Hey Eagle Mountain! Colten here.

Today’s Valueletter has a heavier news and community focus, but I think these items are worth knowing about. Let’s jump into it.

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Weather this week
🌤️ Thu: 59°/34°
☀️ Fri: 67°/40°
☁️ Sat: 65°/42°
🌧️ Sun: 53°/38° (86% rain)

🌱 Arbor Day planting tomorrow
Friday, 8:30 AM at Cory Wride Park. Volunteers welcome. More from eaglemountain.gov

🗳️ Planning Commission meets Tuesday, April 28
5:30 PM work session, 6:30 PM policy session. Meeting details

🏒 Two registration dates next Friday, May 1
Street Hockey registration closes for 6th through 8th grade (the 3rd to 5th grade program is full). Summer Sports registration opens for soccer and pickleball.

Tuesday's council meeting covered a lot. Here's what I believe matters most for residents.

The Meadow Ranch decision.

Two neighbors had applied to purchase the strip of city land behind their homes. That land is supposed to have a walking trail go through it, but that trail has yet to be added and the grass and weeds have grown so long that it’s now a potential fire hazard. So the residents wanted to purchase the land behind their own homes from the city to take control of it.

After a long and careful conversation, the council voted no, 3 to 2. Council members suggested three paths forward for residents in situations like this, which may help explain the council's reasoning:

The council didn't all agree on the approach, but they encouraged these homeowners to work with their neighbors and figure out which of the three options makes the most sense.

Perry Homes is proposing 850 new homes at Trails at Hidden Valley.

This was a work-session discussion, not a vote, but the scale is significant. 850 homes on 243 acres. That is actually lower density than the 1,256 homes the developer says are currently entitled for the property. The main point of debate was narrowing Red Pine Road's right-of-way from 77 to 61 feet by removing the trail and park strip on one side. Open space would increase from about 100 to 139 acres in exchange. If you live or drive near that area, this is a proposal to keep an eye on.

The city's books are in a healthy spot.

Through March 31, revenues are at about 60% collected and expenditures at about 46% spent. That's in line with where the city expects to be this far into the fiscal year — most departments are tracking within their budgets. The General Fund is at 76% revenue and 55% spent. No red flags.

A big wastewater contract reviewed.

The council reviewed an $8.29 million contract with MGC Contractors, Inc. which aims to procure Membrane Filtration System equipment for the wastewater treatment facility expansion. Not visible from your driveway, but this is the kind of investment that keeps sewer rates stable as Eagle Mountain grows.

Fencing material, HVAC screening ordinance, and Brandon Park rezone.

The council approved pre-weathered weathering steel as a new residential fencing material, with added specs for thickness, drip edges, and a few other details. The HVAC screening ordinance for multi-family buildings was tabled for more work. A Belle Street Booster power conduit change order was pulled from the consent agenda and tabled. And the Brandon Park rezone, a 216-acre cleanup of older zoning labels, got a work-session review.

View the meeting agenda or find the minutes and video once they post.

On a personal note, I was one of the residents recognized at Tuesday's meeting as a graduate of the third Eagle Mountain Academy class.

Eagle Mountain Academy is a program where residents sit down with department heads and city leaders over several weeks to learn how our city actually works. What I came away with is this: Eagle Mountain is not a black box. It is run by thoughtful, capable people who are experts in what they do and who genuinely want to hear from residents and do what’s best for us as a whole.

I came in curious, and frankly a little skeptical. I left more informed and confident in the city. If something about our city feels opaque to me, I know that the people running it are approachable, and they want the community involved. I feel comfortable reaching out now, and I want you to know you can too.

Read the city's write-up on the third graduating class

On Tuesday night, the Alpine School District Board officially named our newest elementary school Juniper Basin Elementary, home of the Falcons.

Juniper trees are native and dominant in our valley, rooted deep and remarkably resilient. Their tap roots reach down and their wide lateral roots spread out, helping them thrive in tough conditions. They grow in stands, lending each other shelter and strength, with older trees protecting the younger ones. The name also nods to the legacy of the closing Cedar Valley Elementary, a school many families in our valley love.

The mascot is the Falcon, specifically the American Kestrel. Kestrels are small but mighty, focused, and sharp-eyed. The choice ties in beautifully with the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project, a local conservation effort supporting young kestrels in our valley.

Logos and mascot imagery aren't final yet, but the name and spirit of the school are now official.

Read the full announcement from Alpine School District

Chad's Landscape & Irrigation is Eagle Mountain–based and has been in business under the current name for about three years, with 20+ years of experience behind it. They handle full landscaping services except recurring lawn care. One detail worth knowing: Chad starts one yard and finishes it before moving on to the next, with an install window of about eight days per project. And they're currently hiring.

So if you have any landscaping needs, give Chad’s Landscape & Irrigation a call at 385-241-8761, or visit their contact page. Also check out their social media to see their work in action.

CVHS athletics tonight. Two home games Thursday: boys tennis vs. Herriman at 3 PM and boys volleyball vs. Westlake at 6:30 PM.

The Lightning Thief musical. Frontier Middle School's spring musical runs four shows: Thursday at 7 PM, Friday at 7 PM, Saturday at 2 PM matinee, and Saturday at 7 PM. Performance details

Arbor Day tree planting. Friday, April 24, 8:30 AM at Cory Wride Park. The city will plant 20 to 30 trees. Volunteers welcome.

CVHS Ballroom End-of-Year Concert. At the Cedar Valley Auditorium. Friday at 7 PM and Saturday at 2 PM matinee.

Anytime Fitness grand opening. Saturday, April 25, 9 AM at 5390 N Beckman Lane. Ribbon-cutting and tours.

Spring Market at Rockwell Charter. Saturday, April 25, 10 AM to 2 PM at Rockwell Charter High School. Local vendors and a relaxed weekend morning.

Work Session at 5:30 PM, Policy Session at 6:30 PM. The agenda typically posts to CivicClerk a few days before the meeting.

Two Senior Center items worth flagging next week:

That's it for this week. If you know of a local resource that helps neighbors in tough spots (food, clothing, utility assistance, anything), I'd love to hear about it. Just reply to this email and I'll add it to the list I'm building.

And if this issue was useful to you, forward it to a neighbor or share the link. That's how this newsletter grows. Thanks for reading!

See you around,

— Colten

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