Summit County Board of Health will stop paid newspaper notices and rely on online postings

The Summit County Board of Health voted unanimously Feb. 6 to stop paying for meeting notices in the two local newspapers the department had used and instead meet legal posting requirements by placing notices on the Utah Public Notice website, the county website and the health department’s social channels.

Health officer explained recent legislation removed the newspaper posting requirement and recommended discontinuing the newspaper expense to save county funds while maintaining legally required online postings. "We do not need or not required to post meetings to the newspaper anymore," the health officer said, adding the staff will continue posting to the county website, the health department’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and the Utah Public Notice site.

Board members asked for clarification that the board has authority to make the change; the health officer confirmed the board is responsible for ensuring open-meetings compliance. After discussion, an unidentified board member moved to stop newspaper postings; the motion was seconded and the board approved the change unanimously. Staff said the change will begin with March meetings; the Feb. meeting was posted under the traditional newspaper process.

Board members raised practical follow-ups: verifying that the Utah Public Notice site satisfies statutory posting requirements, confirming the department’s social posts include direct links to the notice, and monitoring whether the change affects public awareness of meetings.

Next steps: staff will post March meeting notices via the online channels and return metrics or any public feedback in a future meeting.