If You Are Against Mountain Accord … You Had a Small Victory This Week

This morning on KPCW, Summit County Council Member and Mountain Accord Executive Member, Chris Robinson announced that Mountain Accord was keeping open public comment on the Mountain Accord through June. Public input was scheduled to end in mid March, with a plan to move forward being implemented shortly thereafter. It appears that schedule is no longer on the table.

While KPCW guests Mr Robinson and Park City Senior Policy Advisor Ann Ober couched the change as providing an opportunity to get more input from citizens, it really is a temporary victory for opponents of Mountain Accord. KPCW’s Leslie Thatcher asked the duo what the response from citizens was on the Mountain Accord. They both said that the comments had been “split.” We feel a bit like we are listening to Hillary Clinton tell us about her email scandal. Words are being parsed.

The word “split” implies 50/50 but really means two or more parts. We can’t imagine that the Mountain Accord really received equally positive and negative comments. That’s not because of anything to do with Mountain Accord but because few people email to say they are happy with something. So, we are guessing split in this context means 90% against and 10% for.

Regardless, a delay isn’t good for the proponents of Mountain Accord. It was likely their hope was to push this through as quickly as possible. They are likely now in damage control mode and trying to figure out the next steps on how to rebrand the message. There is also likely the hope that “further study” and “allowing additional public comment” gives them high ground in June to relaunch the concept. They will of course hope that the opposition has softened by then, too. It’s seems like a textbook play.

So, if you are against the Mountain Accord, you appear to have won the battle. The public consensus is behind you. However, your powerful enemy is tactically retreating and getting retrenched for the war. You have more work to do this summer.

If you are for the Mountain Accord, save your ammo. Your next battle comes in June.

The only thing for certain is there is another fight on the horizon. The question is whose armies show up.