Hey Eagle Mountain. Colten here.

Welp, I woke up with a sore throat yesterday morning. I guess it’s that time of year. My two youngest have runny noses and it’s only a matter of time before everyone else gets sick. Here’s to hoping that you all can stay healthy this winter!

Let’s jump into today’s Valueletter.

The City Council met Tuesday, October 20 at City Hall. Here's what happened.

The City Council approved both the zoning change and the contract for the Corrigan Farms data center land. The zoning change passed with every councilmember voting yes. The contract passed 4 to 1, with Councilmember Rich Wood voting no.

Wood said he isn't against data centers, but the contract doesn't name a company that would run a data center there. "I'm just not comfortable with doing a development agreement without a user specific to a data center," he said.

The contract no longer includes a power plant, and approving it gives the company no right to build one. City Attorney Marcus Draper said a power plant "would come through a separate application at a later date." That request "could come as a natural gas application. It could come as some other form of power ... Or not at all," he said.

The City Council put off a request from residents to buy about 0.85 acre of city land between the backs of their homes and a trail. Instead, it asked the city's Community Services Board to look at all city open space that runs between houses and come back with a plan. The board meets once a month. Councilmember Melissa Clark estimated there are "probably 200 of these strips in City Center."

Here's where each member stood:

The Mayor said the board's review will "take a couple of months." After that, Wood told the applicant, the Council will "make a decision on your application."

No councilmember spoke up for giving trade workers first priority for the city’s mortgage assistance program. The City Council talked about how to decide who goes first for the program but didn’t vote. The program gives first-time buyers up to $25,000 to help buy a home in Eagle Mountain. "I'm not a fan of tiering it based on, like, your profession," Clark said. Wright suggested a lottery that gives lower-income buyers more chances. Clark and Whiting were open to a lottery, and Huish said he was fine with how it works now. Affordable Housing Coordinator Kiara Polee said the program has about $840,000 left of the $1.2 million set aside for this fiscal year. At that pace, "we're going to exhaust the fund," she said. The Council asked staff to come back with projections on how long the money will last.

The landscaped medians on Pony Express Parkway near Trail Head Road will be paved over. The City Council approved about $298,000 in changes to the Trail Head Road traffic signal project. The changes include replacing the medians between Trail Head Road and Eagle Mountain Boulevard with pavement. It passed with other routine items in one vote, without discussion. Paving the medians the rest of the way to Lake Mountain Road wasn't voted on.

You can clear plants around your house for fire safety if your lot is in the wildfire area. The City Council approved two changes for lots in the city's wildfire area. One adds a state rule to city code that lets owners clear plants from part of their property to meet fire-safety standards. The other marks those lots on maps for new subdivisions.

Councilmembers want the final say before any power plant can be built in Eagle Mountain. The City Council talked about the draft changes to the city’s rules for power plants and didn’t vote. City staff said companies may not want to come here if the Council can reject a power plant at the last step. By then, a company would have already spent time and money working with the city on it. Huish and Wood said the Council should keep the final say anyway. “For the first one, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Wood said. City staff will add the Council’s suggestions and take the rules to the Planning Commission next.

You can read the full agenda and packet on the meeting page.

The city breaks ground on its sewer treatment plant expansion Friday, October 23. Public Works Director Brad Hickman said that after meetings with the state on permits, the city can move forward. The groundbreaking for the expansion of the city's sewer treatment plant is at 10:00 a.m. at the plant, 2515 N. Pony Express Parkway. "If you're around, you're welcome to show up," he said.

The wider sidewalk on Golden Eagle Road is finished. Crews widened the sidewalk on Golden Eagle Road by Brookhaven Elementary from 4 feet to 8 feet and finished the last pour Monday, October 19. Hickman said it opens after a couple of days of cleanup.

White Hills residents may notice a change in their water. The city is adding chlorine to the White Hills water system so it can be tied into the city's water system. Hickman said residents there "will likely notice some kind of change or difference."

The City Council's next meeting moves to Wednesday, November 4, because of the election. The afternoon meeting starts at 4:00 p.m. and the evening meeting at 7:00 p.m. The Council also scheduled a special meeting on the speed study results for Tuesday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. at the Public Works Building.

The school district holds a hearing Thursday, October 22 on boundaries for three elementary schools. Lake Mountain School District is looking at possible changes to the boundaries between Black Ridge, Harvest and Springside elementaries. The hearing is at 6:05 p.m. in the Westlake High School Media Center in Saratoga Springs. Superintendent Carter said the district is "cleaning up existing boundary lines, primarily in areas where there are currently no homes." (Public notice)

Voter registration for the November 3 election closes Friday, October 23 at 5:00 p.m. If you don't register in time, the city says you may still be able to register and vote in person with a provisional ballot (city post). The city says Tuesday, October 27 is the last day to mail your ballot. After that, use the drop box on the north end of City Hall, since ballots have to be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. You can track your ballot on the state's site. You can read more of my advice and research in the October 15 issue.

The city's winter street parking rule starts Sunday, November 1. From November 1 to March 15, you can't park on city streets whenever snow accumulates so plows can get through. Cars left on the street can be fined and towed. (City code · City reminder)

Registration for Junior Jazz, the city's youth basketball program, closes Sunday, November 1 at 11:59 p.m. It's open to kindergarten through 8th grade. It costs $72 for kindergarten through 2nd grade and $75 for 3rd through 8th, and both include a jersey. If you miss it, late registration runs November 2 to 9 with a $5 late fee. Register on the city's recreation site under "Youth Sports / Programs Registration."

The city's community survey is still open. It takes about 10 to 12 minutes. (Take the survey · City post)

Stay happy and healthy, Eagle Mountain.

See you around,

— Colten

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