Candidate Answers – Jonathan Vail

Question 1: Roads. Roads will be a big issue during this election cycle. With the new High School and the development in City Center, what do you feel would be the best way to alleviate the road problems facing Eagle Mountain? As with any problem, there are multiple ways to solve a problem. That is why it is important that as Mayor, I would consider not only my solution, but the solutions of the City Council, the Residents of Eagle Mountain, and others as well. My idea on how to alleviate the road problems for the new High School would be to have multiple ways for traffic to flow. The main exit corridor, to me, is going to be Pony Express Parkway. Since this has only one way both directions, traffic would soon come to a bottleneck when school is let out or when any event at the school would occur. To alleviate this, the answer would be to expand the road to two lanes in both directions. Question 2: Property Rights. What are your views on property rights, and how do you plan on balancing the property rights of current residents with the property rights of prospective developers? My view on property rights is that the owner of the property should be able to build or do what they need to do as long as they: 1. Follow all applicable laws, permits, and zoning criteria, 2. Do not negatively impact the values of neighboring properties, and 3. During building phases, all procedures and plans should minimize the impact that is made on the current residents. In order to obtain a balance, I plan on working with the appropriate committees and the City Council to ensure appropriate zoning is applied to each area. Planning is a key part to ensuring that values is maintained. On top of this, any major developments will need to submit plans, which need to be approved, on how they are going to minimize any impact (i.e. dust prevention procedures, truck traffic routes) on the existing community. Question 3: Founding Fathers. Do you have a favorite founding father? If so, who is it, and what is a favorite quote, or ideal that founding father had that you try to emulate? (Notice I did not define founding father, I am leaving that up to your interpretation.) One of my favorite founding fathers would be Samuel Adams. He was willing to speak his mind freely and call things as he saw them. I try to emulate this trait in how I call a problem as I see it. If I think something is not right, then I say so. It is only by stating a problem, that we can all start a discussion on how to fix it. As for a quote from him that I like: “The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors. They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood. It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation – enlightened as it is – if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men.” –Samuel Adams Question 5: Family. Can you give me a brief description of your family, and what it means to you? Family, to me, does not necessarily mean that one has to be related by blood. I learned this while serving in the United States Marine Corps. We were all willing to give our lives not only for everyone’s freedom, but for each individual that we were serving with. This carries over now, in that, once I consider a person family, they are for life. Question 6: Why Run. Can you tell me why you are running for your position? The reason that I am running is so that I can once again serve my community. As Mayor, I will be serving every citizen in the community. They will be put their trust, in me, to make decisions, both easy and hard, that will impact them for years to come. This is both amazing and humbling at the same time. I would be representing them. That is why I am running. Question 7: Biggest Issue: What do you see as the biggest issue in Eagle Mountain, and what do you plan on doing to help solve the issue? The biggest issue that I see in Eagle Mountain is the impact that the city expansion is having on the community. We are currently seeing more housing areas being developed, a high school being built, and the expansion of Cory Wride Park. All of this means dust, traffic, and other construction related impacts. To help mediate this issue, I plan on ensuring that all construction areas have submitted and approved plans on how they are going to mitigate their impacts. It is then that I will ensure that the City will hold the developers and the builders to those plans. This may not resolve all of the problems related to construction, but it should minimize any impact. Question 8: Biggest Good: What do you see as the best thing that Eagle Mountain has going for it, and how do you plan on protecting it for future generations? The biggest good that Eagle Mountain has going for it is the people. They are willing to help each other and the community as a whole. The way to protect this is by continuing to have the many opportunities for the city and he citizens to interact and help each other. Question 9: Open Space: Many residents like the open feel of Eagle Mountain. Do you feel we have enough open space, to much open space, or to little open space? What policies will you try to implement to support that view? I feel like Eagle Mountain right now has a vast amount of open space. This feeling will most likely decline once City Center starts to fill in more and more. That is why it is important to properly zone areas and ensure developments have open space included within them. My policy on this would be to get input from the community, City Council, and the Development Committee on how they best see land uses throughout the city. Question 10: Development: What are your goals for the City in regards to Development? In regards to development, my goal would be to make sure that it done in way that it retains the look and feel of Eagle Mountain. This can be done by working with the City Council, Developers, Current Residents, and the Development Committee to ensure that proper zoning and Master Development Agreements maintain this standard. If a standard does not fit with this vision, then I would recommend that the development be rejected by the City Council. As for the Master Development Agreements, I would push that they be followed through by the Developer and be in the interest of the current residents. This would mean that parks and open areas be finished, before the development is finished, preferably before 50%. If the Developer would want to change his or her agreement, then I would suggest that the entire agreement be open up for negotiation, not just a part of it. As for new MDA’s, I would ensure that they have sunset clauses to ensure that they are done timely, so that they do not become outdated.