Snowbird tried to fly the coop and join Sandy, but landed right back where it started -- in Salt Lake County's nest.

The county hoped to loan residents thousands of dollars to make their homes more energy efficient, but was blocked by bankers.

A West Jordan legislator tried to spare unincorporated suburbs from a hotly disputed police fee by letting Utah's most-populous county levy a utility tax instead, but never got his bill out of committee.

These were among the highest-profile issues that Salt Lake County wrestled with this legislative session.

The Snowbird bill (SB244) ranked among the big surprises, with General Manager Bob Bonar testifying that his resort's relationship with the county had deteriorated so much that it wants out. The bill -- delayed for discussion until the next session -- would have allowed Snowbird to annex into Sandy.

While the county played defense on the Snowbird bill, it took the offensive for SB194, which would have allowed homeowners to borrow low-interest loans for energy upgrades. The bill, opposed by the Utah Bankers Association, never reached a vote.

Thanks to Utah Clean Energy, the county did chalk up an environmental win: The Legislature passed HB145, which would allow solar arrays on county buildings.

In HB383, Rep. Wayne Harper wanted the county to have the same power as cities to tax utilities, a bill aimed at avoiding a police fee in unincorporated areas.