Park City Mayor Nan Worrell's trip to the Summer Olympics will cost $12,000 in taxpayer money, city officials announced midweek, and will likely be the first in a series of official Olympic-related trips over the next decade.
City officials provided the information in a written communication to elected officials drafted in preparation for the Park City Council's scheduled meeting on Thursday. As of the weekend, it was unclear whether the mayor and council would discuss the amount or the travel at the meeting.
Worrell will travel to Paris as part of the Utah delegation. He has never attended either the Summer or Winter Olympics. He is scheduled to depart on July 20 and return on July 29. The International Olympic Committee is widely expected to award Salt Lake City the 2034 Olympic Games at its meeting on the eve of this year's Summer Olympics. The mayor will attend the IOC meeting and observe the opening day of the Olympics in a fact-finding capacity. In his capacity as mayor, Worrell will represent Park City's interests in Olympic activities.
The $12,000 will cover economy-class airfare and a basic hotel room, as well as transportation between Park City and the Salt Lake City airport, parking, a per diem and other expenses.
The city council had previously set aside $75,000 in this year's budget for Olympics-related expenses such as travel, research and consultancy work.
It seems almost certain that City Hall will send staff to future Olympic Games as part of preparations for 2034. There was considerable travel in the years leading up to the 2002 Winter Olympics, and Park City was on-site during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
“Historically, Park City staff accompanied all official Olympic delegations on their travels leading up to the 2002 Winter Olympics. This was an important element of Park City maintaining jurisdictional representation, strong relationships and coordination with relevant local, state, federal and international authorities,” the document, drafted by City Hall Resident Advocate Michelle Downard, states.
Worrell recently said that during his stay at the Summer Olympics, he hopes to “experience what a spectator does,” including learning how a typical spectator gets around the Olympics.
A government delegation, including official delegates and individual travelers, is due to arrive in Paris, including Summit County Council President Malena Stevens, who will be traveling at taxpayer expense to the Summer Olympics.
The decision on the site for the 2034 Olympics is expected to be made on July 24, the day the state celebrates Pioneer Day. As in 2002, the Park City region will play a big role in the Olympics. Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Utah Olympic Park are on the map for competition venues. The area will also be crucial for transportation, security and celebration planning.
