Candidate Answers – Melissa Clark

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? It comes down to safety, the great snow storm of 2008 had kids stranded in school gyms overnight because parents could not get to them and many adults spent the night walking around Smiths because the roads home were all shut down, and the roads that were open could not handle the traffic. There was also the evacuation and state of emergency in 2012 due to wild fires, because the number of roads and specifically lanes were limited, there were an increase of accidents and again more traffic than the current roads could handle. Let’s not let the territory battle over roads keep any of us from getting home safely, so we have to work together with our state and county leaders to make reasoned decisions to improve the development of roads. Roads are how most of EM’s residents get to work and if we are spending an extra hour in traffic trying to get to work and school, that is an hour we don’t get to spend with family or doing the things we love. Family time is sacred and should be protected and ensuring adequate roads and transportation into and out of Eagle Mountain can protect that time and that requires creative thinking and looking into future issues that may arise before they become costly problems. 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? Our country was founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness–it all comes to property, personal property rights and freedoms, and when we stick to these basic founding principles, we can avoid costly or dangerous mistakes made by government. All over Eagle Mountain, we have developments popping up, but the plans for those developments haven’t happened overnight; someone has invested their own money into the land, then the engineering and plans, and amenities and infrastructure. Those who have followed proper procedures, laws, and codes should be allowed to develop their property. It has been hard losing our unblemished view out of my backyard, but I know that the houses being built across the street also represent the hopes and dreams of another family and it is not my right to stand in the way of that. The thing that has been very eye opening to me is that not all developers are created equal: some live within our community and want great things for EM and some are known for promising one thing and delivering another. We need to be proactive about zoning and codes and have people on city council who have studied the code and will look ahead to prevent the undesirable situations we have seen over the last few years, where something is being developed in a way no one likes. 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.) I have admiration for all of them and the sacrifices that they made to found this nation. George Washington has always been a favorite of mine because he had glory and power and people wanted him to be king and yet he said “No” and served only two terms. He truly put the good of the nation ahead of his on best interests. Question 4: Schools. Do you feel the education system is adequate in Eagle Mountain? If so, what are we doing well, if not, what needs to be changed. Our schools and homeschools in Eagle Mountain are more than substantial, with award winning public and charter schools, as well as strong homeschool co-ops and commonwealths, and most of all we have great opportunity with a local library, clubs and groups who provide educational opportunities. There is always room for improvement and if there was one key thing that I would love to see happen within our schools and community it would be a synergy between the schools and the members of the community and to bring the great minds and talents of the people of Eagle Mountain within reach of the students with more mentoring programs and in-services. As a mom of an almost senior in high school, there have been many times I have seen how a colleague or associate from the community could be such a great resource for the students of all grade levels. If elected, I want to continue to help make those connections. Question 5: Family. Can you give me a brief description of your family, and what it means to you: My husband Nathan and I have been married for 19 years, and we have 4 beautiful daughters—an 18 year old who will be a senior this year at Westlake, twin 9 year olds, and a 5 year old about to enter Kindergarten. Nathan comes from a traditional family of 9 where dad worked and mom was the keeper of the home front, and I come from a blended family. Our little family is a mix of the two: somewhere in the middle of the two ends of the spectrum. We have had our fair share of trials, from children with special needs and disabilities, to home disasters and within our extended family we have had addictions, legal problems, job loss, small business success and trials, divorce, and other triumphs and trials. In short, we are like everyone else. Question 6: Why Run. Can you tell me why you are running for your position? There comes a time in every person’s life where he or she gets that tap on the shoulder and despite all of the reasons not to, the reason for, is more compelling. Eagle Mountain is my family’s home and will be for a long time. I look at everything that has happened in our country and the fighting and disagreements over policy and character and know that the best place we can make the most difference is within our own homes, and the second-best place is within our community. Our city government has to do everything to protect our time, property, and liberty and stay out of the way of our dreams and hopes. I am running because the next four years EM will see unprecedented growth and change and the decisions we make will impact the community for the next century. I am running because I want my kids and all kids to have a chance to have those hopes and dreams, and because so many great people took the time to help me as a kid and a young adult to find my voice and my reason to use it. 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? This might come as a surprise, but I actually think the biggest issue Eagle Mountain faces is also one of our greatest strengths: unity, because we are known for our unity within neighborhoods, but we have also faced many divisive battles within the city as a whole. The roads, growth, budget, economic development, parks, and security all really hinge on the unity we have as a community. We hear the debate all the time between political parties and then within EM we also have debate of Ranches versus City Center, and HOA versus sub-HOA, people with kids versus people with no kids, pet owners versus people with no pets, but when it comes down to it, most of us are doing our best to contribute to society and raise our families and live a good, kind life; we just disagree on how to do that. To build unity I believe that we have to work and serve together, we must come to see each other as people and not the enemy; for that reason, I am huge proponent of the volunteer efforts here in EM because it allows us to meet people from different walks of life and see their perspective, (plus there is the added benefit of helping the community.) I would like to see an expansion of the volunteer coordination, perhaps more EM clean-up days, maybe even a weekly text with some of the volunteer needs within Eagle Mountain. 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 best thing that Eagle Mountain has going for it is the heart of the people. When a family is facing a horrible illness, we rally together to raise funds and show support. When a local elementary school was under attack by a man with history of mental illness, we saw leaders of the business community start a drive of support for the man’s family to show that Eagle Mountain supports all of its residents, including the ones that are usually forgotten about. Question 9: Open Space: Many residents like the open feel of Eagle Mountain. Do you feel we have enough open space, too much open space, or to little open space? What policies will you try to implement to support that view? I love that our natural features like the mountains will always be a place of beauty and in general our policies and code support that. There is a certain amount of growth that has to happen to preserve anything and to pay for the basics, but I support that when we walk out of city hall, we see natural desert grasses, and that we have paved trails that wind through the natural desert grasses. In my role on the Parks and Recreation board, I have worked with fellow board members and our city staff to maintain that open space feel; specifically, we have approved improvements to our parks through the Neighborhood Match Grant. I have spearheaded a project to have signs created for each park so that when an issue arises that needs maintenance; residents know who maintains that specific park and whom to call. For very little cost, this will help both the city and the residents keep our parks beautiful and in good repair, and, if needed, hold accountable the other parties who should be maintaining the parks. Question 10: Development: What are your goals for the City in regards to Development? The reality of development in a city is we have to have the right blend of industrial, commercial, and residential–within residential we have to have a mix of family farms, single family dwellings, and even high density. The real issue is making sure we have the roads and infrastructure to support each, and, most importantly, that we have each kind of development in the correct place within our city. Development has to happen to increase the tax base and allow us to provide basic infrastructure and the added perks of parks and amenities, but that development has to make sense. When it comes down to it, businesses will come to Eagle Mountain because we are the 3rd largest city in Utah by land mass and within 18 years we are projected to have 120,000 residents; having that kind of potential in location, workforce, and customer base is exactly the incentive to develop that business owners are looking for. We need a mayor and city council that will not get in the way of that growth and development and we need to continue to be looking at the type of businesses EM will need and support like more restaurants, light industrial, but also things like a nursing home and memory care. Question 11: Cory Wride Memorial Park: What are your views on Cory Wride Memorial Park, and the cities current plan for the park? In the beginning, I struggled with the cost and lack of proximity of the Cory Wride park, but in talking with the Mayor and other city staff, I have started to see some of the benefits of building that park where it is, such as more amenities, and the space for more parking, and most importantly that we will not have to have a costly bond to fund this initial phase of the park. Many residents have the additional concern of the other regional parks “not being finished”, and as a council member, I will work to make sure that the larger regional parks will also remain attractive by continuing the standard of maintenance and looking to make improvements as funding becomes available. Question 12: Master Plan: The City is currently in the process of updating its master plan. What do you think the master plan should look like, and what do you think of the current changes being made? People move to Eagle Mountain for various reasons and the Master Plan or General Plan should not get into the way or change the feel that motivated residents or business owners to settle here. We need to have various kinds of housing to meet the needs of all residents: all options from large acreage lots with animal rights, to starter homes, and even high-density housing. All are needed for a balanced feel and to be able to fund the basic infrastructure. The important part is to keep that overall feel and to have rural areas and still have specifically placed pockets of smaller lots and denser neighborhoods away from the rural areas to accommodate the demand all the while protecting property values. It is also a primary concern to situate business developments in appropriate locations for the type of business. Question 13: Programs: What is the best program, that you know of in Eagle Mountain? How does that program make Eagle Mountain better, and how do you plan on making the program stronger? There are so many great programs here in Eagle Mountain some of which are the private, non-profit organizations that have sprung up out of the desire to provide services for our residents, such as the Pony Express Events organization and the Eagle Mountain Arts Alliance. If I have to pick one program that is the best of Eagle Mountain it would be the City Youth Council, for two reasons: one, because it involves the youth of our community, and two because the youth are able and encouraged to help out with other programs, exposing them to great leaders and opportunities. The youth council has been able to help with Eagle Mountain Arts Alliance events, Pony Express Events, City-wide Clean-up day, and library offerings. I want to facilitate making the program stronger by connecting with more youth and getting more youth involved. I can even see a class offered (or a club at the very least) at the local middle and senior high school with the service and leadership component, like Student Council with a community focus by linking up with the local student councils, and Key Club. In addition to bringing more youth, we need to connect with more adults as mentors, but careful not to have the adults steal the show because Youth Council really is a place for the kids to grow as leaders. Question 14: Literature: Name one work of literature that has had an impact on you, and why you think it is important for a guide during this election cycle? When I was in junior high, I would ride my bike to our city’s library and there was a free box that people could leave books they were done with. In that box, I found a copy of Alex Haley’s Roots. I have read and re-read that book. Why? Because I love the idea that what we do has an impact on generations to come, and that we are stronger than just ourselves, that our ancestors lived, and loved and fought for us to get to where we are at this place in time. When I think about running and serving in Eagle Mountain, I think about the people who are my roots and helped me get to where I am. I also think about the roots that we are establishing here in EM for our generations to come. Question 15: Down Time: What do you do with your down time, what leisure activities do you like to participate in? My leisure time really is focused primarily around family because that is my season in life right now. I love the peace that comes from being prepared for life’s disasters so my husband and I have been studying to pass the HAM Radio test. I like to travel to small towns where my ancestors once lived and find cool family tidbits in local cemeteries and historical societies. I am also really passionate about baking— I have seriously taken cinnamon rolls to the next level. Question 16: Why Eagle Mountain: Why have you chosen Eagle Mountain as your place of residence We moved to Eagle Mountain 9 years ago because we were making a job change and needed an affordable place to rent. We stay in Eagle Mountain because it is where our hearts are. As we have fallen in love with this place and the sense of community and beauty, we have made this place home and bought our family a home here. We raise our kids here, garden here, worship here, serve here and wouldn’t have it any other way.