Hey Eagle Mountain. Colten here.

My kids have more candy than ever, and it isn’t even Halloween yet. Trunk-or-treats are fun and all, but it definitely encourages consistent elevated blood sugar levels. I’m glad that the trunk-or-treats my family participated in aren’t replacing Halloween in any way, but the side effect I didn’t consider was having sugar-high and sticky-fingered children more often. And my kids are getting older and wiser, so hiding their candy in my closet doesn’t cut it any more. I might need to invest in a safe.

Anywho, let’s see what’s going on this week.

There's no City Council meeting this week, but the Planning Commission meets Tuesday, October 27 at City Hall. The Planning Commission is the appointed board that reviews building and zoning rules and makes recommendations to the City Council, which makes the final decisions. The afternoon meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. The public hearings, where anyone can speak, are in the evening meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m.

City staff are proposing a change that would allow high-voltage power lines on farm-zoned land in Eagle Mountain. Right now, the city's code doesn't allow power lines on farm-zoned land at all. City staff connect the change to a proposed power line that would run from Spanish Fork to the Mercer Substation "to help power data center development." You can read about the planned line on PacifiCorp's project page.

The same change would allow water, sewer, power and other utility buildings on farm-zoned land if the buildings meet the city's standards for utility buildings.

City staff is asking the Commission to support the change.

The city wants clear rules for selling eggs, honey and produce from home. The Planning Commission holds a public hearing Tuesday on a change to the city's home business rules. Right now, the city can approve a home business license to sell greenhouse plants to the public, as long as the property has enough land for the business. The change would add farm products to that license, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs and honey, along with flowers and other plants. You could only sell what you grow or raise on your own property, not products you bought somewhere else to resell.

You would also need enough off-street parking for customers. The city's usual home business limits would still apply, including limits on customer visits, traffic, employees, signs and noise. The proposal doesn't say how much land counts as enough. City staff is asking the Commission to support the change.

Developers would have to give the city water rights before new neighborhoods are approved. In the afternoon meeting, the Commission discusses new rules for when developers must give water rights to the city. A water right is the legal right to use a set amount of water. Developers have to give the city enough water rights to supply the homes and buildings they build. Today, developers of new homes give the city their water rights near the end of the approval process, right before the new subdivision's lots are officially recorded. Under the proposal, developers would have to give the city their water rights at the start, when they first ask the city to approve the overall plan for a large new neighborhood. The proposal says the goal is to "protect the City's long-term municipal water supply." The Commission will only discuss the proposal Tuesday. There's no vote.

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

The City Council holds a hearing on the artificial turf rules November 4. The hearing is at the City Council's evening meeting on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m. The proposal adds rules for artificial turf and changes the city's landscaping rules for homes. The same hearing covers updating the zoning for about 41 acres in Oak Hollow and Parkway Crossroads. The Planning Commission supported both on October 13. You can read about the Commission's October 13 meeting in the October 15 issue. (Hearing notice)

The city broke ground on its sewer treatment plant expansion. The groundbreaking was Friday, October 23. According to the city's post, the plant is rated for 2.4 million gallons a day (MGD) but "already hit its loading limit at about 1.5 MGD." The city says the plant reached its limit early because newer homes with low-flow fixtures send the plant more concentrated wastewater. The expansion adds a new facility that "adds another 6 MGD of capacity." Construction is expected to take three to four years, and the city says it will post updates on its website and social media.

The City Council's next meeting is Wednesday, November 4. The afternoon meeting starts at 4:00 p.m. and the evening meeting at 7:00 p.m. The special meeting on the speed study results is Tuesday, November 10 at 5:00 p.m. at the Public Works Building.

Halloween is Saturday, so here's a local ghost story. This one comes from Camp Floyd State Park in Fairfield.

Camp Floyd was an Army post from 1858 to 1861. At the time, it held more U.S. troops than had ever been gathered in one place in the country. A town called Frogtown grew up next to the camp, and 17 saloons served the soldiers.

In 2003, members of the Paranormal Society of Utah spent a night at what's now Camp Floyd State Park. The group told the Deseret News their tests showed signs of ghosts in the old schoolhouse, the Stagecoach Inn, the commissary, and the cemetery. The group also said it caught voices on its recorders.

In 2023, FOX 13 reported stories of rocking chairs moving on their own and ghostly figures at the schoolhouse. The station also reported smells of perfume, cigarettes and cigars with no one around. The station's own wireless microphones picked up "eerie sounds, without any apparent explanation."

The cemetery has a true mystery, too. When researcher Curtis Allen looked through the cemetery's records in 2007, he found the headstones didn't mark the actual graves. "So no one is buried under the headstones," he told the Deseret News. According to Utah State Parks, ground-penetrating radar found the real graves in 2009. The new headstones placed on those graves in 2011 read "Unknown."

Want to find out for yourself? Camp Floyd State Park holds Ghosts of Camp Floyd on Saturday, October 31 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The ghost hunt costs $10 a person, and each session is limited to 40 people. To save a spot, email the park through the event page.

If you’ve noticed a white crust on your faucets or a cloudy film on your dishes, you’re not alone. Let me introduce you to Colton Halladay.

Colton co-owns Element Water and Air with Jimmy Anderson. It’s a family-owned water treatment company with offices in Lehi and Saratoga Springs, and it does a lot of work in Eagle Mountain homes.

Colton reached out to me because his team regularly tests Eagle Mountain water at 15 to 20 grains per gallon of hardness. The U.S. Geological Survey calls anything over about 10.5 “very hard.” Most of that hardness is calcium and magnesium, which leave white deposits on dishes and faucets when water dries and build up as scale inside water heaters. What surprised him most is how many brand-new homes already have significant buildup after just a year or two.

Are you having this problem? You’re not the only one, and it’s something Colton’s team sees often in Eagle Mountain homes.

If you’d like to know what’s in your water, Element offers a free in-home water test. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and there’s no obligation to buy. They test your water’s hardness, total dissolved solids and chlorine in front of you, show you how your water reacts with soap, and walk you through what the numbers mean.

You can call them at (801) 383-0880 or book a free water test on their website. Colton also wrote a longer guide, Hard Water in Eagle Mountain: What Homeowners Should Know.

Mail your ballot by Tuesday, October 27. The city lists October 27 as the last day to mail ballots for the November 3 election. After October 27, use the ballot drop box on the north end of City Hall. The drop box is open around the clock until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3. Under state law, ballots have to be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. You can also vote in person on Election Day at the Overland Barn (1713 Erickson Knoll Lane) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (City post · Track your ballot) You can read more of my advice and research in the October 15 issue.

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

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)

Clocks fall back one hour at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, November 1. Daylight saving time ends, so you get an extra hour of sleep.

A veterans group is looking for a local business to host a monthly coffee hour. Warrior Revival is a nonprofit that supports service members, veterans and their families. The group wants a business or organization in northern Utah County to donate space for a Veteran Coffee Hour on the first Saturday morning of each month. Warrior Revival brings the coffee and supplies, and handles setup and cleanup. If you have the space, email [email protected].

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

Have a great week, Eagle Mountain.

See you around,

— Colten

Is this a forwarded email?
Subscribe here or scan the QR code below to never miss what’s going on in Eagle Mountain.