Smithfield City Council Meeting, Wed, Oct 15, 2025

Yes. Public notice is given that the Smithfield City Council will meet in a regularly scheduled meeting at 96 South Main, Smithfield, Utah on Wednesday, 10/15/2025. The meeting will begin at 06:30PM. I'd like to make a quick note. This is our first meeting that we have had broadcast. It will be available on a link with YouTube, and we hope everyone will join us. I'm gonna turn the time over to Jen Staker for the pledge of allegiance,

thought, and prayer. Okay. Thank you everyone for coming. Please stand for the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United

Okay. I'll give a quick prayer. Our heavenly father, we're so grateful for this beautiful day that we have to gather as a city. We're so grateful for this opportunity that we have to discuss city matters and to appoint a new member to be on the council. We ask a blessing to be with us as we listen and talk to these candidates that we will be able to listen and have open hearts and bless those that will be speaking with us that they will be able to portray those things that they have prepared and that they will be comfortable with what they're saying and that they will feel at ease. We're so grateful for this beautiful town that we live in and all the blessings that we enjoy. We ask a blessing to be with us that we will have civility and compassion for one another and understanding. And remember that we don't know what others are going through and to have dignity and respect. We're so grateful again for this evening. We have to be together and for all of our blessings. We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. Thank you.

Alright. We're gonna move right on to the agenda. Number one, approval of the city council meeting minutes from 09/10/2025.

I'm ready for a motion. I'd like to make a motion that we approve the meeting minutes from 09/10/2025.

Motion from Wade. Do I have a second?

I'll second.

And seconded by Todd. How do we vote? Wade? Yes. Todd? Yes. Jen? Yes. Sue? Yes. Thank you. Number two, public comment on items not on the agenda or agenda items not requiring a public hearing during the council meeting. And as you know, in our council chambers, we ask that you take three minutes only. You state your name at the very beginning, and that you treat all with kindness, dignity, and respect. And I'll open the time up right now.

Okay. I'm first. K. Curtis Wall. 516 East, 120 South. I am a resident. City of Smithfield decided you guys wanna cut trees in the park strip. I just brought 50 examples of how you don't cut a tree. And that's just the ones I can reach. So I was gone for ten days and I came back and that's how my trees looked in the park strip. And I can tell you that they were back from the sidewalk and they were back from the road. They're the lilac trees. They don't grow big. And it looks to me like what they've done is taken a chainsaw to it. I looked at the trees across the street. There were some trees there that had some six inch limbs and eight inch limbs, and the chainsaw that they used to cut them off, clipped all the bark around them. And those trees will struggle. The crab apple on the corner from me, they did the same thing. They cut them back. I've taken four pruning classes and that's every way you don't cut a tree. And as City of Smithfield wants my trees cut back, I'm happy to do it. If they die, I won't plant another tree. I will just put in more rock.

And that's what I have to give you. Thanks. Thank you. Can you make sure Justin has your address? Justin over at the end. I know. Well, let's we just wanna make sure which company. We have hired two companies,

and so we wanna know which company did that. Listen to one company, the advice that did the 120 South. That every street, every tree on that street is cut just like that. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thanks. Thank you Curtis. Anyone else?

Do we have a youth council report? That's what I thought. Come on up.

State your name. Hey, guys. I'm Kaisa Olson. I'm the mayor of the Smithfield City Youth Council, and I'm just here to give a report on some things that we have done and that we are about to do. So this year, we started off with a pretty big service project called the teddy bear picnic that we put on for the kids of the city, and that went really good. We had quite a few kids show up for the first time of us doing it. We had, like, a picnic picnic area where they could listen to the library and read books to them, and it was, like, a teddy bear theme so they could do a bunch of things with their teddy bears, bears. And it went really good. And this Friday, we have a trick or treat street that we are going to be helping out with. So Awesome. Thank you. Kaye, thanks for coming, Kaisley. Thank you. You're

just moving seats? Okay. Alright, I'm gonna move on to number three, approval of Zachary Smyr as Birch Creek Golf Course Superintendent. Zach was hired in January 2019, and has been our interim golf course superintendent since April 2025. And we figured like it was time to put him in as our full time golf course superintendent. And so, Zach, do you wanna come up for just a minute? Where are you? Right here. Oh, I saw you. Right in the center. Yeah. I was looking at the back. That's usually where he sits. Ready and waiting. K. And will you introduce your family, please? Yes. So I'm Zach Smire, and That's my wife, Lauren, and our two kids. That's Brooks. He's a three year old and Zoe's one and she's the one making the noise here. So

We don't mind. Yeah. So Okay. So, yeah. Just very grateful for the city of Smithfield of Smithfield and Birch Creek. It's a it's a great place to work and really really enjoy it. Awesome. Thank you, Zach.

Do we need to take a vote on this? Yes. Okay. I need a motion.

I'd like to make a motion that we approve mister Zachary Smyr Smyr as Birch Creek Golf Course Superintendent.

Second? I'll second. Seconded by Jen. And how do we vote, Wade? Sue. Sue. Sue Jen. Okay, Wade, how do we vote? Yes. Jen? Yes. Sue? Yes. Todd? Yes. Okay. Welcome Zach, and we'd like to have you here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you. Goodness. Alrighty. Number four, discussion and possible vote on resolution 25 twenty twenty five dash zero nine, a resolution supporting America two fifty Utah, and recognizing and approving of the America two fifty Smithfield Utah Committee. And I'm gonna turn the time over to Lisa Schmuel. She's right there. Come on up. To explain a little bit about this.

Hi. Yes. I would just like to let everybody know that we have, in this next year going into twenty twenty six two hundred and fifty years that we are celebrating America. And we just want everybody to feel the spirit of America. And so we have formed a committee and we're happy if you want to join us of where we can have events that share this feeling of the spirit of America. And we will have a kickoff coming up and that is on November 22 with the turkey trot. This is a nationwide program that started in 2016 and our state started it in 2023. And we had a state kickoff a few months ago and they are. They have six programs going on and you can go to their web website and check that out. But they are working with the schools they are working with with to have a whole civics program for the teachers in education. What we're focusing on is the two fifty walk because we have health days here in Smithfield and that is one of the programs the state is sponsoring, and they are working with all trails to have trails, that you can walk to to honor two 150 years of America. So 250 miles. And we will be doing that here in Smithfield, with our turkey trot that will be coming up on November 22 and also we'll be doing that with the schools. Another program that we're doing here that is nationwide is America's potluck And that will be July 5 where the whole nation celebrates America. And so we just want you to feel this, spirit of this and wherever you're at and however you celebrate it, that we can come together during this celebration of two fifty years. And so as you are getting emails from the city and so forth we also have a Facebook page America 250 Smithfield. Watch for the events that will be happening because we'll be having events all the way up to

July 5. And thank you. Do you have any. Thank you Lisa. So if you want to volunteer and you signed in like you were supposed to, just put two fifty by your name, and we'll forward those names to Lisa, so she can get more people on this committee. It needs all the help. Yes. We would love to be here. Does that sound okay? Yes. We would love that. Any ideas that you have. Can we take a picture, or when do you want to do that? That? Yes, quick. Okay.

Oh, we have to vote.

Sorry. Especially when it says discussion and possible to vote. Thank you, Justin. Okay. So I will take, I'll

take a motion. Discussion?

Is there any discussion? Alright. Discussion? Are you happy? K. We're good. Okay. We're happy. Okay. Now we're gonna take a vote. I need a motion.

I'd like to make that we support resolution two two thousand twenty five dash zero nine as outlined in agenda item number four.

And I have a second? I'll second. I think Sue is first. Okay. Motion's been made by Wade, seconded by Sue. How do we vote? Wade? Yes. Sue? Yes. Jen? Yes. Todd? Yes. Motion passes. Let's get you some volunteers. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Lisa.

Alrighty.

Number five, I'm gonna turn the time over to our golf pro, Eric, for a discussion and possible vote on resolution twenty twenty five dash 10, a resolution amending the prevailing fee schedule of the city. Eric, where are you? Oh, you're clear in the back.

Good evening, council. Thanks for putting us on the agenda. Just first off, I wanna congratulate Zach Smire and, thank you guys for supporting Zach and awarding him to replace Chad Daniels who was here for forty one years. So Zach's been great. He's done a great job this year. So I'm grateful that you you see that, that you approved him as a as a golf course superintendent. So the this rate increase, this matches where Logan River currently is this year. So, it's pretty much raising green fees by 10¢ a hole, 20¢ a hole. It depends on how you look at it. So golf's been very, very, very good, very busy. Tee times are gone one to two days before. Right, Wade? And so yeah. So yeah. That's what the proposal is, is to match where Logan River currently is, possibly take tee times to ten minutes from eight minutes. On April 1. Yeah. This won't go into effect until next spring. So well, our our current rates will stay where they're at. Our punch passes will stay where they're at until 04/01/2026.

Discussion.

Is there opportunity or what is the situation as far as someone obviously, if they buy a punch pass, they're buying now at a discounted rate. Yep. Is there a season

pass at a discounted rate if they buy during this season? Yep. The season pass is currently lower than what's proposed on here. Yes. Excellent. Okay. Yep. And you know, I mean, half if you want, half of the rounds are punch passes, so I kinda look at that as like a lot of the residents that play a lot of golf, buy golf at a discounted rate And then those that obviously don't play as as often, then they they just pay per round.

And you say this is comparable to Logan River? Logan River right now is at,

the 20, so proposed 21. There's sixty seven days a week. We're 56 According according to Jeff John, they're looking to increase to match this, but I don't know if that's I don't know where they're at on that. But that that current proposal is where Logan River is currently this year's seven days a week.

Okay.

Any other questions? No idea. Okay. I'm ready for a motion.

I'd like to make a motion that we approve resolution

two zero two five dash one zero as outlined in agenda item number five. And a second?

I'll second.

Motion's been made by Wade, seconded by Todd. How do we vote? Todd? Yes. Sue? Yes. Jen? Yes. Wade? Yes. Motion passes. Okay. Do you wanna tell us how long you've been here?

Yeah. I've got my thirty years in with the city. So I've been here longer, but, yeah,

I'm in yours, over thirty. He's he's amazing, and we're really lucky to have him here as well. Kind. Thank you. So thank you, Eric. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good to you. Alright. Now for all the fun we've been waiting for. Right? I am going to move to number six. Interviews with applicants applying to fill the city Council member midterm vacancy through 12/31/2027. So I wanna talk to you a little bit about this process. We have had to look this up on the state code to make sure that we do it correctly. We've had two people withdraw. So we're down now to 17 people that are going to, so it's, Amy Smith and Stuart Reese, withdrawn. And, so we will go according to when the people, the person filed. So that the first person that filed will be the one that is called up first. I am, I'm going to be really strict about a five minute time limit. With 18 people, that's a lot of time. And I think you'll all appreciate that in the end. Except for when you're standing up yourselves and talking. You probably want longer time. So if you'll stick to the five minutes, I will be the timer. So if after you're done, somebody can make a motion, and make a motion for the person that they believe will do the best job. If everybody agrees, we're good to go. If all if three agree altogether, we're good to go. But if two agree and two have another idea, then we have to go a different direction. So we'll just see how this goes. And then if we have to do the other thing, it could come down to a coin toss. This is Utah State law. Just so you know. So and we'll explain that as that comes. So we've got five minutes to introduce yourself. We gave everyone on this list, we gave them a list of questions and we sent it out yesterday morning. Do we have that list or do you want me to read it real quick? So that they all could be on the same page, and have this prepared as they got here. So, we hope this gives you enough information. This is a really different thing for us. We've never done this before for a long, long time. I remember thousands of years ago, it seems like, that when we did it before. But, I look forward to hearing from each of you, and I wish you the best of luck. And, we probably will not be asking you questions. We will be letting about yourself and answering these questions. So we are going to start with Christopher James Wolsten Hume. Did I say that right? Yeah. It was perfect. Okay. Thank you so much. You're welcome.

So my name is Chris Wolsten Hume. I'm a resident here in Smithfield. A little bit about my family. I'm the proud uncle of 13 nephews and nieces that I love to death. Great kids. My family has been Cache Valley for quite some time. I have great grandparents that helped build the Logan Temple. I'm related to the Millers, as in Miller beef. Also, my sister is part of the Lauer clan now. So I have significant ties to this valley, and I'm very interested in seeing that this valley grows and and becomes stronger and better and more prosperous. A little bit about my work experience. So I have a PhD in biochemistry. I am a trained problem solver. I'm also a small business owner. I own Elevation Rock Gym. It's our climbing gym here in North Logan. And I'm also a senior manager at Cytiva, which is Legacy High Clone. I use those skills on a daily basis to manage my teams. I also am very interested in seeing small businesses businesses succeed. And why I feel like I should be chosen for this is, well, quite frankly, I I love this valley. I love the the city. I have a a number of skills that I can bring to the city council that can help with things like problem solving, can help with city growth, can help with management. And that's kind of leads me to the third question. How do I feel like growth should be managed? Well, I am pro growth. I don't think any place should stop growing. I think if a place isn't growing, it's dying. And I certainly want to see a place that is growing responsibly and intelligently. And the approach that I would use would be the same I would use for my business, whereas we have a mission statement where we look towards seeing a goal. And in my opinion, our common goal should be the quality of life in this valley. Everything we should be doing, especially with growth, should be related to quality of life. And does it increase quality of life or decrease? And then we can make KPIs based off that, and we can go through additional steps to track and trend and identify if we're successful or not. But that would be my approach. The city has several departments. Yes. It does. I think, the development board or the the department for development is something I'm interested in. I'm also interested in the the tree group. I when I was younger, I lived in Mendoza, Montana, which had a number of of avenues just full of trees. Every fall time, it was gorgeous, and this valley is gorgeous as well. So I am I don't know if you guys do have any questions. You said you weren't gonna ask, but We're trying not to. Perfect. K. Well, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

K. The next person on the list is Jay Downs.

I have a little bit more time.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jay Downs. I was your fire chief for twenty eight years, and then I retired. And now I'm I'm getting back in. I wanted to put some stuff back into the city. As a fire well, let me give you some explain my family. I have lived in Smithfield my whole life. I was raised on the West Side, and, actually, West Side are all tracks, so don't hold that against me. I have five children and I have seven grandchildren and so and luckily, most all but one live here in the valley and, actually, one lives here in Smithfield, and they do enjoy everything that goes on here. I spent twenty eight years as the fire chief. And during that time, I was able to take the fire department with the help of my assistant chiefs and all the other members of the department and city councils and mayors and grow the fire department from a volunteer department to a fully functional paramedic ambulance fire fire department that is is today. This was a lot of growth. Took a lot of time to do it and a lot of work to do it, but we were able to do it. I over that time, I learned how city politics I worked through the city worked through city budgets. I know how to put a budget together very well. At that time also, from about 2003 to 2020, I was also the Cache County EMS coordinator. So I also worked closely with Cache County, and I worked with them in doing budgets and also running the south ambulance as well as running the ambulance here in Smithfield, and I manage those ambulances with staffing, training, and personnel as well. So that experience and stuff can come in to, to help Smithfield grow and to keep things going as we need to go. One of the things I am running for the city council, one of the my campaign's thing is the infrastructure and making sure the infrastructure is intact and that we need to do the things to meet the growing needs that's going on in the community. As far as growth is goes with that is if the infrastructure is not in place, we need to make sure that our infrastructure is in place before we grow very much so we can make sure we have the proper responses and the proper water and everything else that goes along with that infrastructure. One of the things that I have a big concern right now with that infrastructure is Cache County and the Cache County Fire District. I have reviewed the documentation. I have a lot of history with Cache County Fire and Cache County and coming into this. I have a lot of knowledge that goes along with that. And if we're not careful, we could end up paying a lot more money than we're paying for our fire service right now with very little increase in service. And I would like to bring that in, bring that knowledge and experience and skills in to help the city function that way so that we can keep Smithfield growing the way we need to grow, but also keep the cost where they need to be and keep the funding that we have in Smithfield and not going to other areas of the county. Of the county. I would like to also, as I campaign with my infrastructure and what's going on with that, I would like to see, us look at some of the growth in sidewalks. One of the things is I've been out talking to people and as we've been going through these meet and greet meet the candidate nights and stuff. One of the things is, like, for example, sidewalks was brought up. And I think we need to look at the sidewalk, especially for the West Side Of Smithfield and the old parts of town. If you look at it, we really don't have very many sidewalks. And we need to look at that and look to see if some things that we can do to put that together and that infrastructure together. As far as my time, my time is really flexible right now. And I can basically when I was in part of the city management team, I could be on any committee and work with any committee because I worked a lot of times with the public works departments as a fire chief. I worked with the police department, and I worked with the library, and I worked with all the different departments in the city, so I can help out wherever I need to be. And so, basically, that's me. So

Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Jay. Thank you, Jay. Thank you, sir.

John Robert Meyer. Clear in the back.

Hello. I'm John, and I went pretty formal to write out my thoughts just to make it easy. So my wife, Lexi, and I are proud parents to two daughters, ages six and three, and a one and a half year old son. We've called downtown area in Smithfield home for the past six and a half years and we've grown deeply rooted in this community. As small business owners, we operate Prisma Salon and Academy in Downtown Logan and Apothe Body, which is a natural bath and body brand that's housed within the salon. I also hold a real estate license and currently serve as the purchasing specialist at Casper's Ice Cream, where I help manage, annual materials budget of around 40,000,000. I've applied for this vacancy because I believe in Smithfield's potential and want to actively contribute to shaping its future. I've been an engaged citizen since moving here, attending meetings, following city planning updates, participating in community events. I see this as an opportunity this opportunity as a way to bring my entrepreneurial mindset, financial acumen, and passion Northern

Utah.

Why should I be selected? I'm ready to hit the ground running and bring a well rounded community focused perspective to the council. My background in real estate and business ownership gives me practical experience with zoning, land use, budgeting, and economic development. Managing the materials budget at Casper's has sharpened my ability to make data driven decisions and balance short and long term priorities. My academic foundation in political science has equipped me with a strong understanding of government structure, public policy, ethics, negotiation, skills that directly support effective governance. But beyond credentials, I care deeply about Smithfield.

I've built relationships here as a neighbor, a parent, and a business owner, and I want

servant leadership and collaborative problem solving. I know how to work across perspectives, build consensus, and foster respectful dialogue. I'm committed to serving with integrity, transparency, and a deep sense of responsibility for our community. My thoughts on growth. Growth is inevitable, but it must be intentional. Having lived in diverse regions from the rural crescent of Prince William County, Virginia to the East Rim of Zion National Park, I've seen firsthand how growth can either enhance or erode a community's character. In Virginia, growth was carefully managed by a comprehensive plan to preserve rural heritage. In Southern Utah, unchecked resort development strained the limited resources like water. Smithfield's growth should reflect our shared values and long term vision and must be community driven, not top down. I've been closely following the city's general plan update, and I'm encouraged by the thoughtful approach being taken. I believe our current planning framework positions us to grow wealth responsibly, balancing economic opportunity with environmental And then on time to be involved in what I'd like to be involved with, I am fully committed to the time and energy this role requires. I understand that serving on the council extends beyond regular meetings. It means being present, engaged and proactive across all facets of city life. And I'd be especially interested in the events, the Arts Council Library. And if we don't have one, I'd advocate for a community advisory committee to ensure the residents have a direct voice as well. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank

you. Alright. Next up is Lizette Bejagas.

First and foremost, thank you so much for your time. That's the most valuable thing that we have as human beings, which is our time. So thank you for you guys and all of you guys for being here. So a little bit about my family is I'm married. I have four children, 17 year old, a seven year old, a six year old, and a four year old. So with that being said, yes, I am very busy, but that's actually the heart of why I have built my philanthropy work here in Cache Valley. For the last fifteen years, I have given my my time, my money, my effort, and my family because I I give them my time, so it takes away from my own family to see Cache Valley to be the best it can be. Working in different non profits, in different boards that you can think of, we go out, we figure out what is being needed. But most most importantly of all is what does the community need. So we get to hear and problem solve. So I got to work, I got to the different boards, and was able to be a voice in those changes here in in the community. The heart of why I do this philanthropy work is because this is where my family is going to grow up. My kids are gonna grow up. Three out of my kids are special needs, so I want this to be the best valley possible and educated. So that is where my work experience comes and more than work experience, it's a mission. If you don't do it with love and if you're in it for the money, it's not coming out of the heart. At least that's what I think. That's how I get paid with a smile or with somebody crying saying I I don't know what I would have done had you not connected me or gotten the help for me. Why I submitted for this vacancy? Just as well, I decided we needed to get to a lie a bigger level to make change. Being in general elections, and that that shows character. Going into something new, but willing to learn, and as well doing the work, because that's the most important, doing the work. Growth, as everybody has said before, doing it responsibly, but most of all for me it's listening to our community. How they want it done and without they not being heard or or felt that they weren't heard and managing it as best as possible. A lot of our constituents say, I just don't feel that cash that Smithfield fills that small city before. Let's get to work and and give it that small city feel again and I know we can do that. And with the departments and boards, I am game to be on everything to start new things and make Smithfield be felt as that family city that I know it can be. Thank you for your time. Thanks, Elizabeth.

Thank you.

Okay. James Patrick Marshall. I know you do. Alright. I have to be official.

Yeah. I'm sitting right there. I lived in Cache Valley for fifty years. We've lived in Smithfield for thirty years. My wife is Julianne, who I think you know, and we raised six kids right here. I have a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Utah State. My family owned a couple of small businesses. That's where my work experience began, and that was a very good, very grounding, practical education for me. My professional career was thirty eight years in the aerospace industry and most of that time was in leadership, so I'm used to big numbers and big decisions. My position as director of business development for Space Dynamics Lab had me in and out of government agency offices at all levels for a long time and that was an outward facing position. I served for four and a half years on the planning commission. That was from 2001 to 2006 and I was chair of the commission for the last two and a half years of that time. Then my work required me to travel constantly, so I wouldn't be around and I left the commission at that time. I retired from SDL two years ago and mentioned to Chris that I was interested in opportunities to serve again in the community. She nominated me to serve on the planning commission. I've been doing that now for two years. Why select me? That'll be up to you guys, but here's how I think about the opportunity. My main takeaway from my first planning commission was we needed to be proactive. I kept feeling like we were getting caught flat footed when a developer would bring a proposal or an application to us. Us. It all starts with a general plan and then it goes from there. When you've been on a planning commission, as you travel around the country, you'll never see cities the same way you did before. I've been to dozens of cities, some of them dozens of times, and seen a lot of good, seen a lot of bad. And now in my second term, I've really done a lot of thinking and research because I wanted to make this this effort count. I looked at Smithfield and tried to identify the areas where I that I thought would be in play over the next few years and tried to think about how to get ahead of them. I've been very involved in the general plan process and I am very grateful for the opportunities that I've had to provide input. I'm grateful for the way that my input's been received. I think in the last couple of years, I've demonstrated that I'm willing to put in the work, to do the research, to come up with ideas, advocate for the ideas. I think I've also demonstrated that I'm flexible if one of my ideas isn't getting traction. I'm really happy to morph it into something else. Growth, I would love to go to lunch with each one of you to talk about that because it takes more than five minutes. But I think this is where our aspirations run into hard facts. What we're willing to do, unwilling to do. What we're able to do, unable to do. Our growth is being driven by powerful forces, some of which we don't control. While we can't control the events, we can help shape things as they go forward. I don't think you can put a moratorium on growth. You just wind up postponing important decisions and making them more difficult and more disruptive downstream. I think Smithfield is gonna build out at 35,000 people, somewhere roughly in that range, more than twice as many as we have now. There's a leadership opportunity there. As elected leaders, we listen to our constituents constituencies, but also it's our but also it's our job to help Smithfield residents come to grips with the hard facts. Leaders help people understand when change is necessary and they paint a positive picture of what we can become. What should Smithfield look like when it's 35,000 people? And we can help people understand that we care about what Smithfield is now and how to preserve the things that we find special here. And I brought a lot of ideas forward into the general plan process that I look forward to discussing with you. As far as assignments, I'm retired. I can attend meetings during business hours that other people might not be willing to. I'm happy to do whatever is needed, but I think the place where my strengths would be most useful to you would be board assignments where I can build relationships between Smithfield and and other entities on behalf of Smithfield City. And I don't know if that's CMPO or the Bonneville Trail effort, which I'm so enthusiastic about. I'm very happy about that or Cache County. I've already built relationships with Dave Erickson and Keegan Garrity and Dirk Anderson at Cache County and I've already talked to him about what I think our concerns and interests are at STL. Thirty seconds. Part of my job at STL was whenever someone had to go give a talk at the Rotary Club or the Chamber of Commerce, that was me. So I've built lots of relationships. I have the background to contribute on land use issues and I'm happy to participate in ULCT activities. And thank you. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Craig Patterson.

Hi. Well, I'm happy to be here tonight. Brought a few notes and answers to the questions. So if you'll be patient with me as I refer notes and speak off the cuff. Will you put that a little closer to your mouth? Sure. Yeah. Thank you. Been in Smithfield about nine years. My wife and I came here, from Logan after living there for twenty something years and we made a choice that we wanted to be in Smithfield and we love this community. Having a vested interest in it because we also have 13 grandchildren that are living in this city with their families, and we want to keep it the way it is, which is an envy enviable place to live. Most people would love to live in a community like this. I won't take the time to tell you all their names. I'm sure you're pleased about that. K. Why me? K. I think with some of the things I'm gonna tell you about myself, some of the people that I've worked with over my career, both in work and church, would hopefully say the same things. I've tried to be a person who is caring for those that I work with and serve with. I have a history of doing my best to make good decisions, not just for myself and my family, but for others. In short, I think I work pretty well with others. I'm a peacemaker. I've always tried in my professional career to deescalate conflict and keep them to a minimum. I've been in the transportation business for almost thirty five years here in the Valley. I recently retired, and that's really been nice to retire from such a stressful profession getting goods and services across The United States and working with customers and drivers that can sometimes be a challenge. I value listening to seek understanding from others and their viewpoints and opinions, And I believe that decisions should be made together. And then once decisions are made, we work together to carry them out. We don't backbite. We don't fuss at each other. We just work for the benefit of all. Some words that came to mind as I was thinking about this. I desire to work to preserve our valuable and once again enviable community. We should strive to protect our children and citizens from destructive influences. It's important. K? We have that responsibility. We should prepare our community and its citizens through foresight and wisdom in order to prevent as many difficult and challenges challenging situations as possible. There are things that happen in life that we can't prevent, but there are some that we can and we should. And then I thought we should actively promote and inform our community about what is happening in the community. And sometimes it is important that we over communicate in an effort to help others not be so apathetic. Growth. Growth. We we've heard the word imminent tonight. It's true. Thirty seconds. And it is necessary. And we should have embraced growth as long as it is sustainable and we have the resources to do so. Once again, prepare. In conclusion, I have time and I'm willing to dedicate time. And I recognize that a position like this is an opportunity to opportunity to serve and do more.

That's my thoughts. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

John Engler.

Good evening, Mayor Monson and council members. It's good to be with you tonight. And thank you so much for this. This is a long night of listening for you. But I guess it's the problem we wanna have. Right? So many willing and able citizens stepping forward to serve. That's wonderful. My wife, Donette, and I moved to Smithfield twenty seven years ago. We bought a small nineteenth century home here from a family who had outgrown it. When just a few years after that, we outgrew it, we decided to remodel instead of leave because we wanted to stay here and we've raised our six children here. And it's been kind of the place of our dreams. Right? It's just, what we've heard tonight again and again. It's a great place. Our children have grown, but the children and grandchildren of my friends live here. And I want to help keep Smithfield being the kind of place it is for them that it was for us. And so this is this is the place. Early in my career, I worked with municipalities across the country helping implement public safety technology systems at law enforcement agencies and fire departments across the country. For the past twenty five years, I've been teaching at Utah State University, helping students, research complex problems do and and kind of explore solutions that are rooted in respect and peace building and help them explore the world around them. I also run a small business as story coach, helping families collect and gather and share their family stories. So if my skill set can be useful as a council, I am ready to take my turn to serve here. Why why me? Well, I'm a a good listener. I'm a better than average listener, I think, due to many years in the classroom with my students. I'm fair minded, a problem solver. I'm a builder of community. I don't come with a partisan agenda. Really, my goal is to reflect and represent the voice of our people. Right? The values and voice of our people here. Make sure we are operating with transparency, fiscal responsibility. I have been, on occasion, asked to take on leadership roles when public trust needed to be rebuilt. For example, seven years ago then, principal Monson recruited me to coach the Skyview boys tennis team at a time of some difficulty. And two years later, I was able to turn that team back over, rebuilt and revitalized, to the school. My goal is simple, really. Keep government small but effective. I want to strengthen infrastructure and support our public safety, as well as our organizations here to preserve our small town atmosphere. So growth. Right? What do we do about the growth? We're kind of at a hinge point in Smithville, to be honest. With the growth we've seen and with the LDS Temple opening next year, next year, we are going to become not just a drive through city anymore, but a destination city. And that's gonna change things here, I think, a little bit. It's gonna be key that we make sure our growth happens to strengthen our infrastructure, not stretch it. Right? So I have just put together three quick thoughts about ways we might do that. First, make sure development happens inward in neighborhoods first. Build inward, infill, and develop our neighborhoods where the services already exist. Second, growth is guided needs to be guided by the voice of the people. And so we continue to do what the council's already been doing in gathering public input, surveys, open forums, neighborhood planning sessions. So and and keep that two way communication going so that our citizens make sure that they have a genuine voice in growth. And third, I think as we grow, we're gonna need to think about bolstering our economy with, walkable business hubs here at the city center, as well as the South Gateway, where we are attracting small businesses and building friendly roads and plazas where Smithfield can become the kind of town where people park once and can stroll between businesses and restaurants and enjoy the city here. This can be a great city, a destination city that still preserves our small town Thirty seconds. Community. In terms of serving on the different with the different departments and communities, I kind of like all of them. Right? Whether it's cultural activities or public safety or our youth or senior programs, I'm interested and willing to serve wherever we are. I know that a lot of city growth and city work happens because of the unsung heroes of our community and I'd be honored to serve among them. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Cheryl Peck.

As far as my family, I am the mother of seven children. Sherrick, my husband and I moved to Smithfield just two years ago. But we are not really new to Smithfield. We actually met in seminary at Skyview thirty nine and a half years ago. And all of our children have attended Skyview. I am the president of ResMax LLC, which is a small business, looks kind of small, based in

Smithfield. Can I hear you? They can't hear you in the back. Is that better? That's way much better.

My degrees are accounting, math, and statistics, and I have a master's in business administration and we have had been self employed pretty much most of our married life which again we've been married for thirty five years and currently we are serving as senior service missionaries and teaching the adaptive needs seminary class at Green Canyon Seminary. The reason that I'm running is, well, somebody asked me if I would run, and I said no. And then, like, that night, I, it kept coming to me, well, are you supposed to? I'm like, I hope not. And then it kept waking me up. So I don't actually know why I'm supposed to but I'm supposed to run at least. I did serve for eight years on the Richmond City Council. And I was on the library board there for oh heavens way more than that. And I've served on the community councils at the Park Elementary White Pine North Cache and Skyview for lots of years. Why should I be selected. I should only be selected if I'm the best fit. And that's up to you guys to decide that With my thoughts on growth. I love the small town feel. But I also realize having five married children and one that just moved to Smithfield a year ago. That they need homes too. And so we need to you know give them a place to live however that needs to be. I am a strong advocate for property rights. People should be able to do what they want to do with their property. But I realize there are some regulations that need to happen for the good of the community. But they need to have a really good reason behind them. And as far as making time for whatever needs to be done on the city council, if I would be, if I am selected, I would make sure that I made the time to do that. I don't know exactly what is needed as far as different boards or anything for the city. I have served on the library board. I've served on the fire board. I've served on other boards

in Richmond.

So wherever I would be needed is where I would serve. And just at the very end here, I wanted to say I very much appreciated the tree trimming. We actually had our next door neighbor come over thinking that we paid for his trees to be trimmed. And he was so appreciative. We're like, I didn't do it. I mean, he didn't believe us at first, but we're like, didn't do it. So my husband called up the whole tree farm that her tree trimming, because that's what was on the truck to ask him and he said no the city of Richmond or sorry city of Smithfield covered that. So I'm very grateful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your time.

Okay. Robert Felshaw.

Alright. Mayor, council members, good evening. My name is Bob Felshaw. Is that a little better?

Yes. Let's dive right into it.

My wife April and I lived in and her two sons, my stepsons, have lived in Smithfield since 2020. I've lived in Utah for most of my life. I grew up over in Brigham City in a very typical LDS Utah family with six kids. I attended Box Elder High School, graduated from there in 2002. Shortly after high school and inspired by the events of nine eleven, I enlisted in the military, specifically the Utah Army National Guard. After joining the Guard, I worked in construction and then as a security guard for a short time, but the majority of my adult working life has been spent in either military or civil service. Presently, I continue to serve in the Guard and during the week I work at the Logan Armory where I maintain equipment and manage equipment readiness. As for question two, why I should be I believe I should be selected to fill the City Council position because my twenty one years of military service have given me extensive leadership experience, a strong sense of duty and a proven ability to work effectively and in collaboration as part of a team in pursuit of a goal. Throughout my career I've been trusted to to manage people, budgets, equipment under tight constraints requiring careful planning, accountability, and efficient use of limited resources. These same principles I believe are critical to effective city governance. My time in uniform taught me has taught me how to make balanced informed decisions that consider both immediate needs and long term impacts. As I near the end of my military career, I am eager to continue service. This time, hopefully, much closer to home and within my own community. I see this position as an opportunity to give back to the citizens of Smithfield by applying my leadership experience, resource stewardship and commitment to service to help guide our city's future. In regards to growth, growth is something every community faces and Smithfield is is no exception. I believe growth can be a good thing when it's managed with care and foresight. One of the things that makes Smithfield special is its small town feel. The sense that neighbors know one another and look out for each other. It's something I believe is worth protecting as we move forward. So to me, responsible growth means planning ahead, investing wisely in infrastructure, and making sure development fits, new development fits the character of our community. It's it's about finding the balance between welcoming new new families, new opportunities, and while keeping the sense of community that brought many of us to Smithfield in the first place. With deliberate thoughtful planning and open communication, I believe

we can grow in a way that strengthens, not changes what we love

about Moving on to question four. I understand and appreciate that position on the City Council is going to require a certain amount of time and effort to be invested And I'm ready, willing and able to to make that investment. In regards to areas I'd like to get involved in, top of mind is the Recreation Center. Things like the city races and fun runs, the Historical Society, the Youth Council, and the Senior Citizen Program to name a few. Beyond that and in closing, I just like to say, I'm the kind of person who enjoys a challenge. I enjoy learning new things. I'm no stranger to assignments that weren't necessarily my first choice. Thirty seconds. So to that end, I'm ready to apply my skills and talents to wherever the city needs.

That's all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you, sir.

Yes. Blaine Richard Nettle.

K. Hopefully, that's good. Hi. My name is Blaine Nuddle. My family, pretty small family. We moved here almost two decades ago the Cache Valley. My dad and sister are over in Logan, and my little brother, Leishley, moved to Smithfield. He, does IT work, and, unfortunately, the year's been kinda hard. Mom passed away earlier this year to cancer, but doing I can take care of the family. As far as work experience, I'll watch touch with the rest of my wife. My wifey's been here for her whole life, I think about thirty one years, so I tell her she looks 29 always. So she's her parents are the brewers, anyone who knows the brewers. And met her at USU and came to Smithville, and she always talks about how she knows everyone around this house and that corner and that person and said when people go. And it's just such a small great community. That's kinda what made me fall in love with and wanna be here. And first foremost, I'm just a dad. Kinda leads into the last question. I have two little boys, so I'm trying to be more involved. You know, I signed him up for soccer and baseball, and the oldest is now in kindergarten. So I just wanna be part of the city and do more and be involved and do what I can. As far as work experience go, I work at Conservis, the utility experts, manage multimillion dollar portfolios. I've been the team lead of the quality control team for about three years now. We deal with tens of thousands of dollars of reports every day. I'm in charge of coaching senior people. I'm in charge of training the new people. I wear a lot of different hats at work. I have to manage the daily pulse of the billing department. We send out millions and millions of dollars worth of bills and millions of dollars worth of, provider bills and gonna make sure the quality is ensured. We're not making big mistakes, not doing costly things. So I like numbers. I like spreadsheets. I like quality. I like doing things right. So if that helps, I hope I can bring that to the council. Thoughts on growth? It's gonna keep happening. I would say, you know, talk to the people, see what they want. Most people seem to understand that growth's gonna happen and just doing it responsibly and managing it. The biggest concern I keep hearing people say is water. Concern about water. Second is about safety. One of the gentlemen brought about sidewalks. I've heard about sidewalks too. So there's a lot to consider and a big scope to it. And I'd love to see the plans and let's see the numbers and just do what we think is best for the city and what the people think is best for the city. We're gonna keep growing, and I'd like to see small businesses thrive and succeed and keep going. I know ever since COVID, it's been hard on small businesses. It's just even come and go, and it always makes me sad when they're not here anymore. So just wanna be involved, wanna help out. I hope the experience with my leadership roles and numbers and figures and spreadsheets and spending all my day in Excel helps out. I'm used to putting in long hours at work when need to, set aside my own personal time to gather some of my time to my boys. And if the council needs me to do that too, do that all as well. If I can offer an opinion, if I'm not the right fit for this, I hope you choose the gentleman over there. I've listened to his plan before, and it sound like a really solid plan. That's all I got to say. Thank you so much for hearing me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Michael Beckstead.

Good evening, everyone. Thanks for letting me have this chance to be here. My name is Mike Beckstead. My wife, Tara, and I moved to Smithfield twenty years ago this month. We have two children. Riley's just graduated going to snow and Bodie's a sophomore at Skyview. I grew up in Weston, Idaho and my wife grew up in Richmond. So we're both pretty much lifelong residents of Cache Valley. So we have a a big vested interest here. I started my career at LW LW Miller Transport Diesel Service in Logan. I worked there for nineteen years. I've been employed at Logan City as the fleet manager there for eight years now. So during the eight years at Logan City, I've had the opportunity to manage a large fleet and work with all different departments in the city, coordinating their budgets, planning their vehicle purchases, and just disbursements. I feel like I've learned a lot there about how cities function. Prior to going to work for Logan City, I really had no idea how much it really

interesting

could really be beneficial to Smithfield City. That's kind of my reasoning for wanting to run and give back to a place that's been great to me and my family. As far as growth, I mentioned that I was from Weston Idaho, a town of three twenty five people at the time that I was there. So naturally I'd love to have that, but I am fully aware that that's not going to happen. And so in accordance with that, we have to manage growth responsibly. It's coming whether any of us like it or not. And so we have to have the infrastructure in place to make that growth feasible and to make our quality of life a good quality of life. That takes a lot of planning as I'm sure you're all very well aware. There's lots that goes into that between water, streets, roads, everything else. There's an awful lot. There's an awful lot to coordinate with budgets and planning and master plans and I feel like I would be a beneficial part of that. As far as different city departments, I've been involved with the Parks and Rec department a lot in the years that we've lived here in Smithfield. I have a big interest in that. My background's in public works, so I would love to help out there wherever I could, or really anywhere, anywhere that you would need me. Time's always, we all have a shortage of time, but I am willing to make that sacrifice if I was selected for this position to do whatever I needed to do to serve at a 100% of my ability. And again, thank you for this opportunity, and

good night. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, sir.

Next is Melanie Taylor Sorensen.

Alright. I'm Melanie and I have lived in Smithfield since 2008 with our first home and then we built our second home in 2018 in here. But I have to be honest with you. I really don't like just looking directly at you guys. Because you're not the resident, like you're not the whole residence. Like I really like, during these interviews and I hate this law actually of how to fill a vacancy. And you're right, it is a toying cost at the very end. I'm like, what law has a coin toss in it? But really in Smithfield or any city council or any government agency, it's you're serving them. Like, I should be looking at them instead of just you guys. But that's one reason why I did apply for it. It's because one, I did review that law. Two, that is a public seat right there. And I actually strongly feel that technically it should be election actually. But with that said, k? But And another reason why I applied, it's I've sat in so many meetings here. I've listened to so many meetings. Whether it's Cache County, whether it's other city councils, whether it's Utah legislation, whether it's anything. And for any change to happen, you gotta take a step forward because one, like I said, I feel like the residents, the rest of the residents like sitting in back of me and the residents of the other fifteen, twenty thousand people in Smithville City should be electing that that vacancy. So I don't really have a good answer for you five to to actually select who should be there. Except the one who's going to represent the citizens and the residents of Smithville City the best. Now for growth, I've heard a lot of candidates and I've heard lots of candidates in the past. Whether in any city they talk about, we don't wanna grow, like we wanna keep our city like just how it used to be when I grew up. Well one, yes that sounds great. Two, it's not reality. And growth is coming, growth is inevitable but growth is necessary. No matter what where you are, what other job you do, and whatever like industry that you're in. Growth, it is inevitable. And you have to have it to succeed. You have to have it as responsible. You have to do it responsibly. You have to give ideas, you have to do it. I don't wanna say it the correct way, the best way possible. So, it puts you in a situation that's better for the future. Now, in my role, I am actually the lead regulatory strategist for Cytiva. So in my role, I I and I'm I'm a global RA. I'm on the global regulatory team for Cytiva. I work globally and and a global team. So I'm very familiar with policies, with regulations, with laws, with shaping regulations, with shaping laws, with shaping policies. I'm on on so many different associations where I do have that influence to shape those policies and those regulations. But in those it's the one thing I've learned with any of these associations and with my role, with working with so many health agencies around the world and having a very good repertoire for having great relationships with those agencies is everybody is a person. -thirty seconds. -And that's where it comes first. Everybody is a human being and everybody is a person first. And if you want to have influence, it's you have to build the trust with the people first. With that said, as departments, there's so many. There is a gentleman that said, he's great at relationships and I concur with myself. That's my strength. I can I have a unique ability to bring people together and get results out of bringing people together? So with that said, that is my five minutes and I'll let you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am.

Dionne Hunsaker.

Thank you for your time. My wife and I are both we're both born and raised in Cache Valley, as well as our parents. We have five children and 16 grandchildren. All of four of our five kids still live here in the Valley, and we're proud of them. I before retiring, I worked for fifty years for Hickmanland Title. Part of my responsibilities there were to check documents, to check plats and other property records to make sure that they were correct and to insure them. I also, at the end of my time there, spent a lot of time preparing water reports for the state water rights Office. From my work experience there and from my previous service on the council, I feel that I'm prepared to go right away as a council member. For the last seven years, my church assignment has been auditing the local units of the area. During those audits, I found mistakes and, helped the the units correct those mistakes. I think that is another important part because of the budget that you will be working on and the things that are involved in that. Now my thoughts on growth, when I was first elected to the council, we started working on the general plan and at that time there were a lot of people concerned about growth. And when it came time for the council to make comments, kind of jokingly, I said, do you want abortion or birth control? And the reason I said that, a previous meeting with the League of Cities and Towns, they put a graphic up, and that graphic showed that 97% of the growth in Cache County at that time was internal. Now Now that number has gone down some but still a large part of our growth is our kids. You can see by the school district continuing to build schools. So trying to control the growth is not something that the council can do but the council does need to plan for that growth. Smithfield is a bedroom community. There's growth all around us, Southern Idaho and and Richmond and some of the areas to the north. As I'm driving through town, a lot of the time I will see as many cars from out of state as I see from the state. Planning for that growth and for the growth in other areas through transportation is one of the main things I think the city council needs to do. That is especially will be true when the LDS temple is built and more people will be coming here. The third question, or the fourth question, the city has different departments. I have worked with a lot of the departments. I have spent a lot of time Thirty seconds. The last part of my last term on the council I spent outside of the council meetings time as a board director for the Northern Utah or Northern Irrigation Company. So I've worked a lot with water. Water, the police department, youth council, golf course, Smithfield Chambers are some of the things that I've worked on in the past and been willing to do again. Thank you for your time. Thanks, Dion. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Jared Pratt.

I am my name is Jared Pratt. I appreciate the opportunity to to come and talk to you this morning or this evening. We've me and my wife lived here for over twelve years. We've had our four children that graduated from Skyview. And, I've developed a deep appreciation for the community that we call home. I am a dedicated public service professional. I've been working in public works mainly in the water and wastewater departments for many years. Better part of my life. I'm currently have the pleasure of holding the position of the water water and wastewater manager for a municipality. I have amazing team there. As of why I applied for this vacancy, it's simple. To serve the citizens of the community and, the community that I've come to love, me and my family have come to love. I recognize that you never truly feel ready for such a responsibility because readiness isn't a feeling. It is a decision you make, and I am ready to make that decision for Smithfield. As far as why should I be elected for this vacancy, I should only be elected if I'm the best individual for the city in the citizens. I believe the citizens should have the voice for this, and it's your guys' responsibility. And I definitely would not like to be in your seat. You've got some great candidates tonight. I believe that my extensive experience, deep commitment to our community, and I've gained firsthand insight on how city decisions impact the daily lives of residents throughout my career. I'm deeply committed to engagement and transparency within the community. Also, as far as growth goes here, I view growth as a vile component of a thriving community, bringing new opportunities for economic growth. However, it is essential that we manage the growth thoroughly and sustainably to preserve the quality of life that we make, that we all enjoy, that we have here in this great city. I've seen firsthand the impact of growth on our infrastructure and our services. To effectively manage this growth, my thoughts are a couple here. Key strategies. Number one is key, is the number one key, community engagement, involving residents in planning processes and critical insights, see their feedback to ensure the development aligns with the community's values. And most important part of that is to give them the why. They don't understand why we have to do things. We don't have total control over growth, but we can help them compute the why things have to be. And I found in my career dealing with citizens, that the why is the missing key. If you can tell them why you're doing this this way, it makes the world of difference and it can make a very complex situation calm down in a quick hurry. Sustained practices. We got to make sure that, we prioritize and it's sustainable. Our infrastructure, of course, we got to make sure it stays up to, up to par with the growth. And another one that needs to be mentioned is diverse housing opportunities. We need to encourage a variety of housing types. Families, seeing, seeing, you know, low income, senior citizens, all these things have got to be kind of looked at as far as our diversity in that. And of course, our economic development, supporting local businesses. We've got to support our local businesses that creates jobs, opportunities, enhances our local economy, making Smithfield a place that we all are happy to live. As far as, I I think if we take those strategies and we can get a long ways in the right direction with growth. Thirty seconds. As far as having all the different departments and involvement and, and all the boards, I'm open to a lot of pretty much anything in that aspect. The tree, aspect really incurs, you know, incurs my attention. I really think that's a good thing. And also, I believe that the areas are with our heritage is, is a good keynote. Anyways, I appreciate your attention and thank you for, for listening. Thank you.

I'm gonna murder this last name, unless she tells me how to say it. It's Anka. And what's your last name? Makovsky. Makovsky?

It's not so bad. I'm gonna try to over complicate it. Yeah. No worries. I I I take no offense. Esteemed council members, mayor Monson, and fellow Smithfieldites. I feel the pressure turning around. It is an honor to be in this room, and thank you for the opportunity to engage in the civic process. My name is Anka Matkovsky, and I have been a Smithfield resident since 2019. Well, 2018, actually, when my husband, Philip, and I moved here from Salt Lake City to, take on a role with Utah State University. We actually drove here in a blizzard and almost didn't make it. Philip was raised in Cache Valley, had a lot of family here, and he knew this would be a great place for us to start our own family. That's better. Thank you. Fast forward eight years, and this is now home. I now work, ironically, given that my voice is breaking, as the chief communications officer for, one of Utah State University and the nation's, actually, most innovative research centers funded by the NSF, and specialized in transportation infrastructure innovation, where I actually interact with every stakeholder in the economy, big or small. My husband is an award winning brewer, with a bad back. So he has re specialized as a homemaker, raising our daughters who are two and five. And they're being raised in this community, taking advantages, advantage of all of the great facilities and amenities, this city has to offer, such as schools and parks, splash pad, recreation facilities, gorgeous farms and canyons, and community events. It is through this family lens that I've really come to appreciate Smithfield. And, it is through this lens that I've come to, a desire to really contribute to it as well. The knowledge and skills I can offer, and the service that I can put in the service of the city stem from over fifteen years in, marketing and communication across three continents, actually. I hold a bachelor's and a master's in marketing, MBA in data analytics, and I am, enrolled in a PhD in career and technical education at USU, where I focus on equipping workforce and education leaders with change management skills to handle emerging technologies and industries, and embed them in building a future ready workforce. I've also been a RHODIE member since 2009, and an active member of the Logan well, the Rotary Club of Logan since 2019. On the Smithfield City Council, I would contribute with program planning and implementation experience, not public speaking. A wealth of experience, and well, a wealth wealth of creative ideas. I have more ideas than time, for sure. But I'm a pragmatist, and I have knowledge from a broad array of areas and topics, and would hope that these talents and interests would complement existing skills and world views on this board, on this council. Through my professional work, education and service work, I have sought to really understand what it takes to build a self sufficient, economically thriving, community where multiple generations can congregate, support, and learn from each other. Important elements of such a community include a thriving downtown with entertainment, right, that make traveling to Logan optional, and I would say even unnecessary, because we want our sales taxes to be, stay put. Right? We want local businesses and local entrepreneurs and local energy that employ locally and that build essential skills in our youth and prepare them for, for for their future right here. And we wanna create resources and facilities that also allow our youth to, be equipped for a meaningful, fulfilling, and affordable life, close to their families. Right? We want to avoid the brain drain that is happening all around the world. Thirty seconds. I'm mindful of the tensions that come between growth and trying to maintain the small town feel, and I offer a balanced view in that respect. And I would love to contribute on any of the committees that would, allow the opportunity to support economic development, entrepreneurialism, and intergenerational programs and spaces.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, ma'am.

Carol Stokes.

Hi. My name's Carolee Stokes, and first question. I have three kids, and they have spouses, and I have 15 grandchildren. My husband's deceased. He's been gone a long time. I have, lived in Cache Valley most of my life. I've lived in Smithfield since 1988. I grew up in River Heights when I was growing up. And so I've seen a lot of changes in Cache Valley since I was a kid. And anyway, went to Sky View, and my kids went to Sky View and raised my kids here. And my work experience, I don't know. I don't sound too great compared to these people behind me. You have some really good candidates back there. Some real This is gonna be a hard choice. You have some good people. My experiences aren't quite like they're what I've been hearing. I work at Lee's. I've been there a long time. My work experience is just I work in a grocery store, and I know how grocery stores run, and and you meet a lot of people, and and, I've I have been very involved with Smithfield City council and planning. I come to all the meetings. I I know everybody, and I have been very involved for a long time. And I do care about the city, and the valley, and the state, and I guess I think of myself, I'm very patriotic, and, this state and this country means a lot to me. And, and why should I be elected? Oh, I don't know. That's that's hard. You have such good candidates behind me. I I know Smithfield a lot. I know what goes on in the city. I've been very involved. But, you know, it it Smithfield means a lot to me. I love this town and, like I said, I love the valley. And what are my thoughts of growth? And growth, yes, growth has to happen, but it does need to happen in the right way. And I've talked about it before for years, about growth. And I we need to have the right kind of growth. We need to have homes, and families, and kids, and neighborhoods. And my my thing has always been there's there's so much high density, and and rentals, and we need families and neighborhoods. That's my goal. We're a faith based city with a temple coming. And but growth, yes. You you have to have growth but responsible. And to me, growth is about a vision of what is this gonna look like in twenty years. When you think about growth, whether it's anywhere in the country, you have to have a vision of what is this place gonna look like in twenty, thirty years. Did we do it right? Or is it gonna look bad and and everybody did it wrong? The the vision has to be, you know, looking down the road. And, as far as, helping with committees and stuff, I have the time. I can do anything that's being asked or what would you want me to do. But anyway, that's it. Thank you. Good night. Thank you, Carley. Thank you.

And lastly, we have Michael Taylor.

Good evening. Glad to be here. I am Michael Taylor. Moved here twenty five years ago with my wife and came down here because of a business opportunity. And and we we have we moved to Smithfield, and we have lived we've lived in Smithfield our entire lives here in Cache Valley. So it's been it's been awesome and have four daughters. And every single one of them went to Skyview, and we loved it. And big supporter of Skyview Athletics and and what goes on there at the school. We've so I sold had a had a business, had a car business, and we sold that about eight years ago. And in that in that time there, I was managing people, and getting things done and managing a budget and making good decisions and hard decisions and difficult decisions. Those decisions, I think, will carry over into why I should be selected, because those decisions need to be made that the council members make. So as far as my thoughts on growth, growth is gonna happen and growth, I'm pro growth. It needs to happen in a responsible manner and in a in a logical manner. So short and sweet as far as as far as being here and being able to help on some of the committees. I love the golf course. I think that's such a gem of this community, and I also would love to help out in the public works. So

thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Thanks, you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Okay. What I'd like to do now is give the council a couple of minutes to go through their notes, think about this, and then we'll move forward. While they're thinking about this, I just want to thank everyone that applied. I was talking to somebody yesterday, and they asked city council. And we really appreciate it. And I think it's a real honor for us to have 19 people want to serve the city. And I'd like to thank you for that commitment, for that desire. It's it shows what a great community we really live in. We're we're really, really blessed. So thank you for applying. If you don't get on, I would love to talk to you about future opportunities. If you wanna leave me your name, if you're really interested in something else, we can maybe get you on something. So Just one more little bit of information. If there is a tie, I do not get a vote. Councilor, are we ready, or do you need more time? I think we're ready. I'm ready for a motion.

If I may. Part of this has not been easy because it's just a job interview like work. I've been on both sides of those, and so it's it's hard to guess or know from what limited interaction we had. But I would submit the name of John Michael Engler as the council member

that I would consider. Do I have a second? Do I have a second? How do we vote? Wade. Yes. Let's see. Yes. Jen. Yes. Todd.

Yes.

John Engler will be the new council member to fill the two year seat that has been vacated. Welcome, John. I'll take a motion for adjournment. No. No? No. It says it down here. We're turned over to Dana. Dana, do it. She was and I want you to know, she was practicing her coin flip tonight.

So John, if you'll come up and we'll swear you in.

I do solemnly swear I do solemnly swear that I will obey, support, and defend that I will obey, support, and defend The United States, the Constitution of The United States Of America The Constitution of The

United States Of America. The Constitution of The United States Of America. The Constitution of the State of Utah. The Constitution of the State of Utah. And that I will

discharge

And then I will discharge the duties of my office with Fidelity. And then I will discharge

the duties of my office with Fidelity.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

That was a really important step, and I apologize.

Now I'm ready for a motion to adjourn. I'd like to make a motion that we adjourn the meeting at 08:07PM.

And a second? I'll second. Seconded by Jen. How do we vote? Todd? Yes. Jen? Yes. Yes. Wade? Yes. Thank you everyone for coming tonight. Thank you. We appreciate it. Thank you.