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Devyn Smith – Council Candidate
Give us a brief biographical sketch of yourself and your family. I was born and raised in Boise, ID. My father, a dentist, grew up in Provo, UT and my mother, a schoolteacher, grew up in Twin Falls, ID. After serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paris, France, I decided to move to Utah, eventually settling in Eagle Mountain. I currently work as an account manager at the Bullfrog Spas factory in Bluffdale, Utah. How long have you resided in Eagle Mountain, and why do you call Eagle Mountain your home? Some of my family first moved to Eagle Mountain in 2009. I purchased my first home in Eagle Mountain in 2017. Eagle Mountain is home for me because of its people—friends, family and neighbors. Decisions are made by the city council that you may or may not have knowledge of the ecology of the area and the possible repercussions of those decisions. What resources would you use to complete your due diligence regarding habitat and wildlife impacts? Ecology is just one of many examples on this subject. I am not an expert in every field, and I won’t always have the answers to everything, nor would I expect any fellow councilmembers to have answers to everything. We have some incredibly talented and knowledgeable residents in Eagle Mountain who know the area and who can help teach. Being a councilmember is not always about having all the answers. When this happens, it’s about doing the research, sifting through the information and learning from field-specific experts, then being able to review this all as part of the bigger picture. I am always willing to talk to residents and as a member of City Council, I will continue seeking to talk to our local experts about ecology and other important matters. I will always continue learning and will never make a vote on a topic I am not comfortable voting on. What do you think is the role of non-disclosure agreements and economic growth? And how does it affect government transparency? Though rare, non-disclosure agreements can be important. The purpose of these is never to keep secrets from the public, but to provide a certain level of legal privacy to certain private entities within the agreement. It is entirely possible for a government agency to remain transparent about what is happening, even with an NDA. What specific things do you feel that the city is doing exceptionally well? The city is doing a great job expanding and repairing existing roads. This is a major priority for me and I will continue working to expand and improve our roads and infrastructure. What specific things in the city do you feel need substantial improvements? We really have a great city. I believe there is always room for improvement, but I do not believe there is currently anything in Eagle Mountain which is in dire or substantial need of improvement. However, as a matter of safety, we need to continue building new roads in and out of town. I do not believe two roads connecting us to the North, East and South is ultimately acceptable for a city of 40,000 (and growing) residents. We need to build new roads in and out of town to safely handle our growing population. Is the rural culture and feel of Eagle Mountain important to you? Eagle Mountain has a rural culture and feel, how do you think we can have growth and keep that feeling? One of my favorite things about Eagle Mountain is the small town feeling we enjoy here. The scenery and the people make it the best place to live in Utah. As we work to create an economically stable and visually appealing city, we will be able to largely maintain our culture. I want to maintain or improve our existing ratio of suburban-to-high-density homes by approving more suburban development agreements than high-density. Are there things city government should not provide for the people that it currently is? Why or why not? There are a few things I love about Eagle Mountain, but wish were privatized and worked in consensus with the city instead of the city providing it altogether. This includes events and parades. I believe we should continue offering these but should move to privatize some of these events. If you are running but are not currently elected, what specific agendas would you like to champion though the office of city council and why? In addition to building new roads, I want the city to prepare to have our own police department within the next 5 to 10 years. I believe the current service we are getting is a great value. As the city continues to grow, we will need to eventually transition the police department to the city, hire judges, establish courtrooms, etc. The initial cost for this transition will continue to grow overtime. We need to set goals and determine at what point we will make this transition. Tell us something that sets you apart from the rest of the group of candidates? You will seldom see somebody as hard working as I am. At one point in my life, I had a full-time job and a part-time job, while attending school full-time—I probably was only able to do this because I was an insomniac at the time. Also, I attend city council and planning commission meetings…for fun! Ever since I first attended a city council meeting as a Boy Scout, I have been fascinated by local government. I used to watch council meetings when they were posted on YouTube. When those stopped, I began attending in-person. What are your personal, political, and professional long term goals in regards to Eagle Mountain? My biggest goal in life is to be a good father. Professionally, I aspire to being a judge so I can help protect and preserve the law and the Constitution I love. My parents taught me to make something of myself by helping others and always being a leader. I always help when and where I am able. Choosing to serve on City Council is a “lift where you stand” decision for me. I have no political agenda for myself other than to always lift where I stand and help where I am. What founding father (signer of the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution) has impacted your political philosophy the most and why? Do you have a favorite quote from a founding father? Thomas Jefferson has always been my favorite. Not only for his role in writing the Declaration of Independence, but for his work to establish a limited federal government by transferring power to state and local governments. One of my favorite Jefferson quotes is: “Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing.” He was later credited with saying “Do you want to know who you are? . . . Action will delineate and define you.” The city has numerous boards and commissions that it uses to help the City Council with decision making and to assist City Staff. What is your impression of these boards their effectiveness? City boards are partially only as effective as the residents make them. For example, the Parks and Recreation Board currently does not have enough members to meet quorum and are therefore nonoperational until additional members are added to the board. If you are a resident interested in serving on a board, please speak up! The city will always need people who care to jump in and serve. What service have you given to the residents of Eagle Mountain? I am always involved in the community, whether by volunteering locally or simply showing support and attending local events. Showing up is the first step. I also serve as vice president on my HOA board and actively contribute in church activities. I have also spoken with the mayor, current councilmembers and other board members, chairs or directors about serving on local boards. What is density vesting and how do you plan on dealing with it when it grants higher density than you are comfortable with? It is morally and ethically responsible to uphold previous agreements and vesting. However, we learn from our mistakes. If there is too much high density, I will work to treat the problem, not the symptom. Limiting high-density housing is a band-aid fix, not a long-term solution. The problem isn’t too much high-density housing, the problem is not enough suburban housing. We can continue to improve city code and adjust how we handle future vesting. What city code do you problematic, and how do you plan on addressing it? I am sure I will find room for improvement during my service on City Council. Currently, I do not believe we have any broken or ineffective code.
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.