep respect and gratitude to these communities for their hard work and partnership throughout the past year. Additionally, we sincerely value the steadfast support from our staff and board as we have ventured on this exploration together.” 

Sundance first sent out a request for information and a request for proposal on April 17, 2024, so it could mull over possible locations throughout the United States that would host the festival, starting in 2027 after its current contract with Park City runs out next year.

Three months later, Sundance narrowed the field to six locations.

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Boulder, Colorado
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Park City/Salt Lake City, Utah
• Santa Fe, New Mexico

Of those, three — Boulder, Cincinnati and Park City/Salt Lake City — made the finals.

“We want people to remember that we still have this year and next year in the current structure,” Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez said in January.

Park City will undoubtedly see a drop in what the festival brought economically, but it will also feel a loss in its contribution to the local arts and culture scene, according to three local residents — award-winning Park City-based filmmaker Jill Orschel, Park City Film Executive Director Katharine Wang and Rick Brough, former Park Record and KPCW reporter.

Orschel, who has attended 34 Sundance Film Festivals, said the 11-day event is the “soul” of this mountain town.

“Looking at things as a community member, I know that Sundance has always been about valuing art, culture and the humanities here,” she said. “It’s something that we have made a priority, which is to say that it’s about being open to stories by others who may be different that can shed a light on fresh perspectives of existing peacefully in our world. I can’t think of anything more important now than the need for this.”

Wang agreed with Orschel about the Sundance Film Festival’s impact.

“Sundance is so much a part of the fabric of Park City, and it is hard to imagine what our town would be like without it,” she said.

Wang also credited the Sundance Film Festival as a critical element in the origin story of Park City Film, the local art house nonprofit, more than 30 years ago, because people wanted to see Sundance films outside of the festival.

“You see a film during Sundance and it pushes your boundaries, and you’re exposed to stories from all over the world and across the spectrum and different genres,” she said. “These are not films you would see at a Metroplex, and that’s what’s so exciting. And what it does for Park City Film is create a community that is willing to be challenged.”

Brough, who has covered the Sundance Film Festival since 1981 when it was known as the U.S. Film and Video Festival, said he has seen how the festival impacts the filmmaking community and the Academy Awards.

“(This is evident) in just the recent Oscar results when Best Supporting Actor was Kieran Culkin (from Jesse Eisenberg’s) ‘A Real Pain,’ which was a Sundance Film,” he said. “I have a list of other Oscar Winners in the past 20 years that include Alan Arkin who won for ‘Little Miss Sunshine,’ which played at Sundance, and Sir Anthony Hopkins who won for a picture called ‘The Father,’ which also premiered at Sundance. So, Sundance gives people a chance to see films (and actors) before they make their mark at the Oscars.”

Back in 2021, a film called “CODA” by Sian Heder, a coming-of-age feature about the challenges of being a child with deaf parents, won Best Picture, Brough said.

“That was the first time a movie that premiered at Sundance won Best Picture,” he said.

Troy Kotsur, who played the father in “CODA,” also won Best Supporting Actor, and became the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar for acting.

“With these things in mind, the fate of Sundance ties into these broader questions like ‘Do movies matter anymore?’ or ‘Do movies at film festivals matter anymore?’” Brough said. “I think this shows they do.”

Sundance made its mark on Orschel in a couple of ways.

“I was a staff photographer and contracted photographer for Sundance Labs for about 18 years,” she said. “I got to be a part of that community, and that was a huge part of my growth as an artist. Not only was I able to capture moments of creativity and inspiration. I was also able to be part of that family. And that helped me realize that I could make films, too.”

Orschel’s debut short film, “Sister Wife,” which she made in 2008 with another Parkite, Alexandra Fuller, at the time, premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win Best Documentary Short at the Durango Film Festival and the South by Southwest’s Wholphin Award for Best Short.

That film led her to her new feature-length documentary “Snowland,” which she took on the festival circuit.

“Sundance has always been my inspiration, and even though I didn’t get into Sundance with this film, I still value Sundance for being the star, the guiding light,” she said. “Sundance has always asked, ‘What is the story that lives in you?’ All of that has inspired me to work on my films.”

Wang uses Sundance as a measuring stick when it comes to programming Park City Film Screenings.

Some of the films are culled from past Sundance Film Festivals, and others that aren’t still share the same independent-film aesthetic.

“We program a little bit closer to the middle, because we’re not going to be so boundary-pushing as some of the Sundance films,” she said. “But that still enables us to show films from all over the world that are at the top of their game in terms of artistry in cinema.”

The opportunity to watch documentaries and foreign films in a little resort town takes visitors and new residents by surprise, Wang said.

“We hear people time and again say, ‘We did not expect to watch this movie in a small ski town’ or ‘This is what I would see in L.A.’ or ‘This is what I would see in New York at the Film Forum or the Accolade (Global Film Competition) in L.A,’” she said. “There are so many films that cross the spectrum of ideas, movements, cultures and histories that we would not be exposed to otherwise.”

Some of the Sundance films never make it to theaters, and not having Sundance in town will show that loss, Wang said.

“These films are here in the moment, and I think people will start to digress to the norm or the medium, because they are not being pushed or exposed to the conversations Sundance brings in,” she said.

Orschel also loves how Sundance’s slate of independent films challenges and enlightens audiences.

“Years ago Bob Redford was up at the Egyptian Theatre trying to give away tickets and urge people to see films that were made outside the studio system,” she said. “Those films wouldn’t be able to be made through studios because they were so daring, brave and outside the box. True art has that distinctive point of view, and Sundance is fiercely trying to do that.”

In addition to communal screenings and discussions among film-goers, the Sundance Film Festival offered an array of panel discussions, which brought filmmakers and actors to the audiences.

“I saw Taika Waititi at a Sundance panel of independent filmmakers who have gone on to make blockbuster films, and they all talked about how they infused the indie-film sensibilities and the things that were important to them, their communities and cultures,” Wang said. “Taika is famous for bringing in Maori actors from his indie films into his blockbuster Marvel films, because they are amazing actors and need someone to be their champion. You hear these amazing panels when the spotlight is on our community for two weeks.”

Not only do these discussions engage adults, they also reach the youths, who have access to Sundance Film Festival programming through Park City High School, according to Wang.

“They may make these students feel they’ve been seen and heard or even make them think maybe how they could become storytellers themselves,” she said. “It’s such a gift to have that type of access to Sundance. It’s hard to imagine Park City without Sundance.”

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The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association announced they will return to work Thursday following a 100% ratification vote on their new contract that will last through April 2027. 

“This puts an end to this historic strike at the largest ski resort in the U.S.,” the union said on Wednesday. “Tomorrow … we are excited to return to work! This is more than just a win for our unit, it is a great success for everyone in the ski and mountain industry. This is a clear example of what can be achieved when workers stand together and fight for what we deserve.” 

Bill Rock, president of the mountain division at Vail Resorts, said that the agreement remains within the current wage structure across all of Vail Resorts patrol units. 

“Park City Mountain has reached an agreement with the Park City ski patrol union that is consistent with our company’s wage structure for all patrollers, non-unionized and unionized, while accounting for the unique terrain and avalanche complexity of Park City Mountain. We look forward to welcoming back the Park City Mountain patrollers in the coming days and moving forward together as one team,” said Rock. 

The union also expressed gratitude and appreciation for community support throughout the strike. 

“We are proud. We are grateful. We are united,” said the union.

The union said their new contract addresses the unit’s primary concerns, including:

• Raising the floor: The starting wage for all entry-level patrollers and mountain safety personnel has been increased by $2 per hour, ensuring better compensation for new hires.
• Addressing wage compression: Tenured patrollers, whose experience and skills are invaluable, will see substantial increases. The average wage increase across the unit is $4 per hour, with some of the most experienced roles, such as snow safety specialists, receiving an average increase of $7.75 per hour.
• Improved benefits: The contract includes enhanced parental leave policies and industry-leading educational opportunities, reflecting the value of work-life balance and professional development.
• Incentivized retention and career growth: Secured a restructured wage scale designed to encourage long-term career growth and ensure the retention of highly skilled patrollers.
• Wage parity with non-unionized Vail Resorts.

“The union looks forward to fostering a productive and collaborative relationship with Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts in the future,” said union leaders on Wednesday.

Having addressed community concerns surrounding the work stoppage Monday, Mayor Nann Worel expressed hope and gratitude for the conclusion of the strike and the ratification of the latest contract on Wednesday.

“Today, we thank and applaud Vail Resorts and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association for their mutual commitment to addressing workers’ concerns and finding a solution that supports our local economy and resort operations. The council and I are relieved and grateful for the strike’s resolution. This challenging time has highlighted the power of civility and mutual respect in overcoming our issues. We recognize and appreciate the hard work of everyone involved, especially the local resort leadership team, in bringing this to a successful conclusion,” said Worel.

Rock announced the agreement in a long letter Wednesday night to Vail Resorts employees praising them all for their work during the holiday peak season across the company’s 42 ski resorts.

“I know it’s difficult to see conflict within our own team,” he wrote. “We remain committed to continually investing in the employee experience — not just for one team, but for all 55,000 employees who we are grateful to have at Vail Resorts.” 

This is a developing article. It will be updated.

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Park City Mountain announced Tuesday night that they reached an agreement with Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association on their renewed contract, ending the union’s strike that began on Dec. 27.

In a joint statement posted to the Park City Mountain Instagram, the resort announced that this contract will hold through April 2027, following ratification by the union to conclude on Wednesday.

“Park City Mountain and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association are pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement through April 2027. The union’s bargaining committee is unanimously endorsing ratification by its unit with a vote scheduled to take place on Jan. 8. The tentative agreement addresses both parties’ interests and will end the current strike. Everyone looks forward to restoring normal resort operations and moving forward together as one team. Until contract ratification, neither party will be accepting media requests,” said the statement.

The post Ski patrol strike ends appeared first on Park Record.

The Summit County Council on Wednesday approved an amended development agreement, paving the way for Dakota Pacific Real Estate to build 725 units as part of a mixed-use project in Kimball Junction.

Members voted 4 to 1 in favor of the development after a more than two-hour discussion. County Councilor Roger Armstrong was the dissenting vote.

“The four people around me, to the extent that they vote for it, are taking a bullet for the community. They are doing something that I believe is distasteful to them. … I believe if there wasn’t that legislative solution that could come to pass, that it would have been a very different discussion,” Armstrong said when explaining his decision. “They are looking out for your interests.”

The vote marks a pivotal moment in the controversial saga that began in 2019, when Dakota Pacific submitted an application to rezone the area near the Park City Tech Center to allow for residential housing and commercial development. Under the original 2008 agreement, construction was restricted primarily to tech and research-related buildings.

Members of the County Council first reviewed the application in the fall of 2020, and planned to vote on the project in 2021. However, the decision faced years of delays due to widespread community opposition and ongoing concerns about the proposal.

In January, the County Council signaled its intention to resolve the debate this year — culminating in the decision this week.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated.

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For more than 45 years, the Sundance Film Festival has called Park City home.

Founded by Robert Redford in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival, it has served as a vibrant platform for independent filmmaking and introducing unique voices.

In 2027, the Sundance Institute‘s contract to host the festival in town goes up for renewal, so the nonprofit is announcing a formal Request for Information to explore possible viable locations in Utah and the United States that may host the 10-day event beginning that year.

Any location interested in hosting future Sundance Film Festivals can submit RFIs from today through May 1, and Eugene Hernandez, festival director and director of public programming, said this process is to make sure Sundance has covered all of its options to secure the festival’s future.

“Our aim is to continue to do the work that the festival has been doing for the last 40-plus years, and this process we’re embarking on is just a part of that work,” he said. “We have an obligation and responsibility, and thinking about that responsibility, this feels like the right thing to do.”

“We appreciate our partnership with Sundance, and we want the festival to remain here for another 40 years,” Park City Mayor Nann Worel said as part of a longer statement. “We will not be alone in the effort to ensure that Utah remains host to diverse new voices from around the globe. With gratitude to the thousands of volunteers, our dedicated workforce, our residents, and the passion of our visitor and resident film lovers — we will work collaboratively with all our state and local partners on next steps.”

Interested parties can submit RFIs to proposal@sundance.org.

The RFI is the first step in a comprehensive selection process that will help Sundance collect logistical information from these locations before it makes any kind of decision regarding a future home, and issuing a Request for Information does not mean Sundance will immediately uproot and move within the next few months, Hernandez said.

“This is about 2027 and beyond,” he said. “It’s about the long term viability and sustainability of the festival and support of the artists, which we have done more than four decades.”

As the contract stands, the next two Sundance Film Festivals will still be held in Park City, with the 2025 event running from Jan. 23-Feb. 2, Hernandez said.

“Nothing will change for the next couple of years, because this is about 2027 and beyond,” he said. “We’re already planning and are fully engaged in the work of the 2025 festival. And the minute the 2025 festival ends, we’ll start planning the 2026 festival.”

“When the Sundance Film Festival first came to Park City in 1985, it was buoyed by a tightknit and passionate group of individuals who worked together to provide a voice for independent storytellers that became impactful beyond anyone’s imagination,” Worel said. “The same could be said about Park City. Forty years ago, we were just starting to realize what this place could become. As Sundance grew, so did we — into a world-class mountain town that welcomes the world year-round.”

Park City officials said they would have nothing more to say outside the statement for the meantime. 

Hernandez, who became the Sundance Film Festival’s fourth director in 2022, first attended the Sundance Film Festival in 1993 as a festival goer, and he feels an acute responsibility to maintain its mission of creating a platform for independent artists to showcase their work.

“To continue to create a space for discovery is something I take very  personally and very seriously, because the Sundance Film Festival means so much to me, and it has shaped me to who I am personally and professionally,” he said.

Hernandez also holds a special place in his heart for Park City, because of its connection to the festival.

“Seeing the mountains and the snow really grounds you, because you know you’re in one of the most beautiful places in the country,” he said. “I also know the legacy is important, and I hope Utah will join us on this journey as we evaluate the future of this festival.”

Once Sundance reviews the RFIs, the cities and towns who have met a list of criteria will be invited to participate in a Request for Proposal process that will run from May 7 to June 21, which will give Sundance the opportunity to review, evaluate and consider the best options that can build on the festival’s legacy of serving the global independent community and its audiences, according to Hernandez.

“This is a natural part of our work, so it’s important to really be mindful of the obligation we have to the festival and the work of the festival,” he said. “And when I think about audiences, I have always felt the audiences that show up each year are always, without question, so open and so warm to the notion of discovery. Whether it’s a screening at nine in the morning at Prospector Theatre or a prime-time screening at the Eccles Theatre or a midnight screening at the Egyptian Theatre, Park City has great audiences who show up open, curious and excited to welcome filmmakers, who are many times walking on stage for the very first time.”

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Park City Councilor Ryan Dickey was the first-place finisher in the City Hall election on Tuesday, outdistancing the field by hundreds of votes, according to preliminary results released around 9 p.m.

Dickey received 1,621 votes and appears almost certain to have won a first full term on the city council. Ed Parigian, with 1,196 votes, also appears likely to have earned a seat while Bill Ciraco, with 1,055 votes, seems to have taken the third city council seat. 

The other candidates were:

• Bob Sertner, with 969 votes
• Matthew Nagie, with 891 votes
• John Greenfield, with 481 votes

Park City voters, meanwhile, rejected a ballot measure to fund recreation facilities, according to preliminary results. There were 1,308 votes against the bond while 1,042 voted in favor of it. Turnout in Park City was around 45%.

The count on Tuesday night did not include ballots cast in person on the day of the election or ballots left in drop boxes after 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The numbers also did not include ballots that had not yet arrived at the County Courthouse but carried a Nov. 20 postmark or earlier as well as overseas votes.

The post Park City Election Night preliminary results are in: Dickey wins full first term, recreation bond appears to fail appeared first on Park Record.

Park City Mountain on Friday said it would open two days prior to the scheduled date, indicating the recent snow and temperatures cold enough for snowmaking operations made the early launch of the ski season possible.

The resort said it will open on Wednesday rather than Friday, which in August had been announced as the first day of the ski season. Park City Mountain said the opening next week would mark the earliest opening date since 1996, when the resort was under prior ownership.

Park City Mountain said it intends to operate lifts on the Park City side and the Canyons Village side of the resort on opening day, giving skiers and snowboarders options at both base areas. According to the Friday statement, the Payday Express and First Time lifts would be open on the Park City side. The Saddleback Express and Over and Out lifts, as well as the Red Pine Gondola, would be operating on the Canyons Village side, the resort said. The Cabriolet on the Canyons Village side, which takes people from the parking lot to the center of the base area, will also open.

The statement said Park City Mountain has received more than 81 inches of snow recently. The snowmaking operations added to the natural snow.

“When it comes to skiing and riding, we know every day on the mountain counts, and we are excited to welcome guests back earlier than planned for the 2022/23 winter season,” Deirdra Walsh, the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain, said in a prepared statement, indicating she is grateful to the staffers at the resort.

The snowmaking operations will continue after opening day and more terrain is expected to open within weeks. A timeline is dependent on snow conditions.

The earlier opening day will begin a ski season at Park City Mountain that will be closely watched by skiers, snowboarders and the wider community. Park City Mountain will introduce measures designed to better manage crowds after widespread complaints about the operations during the 2021-2022 ski season.

Park City Mountain, notably, will introduce a paid-parking system on the Park City side of the resort this ski season. Parking reservations as part of the paid system are not required for people headed to the Park City side on Wednesday and Thursday. They will be required starting on Friday, the original planned opening date. Park City Mountain this week started to accept reservation sign-ups for people planning to park on the Park City side between Nov. 18 and Dec. 11.

Park City Mountain owner Vail Resorts will also limit daily lift-ticket sales across the firm’s mountains, another step meant to better manage crowds.

The 26 years that have passed since the 1996 opening day have witnessed extraordinary change and growth at Park City Mountain, including the 2002 Winter Olympics, the end of the America’s Opening ski races, the sale of Park City Mountain to Vail Resorts and the linking of what was Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain into a single resort.

Deer Valley Resort is scheduled to start its ski season on Dec. 3.

The post Park City Mountain, enjoying snow and cold temps, moves up opening day appeared first on Park Record.

Park City Mountain Resort parent company Vail Resorts said on Thursday it filed an appeal of a contentious Park City Planning Commission decision preventing upgrades to the Silverlode Express and Eagle lifts.

The appeal was filed in 3^rd District Court at Silver Summit on Wednesday, according to Sara Huey, a spokesperson for PCMR. 

The filing comes nearly one month after the Planning Commission voted 3-1 in favor of four Park City residents who filed an appeal of an administrative conditional-use permit for lift improvements granted by City Hall staffers. Deirdra Walsh, the vice president and chief operating officer at PCMR, said in a statement at the time she was disappointed, confused and concerned by the decision. 

“The City Planning Director made the right decision to issue this permit, supported by her extensive, four-month-long analysis and the advice of three outside experts. There is no evidence that she made a mistake, and we believe her decision will be upheld in this next step in the process,” a prepared statement provided by Huey said.

Clayton Scrivner, Park City’s communications manager, could not comment on the appeal. He said the city had not seen the appeal by midday Thursday.

The group that filed the appeal – Clive Bush, Angela Moschetta, Deborah Rentfrow and Mark Stemler – argued the city’s Planning Department shouldn’t have accepted PCMR’s proposed upgrades because the application didn’t meet the necessary criteria for a staff-level approval. They also said the upgrades would exceed PCMR’s comfortable carrying capacity, which is an important metric used in the ski industry to determine the number of people a resort can accommodate, and claimed the parking mitigation plan – and several other conditions of the approval – were inadequate.

PCMR responded during several Planning Commission meetings, but the explanation didn’t ease concerns. The panel voted against the lift-upgrade project as the majority agreed the application didn’t meet the requirements for a staff-level approval. 

Planning Commissioners Laura Suesser and John Kenworthy explained they saw the resort’s proposal as inconsistent with a 1998 development agreement between PCMR and City Hall. The agreement outlines growth at the resort base and states lift upgrades should be reviewed administratively if six criteria are met, rather than through the typical Planning Commission process.

The Planning Commission also rejected PCMR’s requests to split the review of the two lift proposals, which effectively stopped any construction this summer.

“While we disagreed with the outcome, we respect the right of four residents to appeal the Planning Director’s decision and likewise we have the right to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision,” PCMR’s statement said. “In parallel with this appeal, we, of course, remain committed to working with the City to explore options to ensure that the resort moves forward with these important replacements of equipment that was installed many decades ago.”

The upgrade project would have replaced the current Eagle and Eaglet lifts with a high-speed, six-person detachable lift. The resort also wanted to upgrade Silverlode Express from a six-person to an eight-person, high-speed lift, which would have made it Vail Resorts’ first chair of its kind in North America.

PCMR also planned to introduce a paid-parking system for the upcoming ski season to address traffic and overcrowding, which was publicized amid the early talks with City Hall about the proposed lift work. Huey said on Thursday the resort is still crafting plans for parking operations.

The post Vail Resorts appeals decision on PCMR lift upgrade (updated) appeared first on Park Record.