We are fortunate that Park City has a vibrant group of nonprofit organizations that fill many needs in our community. Be it caring for abuse victims, feeding the hungry, supporting mental health, diverting toxic waste, preserving the environment, access to trails, and enriching the community through the arts; we have come to rely on these organizations to augment services offered by the government and more importantly add to what makes Park City an exceptional place to live.
It may come as a surprise that some of our most cherished institutions serve at the will of local government. Recycle Utah, The Kimble Arts Center, Park Silly Sunday Market, Sundance, and The Park City Institute are all one vote away from not being able to continue to work in our community.
For over 10 years, Recycle Utah has been at risk of losing its city-owned home. The land where it operates not only constrains the ability of the center to meet the needs of the community fully, the location has long been earmarked by our elected officials for redevelopment.
Many county and city officials have put forth and even verbally committed to various solutions for a new home, only to be shot down after new officials are elected.
The City Council has also taken comments from stakeholders that put at risk the future of the Kimble Arts Festival and Park Silly Sunday Market. Those contracts are also one vote from not being renewed.
The Park City Institute was asked to assist in fulfilling the need for a community performing arts center. Community support for a bond and private fundraising turned what was to be a simple high school auditorium into the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. For over twenty years, the Park City Institute has been presenting world-class theater, music, speakers, and dance for our local residents and visitors, as well as providing engaging experiences for local students.
What many people don’t realize is performances at the Eccles are contingent on an agreement with the Park City Board of Education. While the school board and then Superintendent Nancy DeFord were keen on the idea of a joint-use community facility, each election and change in administration brings a different perspective.
Just as the City Council is looking to repurpose the home of Recycle Utah to help meet its priorities of transportation and affordable housing, the Park City School District is considering different uses of the Eccles that the board feels can better serve the students and generate more revenue for the School District.
The “at will” nature of the status of many of our nonprofit organizations makes planning for the future difficult. Regardless of the vision developed by the hard-working board members and administrators of these organizations, ultimately the services the organizations can provide are constrained by the “at will” nature of their existence.
There are solutions. Community members can publically express support for these nonprofit organizations to our local elected officials. Even better, our community should come together and support nonprofit organizations to the extent that they can exist unencumbered by a change of political will.
Recycle Utah needs a new home. The community should prepare to support the effort to find them a new permanent home large enough to empower people to lead sustainable lives in our community for years to come. This will require the local government to assist in finding five acres and community members to raise the funds necessary to build the facility that has long been planned and is yet to be realized.
The City Council should consider long-term agreements for the Kimble Arts Festival and the Park City Silly Market to assure the long term viability of these local events.
A large part of the conversation around arts and culture should include a permanent home for The Park City Institute. Our community needs a dedicated performing arts center where the Park City Institute can fulfill its cherished mission to enrich the community by providing innovative experiences that entertain, educate, and illuminate. A 500-seat theater, free from the restrictions of scheduling, programming, and concessions, could be home to world-class performances and productions for years to come.