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cedarvalleysentinel.com sent a survey to each of the City Council and Mayor Candidates for the 2017 election. The questions included ones about roads, education, city issues, city strengths, as well as a few to get to know the candidates on a more personal level. Over the next few weeks, those answers will be published on cedarvalleysentinel.com. If you have missed any, want to catch up, or just review them again, you can do so by visiting the Cedar Valley Sentinel (formerly i84005) Election Center at http://cedarvalleysentinel.com/elections/. Feel free to share these articles on social media. Lets get the word out and increase voter participation in this election cycle. Eagle Mountain is a great city, and it can be made even greater by our elected officials, but they need input from the residents.
The answers for the candidates have not been modified in anyway. We have also randomized the order that the answers are listed in for each question.
Jan Preece – City Council CandidateI have attached the map my partner and I created during our visioning session at the beginning of this year. Since my partner was not an elected representative, I removed their name for privacy purposes. On the map you’ll see a lot of yellow. Yellow was the lowest density option and consisted of lots above 10k square feet. You’ll notice that on some of the locations, I have written in additional minimum square footage, as I would like to see more 1/4 acre and above as well as some larger lot and agricultural options. (Not all were marked since time was limited). You’ll see that the hospital (blue), university (blue) and commercial (red) have some higher density (orange) immediately surrounding them as well as parks (green) and clean industry (purple). Obviously not everything is marked, but this should give you a basic idea of how I’d like to see things happen.
Right now there are three General Plans being reviewed. If I am not wrong these are basically 20 year plans. I would like to see a conservative land use plan go in place that promotes open spaces, our community feel and allows for eco-friendly businesses and room for growth. I would also want to have the protection for our agricultural lands be a priority. All plans have room for retail corridors. There are three scenarios, number 3 being my favorite then 2 lastly 1. I don’t want business as usual, I would like to maintain our community feel into the future. Scenario 3 provides open lands for 20 years, and in 20 years when we re-evaluate things may change and we will have space in our city to accommodate that change if so needed.Debbie Hooge – Full Time Mayor Candidate
The purpose of a General Plan is “big picture”. It is the bones or the structure around which the rest of the city will be built. It is the framework. It encapsulates the vision of the city. Think of the constitution. If it changed every two years when the new congress comes to power; it would be a mess and we would most likely have long since lost our rights and privileges under that document. So, the constituion is very hard to change because it is the framework around which our government is built. Unfortunately, General Plan’s do not have the same safeguards though I wish they did. Sometimes the best change is “no change”. However, if the process of amending the General Plan is on-going; my job will not be to criticize the work but rather implement it. So, since I don’t get to make these decisions; I think I will withhold specific comments. If your question is specific to Eagle Mountain properties Master Plan changes and “re-approval”; I really don’t have enough specific information about the proposed changes to comment.Drew Curley – City Council Candidate
I believe that the new master plan should be revised to protect the uniqueness of our fair city. We are estimated to grow by over 400% by the year 2040. In response to that I say, “why the rush?” Why are we in such a rush to rid ourselves of our beloved open space, to have a multi-lane expressway with frontage roads, to become a city the size of current-day Orem in half the time? I do believe we can have an impact on the rate of our growth, that it isn’t inevitable. If we want to protect our open spaces and small town feeling, it all begins with the master plan.Donna Burnham – City Council Candidate
My favorite part of the master plan update has been the process. Residents have been involved and their input solicited. It makes sense to include current residents in decisions that will determine the future of our city. The process isn’t complete, so it is difficult to state how I feel about the changes, but I sincerely hope they reflect the will of the people.Melissa Clark – City Council Candidate
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.Matt Visser – City Council Candidate
As I read thru the master plan development changes there’s quite a bit that I like, and a bunch that makes me laugh. Lots of talk about keeping the city rural, then a few bullet points down, supporting growth so we’re not just another suburb. Not to build so many starter homes, but those are the builders and developers that we seem to attract and then give sweetheart deals too. Support the creation of city center, but no specific mention of areas. There’s a lot of good in the plan, but it doesn’t seem to be consistent. I’d like to help make a consistent plan for development in the city.Jared Gray – City Council Candidate
I’ve covered this in other questions, but we need to be smart about our plan. Good buffering, proper zoning, and access are my concerns.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.