Second question is, again, going to be for two minutes and start with Lorene Kamalu. And the question is: Concerning UDOT’s proposal for the West Davis Corridor or what should happen on 89, how can the city work to ensure that Kaysville’s interests are considered and property values are preserved. You can answer to both 89 and the west corridor or one or the other. And we’ll start with Lorene.

Lorene Kamalu

Sounds great. I know a lot about this. I am in the middle of a masters of public administration degree, which I never planned to go beyond my undergrad in business. But, because of public service I felt very strongly that I wanted to be the best public servant that I could be. And so I am at the U. I have a year under my belt. One more year to go in this masters of public administration. So, I studied roads in February. It was part of our policy analysis course and I chose to study Kaysville road maintenance as a policy problem. And it brought out the civil engineer in me, which I did not know that I had either. And so I have been watching this and all of these citizens have been watching for these proposals. The west corridor one has been finalized and now it is just going to be implemented. And last night, door to door, a family invited me in and asked about that one. That one goes off of the Kaysville boarder and the connection to Kaysville will be along 200 north out on that end. There will be an interchange. So that will be the connection to the west corridor in Kaysville.

When we worked on the general plan as a planning commission we did an update that only happens once every several years to update the general plan of our city and I was the one who brought up on the committee that we need to be thinking about the road changes and how we’re going to have a connection between three different highways. Also on 89, I spent a bunch of time so far, in my door to door, on 89 because what can happen there can really be very different for Kaysville. So, a couple weeks ago I met with the project manager. A lot of you were at the open house for highway 89 and we need to definitely be watching that for Kaysville’s interest. Property values- we just need to watch and be involved as citizens. And if every community does that, hopefully they will come up with some good options for us.

Katie Witt

In my former opportunity to serve on council, I was actually our communities transportation guru, as it were. I was on the transportation advisory board and I also served on the Denver regional council of governments. And so I worked a lot with regional leaders to try and get what is the best plan for our area. So, when we’re talking about the West Davis Corridor and highway 89, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to make Kaysville’s voice matter in these decisions. And to do this, you need to engage. A lot of people here have participated in the open house to do with 89.

And also, I think that the West Davis Corridor is, we have a real opportunity with that because I believe we need some more commercial here in Kaysville in order to help offset our property taxes. And there will be opportunity to have some commercial around that area. And we need to zone it really well. What do we want that to feel like? What do we want it to look like? What do we want it to include? Do we want it to just be a bunch of fast food restaurants? Or do we want something better than that? And I think if we take the time to plan this out, we can have a really nice area where we can get some more tax revenue and be able to increase people’s property values because they are close to this center. We’ll never be, it’s not going to be a Farmington Station. It’s not going to be anything like Layton Hill Malls. It will be uniquely Kaysville. And I think we really have an opportunity to make something great there.

Michelle Barber

For me, literally, I grew up by where the 89 expansion is happening. My parents still live there. I’m very interested in that and I learned a lot at the open house a few weeks ago and have actually be in contact with the UDOT’s community outreach representative. I have been asking a lot of questions. And I currently live right by where the West Davis Corridor will go in right off of second north. So, both of these are huge impacts and with it, I want to make sure that our city council and government is very involved with in the future.

As far as the property values, I agree that this is an opportunity to make sure that if this is done well, it can protect and even increase our property values. I’m also very sympathetic to the people whose lives change. We know about lives changing and your home that you bought and built changing it’s experience because of transportation that comes around you. But if done properly, it can enhance your life and enhance your values. With US-89 expansion there, what we need to remember is that the whole project is beyond just Crestwood and Mutton Hollow. It effects the north and the south. And I’m impressed that UDOT put out several different options. I’ve also pressed them pretty hard to explain how each option coordinates one with another and how things like our active transportation plan will be taken into account. Will we have bike ways? Will we have frontage roads that are accessible to citizens who live on the east side, east and west side of 89?

On the West Davis Corridor- this project we’ve known about for a really long time. It’s finally, the plan is approved. And when you look at it, Kaysville is sitting on, probably, the best opportunity of all of the cities that are involved in it. We have the most room for growth down there. We have the most opportunity to capitalize on a great experience. It is in my back door but I am excited to make sure that what goes in benefits myself, benefits my community and is safe for our children who are going to go to school right by there.

James Hansen

Wow. Amen. Isn’t this good stuff? And I hope… I drive to work every day and I wish I could bike to work everyday. I came from Albuquerque prior to coming here and it was nice to ride 10 miles in and 10 miles out on a nice bike path where I felt safe and only had to cross a major street three times. Now, that tells you a little bit about some of my loves. I’m not an avid biker. It was just fun to do. But I appreciate what’s already been said and I absolutely agree with a lot of it. We have some unique opportunities

Road rage is a problem right now and it comes from grumpy commutes. Is that right? Do you think, “I just want to get home and be to the place I love.”  And when we’re thoughtful about that… as I’ve visited with people today, why do you love the west side? Why do you love some of the open spaces on the east side? Because they’re open. It’s what we enjoy. We do have an opportunity to be thoughtful but we need to move quick so it doesn’t just happen to us and we’re left behind. So, just think about some of those things It’s a neat opportunity.

I have to admit that I am looking forward to the west corridor because it will make getting home, for a lot of people, a little bit more comfortable. And if it’s planned right, it won’t be an eye sore but it can also bring in revenue. And I think this is a nice time for us to unify as a city, to join together, to make it known what is important to us and go after it. That is just what I think in a lot of different ways. There is some… I don’t know if that is a call to everyone else. I’m for definitely pushing these things forward, helping them out, making them happen and being a part of it. And to keep Kaysville, just like I said, a great place. But I agree with that too. There is plenty of great revenue opportunities. We all love the benefit that these resources bring so lets take advantage of them but do them in the right way. Thank you.

Randi von Bose

I’m going to take a minute and just focus on 89 because I know that’s an area that a lot of the citizens, right now, have concerns about. In my time attending city council I’ve seen UDOT come and do a presentation on what their tentative plans are for 89 and then there’s been the open house recently. I will be honest and tell you that the feeling that I got  was that UDOT, while they’re taking information in, they also have very set ideals of what they want. And UDOT does not have an oversight committee. That was one question I specifically asked during the UDOT meeting was, “Who are you accountable to?”  And they are accountable to their UDOT manager but that is it. Really, ultimately, the people who have control over UDOT are going to be our state representatives

In running, one of my views of my role as a city council person will be to lobby for the city. My job will be to be in contact with those people representing us on a state level and making sure that they know what the needs of our citizens are and passing that down because they’re the ones who will have control over UDOT. They are the ones who hold those purse strings. We, as a city, can gather together- and I think that is absolutely needed and absolutely wonderful- but in order to really effect change, we have to take it to the next level and that is what I would like my role to be.

I only want to do what the bulk of the citizens want. My big goal in running right now is to gather a group of people through email who I can communicate with on a regular basis- to send out survey or to just send out updates on what’s going on in the city. To get feedback so I know where the city is and then I can effectively lobby for you.

Susan Lee

You know, it was over eight years ago, my first foray into getting involved was fighting for a sound wall on the east side of the freeway down by the Hess Farms area all the way to Second North. That time was a time where I started to recognize how much work it takes to get something done. And we were able to accomplish it. We were able to come together and do it because of citizen involvement and also because we had a mayor and a council that supported what we wanted done. It is very important, like Randi said, that you keep in great communication with your state representatives because they do hold the power of the purse. But, they don’t listen to you as well if you don’t have a good representative on the council who is willing to go to bat for those needs.

And with the Highway 89, that expansion, without a doubt, it’s needed. I don’t know how many of you actually travel to and from on Highway 89 but it’s frustrating because the traffic is very, very slow and bumper to bumper. Those fee towers- it’s hard to get through. And it’s frustrating. And then as far as the North Davis Corridor and down that direction, that will directly effect me because I live down the very west end of Kaysville. And I will be able to actually see that freeway- it’s going to be a full blown freeway down there. It’s not going to be like legacy highway where they won’t allow semi’s on it. It will be a full blown freeway. And one of the things I am very familiar with is sound walls. I will go to bat for the citizens of this community, whether it be up at Highway 89 or down by the North Davis Corridor to make sure that we have as much privacy and protection from this growth. Thank you.

Rustin Jessen

You know, it’s interesting. As I look at it, change, most of the time, either happens to you or through you. I think that UDOT has a budget and has a plan. They are going to build these roads. They are going to make these expansions. But I think, to some extent, the expansion is very important because the roads are getting crowded and they’re getting difficult to travel. I think the two projects are very, very different in circumstance. Obviously the West Davis Corridor is planned, it’s confirmed. We know exactly where it’s going. So, what we are going to have to do is get very creative with the way that we zone that to protect property values of the land owners that are out there. As we look about commercial services that might end up out there, we have to be very careful and communicate very well. Kaysville is going to have to get very, very good at communicating- not just broad past out but soliciting your feedback. If you’re in an area that’s effected by a project, we can’t just hope that you are going to come in. We need to get very good at letting you know what is happening and soliciting your feedback. We don’t have a really fantastic mechanism for that, aside from an email. Hopefully we can get a lot better at that. I would like to lead some better options there. So, we’re going to have to get creative with the zoning on the West Davis Corridor.

Now, up on 89, the interesting thing about that is that is not locked in. We have options. We can be an advocate for a better change that serves Kaysville very well up there. I think that some of the issues that is up there is can we reduce speed limits? Can we make it some way that is not a trucking route by petitioning UDOT to finish the cross over that goes out from Morgan over to I-15 directly, so we’re not sending trucks straight down 89? I think that it is important that we look at this from a big picture, logistically look at how that is going to effect us and the types and speeds of traffic that are going to come on there. And then, in the end, like I said, It’s not really locked in. You are going to need somebody to represent you who can be a good advocate, a good negotiator. Somebody that can go with UDOT and our state representatives and really communicate what the impact will be for you. I think that as you are looking for somebody to vote for, it is very important that you look for somebody that can be your best advocate. Whether they completely agree with you or not, somebody that will take your message to the decision makers. Whether it’s in the city or UDOT or the state or anywhere else, look for somebody that can be your very best advocate. Thank you.

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