2023 Candidate Question: Public Safety

Melissa Clark
Eagle Mountain City Council

One of the biggest indicators of safety and well-being of a community is the stability of that community. We have to ask ourselves “are people moving to Eagle Mountain for 2-3 years and then moving away and why are they leaving?”, “Do our neighborhoods know about resources available to them through our Sheriff’s department, Be Ready Eagle Mountain, and Communities that Care?”, and “Do people know where to turn to prevent issues within their neighborhood?”. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but we do need to inform about available resources, regularly evaluate those resources and programs, and actually know and listen to residents. You cannot know and listen unless you are out meeting with people and hearing directly from them. One of my favorite questions to ask is “Why did you move to Eagle Mountain?” followed up by “What makes you stay?”. When I have done that I have heard over and over again, “We moved here because it is quiet”, because “there is still open space”, and “we wanted a safe place to raise a family.” When I have asked people why they are moving away, it is almost always because they couldn’t find a move-up home here in Eagle Mountain. We have made some great strides in prioritizing a diverse mix of housing products, and ensuring there are some homes and lots that people can move-up to and have more space for their growing family, or even to downsize because all of their kids have grown & flown. We are getting closer and closer to the time when EM will need to create its own police force. Right now we have access to really great resources through our contract with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. Things like investigators, lab services, special units, SWAT, are all very expensive and as we have been growing, our contract with USCO has been of great value with many services. We need to continue to support community policing with programs like Neighborhood Watch, RAD Kids and RAD Women, and School Resource Officers. EM has historically been super supportive of our SROs and have made a point to fund more than many other communities. Over and over again I have heard from our deputies how important it is to be present in the lives of our kids while they are in school and everything is going relatively well, so when the hard stuff happens or a kid makes a dumb choice, which they do sometimes, the SRO deputies have already built positive interactions with the kids and help them navigate out of some of the really difficult times. Along with supporting our Public Safety programs, we also need to make sure our parks, open space and trails are well maintained to be a healthy place both for people and the wildlife that calls EM home. The health of the wildlife of our community is a measure of the health of our community.​I have prioritized public safety and the overall quality of life for Eagle Mountain residents. I will work collaboratively with fellow councilmembers, Utah County Sheriff’s Office, and Unified Fire Authority to ensure adequate resources and support for public safety initiatives. If a city fails at supporting public safety, they have failed one of the most crucial roles of government. I believe in investing in CERT, Emergency Preparedness, and crucial equipment needed in the event of emergencies. ​While serving on Council, I worked closely with city staff, VIPS, Eagle Mountain Emergency Communications Ham Radio Group and Be Ready Eagle Mountain to help our city to be prepared for emergencies. I actively pursued and supported the creation of two CERT trailers, and increased equipment for disasters. I am also CERT trained, and a ham radio licensed operator- KJ7HRL.

Alina Pringle
Fairfield Council Seat A

Continuing with community events that Fairfield currently sponsors such as the taco truck, gatherings and Christmas in the Night Sky will support and enhance community well-being and public safety.

Rich Wood
Eagle Mountain City Council

Public safety and community well-being are the core reasons I have fought so hard against overcrowding and overdevelopment. New neighborhoods are reflective of the policies that I personally wrote. Wider setbacks to enable better landuse options for homeowners, we will have a few neighborhoods with the benefit of garages that will actually fit two vehicles(the state passed a new law prohibiting municipalities from setting garage size limits), The quality of materials used for houses dictates how long it will maintain its functionality, usability and neighborhood appeal. If we continue to let the state protect developers and builders using inferior substrates, institutional looking architecture and preventing municipalities from regulating landscaping, then we will quickly watch the denigration of neighborhoods of individual home ownership to poorly maintained rental slums. With that comes increases from petty crime to violent crimes associated with diminished quality of living.

Hollie McKinney
Fairfield Mayor

Prioritizing public safety and community well-being is of utmost importance. I fully understand that we need to address our fire protection immediately.  We are currently trying to get UDOT to reduce the speed coming through town and trying to get a turn lane coming off HWY 73.   As far as a stronger, safer neighborhood…..I’m pretty sure most residents hold strong value in the Second Amendment. We are strong and self-sufficient.  I am confident that most of our residents are ready to protect themselves and their neighbors very well if needed and undoubtedly we would.  We all know and watch out for each other. We know what cars and what kids belong to who.  We have sheriffs that are on duty and here when needed.  We all like it that way. 

Craig Whiting
Eagle Mountain City Council

The key to this question: “building stronger neighborhoods.” We accomplish this by understanding its opposite: what creates weak neighborhoods. Let me give some examples of “weak” neighborhoods where people want to move FROM instead of TO: when cars congest the streets because driveways are too short and garages are too small; when the city allowed inferior building materials that “dress down” a neighborhood; when neighborhoods experience high turnover due to long commute times; when cities create postage stamp lot sizes that only make the landowner, developer, & Santa Claus happy (because he can jump from rooftop to rooftop), but which small lot sizes emotionally strangle kids who don’t have room to run, play, experience, have animals, etc. We need kids spending time OUTSIDE instead of IN THEIR BEDROOMS on electronics. But what choice do they have when the city continually approves postage stamp lot sizes? Community well-being will improve through a conscious effort to promote larger lot sizes with more animal rights.

Michael Weber
Fairfield Council Seat A

TBD

Scott Ferre
Eagle Mountain City Council

Public safety will do as much to attract business and residents as how we plan and build out businesses and neighborhoods. A good, paved trail network will help keep kids safe from traffic when traveling to school or common play areas. Cory B. Wride Memorial Park is a wonderful success that should serve as a model for future plans. When the time is right I will support the development of a family oriented recreation center, whether developed with public or private funds. Planning for an Eagle Mountain Police Force in the future should be a high priority. I will support initiatives for natural and man-made disaster training, planning and workshops for residents. Wildfire is a danger to many residents in our community and should be addressed in the form of prevention, containment, and strict penalties for violators of fire restrictions.

Jared R Gray
Eagle Mountain City Council

Public safety is an important issue I have actively been working to improve.  We successfully employed three additional officers to assist in public safety this year and last year. I am the council member who led the charge in making these increases in personnel possible, and keeping Eagle Mountain a safe place to be. I also believe that we will soon have a police force of our own in Eagle Mountain, and have been leading the charge to make that happen.

Craig Morris
Eagle Mountain City Council
No responses to questions returned.

Angelina Washburn
Eagle Mountain City Council

I think becoming a close community and getting to know each other is important in creating safety. As we get to know each other and learn more about each other we have more patience and desire to protect one another. More community events are great for reaching those goals. We would benefit if we gave more resident responsibility through city-sponsored committees and action groups. These groups would report to and get support from the city. These efforts will increase community engagement and provide opportunities to tie the community together.