Council approves reallocation request and most restaurant‑tax grant recommendations, asks committee to revisit Sundance allocation

Summit County Council on May 7 approved several actions related to restaurant‑tax grants and the advisory committee’s FY25 recommendations.

Reallocation request: County staff presented a request from the Park City Area Restaurant Association (Pacara) to change the use of a 2024 restaurant‑tax grant originally intended for a digital implementation to a traditional $25 paper coupon approach after point‑of‑sale security issues prevented the planned digital rollout. Council voted to approve the requested reallocation; staff said the organization and purpose of the grant remain unchanged.

FY25 grant recommendations: Billy (county staff) briefed the Council on the Restaurant Tax Advisory Committee’s review of 57 applications totaling roughly $7.0 million in requests against about $4.37 million available. The committee recommended funding a slate of capital and marketing projects for municipalities and nonprofits; two applications were recommended against funding and one application was disqualified by the county attorney. Two applicants were penalized 10% for late financial reporting in 2024. The agenda packet contained a typographical labeling error that staff said would be corrected and redistributed.

Sundance allocation question: During deliberations Councilors raised concerns about a recommended $85,000 allocation to the Sundance Film Festival for promotion on the Wasatch Front. Several members said the festival’s planned promotion in the Wasatch Front may not produce an adequate return for county tourism dollars and noted Sundance’s changing operations. Council instructed the Restaurant Tax Advisory Committee to reconvene and recommend whether the $85,000 should be reallocated to other local uses for 2025 or held in the fund for future years; staff said the committee could return with a recommendation to Council by next week’s meeting if necessary.

Council votes: The Council approved the Pacara reallocation, approved the committee’s recommendations with the exception of the Sundance allocation, and asked the committee to report back on options for the $85,000. Staff confirmed the packet would be corrected for an administrative typo and that award letters will follow once final decisions are confirmed.

The committee chair noted a heavier balance this year between municipal capital projects and nonprofit marketing asks compared to immediate post‑COVID years; Council members praised the committee’s process and noted applicants reported positive experiences working with the advisory committee.