Council approves $5.68 million Aetna health plan, Olympic guarantee and $100,506 historic grants; Rubell abstains on two items
April 4, 2023, 1:30 p.m. · City Council Chambers, 445 Marsac Avenue
On April 4, 2023 the council approved a health insurance policy with Aetna at up to $5,682,620 for the first year, a letter of guarantee for a potential Olympic bid, historic district grants and plat items. Council Member Jeremy Rubell abstained, without a stated reason, on a dining deck extension and the 1313 Park Avenue subdivision and was excused for several earlier votes. Study sessions covered Historic Park City Alliance funding, the FY24 operating budget and transit.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Historic Park City Alliance funding | Discussed |
| FY24 operating budget requests | Discussed |
| FY24 transportation operations and capital requests | Discussed |
| Short range transit plan update | Discussed |
| MC Contractors Homestake Road waterline replacement | Approved · 4-0 |
| Musco Sports Lighting City Park multi-purpose field lights | Approved · 4-0 |
| Public hearing on water rate structure modifications | Discussed |
| Interim use of 1959 Cooke Drive | Approved · 4-0 |
| Health insurance policy with Aetna | Approved · 4-0 |
| Olympic guarantee | Approved · 5-0 |
| Main Street dining deck program extension for 2023 and leases with nine restaurants | Approved · 4-0-1 |
| Blue Ribbon Commission report on mayor and council compensation | Discussed |
| 2023 council liaison assignments | Discussed |
| Historic district grant program 2023 awards | Approved · 5-0 |
| North Norfolk plat amendment ordinance: continuance | Continued · 5-0 |
| Ordinance 2023-14: 1313 Park Avenue subdivision | Approved with conditions · 4-0-1 |
| Ordinance 2023-15: First Restated Black Diamond plat | Approved · 5-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item Study 1 · Budget
Historic Park City Alliance funding
Discussed
The alliance asked for ongoing city funding, saying it has mainly survived on city grants. Doilney said over half of Main Street businesses won't pay for its service; Rubell asked for options that keep support within the business district; Toly said the city acts as the homeowners association for Main Street. The mayor said staff would develop a funding mechanism. No vote.
Item Study 2 · Budget
FY24 operating budget requests
Discussed
General fund requests total $6,329,427, including $793,580 one-time, $1,962,094 personnel, $1,027,327 acute and $2,300,000 for a pay plan at the 75th percentile and 6.3 percent inflation. Projected general fund reserves are $14.1 million, about 33 percent of revenue. Funding options were redistributing sales tax, a property tax increase, cuts or fund balances. Toly and Dickey said a property tax increase was not feasible this year; Gerber suggested a small increase could fund childcare; Rubell was open to all tools except a property tax increase. No vote.
- Budget$6.33 million
Item Study 3 · Roads and utilities
FY24 transportation operations and capital requests
Discussed
A winter frequency increase would cost about $403,000, enhanced Richardson Flat service about $1.9 million (against $817,728 in FY23 for one route) and a full year of microtransit about $1.5 million. The transportation fund would go negative by FY26 under the five-year plan. Toly, Dickey, Gerber and Rubell wanted resorts to pay for direct Richardson Flat service; Rubell favored extending microtransit to June 30 while Gerber favored ending the pilot to review the numbers. No vote.
- Budget$1.90 million
- Contract$1.50 million to High Valley Transit
Item Study 4 · Roads and utilities
Short range transit plan update
Discussed
The five-year plan includes SR 248 investments, microtransit for underserved areas, high-frequency core and express routes and a Richardson Flat park-and-ride. Rubell called it a set of ideas rather than an implementation plan.
Item V.1 · Roads and utilities
MC Contractors Homestake Road waterline replacement
Approved · 4-0
Construction agreement approved on consent with Rubell excused.
- Contract$1.42 million to MC Contractors, Inc.
Item V.2 · Contract
Musco Sports Lighting City Park multi-purpose field lights
Approved · 4-0
Replaces lights, poles, electrical panel and controls under a State of Utah cooperative contract.
- Contract$675,806 to Musco Sports Lighting LLC
Item VI.1 · Taxes and fees
Public hearing on water rate structure modifications
Discussed
A National Ability Center facility manager estimated $50,000 in water costs and asked for a nonprofit exemption, a laundromat owner asked for a subsidy or tradeoff, and a property manager with 37 units on one meter asked for help with grants for separate meters. Hearing closed; no vote.
Item VI.2 · Other
Interim use of 1959 Cooke Drive
Approved · 4-0
The city bought the unit in January. The Housing Policy Working Group needs six to nine more months, so the interim plan is to rent to a city employee for at least a year, with rental income covering repairs.
Item VI.3 · Contract
Health insurance policy with Aetna
Approved · 4-0
An RFP produced several bids and Aetna offered the same benefits at significant savings. Year-one premium is not to exceed $5,682,620.
- Contract$5.68 million to Aetna, Inc.
Item VII.1 · Other
Olympic guarantee
Approved · 5-0
The International Olympic Committee asked for guarantees from venues and host cities; a technical report is due in May. The city would facilitate rather than provide utilities and the organizing committee would pay for services above normal levels after selection. Rubell asked that 'guarantee' be defined as the city doing its best to provide support.
Item VII.2 · Other
Main Street dining deck program extension for 2023 and leases with nine restaurants
Approved · 4-0-1
The program has run 13 years. One restaurant paid an outstanding invoice as a condition of approval and will shift its deck 10 feet; two others requested one-meal service, one supported by the Historic Park City Alliance and one not. Rubell asked that lease fees offset city parking fees. Rubell abstained and gave no reason.
Item VII.3 · Budget
Blue Ribbon Commission report on mayor and council compensation
Discussed
The commission compared 20 communities and found Park City's base salary of $25,855.92 at the 75th percentile of 13 comparable cities. It recommended maintaining pay, adding annual inflation increases, rebalancing voluntary commitments and using staff for liaison attendance. Dickey recommended a wage increase, saying middle-income earners with fixed schedules are excluded; Toly questioned treating the counties as outliers; the mayor had hoped for a different outcome. No vote.
- Budget$25,856
Item VII.4 · Other
2023 council liaison assignments
Discussed
Changes discussed included consolidating trail organization liaisons under Toly, quarterly attendance for library and public art groups and a staff lead for the LGBTQ+ task force. No formal vote.
Item VII.5 · Parks
Historic district grant program 2023 awards
Approved · 5-0
Of $100,506 available, the Historic Preservation Board recommended $38,600 for 1128 Park Avenue (funded from the Lower Park RDA), $18,500 for 517 Park Avenue, $15,000 each for the Silver King Coalition Hoist House (asbestos mitigation, matched by $15,000 from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History) and the Thaynes Mine Hoist House, $4,670 for 22 Prospect Street and an $8,736 contingency. Rubell asked whether mining hoist houses qualify; Toly felt $5,000 was too small a threshold to bring to council.
- Grant$38,600
- Grant$18,500
- Grant$15,000 to Silver King Coalition Hoist House
- Grant$15,000 to Thaynes Mine Hoist House
- Grant$4,670
Item VII.6 · Subdivision
North Norfolk plat amendment ordinance: continuance
Continued · 5-0
Continued to June 15, 2023 at the Planning Commission's request.
Item VII.7 · Subdivision
Ordinance 2023-14: 1313 Park Avenue subdivision
Approved with conditions · 4-0-1
A 35-foot-wide metes-and-bounds parcel in the Historic Residential Medium district, below the 37.5-foot minimum, where a 1979 duplex would convert to a single-family home. A condition requires an access agreement from the city for two parking stalls off Woodside Avenue. One Planning Commissioner dissented because the duplex is considered affordable. A quiet title suit is pending over a two-foot strip. Rubell abstained and gave no reason.
Item VII.8 · Subdivision
Ordinance 2023-15: First Restated Black Diamond plat
Approved · 5-0
A 27-unit condominium project in the Residential Development district. The amendment corrects the plat to show as-built common areas after the homeowners association sold two common areas to units in 2020. There are 61 parking spaces against 54 required. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval.
What residents said
Childcare fundingElectromagnetic fields at HomestakeDark skies
About 20 speakers supported childcare funding and the Park City Cares About Kids proposal, citing PC Tots' tuition increase and a 230-child waitlist. Other speakers raised electromagnetic field concerns about the Homestake project, supported a dark sky resolution and opposed changing the roundabout at the top of Main Street.