From a checklist for new move-ins to lists of attractions to community service opportunities, the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce wants people to use its new website, welcometowasatch.com, to stay in the loop.
Chamber Executive Director Dallin Koecher said it’s intended to be a one-stop shop.
“It has all the things you need to know, from how to set up your utilities, where to go to the library, how to get all these different things,” Koecher said. “And then some of the fun local facts: the insider tips about what it’s like to be in the Heber Valley to shorten that distance of ‘I’m new’ to becoming a local.”
Koecher’s office collaborated with the Heber City Leadership Academy. In its second year, the group of local professionals works on projects to help the local area while learning the nuances of government and other community-oriented programs.
The website is part of the Chamber’s general digital hub. There, visitors will also find a calendar of events, information about local businesses and resources like the welcome website.
Chamber employees and other local leaders say they’re adapting to rampant population growth and planning for more.
Data the Chamber collects also shows more people than ever are visiting the area. In 2022, Wasatch County hotels generated just under $4 million in revenue through the transient room tax, according to the Chamber’s 2022 report. In Wasatch County, the transient room tax is a roughly 4.5% tax added to bills at hotels, motels, campgrounds, tourist homes and other lodgings.
Meanwhile, local restaurants also reported revenue growth. In Wasatch County, they generated $1 million in restaurant tax revenue in 2022, a 10% increase over 2021.