One of the hallmarks of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau brand in recent years has been our advocacy on issues that matter: better access to housing, more resources for seasonal workers, affordable and available childcare, a thriving economy, responsible visitation, improved transit, and development projects that factor in lifestyle and environmental impact as they enhance our economic future.
I believe our advocacy on behalf of our chamber partners mirrors the aspirations of our wider community, and for one simple reason: Our more than 1,000 members are themselves a reflection of Park City’s culture, values and vision.
Each year, we ask ourselves: Are we doing enough? Are we emphasizing the right areas as we represent our business community? Are we delivering for Summit County?
Right now, we’re pushing for change at the state Legislature. We want to see funding for improvements to S.R. 224 and S.R. 248 and support for High Valley Transit’s regional infrastructure. We’re backing legislation that brands Utah as the top choice for tourism, business location, and job creation.
We’re asking for support of public/private partnerships that address housing affordability, such as the example set at Slopeside Village. We continue to innovate, too, announcing a new partnership to help chamber partners find discounted employee housing in the coming weeks.
A few months ago, we unveiled a comprehensive health insurance program for our members and their employees. This innovation is helping (especially) smaller businesses that struggle to find reasonably priced medical, dental, and vision solutions. The program is also a powerful tool for attracting and retaining staff, an issue we know is critical to our partners.
Now it is time for our annual Summit County Business Survey, taking the temperature of our community and asking for advice on the value we offer and the issues we prioritize. As we did last year, we are interested in the opinions of everyone who holds a job in Summit County, chamber member or not.
That’s why the survey is open to all. Are you a host, guide, shift manager, accountant, event manager or business owner? Are you here just for the season or year-round? We want to know what you think. We designed the survey to be your opportunity to guide our work into 2025, helping us continue making meaningful contributions to Summit County’s betterment as a place to work, live and enjoy.
Last year, for example, growing feedback on the need to support seasonal workers led to the Season Worker Resource page, a one-stop site for everything from how to find clothes, food, and housing to contacts for legal help, medical care, and Spanish language assistance.
This year’s survey is open until March 1 and has been revised and shortened, making it easier to complete and more readily useful to us. Your participation is entirely confidential. Remember, chamber member or not, we want to hear from you! You can find the survey at ParkCityChamber.com.
What sort of results will this year’s survey produce? That’s entirely up to you, and I can’t wait to find out! We look forward to hearing what Summit County has to say.
Jennifer Wesselhoff is the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.