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Show A-4 The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, June 15-18, 2019 Longtime Park City planner joins county BE A LOCAL HERO Whetstone brings creativity, 35 years of experience ALEXANDER CRAMER Volunteer for a local non-profit The Park Record The Summit County Planning Department got a new “utility infielder” when Kirsten Whetstone came over from Park City’s Planning Department to fill a newly created role on the team. But Whetstone is no rookie: She brings 35 years of planning experience, including the last 24 as a Park City planner. Community Development Director Pat Putt said she was the “ideal” hire. “She might be playing shortstop in one game, working on village overlay, and then playing left field the next game with a Kimball Junction redevelopment or ski area project,” Putt said. Whetstone said she has helped plan projects like Empire Pass, Deer Crest and Park City Heights, and Putt cited her experience when he said he “wouldn’t think twice” about assigning her a major redevelopment project because she’s managed many of them in the past. Whetstone said she was drawn to the job for the “creativity” that will be required to help plan the county’s 1,800 square miles, something that was harder to come by working for the city in recent years. “In Park City, a lot of that planning has been done,” Whetstone said. “I’m looking forward to interacting with the East Side communities. That’s where you get to use the land planning, all the principles of planning. That’s why you plan, not the very end where you’re dealing with the setbacks and materials.” Whetstone discovered her future career while engineering fish ladders to help salmon bypass waterfalls in Alaska. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in civil engineering, she crossed paths with other professionals, like biologists and foresters as an engineer-in-training for the U.S. Forest Service. It was while visiting Alaskan communities with the planning professionals that she discovered she liked that better than engineering. She pursued a master’s degree in town and regional planning at Utah State University, where she met her husband, Summit County Health Department Director Richard Bullough, whom she said at the time was driving a school bus and working in a bike shop. In 1994, Whetstone took a job as a planner with Park City, which less than a year later hired Putt as its planning director. She stayed until earlier this month, and started work at the county June 10. One of the first projects she’ll work on is something called a “village overlay” that would cover a roughly 1,100acre area in and around Hoytsville. The idea is to create a plan for the area that would allow more zoning flexibility than the usual single-family or agricultural designations. The process could end up with the creation of a new arts district, Continued from A-3 Employee departures ed around the county, Bullough said, which helped when it came time to expand certain projects, especially in East Side communities. His connections gave the department a window into the community, Bullough said, which allowed it to address issues before they might blow up into larger problems. One example he cited was Ovard’s push to address aging wastewater systems around the county, which without attention could have led to sewage seeping into the Weber River, a major source for drinking water for 600,000 people in the Wasatch Front. Ovard led a review and overhaul of wastewater policies and worked to document the more than 9,000 septic systems around the county. “Brent dealt with some really hard issues and always did it with a grin on his face and charged forward,” Bullough said. “I think he was kind of an anchor, a stabilizing force. ... We’re going to miss that.” The Park Record could not COURTESY OF SUMMIT COUNTY FAIR Travis English, left, with Michelle McDonald, vendor coordinator for the fair. reach Ovard for comment. The department has chosen Bondurant as its new deputy director, promoting him from his previous role as the department’s environmental health director. Travis English When Travis English came over from the Kimball Arts Center in 2013 to help run the County Fair, he said it was “sight unseen.” “I’d never been to the fair, never been to a demolition derby. The engines were revving and the smoke and oh my goodness, where have I ended up?” English recalled with a laugh. But he said he embraced the experience and learned a lot, transitioning from his original COURTESY OF KIRSTEN WHETSTONE Kirsten Whetstone joined the Summit County’s Planning Department Monday, June 10, after nearly 25 years in a similar role for Park City. for example, areas of increased density or affordable housing. It stops short of incorporating the area as a town, something the residents rejected at the polls in 2018. Whetstone was enthusiastic about the possibilities, musing about creating a central gathering space like a park, or maybe a small Main Street with shops. “We don’t know what kind of things might work out there,” she said. The first step is a listening session with the 28 landowners who applied for the overlay, and Whetstone said her goal is to listen more than talk. It’s the opportunity to work on something new that drew Whetstone to the county. “When that position came available, I just thought I would be a fool not to apply,” Whetstone said. “The opportunity to do actual land-use planning is incredible.” two-year contract to direct the fair to a full-time role in 2015, handling all of the special events and film permitting for the county. “I love my job, it’s great,” English said. “I never know what hat I’m wearing, a cowboy hat, artist’s beret, a special events hat.” English said he was brought in to turn around a fair that was facing declining attendance. Less than five years later, the county had invested $5 million to expand the fairgrounds, and he said the county is selling out the rodeos and derbies. He said he feels like he’s been successful in the venture and it’s time for a new opportunity. He will work for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in Salt Lake City doing training and outreach. “It’s new and fresh and exciting, and I’m excited to keep learning,” English said. Fisher said English has done a “tremendous” amount of work in preparing for this year’s fair, making sure the volunteers and organizations that help out with the event will do so again. He said in the short term, the county has the functions of the position covered, but that he intends to advertise the opening quickly with the hopes of getting a new candidate on board in time for this year’s fair. The annual Summit County Fair will be held Aug. 3-10 at the fairgrounds, 202 E. Park Road, Coalville. BUY ONE ENTREE, GET 2ND ONE FREE (Equal or Lesser Value) WITH A PURCHASE OF ANY APPETIZER. Best Thai Fine Dining Limit two coupons per party or table. Not valid with other coupon or offer. Dine in only. An adjustable 20% gratuity will be applied based on the original amount. 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