A zip code is now required for public comments in Park City

Do you have a 435 area code and an address that says Park City? That doesn’t mean you live in Park City.

Park City’s community boundaries are at McPolin Barn along State Route 224. This means that areas such as Canyons Village and Kimball Junction are not within the city but are part of unincorporated Summit County.

Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods are part of the Park City School District boundaries, but do not pay city taxes and cannot vote in city elections.

Park City Mayor Nann Worel referenced the confusion in her State of the City address in March when she spoke of the enthusiastic people who attended her offices.

“A lot of people who live in the Snyderville Basin and don’t know they don’t live in Park City have come to me wanting to know how to serve on a board or commission,” Worel said. “So the interest of our community is great, even greater than within our city limits.”

To help the Park City Council better identify residents who provide public feedback at meetings, the City Council will now ask people to provide their zip code before commenting.

Park City Manager Matt Dias said zip codes are an additional filter for the council, especially as the Wasatch Back continues to grow.

“We’re just trying to figure out where people are from and what their connection is,” Dias said. “There are instances where we have people who are making public comments and either they’re not based in Park City, they don’t work in Park City but they’re having a rest here, or it’s the opposite. And I think all this public contribution is valuable and appreciated. But just additional context on where the public input comes from and then how to filter it and possibly appropriately apply it to public policy making.

To read the full story, visit KPCW.org.

This article is published by the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of Utah news organizations whose goal is to educate readers across the state.