Saturday, November 29, 2008

Eagle Mtn. Grocery Store Update

"For the past two or more months, the City Council has been scheduling "status updates" on Coop's Market and then canceling those updates, raising the specter that plans for the grocery store might not move forward. Those concerns were put to rest recently when the city not only approved the rezone of more than 20 acres for the store, but approved the site plan and plat for the store, too.

The store has been in the works for more than a year. It will be 47,000 square feet, with an additional 40,000 square feet of adjacent store space, said Steve Mumford, Eagle Mountain's planning director. Store officials said that compares to the 60,000-square-foot Albertsons in Lehi, or a typical 220,000-square-foot Wal-Mart. The new store will be about the same size as the Kohler's grocery store in Highland.

The $9 million store will operate as part of Associated Foods and will be located on the north side of State Road 73 at Ranches Parkway. Store officials have called the grocery store a superstore, saying it will include a bakery, deli, butcher's counter, indoor pharmacy, drive-up pharmacy and organics. The store is expected to employ 125 full-time and part-time workers, and could add hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to city coffers, according to city officials." -Daily Herald

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Eagle Mtn. Turkey Trot

The Turkey Walk/Trot is free of charge and will begin at the LDS Stake Center building at 2977 Saddle Rock Road. The finish will be along the trail across from Eagle Mountain City Hall, 1650 E. Stagecoach Run. A free turkey will be awarded to the first family group to finish and pies will also be awarded. Wagon rides will be provided back to the start and free hot chocolate, donuts, and Gatorade will be available for all participants.

What: Opening of Pony Express/Sweetwater Trail – Turkey Walk/Trot Event
When: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 9 AM
Where: Start is at 2977 Saddle Rock Road (LDS Chapel), Eagle Mountain, and finish is across from Eagle Mountain City Hall, 1650 E. Stagecoach Run

Pony Express Sweetwater Trail Complete

Eagle Mountain, UT, November 25 – Construction has been completed on the Pony Express-Sweetwater Trail, a five mile trail that connects the two currently developed areas of Eagle Mountain City known as The Ranches and City Center. A Turkey Walk/Trot event sponsored by Eagle Mountain City will be held on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27 at 9 AM to celebrate the completion of the trail.

The Pony Express-Sweetwater Trail runs parallel to the historic Pony Express Trail - a route for mail carriers on horseback who traveled from Missouri to California from 1860 to 1861. The original Pony Express Trail was a means for connecting the eastern part of the United States with the west. The Pony Express-Sweetwater Trail provides a similar connection for the eastern and western parts of Eagle Mountain City, the third largest city in Utah in land area at 47.1 square miles.

Local riders with the National Pony Express Association will lead off the Turkey Walk/Trot on horseback in honor of this historical connection.

“This trail will provide another fantastic outdoor recreation opportunity for our residents, as well as an additional mode of access between the two sections of our city,” Mayor Heather Jackson said.

Eagle Mountain City A No Show

When it came to a county-wide smoke ban...

"One city, Eagle Mountain, notably opposed a countywide ban and argued that cities should be allowed to form their own policies -- but nobody from that city showed up at the public hearing to argue the point. In fact, nobody at all argued against it, much to the surprise of the board." -Daily Herald

Smoke Ban in Utah County Parks

The new smoke ban that has been approved for all Utah County parks is a joke.

This decision should have been made at the city level by the mayors.

No More Smoke in Eagle Mtn. Parks

"The Utah County Board of Health has approved a ban on smoking in public parks and for all gatherings of more than 100 people on public property.

The ban takes effect Jan. 1 and prohibits smoking in public parks, baseball fields, soccer fields and other publicly owned recreation areas.

It also applies to mass gatherings, such as public rallies or ceremonies.

Those who light up can be fined $25 for the first offense, and $100 for subsequent offenses." -ksl.com

Friday, November 21, 2008

Eagle Mtn. to Annex Land

"City leaders are taking steps to annex land on the west side all the way to Fairfield, while separately turning more agriculture land into commercial uses.

Also, the City Council on Tuesday approved the land use document and master development plan that regulates how a 364-home community in the northeast section of the city will be developed. The nearly 40 acres is to be annexed from Saratoga Springs.

Dubbed Scenic Mountain, the development is to have nearly 10 homes per acre." -Deseret News

Eagle Mtn. Freezes Hiring

Keeping a careful eye on its budget, Eagle Mountain says it is working to strike a fiscal balance despite tightening revenues.

Unlike some cities, Eagle Mountain has no plans to lay off employees, said city manager John Hendrickson. The city has, however, issued a hiring freeze and has been trimming budgets where possible.-Daily Herald

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Eagle Mtn. Ranches HOA Board of Trustee Comments on Gas Surcharge

Ranches HOA Board of Trustee, Jon Barclay commenting on my recent post entitled "Eagle Mtn. Mayor Comments on Garbage Pickup Gas Surcharge"

"Jon Barclay said...

Great Job on holding our elected officials accountable.

With gas down to $1.87 in the ranches I can't imagine that Waste Management will be able to justify this for too much longer.

November 18, 2008 10:18 AM"

Eagle Mtn. School Back After Virus Outbreak

"The Ranches elementary school in Eagle Mountain called off last Friday so the 50 or so students could get over the Norovirus sickness that broke out last week.

Monday was the first day of school but officials and school staff are still wary of the highly contagious disease spreading again. They are asking that any of the children who were sick to stay out of school for 24 hours after symptoms have passed." -myfoxutah.com

Eagle Mtn. City Council Rejects Recycling Offers

"Speaking to the Daily Herald, city spokeswoman Linda Peterson said the city had received one bid from Waste Management saying the company would like to provide recycling service but would be unable to provide a price per household in their bid right now because of national economic turmoil. They asked the city to wait to choose a recycling company until Waste Management could provide a bid, but did not show how long that would take.

Allied Waste also submitted a bid, but it provided cost estimates only for a citywide mandatory program, and Council members have said they are loath to force residents to pay for recycling service, Peterson said.

Instead, the city has asked Allied to provide pricing for an opt-out program, in which all residents would be signed up for recycling service unless they tell the city they don't want it.

If 90 percent of residents or more keep the service, participating households would be charged $4.49, Peterson said. That price increases to $4.62 if only 80 to 89 percent keep the service, $5.08 if 60 to 79 percent recycle, and finally to $5.69 per household if fewer than 60 percent of residents recycle.

Council members are expected to debate these rates and an opt-out recycling program at their Dec. 2 meeting. If enacted, pickup would be every other week."-Daily Herald

Friday, November 14, 2008

Eagle Mtn. Mayor Comments on Garbage Pickup Gas Surcharge

My recent email to Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson and her response to doing away with the $1 gas surcharge that Allied Waste is charging Eagle Mountain residents.

My email:

Mayor Jackson,

Fellow City Center resident here.

With continued falling gas prices, can we expect that Allied Waste is
going to drop the $1.00 surcharge for fuel?

I know we're only talking about a dollar here, but multiplied by every
house in Eagle Mountain, that's a nice stash of cash.

Mayor Jackson's response:

"Thank you for your email. Your concern is also ours and we follow
whether the changes by Allied Waste are correct. The fuel surcharge
follows a proscribed Index for fuel cost in the Utah market and is
charged in arrears. In other words, the fuel index for October will not
show up until November; November's index until December, and so on. As
fuel prices drop this will be reflected in the index and the fuel
surcharge will follow.

I hope this answers your question. Be assured that we do everything we
can to either reduce or maintain costs for City services. The only rate
increases we have instituted are those we must due to contractual
obligations.

Again, thank you for taking the time to email regarding your concerns.

Sincerely,

Mayor Heather Jackson
Eagle Mountain City"

Eagle Mtn. City Councilman Comments on Gas Surcharge

Eagle Mountain City Councilman, David Lifferth commenting on my previous blog entry entitled: "Garbage Pickup Gas Surcharge in Eagle Mountain".

"David said...

I agree and I have requested a review and adjustment of the fuel surcharge.
-David Lifferth
November 14, 2008 7:12 AM"

Eagle Mtn. Library Bans Afternoon Online Gaming

"Beginning a few weeks ago, the library announced that, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the library's Internet access would be a video game-free zone."-Daily Herald

Stomach Virus Shuts Down Ranches Academy in Eagle Mtn.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Garbage Pickup Gas Surcharge in Eagle Mountain

With the rapid decline in gas prices it makes me wonder if Allied Waste will reconsider their monthly $1 gas surcharge being applied to every household here in Eagle Mountain.

My guess is they won't.

Once a company has been granted to pass the buck, there is no looking back.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I-15 Rebuild and Other Roads to Bailout Eagle Mountain

UDOT plans on reconstructing a 20 mile stretch in Utah County to the tune of $2.6 billion dollars. This also includes two new major east-west roads that will be built to avoid construction.

Pioneer Crossing will be the name of a six mile stretch of road located at 1000 South in Lehi from the American Fork Main Street interchange to Redwood Road.

Vineyard Corridor is the name of the other east-west road. It will be a nine mile run that begins in Orem running through VIneyard, Lindon, and the American Fork Main Street interchange.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Eagle Mtn. to Get Express Bus Service

Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain residents will be getting express bus service to and from Salt Lake City after voting to approve a tax increase to join in Utah Transit Authority's coverage area.

With all of Saratoga Springs's five precincts reporting in by 11 p.m., its voters agreed roughly 2:1 to join UTA and raise sales tax by one quarter of a cent in their community. Unofficial numbers were 1,844 voters for the initiative and 929 against.

Eagle Mountain results showed a wider margin of approval, reporting in 40 minutes after Saratoga Springs polls with 1,783 voting to ratify the initiative and 509 opposed.

Passing the initiative allows UTA to provide bus service as soon as April 2009. Residents with disabilities in both cities will also have access to UTA's Paratransit program.-Daily Herald

Eagle Mtn. Scout Buys Badge Books for Library

The city library has received two copies each of the 120 merit badge books necessary for Boy Scouts to learn how to earn their awards, thanks to an Eagle Scout project.

Matthew McInelly collected more than $1,000 from family and residents to buy the books, said his mother, Debbie McInelly. Originally he was going to collect enough to buy just one copy of each book, but the library asked if he could double the donation. At the same time, the organization came out with new books, which dramatically raised the price.-Deseret News

Eagle Mtn. Skate Park Set to Open

PONY EXPRESS SKATE PARK TO OPEN NOVEMBER 5
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned

Eagle Mountain, UT, November 4 – Eagle Mountain City will officially open its new skate park with a ribbon cutting ceremony and community event on Wednesday, November 5 at 4:30 PM.

The public is invited to attend the event at Pony Express Skate Park and test out the equipment or just enjoy watching the first ollies and grinds happen at the 11,000 square foot facility. In addition to opening the park with a ribbon cutting ceremony, there will be prize giveaways from local skate shops and refreshments.