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Brian Head delays Transportation Utility Fee after resort and public concerns
Summary
After a presentation and public hearing on a Transportation Utility Fee, the Brian Head Town Council agreed by consensus to remove the TUF from the FY2027 budget and continue crafting a revised fee structure with possible resort participation; staff had proposed a $12/month per ERU option and noted a legal maximum near $684,000 annually.
The Brian Head Town Council on May 12 decided by consensus to remove a proposed Transportation Utility Fee (TUF) from the FY2027 budget and to continue working on a revised structure, potentially with resort participation. Consultants from Cruze and Associates presented the TUF study, explaining the fee converts trip-generation data into Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) and distributes cost across property types.
Consultant Marcus Keller said the study identified a legal maximum of "approximately $684,000 annually, which would equate to roughly $30 per month per ERU," while staff-recommended options produced lower rates. The study’s recommended $12 per month per ERU would generate about $270,553 annually; an alternative scenario with a 75% commercial discount—discussed after May 12 council direction—would target roughly $100,000 and equate to about $6.50 per ERU per month.
Tom Pettigrew, general manager of Brian Head Resort, said the resort is "not opposed to the TUF but raised three points for consideration before the June 9 meeting," urging staff to ensure the ERU methodology accounts for the resort’s existing enhanced service business license fees, that SR-143 (a UDOT highway) is the resort’s primary access and could skew town-road impact calculations, and to meet briefly with staff to refine the fee and legal durability. Jim Vincent and Troy Benson spoke in favor of investigating transportation-related fees, including the possibility of a lift-ticket assessment.
Council members said Brian Head’s unusual traffic patterns—many visitors and businesses access the town via State Road 143 rather than town-maintained streets—make a standard TUF model difficult to apply. Council Member Larry Freeberg and others urged caution about over-burdening businesses. The council’s consensus direction was to remove the TUF from the FY2027 budget as adopted and to continue work on a revised structure; staff said a mid-year adoption would remain possible if an acceptable framework is developed.
