Council modernizes public-notice rules and raises threshold for significant parcels

The Salt Lake County Council adopted an ordinance Sept. 15 updating the real-estate ordinance to modernize public-notice procedures and raise the valuation threshold for significant parcels.

Justin Hawes, the county’s real estate director, said the ordinance removes the requirement to publish certain notices in a physical newspaper and instead relies on the Utah public notice website, which he said is where most people now look for public hearings. The ordinance also increases the significant-parcel threshold from $250,000 to $500,000, which staff said aligns better with current real-estate valuations.

Council members asked no substantive questions and the council approved the ordinance by unanimous voice vote. Staff said notices will continue to be published as required by statute via the online public-notice portal.