County attorney proposes update to facility-use policy to clarify free-speech activities

Utah County Attorney Adam Beck told commissioners the county has reviewed its facility-use policy, with particular focus on the section addressing free-speech activities, and recommended updates that largely mirror the Utah Administrative Code. “This project's been in the works for quite some time,” Beck said, describing legal review and comparison with other jurisdictions. He said the office pared back parts of the code that were outdated (the current code had not been substantially updated since 2015) and that law clerk Katrina Cole helped draft the newer language.

Beck said the update aims to close gaps revealed during demonstrations in 2020 and to make the policy clearer and more usable. Katrina Cole offered to check specific wording, including whether the term “demonstration” should be qualified as “peaceable.” Commissioners asked staff to produce a version with visible edits for those who could not see red lines on the circulated documents.

No formal vote was taken on the draft at this meeting; staff agreed to meet with Commissioner Lee to walk through concerns and return to the commission with clarified redlines and any recommended wording adjustments. The matter will be scheduled for a future agenda once commissioners have reviewed the revised language.