A change of language to exclude employees with professional licenses remedied those concerns, as well as fears by the District Attorney's office that deputy attorneys would not be able to become defense attorneys and face off against county lawyers in court under the law's original language.

"I think we're swatting at flies that don't exist here. We're trying to carve out all of these exceptions for something that really doesn't matter," District Attorney David Yocom said.

In other business Tuesday, the County Council approved another $85,000 grant to Utah Open Lands to purchase a 190-acre parcel in Emigration Canyon. County officials previously posted $400,000 towards the $1.4 million asking price, but Open Lands officials fell short.

Wendy Fisher, executive director of the open space group, said much of the shortfall was because a state grant request came in $100,000 less than expected. The group was able to raise $565,000 from community donations and grants with another $350,000 coming from the state-run conservation fund.

"We feel this is a tremendous project," Fisher said. "It is one of the last open space areas of significance in the canyon."

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com