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Show A-2 The Park Record Continued from A-1 The Park Record. Serving Summit County since 1880 The Park Record, Park City’s No. 1 source for local news, opinion and advertising, is available for home delivery in Summit, Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties. Single copies are also available at 116 locations throughout Park City, Heber City, Summit County and Salt Lake City. SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Summit County (home delivery): $56 per year (includes Sunday editions of The Salt Lake Tribune) Outside Summit County (home delivery available in Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties; all other addresses will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service): $80 per year To subscribe please call 435–649– 9014 or visit www.parkrecord.com and click the Subscribe link in the Reader Tools section of the toolbar at the bottom of the page. To report a missing paper, please call 801–204–6100. Same-day redelivery is possible if you call during the following hours: * Weekdays: 6:30–8 a.m. * Saturday: 7–8 a.m. * Sunday: 7–10:30 a.m. To request a vacation hold or change of address, please call 435–649–9014 or email: circulation@parkrecord.com THE NEWSROOM To contact the newsroom, please call 435–649–9014 or email editor@parkrecord.com For display advertising, please call a sales representative at 435–649– 9014 or email val@parkrecord.com To place a classified ad, please call 435–649–9014 or email classads@parkrecord.com Legislator readies bills Greenbelt Act. The act allows qualifying agricultural property to be taxed based upon its productive capability instead of the market value. He said it did not pass last year because it required more exploration. “When someone puts their property on a conservation easement, they can still apply for Greenbelt,” he said. “But, what has happened is some of the practices have changed over time. We are trying to say you can still use that for intended purposes of agriculture, but you have to remove production for a certain amount of time to meet the requirements of the county.” Wilde sponsored three bills last year, but only one was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert. The bill removed regulations for reporting moderate-incoming housing for counties and cities. The state requires cities and counties to produce a report every two years on how the entities are mitigating costs for moderate-incoming housing, which includes homes ranging between $80,000 and $200,000. “What this did was it said we are going to update those studies and put restrictions on mandating those to get us clear information so we can understand the problems better,” he said. When it comes to the county’s interests, Wilde acknowledged the importance that has been placed on air and water quality, transportation and affordable housing. He said the best he can do is continue to support local elected leaders’ in their efforts to address those matters. “Summit County’s air quality is pret- Continued from A-1 Building listed For questions about your bill, please call 435–649–9014 or email accounts@parkrecord.com The Park Record online is available at www.parkrecord.com and contains all of the news and feature stories in the latest edition plus breaking news updates. The Record’s website also hosts interactive entertainment, restaurant and lodging listings and multimedia features. Contents of The Park Record are Copyrighted 2015, Wasatch Mountain News Media Co. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the managing editor or publisher. The Park Record (USPS 378-730) (ISSN 0745-9483) is published twice weekly by Wasatch Mountain News Media Co., 1670 Bonanza Drive, Park City, UT 84060. Periodicals postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, 84199-9655 and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Park Record, P.O. Box 3688, Park City, UT84060. Entered as second-class matter, May 25, 1977, at the Post Office in Park City, Utah, 84060 under the Act of March 3, 1897. Subscription rates are: $56 within Summit county, $80 outside of Summit County, Utah. Subscriptions are transferable: $5 cancellation fee. Phone: 435–649–9014 Fax: 435–649–4942 Email: circulation@parkrecord.com Published every Wednesday and Saturday open market. The same building was listed for just more than $8.2 million in 2013. Holiday Village is one of Park City’s prominent commercial developments, occupying a high-traffic location just off the intersection of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard. Tim Anker, a commercial real estate broker in Park City, was the listing agent when the building sold to the current owner in 2015 but is not involved in the current sale process. Anker said the building offers a desirable spot for a commercial property along the two Continued from A-1 A new law, an old fear hope is that people will take driving impaired more seriously and make the decision not to get behind the wheel and utilize different options to get home safety.” The Utah Highway Patrol saw a reduction in DUI arrests from 46 to 29 between Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 compared to that same time period in 2017-2018. One of the Utah Highway Patrol’s arrests took place in Summit County, resulting in the driver being one of four people booked into the Summit County Jail on suspicion of DUI. His blood-alcohol concentration registered 0.059. The other drivers arrest- Direct Importer of the World’s Finest Rugs A t t h e H i s t o r i c Vi l l a T h e a t r e 3092 So. Highland Dr., Salt Lake City (801)484-6364 888.445.RUGS (7847) Mon.-Sat. 10 am to 6 pm ty good,” he said. “I kind of have to step back and let the counties that are struggling implement laws and look to other legislators to figure out what the right policies are and support them if it makes sense.” He said issues such as transportation and affordable housing, though, are primarily local matters that are not “driven by the top down, but rather the bottom up.” “Summit County has already realized that affordable housing is a big problem,” he said. “But, it’s difficult to make this happen unless the community comes out and says, ‘We will do subsidies.’ We can do plans and help with zoning and make sure that the water projects that are within your community have adequate funding so it brings the costs down. So we can help with infrastructure costs. But, getting someone to actually do an affordable housing bill is difficult. That is where Utah has a hang up. Everyone has their interests.” For the upcoming session, Wilde is assigned to the following committees and subcommittees: Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee and Subcommittee; Political Subdivisions Committee; Retirement and Independent Entities Committee and Subcommittee; and House Rules Committee. Wilde defeated Democratic challenger Chris Neville in the November election to retain his seat. While Wilde won 64.94 percent of the overall vote, Neville earned more support in Summit County, taking 50.9 percent of the votes compared to Wilde’s 49.1 percent. District 53 includes large swaths of Daggett, Rich, Morgan, Duchesne and Summit counties. In Summit County, District 53 includes: Park West, Kimball Junction, parts of Pinebrook, Promontory, Snyders Mill, Moose Hollow, Silver Springs, Jeremy Ranch, and North and South Summit. For more information about the bills Wilde is sponsoring, go to https://house. utah.gov/rep/WILDEL. major roads. “It’s got a fantastic location, right there at the corner of Kearns and 224,” Anker said, referring to Park Avenue by its state-highway designation of S.R. 224. “It’s good real estate.” Anker also noted the property is close to the land where City Hall plans to develop an arts and cultural district. The district is envisioned just east of Holiday Village in what is now known as Bonanza Park. City Hall has ambitious plans to advance the community as an arts and cultural destination. The Sundance Institute’s Utah headquarters and the Kimball Art Center are seen as the anchor tenants of an arts and cultural district. Anker projected the eventual investment in the vicinity of the arts and cultural district, public and private, could reach $100 million. The infusion in the arts and cultural district will lift nearby properties like the one at 1776 Park Ave., he predicted. “Just having that sort of investment in the neighborhood will definitely elevate real estate around it,” he said. ed by UHP were well above 0.08. The driver arrested in Summit County on Jan. 1, identified as a man from Wyoming, told law enforcement he had attended a rave at the Great Saltair in Magna on New Year’s Eve, said Sgt. Nick Street, a spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol. Street said the man was heading back to Wyoming with his girlfriend when he allegedly elbowed her in the face. The woman then got out of the car at a gas station and called 911 to report the incident. “A trooper intercepted and pulled him over on Interstate 80 for suspicion of domestic violence,” he said. The trooper noticed signs of impairment and detected the smell of alcohol, requiring the man to perform field sobriety tests, Street said. He said the trooper believed the man was impaired and unable to safely operate his vehicle. An initial breathalyzer test showed the man’s blood-alcohol concentration to be 0.089. He was given another test at the Sum- Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, January 5-8, 2019 A medical marijuana debate will continue Park City event set to explore state’s option and opposition lawsuit When Christine Stenquist began illegally using marijuana to help combat the painful side effects of her brain tumor more than five years ago, it was as a last resort. But, she discovered it provided her some relief for her chronic pain. As her condition improved, she became a patient advocate for people like herself: those suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses. She eventually founded TRUCE (Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education) and most recently led the charge to legalize medical marijuana in Utah through Proposition 2. Voters passed the ballot initiative in November. But, shortly after the state Legislature approved an alternative measure known as Utah’s Medical Cannabis Act, H.B. 3001. The law gives the state more control over the medical marijuana industry and requires the Utah Department of Health to oversee the dispensing of marijuana to qualified patients. Lawmakers and supporters of the legislation have argued that it includes more safeguards than Proposition 2 to prevent recreational use and other unintended consequences. It also requires more oversight and involvement from physicians. Stenquist is vehemently opposed to the alternative measure, which some have touted as a compromise between supporters and opponents of Proposition 2, and has signed on to a lawsuit on behalf of TRUCE that challenges the legislation. The Epilepsy Association of Utah is also named as a plaintiff. Stenquist is scheduled to be in Park City on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. to help host a panel discussion about Proposition 2, the Medical Cannabis Act and the details surrounding the lawsuit. The event, to be held in the Jim Santy Auditorium, will also be livestreamed on Facebook and other social media platforms. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Park City physician Dr. Andrew Talbott, and Rocky Anderson, an attorney and former mayor of Salt Lake City, will join Stenquist on the panel. Former state Sen. Stephen Urquhart will moderate the event. A similar event was held last month in Salt Lake City. The lawsuit, filed in the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County on Dec. 5, names Gov. Gary Herbert and Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, as defendants. Anderson filed the suit on behalf of TRUCE and the Epilepsy Association. It challenges the state’s alternative to Proposition 2 and calls for the reinstatement of the ballot initiative voters passed. “The Legislature has screwed the patients so bad and this is why TRUCE didn’t join in on that stupid, ridiculous political theater,” she said. “It was all B.S. But, people are starting to under- stand what they are doing by having this central fill and the state running it like the DABC (Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control). They are becoming drug dealers and they have effectively killed this effort.” The Utah Department of Health would be responsible for licensing medical cannabis pharmacies. Individual health departments would be responsible for distributing the marijuana to patients in their communities. Parkite Jeff Stern, a self-described independent activist, encouraged Stenquist to host the event in Park City. He said he is a strong supporter of Proposition 2. “In the beginning my interest stemmed from curiosity and I was more supportive of recreational marijuana,” he said. “But, now I have become very involved in understanding the medical benefits of marijuana use.” Stenquist said the event is intended to help raise the public’s awareness about the Medical Cannabis Act. She added, “People need to understand we need to get to work on fixing it.” “We are hoping that we can start the dialogue and go through where the problems are with H.B. 3001 and what we are bumping up against,” Stenquist said. “There is a lot of uncertainty because of the way the law is written. It is very confusing and we are bumping up against some federal regulations and that is very problematic, which is why we have the lawsuit. We tried to caution Rep. (Greg) Hughes. But, they didn’t want to hear our pleas.” One of the issues Stenquist has with the Legislature’s measure is that it requires doctors to make dosage and duration recommendations. Proposition 2 was written in a way that would only have required physicians to issue an affirmative defense letter that ensured the patient was on the list of qualifying conditions to access medical marijuana, she said. She said it was specifically worded in a fashion that would have given physicians time to become more comfortable in recommending marijuana to patients. “What happened with H.B. 3001 is they tightened that up to the point where it is a chokehold,” she said. “The replacement bill is making it so restrictive that doctors aren’t comfortable recommending it within the scope the Legislature is forcing them to. Prop 2 left it loose so doctors were engaging. But, it was a free-flowing conversation.” Stenquist encouraged anyone who is interested in the issue to attend the event. Summit County voters approved Proposition 2 by the largest margin of any county in the state, with 15,285 ballots cast in favor of the measure to 4,803 against it, a point Stenquist emphasized. She added, “I know Park City is a huge supporter of this issue.” “I think patients who are accessing this for themselves, caregivers, social workers and anyone who this effects should get a better understanding of what they are bumping up against,” she said. “Our first responders and any sitting elected officials should also attend if they want to better understand this issue.” mit County Jail roughly two hours later that showed a reading of 0.059. “The arrest would have still been made whether he blew 0.05 or 0.08,” Street said. “But, the difference right now is before it is quite possible that prosecutors wouldn’t have taken the case. This is kind of a good scenario to show why the law is effective. The trooper who made the arrest in Summit County felt that individual was unsafe to be operating a motor vehicle. The important thing to us is we haven’t changed our tactics. We still arrest based on impairment standards that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides and that is what we go off of.” Street credited the reduction in DUI arrests in part to the Utah Highway Pa- trol’s messaging prior to the new law going into effect. He said there were the same amount of troopers looking for impaired driving this year as 2017. Street also mentioned the availability of ride-sharing services. “I think that is one of the biggest contributors to us seeing lower numbers,” he said. “I think that is why we have seen a 50 percent decline in the state’s DUI arrests since 2010, where we had 12,000 arrests across the state. In 2017, we saw 6,000.” One of the other areas where Street said he hopes to see a reduction is in the number of fatal alcohol-related crashes. He said that number has remained steady. “That is where we hope the 0.05 will help public safety in the state,” he said. ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON The Park Record |