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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill seeking assurances for communities impacted by the Utah Inland Port Authority is advancing through the Utah Legislature, but critics say it’s been “watered down so much” it’s now “virtually meaningless.”
Supporters say it’s one more step, though it may be a small step, in the right direction to help offset impacts of a port coming to Utah — and a port that can’t be stopped.
SB112, sponsored by House Minority Leader Luz Escamilla and now co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, was changed in a Senate committee on Wednesday to only allow the Utah Inland Port Authority to create a “community enhancement program” aimed at addressing the impacts of an inland port to surrounding communities and a fund to support the program.
The bill was then approved by the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee on a 4-0 vote to advance to the Senate floor.
“This is one piece of a very complicated puzzle,” Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said. “It’s an incremental step, and it’s not perfect, but we’ll continue to work.”
The Utah Inland Port Authority seeks to establish a global trade hub made up of truck, train and air connections to establish Utah’s foothold in the global economy, using its 16,000-acre jurisdiction west of the Salt Lake City International Airport and possibly beyond to other willing rural communities.
In a previous version of the bill, Escamilla sought other provisions, including minimum environmental requirements, a mitigation fund, and a seat for the Salt Lake City School District, which is the largest taxing entity most impacted by the port authority’s power to collect tax increment in the area for use of development incentives.
Gibson is also sponsoring another bill as a result of negotiations with Salt Lake City leaders to reduce the authority’s tax and land use power, give the Salt Lake City mayor a seat on the port authority board, and put some minimum environmental rules for the port authority’s use of tax increment on future projects.
As a result of negotiations with Gibson, Escamilla altered her bill to only include provisions relating to the community enhancement program.
Related:
Lawmaker seeks seat for Salt Lake mayor, school district on inland port board
A Utah lawmaker from Salt Lake City has unveiled a bill meant to help mitigate the Utah Inland Port’s future impacts on her west-side community — and give Salt Lake City’s mayor and school district a seat on the board.Gibson, praising her work and her desire to help her constituents, said the bill is another product of negotiations to help improve the Utah Inland Port Authority statute created in 2018.
“Is it everything? No. But it’s a start,” Gibson told committee members, acknowledging critics wanting a full repeal of the port are sure to call it “not enough” and “soft.”
“You know, that is correct,” he said. “But this also could be nothing.”
Deeda Seed, a campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity and a lead organizer of the group Stop the Polluting Port, thanked Escamilla for “continuing to be a champion for her community,” but she lamented the changes to the bill.
“Unfortunately this bill has now been watered down so much as to be virtually meaningless,” Seed said. “A community enhancement program raises for me the suggestion that we not build an inland port in a valley that already has serious air quality problems.”
The group Stop the Polluting Port continues to support only a full repeal of inland port legislation — something Gibson said isn’t going to happen.
Unfortunately this bill has now been watered down so much as to be virtually meaningless.
–Deeda Seed, the Center for Biological Diversity
Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City and chairman of the Senate committee, told members of the public wanting to speak on the bill he would not allow comments that weren’t directly about a community enhancement program — and that he would shut down any comments only on the port’s existence itself.
Thatcher cut off two public speakers for that reason, including Salt Lake resident Heather Dorrell, who criticized any legislation being passed related to the inland port when the port authority hasn’t finished its business plan.
“It’s not relevant to the bill,” Thatcher said, cutting Dorrell off, though she raised her voice and continued to speak.
“With all due respect, isn’t this on your conscious?” she said. “It’s very relevant. I don’t have the ability to vote on this. Please do the right thing. We need clean air to breathe.”
Another speaker, Dave Iltis of Cycling Utah, repeatedly insisted his comments had to do with the bill and its program but Thatcher cut him off before he could finish. He stormed out of the committee hearing.
The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
