Council reviews FY27 capital projects and transportation-fee options for Emigration Canyon

Richard Stevens, representing MSD engineering, presented a preliminary FY27 capital wish list for Emigration Canyon that includes the Emigration Canyon Road improvement project, targeted culvert replacements (Skycrest, Cedar Loft, Killian's), a Margaret Lane drainage project and Freeze Creek wall reconstruction. "That's the road improvement project... improving Emigration Canyon Road, and putting possibly putting a bike lane up there," Stevens said while walking councilors through the project list.

Stevens discussed potential funding tools. He said a one-time transportation impact fee (for new development) is not recommended now because Emigration Canyon lacks the scale of new development that typically triggers that tool. He recommended exploring a transportation utility fee (TUF) that would charge a small, recurring monthly amount to generate a dedicated maintenance fund. Citing other studies, Stevens said consultants suggested residents might pay on the order of "$10 per month" in comparable analyses, while acknowledging the final amount would be set by a study.

Councilors raised equity questions: Emigration Canyon experiences heavy nonresident use when Interstate 80 is closed, and councilors asked whether there are mechanisms to recover costs from nonresident users. Stevens said that detail "will come out in the study." Engineering staff also noted that MSD funding cycles require project submission and prioritization by the MSD board and that not all projects on the wish list are guaranteed funding.

Why it matters: Emigration Canyon's aging culverts, erosion-prone creek banks and narrow pavement sections have maintenance needs. Funding decisions (TUF vs. impact fees vs. MSD board prioritization) will determine whether the city can fund recurring maintenance and how costs are shared across residents and nonresident users.

Next steps: Staff will email the project spreadsheet and hyperlink for project submissions to councilors, and MSD will take the recommended FY27 list to the MSD board for prioritization. A TUF or impact-fee study would follow council direction and require further public engagement.