Hey, Eagle Mountain. Colten here.

One thing I love about writing this newsletter is that I get to connect with you, my fellow Eagle Mountain residents and neighbors. As I thought through what to write about this weekend, I realized I have an amazing opportunity to regularly get your thoughts on the topics the City Council, city staff and Planning Commission are discussing. And it's free from all the crap on Facebook and the rest of social media.

So I'm adding polls to the newsletter that you can answer, which will help me know how you feel about the agenda items the Council discusses during their meetings. The format is simple enough that I can show you the results each week.

Thanks to all of you for reading my newsletter. I'm looking forward to connecting with you all better.

The City Council meets Tuesday, October 6 at City Hall. The afternoon meeting starts at 4:00 p.m. and the evening meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. General public comment is at the start of the evening meeting, three minutes a person.

The city hired Hales Engineering to study how fast people drive at 35 locations around Eagle Mountain. The results will be presented to the City Council on Tuesday night.

The study places each of the 35 locations into one of three categories, based on how far over the speed limit drivers were going. It identifies six locations as having the greatest need for changes that slow drivers down, while 11 have a moderate need. At the remaining 18 locations, the study recommends no roadway changes.

At the six "greatest need" locations, the study recommends raised sections in the road, called speed cushions or speed tables, plus landscaping. The six locations are:

The study describes the 11 "moderate" locations as places where most drivers were going no more than 10 mph over the speed limit. It recommends changes there such as signs that show drivers their speed, road markings and landscaping. The 11 locations are:

The study also recommends changing the speed limit on five roads:

The study estimates the changes would cost about $460,000 at the six "greatest need" locations and about $400,000 at the 11 "moderate" locations. Both numbers are drafts. City staff expect the cost to be more than the city has budgeted.

The agenda lists the speed study as discussion only, with one hour set aside at the evening meeting. You can see every location in the agenda packet, starting on page 628.

The owners of the Corrigan Farms property want the city to change what can legally be built on their land of about 41 acres so data centers can be built there. See my September 24 newsletter to see where this land is located.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the zoning change and on a contract between the city and the company that would build there.

City staff wrote in the agenda packet, "It is anticipated that the applicant will construct 2 data centers with an on site natural gas power plant." The contract in the packet, which is labeled a draft, would run 20 years, and the company could end the contract at any time, for any reason. The packet's pages on Corrigan Farms give no figure for how much water or power the project would use.

The Planning Commission sent the zoning change and the contract to the Council with its support on September 22. I went through the rest of the contract in the September 21 issue and what was said at the Planning Commission meeting in the September 24 issue.

The public hearing on the zoning change is scheduled during the 7:00 p.m. meeting.

The City Council is scheduled to hold public hearings Tuesday night on the city's water and sewer plans before voting on them. The plans outline projects the city expects to need as it grows through 2030.

Most of the cost in the sewer plan is a single project: an expansion of the treatment plant estimated to cost about $188 million. Neither plan sets water or sewer rates or fees.

The Planning Commission recommended both plans in September. I covered them in the September 10 issue.

The Council is scheduled to discuss the RV parking rule. (Discussion only) Under the proposal from city staff, an RV, boat or off-road vehicle would have to be titled or registered to the owner of the lot it is parked on. The ban on parking in the front yard, which does not cover driveways, would widen to include motor vehicles. The Planning Commission's version would allow up to 2 RVs that belong to someone else. The discussion is at Tuesday's afternoon meeting. I wrote about this rule in the September 14 issue.

Ranches Parkway would be widened to six lanes. (Consent agenda) An agreement with Utah County on Tuesday's agenda would widen Ranches Parkway to six travel lanes between Cory B. Wride Highway and Pony Express Parkway, and add two traffic signals. The county would pay the city back up to about $10.5 million, starting in 2029. The agreement sets no construction date. I wrote about the county money for this road in the September 28 issue.

The city would sell land to Smith's. (Consent agenda) The Council is scheduled to vote on selling Smith's about an acre of city land for around $284,000. The land runs along Old Airport Road, starting at Pony Express Parkway. Smith's wants to add it to its commercial project next door, which the city's staff report calls Eagle's Landing. The packet does not say what Smith's plans to build there.

Community garden plots would cost $90 a season. (Consent agenda) The Council is being asked to approve a policy for community gardens on city land. A plot for a resident would cost $90 for the season, which runs May through October. Of that, $30 is a deposit you can get back at the end of the season. Residents 18 and older would get the first chance at a plot, one per household. No garden site is approved yet, and Tuesday's vote would not open a garden.

You can read the full agenda and packet on the meeting page. To comment on any of Tuesday's public hearings, you can speak at the evening meeting or fill out the city's public comment form before the meeting starts.

What would you want in a future City Hall and library? You can still answer the 8 City Hall questions, and every question is optional. If enough of you respond, I will share a summary with the city, without names or emails.

It's that time of year when everyone gets excited for Halloween, but it's also when health insurance enrollment opens up. If you or your parents are on Medicare, some plans are changing for 2027, so you should review your plan or your parents' plan. I'd like to introduce you to someone who does this for a living: Jay Blain.

Jay is a licensed insurance agent here in Eagle Mountain who runs Medicare Advocates. He can help you understand how to navigate any potential changes to your Medicare plans during open enrollment, October 15 through December 7.

If you have any questions about Medicare, Jay would be happy to take your call at 801-915-2046, or you can book a meeting with him.

I know that insurance is one of the worst topics to dive into, but being on top of how you or your family will be affected is essential. Giving Jay a call can help you figure out which plan fits you or your parents.

Thank you to Jay for kindly offering to sponsor this week's newsletters.

Junior Jazz registration for kindergarten through 8th grade closes Sunday, November 1. Registration costs $72 for kindergarten through 2nd grade and $75 for 3rd through 8th grade. The season starts January 9, 2027. You can sign up on the city's K–8th registration page. The league for 9th through 12th grade is separate, and registration closes December 22.

Fall break: No school Thursday and Friday, October 15 and 16. Alpine School District's calendar page says all district facilities are closed both days. At Cedar Valley High School, the first term ends Wednesday, October 14.

Tuesday, October 6

Wednesday, October 7

Thursday, October 8

Friday, October 9

Saturday, October 10

All month: Haven Ranch Animal Sanctuary pumpkin patch, through October.

At the Senior Center, October 6 through 8, 1632 E. Heritage Dr. — Arts & Crafts (Oct 6, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Oct 7 and 8, 10:00 to 11:45 a.m.) · Senior Spanish Class (Oct 6, 10:00 a.m.) · Senior Exercise Class (Oct 6 and 8, 11:00 a.m.) · Senior Crocheting Class (Oct 7, 10:00 a.m.) · More

Wishing you all a wonderful start to your week.

See you around,

— Colten