Developers of the High Star Ranch project presented their plan to form a Public Infrastructure District (PID) at the Kamas City Council meeting Oct. 14, saying the financing tool would accelerate public-infrastructure construction for a mixed-use project that includes a hotel, retail and residential components. The presentation described how PIDs issue tax-exempt bonds and special assessments secured by property in the PID; developers said repayment obligations rest with the owners and the district, not the city’s general credit.

Why it matters: A PID can mobilize up-front capital for roads, utilities and public amenities that developers say otherwise would be phased or delayed. The council recognized potential benefits — accelerated infrastructure, economic activity and amenities — while raising questions about long-term tax impacts on assessed properties, transparency to future buyers, and whether the PID boundary could affect existing homeowners.

What the developers presented
Mitch Burton, George Wright and financial adviser Shane Starr (with support from Piper Sandler representative Ali Blossom) described PIDs as a financing mechanism that issues tax-exempt limited-tax bonds and special-assessment bonds to fund public infrastructure within a defined boundary. The developers said the district’s bonds are non‑recourse to the city; bond investors bear the risk if revenues are insufficient. The presentation estimated the district could authorize up to roughly $50–56 million in bonds (a mix of limited-tax and special-assessment issuances) to fund roads, underground utilities, parking structures and other on-site infrastructure. Developers said the figure was a maximum authorization, not necessarily the amount they would borrow.

Council concerns and staff notes
Council members and the city attorney flagged multiple items staff would need to review and clarify before any PID petition would advance: the PID boundary and any annexation language in the petition exhibit (council members asked for clearer maps and explicit confirmation that existing homeowners would not be pulled into an assessment area without express process); how assessments and mill levies would be disclosed to homebuyers; rates and interest premiums for non‑rated bonds; the practical difference between limited-tax bonds (nonrecourse) and special-assessment bonds (with liens on property); and long-term fiscal implications for the city and residents if services or capital needs change in the future.

Developers’ proposed community benefits
Developers suggested potential public benefits such as accelerated construction of roads and utilities, possible contributions to local projects (they cited an interest in helping fund Beaver Creek Park restoration as an example), expanded employment and increased property-value potential. They also proposed negotiating community benefits such as discounted hotel room rates for residents and improved public access to certain amenities, while acknowledging specifics would be part of later negotiations and conditions.

Process, timeline and next steps
Developers requested a prompt review to accommodate a winter planning timetable and an early spring construction start if the financing is in place. Council members said they needed time to consider the proposal and to consult with planning and legal staff; they scheduled a public work session for Oct. 28 to review the PID details further and set a potential special or additional meeting (targeted for Nov. 17) if the council concluded a decision was appropriate after the work session. Council asked the developers to provide clearer exhibit maps that exclude conservation easements and show precisely which parcels would be included, and to prepare a disclosure framework for prospective buyers regarding any PID mill levy or assessment.

No action was taken at the Oct. 14 meeting. The council and staff said the PID concept may offer practical benefits but that many procedural safeguards, disclosures and clarifications are required before any petition is accepted or approved.