City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, we'd like to welcome our full crowd tonight out for our special uh city council meeting on today, Tuesday, January 27th, 2026 and welcome all that are with us and online. Um we have again it's a special meeting tonight and we like to recognize all the candidates that are in the house tonight. Um to get started, I've asked uh Council Member Williams to offer the pledge of allegiance and our opening remarks tonight will be council member Rogers and we'll go to that point. If everyone will please stand and repeat after me.

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Our dear heavenly father, we're grateful to be gathered together as a community and community members tonight to make an important decision related to our local city government. We're grateful for this land and the freedoms that we enjoy, the abilities and power we have to govern ourselves. We're grateful for this great city of Pleasant Grove, the beautiful place it is to raise families and to be community members. And we ask that that will bless us tonight, that the proceed the uh proceedings will go as planned, that we'll be able to understand the different qualifications of the candidates and be able to make a decision that helps Pleasant Grove be the best that it can be. We love thee. We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you, Council Member Williams and Council Member Rogers. Um, before we get started, I'd like to welcome all the council members tonight and thank you for your service to the community. Appreciate it. We have a some good stuff happening tonight. It doesn't happen very often, but appreciative of the community and and for those who have put in. And with that said, I think well, we only have really one item on the agenda tonight. So, with that, Scott, do we have anything else we're adding before we make a motion to approve tonight's Okay. So, I'll make I need a motion to approve tonight's meeting agenda.

Mayor, I make a motion that we approve tonight's meeting agenda. We have a motion by Council Member Anderson. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Council Member Williams. All those in favor? I.

That's unanimous. Thank you. At this time, I'm going to have our city administrator come up and kind of talk to everyone and kind of give a not a brief discussion, but a kind of a layout of what how tonight is going to roll out, how how we're going to have each candidate come up. And just just for everyone's heads up in the audience tonight, um, we understand you you have a family member that's up here and I understand you may want to clap or cheer, but we ask if you would refrain from that. Uh these are interviews that we're doing and and we're trying to get to the business of the city here. So anyway, Scott, go ahead.

Yes. Uh thank you, mayor. Um this is not something that happens very often, so that's why we'll talk through the process and procedure for the evening. Um each candidate is going to be allowed uh three minutes to speak. And I say up to three minutes. The candidate doesn't have to take a full three minutes, but um they will have that opportunity. We do have our timer here for both the council and for the candidate to be able to view. This will be uh the clock that will govern when those three minutes are up. The order in which the candidates are going to be called up is on the what's called the master ballot position list. So this is um a list given uh to us from the state of Utah. Uh generally it's used on um on how candidates are going to be placed on a ballot based on the you know this is not in alphabetical order. They have the random 20 uh six letters in the alphabet in a random order. And so that's the list we're using. So it's a an objective way to uh have people come up. Um after the three minutes are up, the mayor and city council are allotted up to five minutes uh to ask questions. Um, council's not obligated or required to use the full five minutes. In fact, the council's not obligated to ask questions if they feel that there's no questions that need to be asked with an understanding that the council does have the three questions that each of the candidates submitted and those that uh presented a video, the council was able to res uh review those videos as well. So, there's already um some background information and then you will they're going to take their three minutes and so you'll have more information. If you do feel a need uh to ask follow-up questions, we do cap that at five minutes.

And Scott, I just the videos weren't mandatory. They were No, videos were optional and I know all the candidates didn't submit videos. Um and they were uh for review by the public and for uh review of the city council members if they chose to do that. Um, so after each candidate has had their time and all the questioning is done, um, then we're going to go to the nomination process. And when we get to the nomination process, I'll stand back up and walk through what that nomination process looks like. All right, we're good to go, Scott. Well, is there any questions for me? Yeah. Yeah. Council,

I think we've had all this information before us now for a while. So, okay, with that said, and maybe sometimes it's easiest or hardest to go first, but Brett Robertson, come on up.

I think we might already know you because we've read your stuff, but the three minutes is yours.

Um, my name's Brett Robertson. I've um have a wife and three kids. Um, son goes to two of my sons go to Groverest, my oldest daughter to Pleasant Grove Jr. Um, I'm currently an assistant principal at American Fork High School. Now, don't hold that against me because of the split because I wasn't for the split either way. But, um, I started out as an ACT teacher at Lehi. Um, I've been in education for 21 years. Um, this is my 10th coming on my 11th year in administration. Um, I've really enjoyed working with kids. I've really enjoyed working um being in a school you get to get to know the community and I've really enjoyed working over at AF and I've been enjoyed um working with the students and and just kind of building that. And um a little bit about me, I like gardening. I like uh um I grew up on a farm. Um I know what hard work is means and what it takes. Um I'm a a thinker. Um I'm someone who um looks through things. I'm a go-getter. Um but I'm also somebody who um looks to work together um in my in my field. Um that's a big thing to be able to work in large groups. Um as especially within being a leader in a sec in a a school and assistant principal. I've been able to work with different teams. Um we've been able to make major improvements um within students and stuff like that. Um, one reason why I'm here is that I have always loved to serve um, and always look for opportunities. And so when there was an opening in the beautifification committee, I um, reached out to Eric and and he told me gave the name and and I've enjoyed that one. I I do love gardening and agriculture and horiculture. That's kind of been my my passion. But and then uh they needed somebody with the design review board and I just look that's just another opportunity and it fits within

kind of where I'm at and what I'd like to share to my um my children about you know service and serving others and I've just really enjoyed being a part of this community and um we've been here for 21 years um and we started as a rental and then a home and um just loved it here. Great. Thank you. Um, we'll reset. We can wait to that 30 seconds. No, we don't want to wait. We'll reset it. Okay. And we'll reset it to five and then uh the the time is yours, council. Well, I maybe we can start down here with Sid and work this way. If you have qu if you have questions, if you don't, that's fine.

Yeah. So, you've design board beautifification commission. And have there been any other opportunities that you've taken to serve in the city or even outside of the city that you think would be relevant to your position as a council member?

Um, I've helped out with uh my aunt's Lisa Young and so I've helped out with Strawberry Days and some other things, but um a lot of it's just uh timing. My kids were young and a lot of things and try to balance out some of that stuff. So um these were allowing me to be able to do my thing plus my work. um being a high school administrator, I have a lot of um after school like sports and activities and so um I was just trying to find stuff that allows me to continue to do my profession and my job but then be able to give back to the city. Um but no, I haven't I I haven't um if there's other opportunities, I try to see if they fit. But yeah,

but um I feel like if I can do something that allows me to balance family and work and everything, then I can give my all into those things. Appreciate that. And thank you for your service in our schools. Thank you. Even if it is American forces. Steve, do you have anything?

Yeah, I do. So, um sometimes we deal with divisive issues and sometimes politics kind of get involved. So when when you're a lone vote, maybe you disagree with the majority, how do you manage staying true to maybe the policies and that you're that you're trying to push for, but also maintain a collaborative relationship with other members that may be contrary to you on a particular issue.

I I think the biggest thing is is ultimate respect. Um, everybody can have their own opinions and and I think it's a difference between opinion convictions and opinions and and kind of getting to know where the councilman or other people are coming from. Um, and getting that perspective, but I I think um that's what's unique about everybody doesn't have to I mean, we don't have to be this single mold type of people. And so I think a lot of times is you got to think about how you say and how you um you come off um by you know just within my profession I I get parents to call and are complaining about random things that I have no control over. But the root it is is that I look at is that why are we doing this and what is the ultimate goal? And so for example like me the ultimate goal is to making sure this kid is successful in school. So I put aside my personal opinions and I I look at the issue at hand and then I look towards that way. And so if there was a you know some divisiveness or I felt like I was going against it um if I um Phil but I'm going to be respectful but then honor everybody else's um response as well. Hopefully that respond

I have five minutes or the whole No, the whole council has five minutes. I was just going to give him the opportunity to to address because I know that I want to hear when you say that you have a lot of extracurricular activities that divert your time. There is a lot of kind of a a larger time commitment for city council members. That's a concern for me. I wanted to give you a chance to address it. I don't know if other council

No, that one that and that's good. And um to be honest, uh that's why looking at my team and everything that I have um it's totally doable. That's why I I put my name in because I looked at what we have um depending upon the season. But I've got five other administrators at our school that we all share the loads and so a lot of times they have different things that are going on in theirs and so we pick up each other's and support each other. So if there's events that need to be or that I would need to be attend or after school like those those would already be secured and set out and worked amongst to where it wouldn't conflict with uh my current job or my after school things. So

all right Diana and Todd you have a little bit of time you have anything or I'll start with you next time.

Sure. Yeah. Do you have anything? What what do you think the the largest issues for Pleasant Grove would be in the next two to five years? I I I think the growth I mean um if you look at where like this um you know bed community that where um as I've because I like to run so I run around Pleasant Grove all the place and there's not a lot of more a lot of places other than little pockets here or there for homes and looking at Pleasant Grove decrease in student enrollment and seeing where the economy is and everything but but then looking at where Utah is an economy and seeing where the growth that's been happening out at the Grove and out there by the freeway. Like to me that's been an exciting and I think that's been a big issue for a long time because that piece of property has sat there and I know there's been some opinions of where it was but knowing that what the city did and held on to that it's paid off in dividends and I think getting a a good tax base here in Pleasant Grove which I think is going and has been um as we can see out there it's been really amazing and I I think that's the biggest thing is a a good tax base that we can um and then just to finish up that we can then say, "Hey, we're a community of of many and we're and the people want to move in here." And so I I think that and then keeping Pleasant Grove, what I like about Pleasant Grove, it has that still fall um small town feel even though we're growing.

Awesome. Thanks, Brett. Okay. Thank you. Do you council need a second to write any notes down or anything? You're good. All right. David Nelson, come on up.

Good to have you here. Welcome. As soon as you start talking, you're you're rolling. I was wondering if it was going to start before I started.

Hi, my name is David Nelson. I have lived here in Pleasant Grove for little over five years, six years, five years, six years. Um, I have seven children. I have a beautiful, wonderful, kind wife. And I love Pleasant Grove and that's why I'm here today. I The move to Pleasant Grove was life-changing for my children. It was life-changing for us and I want to be here and put some effort forward in making this an opportunity for other people too. That Pleasant Grove continues to be a wonderful place to raise a family. I have two children have graduated from Pleasant Grove High School. I have one currently a senior at Pleasant Grove High School. I have one at the junior high. I have two in Central Elementary School. I'm going to continue having one child in every level of school for some time and I am I want to commit some effort into keeping Pleasant Grove what I believe it is that it's a welcoming community. Um it has the small town feel that I remember from growing up in a tiny town in California that's not there anymore. It's a big chunk of mess. But Pleasant Grove has been able to maintain the small town feel, the friendliness. People wave at you as they walk by you. People wave at your dogs as they walk by. Um, but there's been growth and we have so much convenience near us with the restaurants, with the hospitals. It's an ideal location and I am a firm believer in supporting that. I also love the community of Pleasant Grove, the things that happen, Strawberry Days, the music downtown, just the get out and feel a part of the

town, the tours, the the history of Pleasant Grove. I enjoy learning about the history of Pleasant Grove long ago. My great my grandmother was born here. My great-grandmother was born here. My great greatg grandandmother's buried here. my great great greatgrandfather's buried here. So, I love learning about those things and I think Pleasant Grove so far has done just a fantastic job of tying all these things together and I want to be a part of making that still exist in the future for for my children, maybe my grandchildren. I mean, no one leaves Pleasant Grove. They they just stay because it's such a wonderful place and I want to commit some time and some effort into that. So that's why I'm here.

Great. Thank you. We'll reset. I know Laurel is happy that you brought up historic. So we we she's smiling back there. Just let you know. Um we'll start with Diana if you have any questions. So I'm not sure what you do for a living. So I'll give you some time to do that. Costco. Is that still where you're at right now?

Yes. I have been a front-end supervisor for years and years and years. I've worked in other departments, but I am a 28-year Costco employee. Started in Southern California, moved up to Northern California, across to the largest one in the world in S Salt Lake City before it was the largest one in the world. Uh I opened West Valley up and then I came down here to Lehi um about five years ago, four years ago. And uh yeah, I I'm one of the front end supervisors, the red vests that help the lines move through, help people get their stuff taken care of. He helps you spend $100 there. It's $100 if you're doing good. It's $300 store lately.

We'll move to Council Member Rogers here. Um yeah, so I'm going to ask you the same question that I asked to the previous candidate and that is related to uh divisiveness and some of the times when you don't agree with people. Pleasant Grove is a great place and I agree with you on that. But there's also different philosophies on how to deal with different issues that it's facing. So when you find yourself in the minority of an opinion, how do you deal with that situation?

I think it's important to listen. Um, I've always found working at Costco that I don't know everything and I like to listen to other people and hear what they have to say. I might not agree with it, but hearing them out is very important to have an understanding on why they think the way they think. Also, I think with uh February starting here in a minute, it's kindness month. I think when you disagree someone, you should always do it with kindness. There's no need to take it another direction. We don't always have to think the same way, but I've learned at work that if I'm friends with everybody, makes the day go a lot better. I don't need to insert myself into a power struggle. I just do my job. I get along. And that's important. I think they respect me for that. I respect them for that. and the people that I can get along with are the ones that I'm going to work the best with. And as a small city council like this, working together, you all have your own ideas. Everyone has their own opinions, but the ability to work together is really important.

Great. Sydney experience in the community

living here in the community. I've developed a love for the community through my professional experience as a Costco supervisor. We're a small group that has to wear many hats and we always don't wear the same hat each and every day depending on who's there with us, what time we're scheduled, the things we have to get done that day. And I've always found it very beneficial to work together. You might not always have the same position. You might not always have the uh leadership role in something, but those supportive roles are also equally important. And I think that's something I've learned. I was almost said always have done, but it's not. It's something I've learned that being the information person might be good one day and the next day I might need to help someone through something. I I might need to to lead at one moment and put my ideas forth and let people know what's going on. And other times I I need to be the listener and I need to hear what other people have to say because I know I'm not always right. I've learned that through 28 years at Costco also. And that listening and learning and seeing what need needs to be filled is important. Todd, we'll move to you for the last 40 seconds.

David, what uh what does success for the city look like in a year? I think success for me is that it is a safe, fun place to be that like it is now. I've talked to people and they're like, "Yeah, I went to high school there. My children are going to high school there. All the teachers were either teachers when I was there or they were students with me." It's a place that people want to be. I think when it's not running well, people are going to leave. And as of now, from what I've seen in Pleasant Grove, people want to stay, and I think that's important. Is it being run well? I think so. Thank you. Thank you. I think you guys do a great job. Thanks for being here.

I want to be a part of it. That wasn't that was I wasn't looking for an endorsement. I was I think you're great. No. Thanks, David. Thank you, David. Thank you. All right. Well, next candidate, we'll invite Justin Nielson up. Thank you for being here for having me. Uh I'd just like to say before my time starts that I'm glad to see that there was like I think 16 candidates all together. So that is pretty exciting. That's good stuff for sure. Um yeah, go ahead. Start.

So I was born and raised here. Well, I I lied. I wasn't born here out of a fluke. I was born in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Well, I've been here with a family of six. I'm pretty much the only one that's fell off the tree and stayed. And yeah, I've I've grown up here and watched it from about a town of 12,000ish people probably when I was young, you know, when there was fields and orchards. And I mean, we we've grown for sure. But I've been here long enough to see a lot of people come and go, you know, a lot of the older generations and been able to learn a lot from them, too, especially about this town growing up here. You just kind of do your own thing as a kid. And I I've I've had a lot of memories of me and my friends being able to come down here to BJ's, which is amazing. It's still there. uh raise hearts, you know, we'd come down and play video games or go over and get drinks. So, I've been here long enough to see this town become what it is, which is it's it's stayed businessfriendly, I think, for the most part, and welcoming for new home own hopefully new homeowners. And I think with uh I've done a lot of construction jobs and a lot of them have been here pretty close by. I've worked for Nilsfugal Jensen Cable when I was actually probably too young to be hired, but he was nice enough to put me on and put me to work. So, I've learned a lot of underground utilities, a lot of construction fields throughout my life. And uh I've got two kids here I'm raising, so I think our schools are pretty good. You know, the the teachers seem like they're excellent. So, I don't know if that's really part of city council's deal to deal with that, but whatever we're doing here, it seems to be right, you know, and it's it's attracting more and more people. Uh, so currently I work for Mountain Land

Supply and we do a lot of water works and, you know, we help we're kind of support on our tech side of Mount Land for the stuff that Mountainland sells. So when city officials or uh waterworks departments, whoever has problems, they call us and we come out and we fix their problems. So yeah, I mean, as far as I I hope I have many more good years here in this town and uh my kids will be raised up here and yeah, about all I got. 49 years now.

Awesome. Congrats. All right. Okay, we'll reset and uh We will. Okay. We're gonna start with Council Member Rogers. I'm going to ask my question a little bit differently. Okay.

If you can remember a time when you got into a conversation or into a situation where you had differences of opinions within a group or with an individual. If you could explain that situation and then how you dealt with it. Well, the way we used to do it was we'd slug it out and then we were friends again, but we can't do that anymore. Um, I think really anymore just the knowledge I've had uh dealing with public, especially in the construction field, you know, you you get the one finger salute all the time when you're working in the roads. And you just kind of learn to brush some of that stuff off. You can't take a lot of stuff serious because you don't know what's going on with everybody else's lives. So I think more or less anymore you you listen to what they have to say, try and explain your position and hopefully come to a friendly mutual agreement on one side or the other. Um it's like I say, I think a lot of people just don't have an education in certain things that might be a conflict that once you understand what the real situation is, it's it's usually pretty mutually nulls itself out. I'm going to ask a question if that's okay. It looks like you survived a HOA board.

Yes. And so give me one thing you've taken away from that you learned from serving on that board.

Um so that was a really interesting term. So it took a little bit. We had an issue with trampolines. Our insurance company said, "Hey, we've come through the neighborhood. we've done an assessment and there's all these trampolines, they are not covered under HOA insurance. So, we had to go and notify homeowners and then we finally came to a solution that if within their right away that's kind of with your house, they give you like a certain spot. If you could ensure it privately in that area, then you were allowed to have a but it could not be on common area. And it it took a little bit of calming everybody down that why can't we why you know it's like well we're explaining to you why you can't it's insurance reasons it's not we could care less personally it but insurance says they will drop us if we don't take care of this so it it all worked out in the end and

all right everybody was still friends afterwards great uh council member Anderson um yes so um and thank you for serving on the HOA board. Um, so how do you go about making a decision?

Um, if there's something I don't know, I typically try and research it until I feel like I'm competent enough to speak about it. And I mean, I obviously do not know everything, but I I am a curious person, so I've always been a hands-on person, too. So, if there's something I can build or help somebody build, I'm in there doing it. So if I do not know something though, I will try and research it and get as many angles on it to make usually everything comes to a extreme here, extreme here and what really is in the middle. I bet. Council member Lemon, you have anything?

What based on again I'm going to ask the same question. Your personal career or your professional career, your personal time here in Pleasant Grove, why do you think you're the most qualified candidate for this position? I don't even know if that I would say I'm the most qualified at all. Um, I think with growth, especially construction is where my background is. That's what I've done 30 plus years of my life and pretty much everything from sewer, water to actual construction of buildings. I hope if I was able to serve on the council, hopefully my knowledge in those areas would help everybody else understand. And sometimes that's even explaining it to the public because that that's where you get a lot of people that don't know what the city's doing and why they're doing it, but if it can be explained, then they're like, "Oh, okay, that makes sense now."

Thank you. Great. Council member Williams. Justin, why uh why specifically did you put in your application this time? What? Well, I'm still wondering that, but no, I I've been here, you know, 49 years, like I said, and I' I've watched this town grow. I mean, I've seen what great trails that have been built up in the foothills because I I grew up in the mountains. Me and my friends would weekend come, load the backpack, and we were gone for the weekend. So, I' I've seen a lot of good things, you know, to help diversify people that are here. Not everybody wants to go hiking, but hey, maybe you can go mountain biking, and we have trail systems for that. And it's it's really good to see the diversity this town has put forth to kind of make it accommodating to everybody. Great. Well, look at that.

Thank you. Thank you. Gail Yokum. All right, come on up.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you. Call me Lynn. Gail was my mother's name and I go by Lynn by my middle name and it was u just so we wouldn't get confused with each other. Uh the the assignment tonight reminded me of a debate class assignment for extemporaneous speaking. And so I I smiled because u Mark Bezant was my debate coach here at America Fork, not Pleasant Grove High School, sorry, taught 23 years at AF, but Pleasant Grove High School. And I was like, "Oh, I get to use this experience on all of his civic lessons that he gave us and and give and uh and speak back with the city council." he would be extremely proud if he could see this tonight. And uh that's kind of why I included a picture of him in my in my get to know me. I I was very uh excited when I saw the announcement uh in in the newsletter and that that went out and I went, "Oh my gosh, this might be a chance for me to give back some of my experience that I have done over the last 30 years. I've been in government with federal, city, county. Uh I I know legislative process. Uh currently I'm managing like $96 million in projects and uh have brought over 350 million of private public private partnerships to the state of Utah within the last 20 years. I'm I'm really good with telecommunications utility work and rightways and how they fit in. And I I've heard some of the questions coming up and what are some of the issues that I think with the city and I've looked at them and Todd and I have talked about a few of those and it's it's infrastructure is what I'm thinking. The the city really has some big needs. I love Pleasant Grove. It's uh it's amazing place and I want my talent to be able to come back in and be able to help out. Um we've got city codes. It looks like they're going to be

updated soon. Um really good with that. used to writing codes and standards and everything that uh we have to put out. So, I want to give back to the city. I've given a lot back to my state, to the nation. I've served on a lot of boards uh nationally, statewise, and I think it's time for Pleasant Grove to get some of my talent. Wow. Thank you, Councilman Williams. I'll start with you. So, Lynn, thanks for being here. How how would you respond to public criticism especially when it kind of comes to maybe even personal or even unfair? Um I'm kind of used to public criticism

uh with with our projects that comes we you get a lot of people that will aggregate within public meetings and and come out when when when I built American Fort Canyon with Crown Castle for the cell phones. We we got a bit of criticism coming back. Why are you bringing cell phone service to the canyon? and this is where I go to escape. And I go, well, 911 public safety was what we were looking at. And you you take all of those comments in because people's comments are valuable and you want to listen. You want to listen to them and and you you take them in and you try to present back the best information that you can and weigh the good of the of of the comments with what you've got your responsibility to build with on what you need to do for the for the public.

Great. Thanks. Council member Anderson. Yes, I'll ask the same question. So then how do you make a decision? Um the decision you have to you you've got policy that is going to be before you on help you make that decision. Uh when you do the public meetings, that's because we are required or you're required to do those public meetings. You put everything down and you say, "Okay, we've got to make a decision." We put it before our transportation commission, which is like coming before your city council, and we say, "Hey, what uh this is the information. Is it yay or nay?" That's what we that's what we do. Council member Rogers.

Uh so why apply and not run when the seat was open um this last election cycle?

Because I was coming up on that big grant section of stuff that I had to do. So, I was kind of I was kind of busy. And you also had some really great city councilman members running and I I I really like supporting them. You guys did a great debate session. I liked going to those. And uh when I saw it this time, the time felt right. I'm I'm not teaching at this time anymore. And I've uh got empty neester. And I'm like, I've got some good time that this is this is a good time. So it I went, why not? Why not? Council member,

so out of your time on national, state, uh, you know, local levels and serving, what have you found to be the most challenging, most rewarding in those positions? Railroads. Why is that? Union, Union Pacific, just dealing with the railroad and

1862 um railroad uh underlying rightway and then dealing with your road that's on top of it and not knowing that you had to deal with it. That's that's my latest one that we're on right now is is that one. So rightaway concerns and um who has a rightaway where water is king within the state of Utah even above above railroad and then understanding what the rights are that you you need to have and what needs to be preserved with that. Those are those are challenging. I came down Provo Canyon and did not know that we'd put a water line in somebody else's rideway that when we rebuilt the road. So Those are those are challengings and you you want you want to go go through and try to make it work for everybody.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. We did put a water line down.

And yes, railroads are difficult to work with. So yeah. Um Robert Miller Good evening. Um I'm glad to be here and um see I've spent 20 years in Pleasant Grove. My wife grew up here. Um we decided this was where we wanted to raise our kids and um as we were gone for a short bit as I went up to chiropractic school. Um so for by profession I'm a doctor of chiropractic. Um this and then I spent uh five and a half years in the Navy. Um and through Navy and school and last 10 years in uh the medical profession I've learned how to deal with people and um I love volunteering at the U rodeo taking care of the Cowboys. I've been doing that for about 10 years and um I threw my hat in the ring to um for the city council because it was a way to give back to the city that has given us and our family so much and um if I'm chosen, I look forward to helping and serving.

Awesome. Thank you. And we'll start with Council Member Leone. Okay, I'm gonna I'm just kind of jumping around with questions, but based on each applicant, so Robert, your time either volunteering in the city, your professional work experience, what qualifies you to be the best candidate serving up here?

Um, the I guess as I looked at the qualifications for what it takes to be city council member was pretty basic and simple. registered voter, live in Pleasant Grove. Um, I meet those qualifications. Um, outside of that, um, some of the skills that I've learned working with people in the medical profession, um, you know, I'm probably not as qualified as some of the people who spoke already, but at the same time, um, I learn quick, I adapt, and, um, I, um, just love to serve.

Council member Williams, um tell me tell me about um a time when you had to make a difficult decision and and process that you went through to figure that out. Um that was probably 15 years ago when uh I'm in my um about to turn 40 and had to decide whether to go to chiropractic school or not.

And um as I contemplated, I've got four small children and a wife and you know that was not an easy decision. Um but with counsel her other family and other leaders um I knew it was the right decision to make. Okay. Thank you, Council Member Rogers. All right. What type of situation or person makes you the most frustrated and how do you deal with that situation or person?

So, um, with my profession, um, I get non-compliance all the time. Um, so you know that you've laid out a plan that's gonna be good for them and it's frustrating when they say, "Nope, I don't want to do it." But at the same time, we can't bend or force anyone to go against their will. So, um you just try to reason with them as best you can and um help them see and understand the importance of what you can do for them and try to figure out how the uh uh best solution that you know if we can't agree on this can we come to a solution that we can both agree on?

Council member Anderson.

So, and uh for years I've watched him right off the rodeo grounds as he's putting rodeo bronco riders back to in one piece. So that it's a very quick mental thing. Um so I I'm grateful for your service. Um so if there was anything that you wanted to accomplish on council, what would it be? Um I think that uh some of you know I don't have like grand you we need to make this big shift or change or anything like that but I think the number one thing that's important is keeping Pleasant Grove um the you know a place that people want to raise their f sorry about that pe place that people want to raise their families and um you know doing that in a physically responsible and um way that uh you know includes everyone and um I've also learned in my years that you can't please everyone. So sometimes you just have to make a decision and go for it.

Thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Mr. Sandeep, come forward.

Welcome. Good evening.

So, my name is Sandeep. Most of you guys know me from Sandeep. And uh so a little about me, I moved here in 2014 from Australia. And not many people know but some people they knew they knew that I'm from Australia. It was a tough decision at that time too because uh coming from Melbourne like a bigger city than coming to Utah everyone think why you choose Utah. So there was two reasons at that time. One of the mountain hiking and that was close and the second at that time was the traffic. In 2012 when I first came in and engaged to my wife that's when we decided that it was a choice that either she's going to move with me or I'm going to move over here. So then we decided okay we'll give it a try. So in 2014 when we moved we lived in Riverton for four years and then in 2018 then when I started friends over here our previous name is hearts and after that uh working with the community and then till now then uh after a couple years we decided that we going to be living over here. I call Pleasant Grove my home. It took me six plus months to find a home and which was tough at that time because everyone was uh putting a lot of money and when you're first home buyer it hard but eventually we got a good house and now I have a beautiful wife two of my kids we all live in Pleasant Grove and one of my daughter goes to Grove Crest and the other one goes to Lincoln Academy and then coming to present time why I decided to be here and uh from my grandparents and my my parents teaching I love to serve respect the elders and have a good bonding with the kids that was what my goal is from the day one and uh I want to be honest I don't want

to commit to the full four years that's why I think this is an opportunity I would try two years first with God grace if I'm lucky if not then I can see what the future will If I'm committed, I'm committed to something and uh I don't want to just have a fling which okay and uh with my experience comes from uh with the customer service or retail goes over 25 years. I started in McDonald's back in Australia. Then other jobs and the other range working with the different employees ranging from 16 to 80 years old and how to have a good team, how to manage those people and how to balance the expenses, your business. And when we started in 2018, we from one up to now we have three places and it's all the hard work we all my team did and the support I got from the community. So now I think it's my turn to give back to the community and uh thank you

Sandep. I have a question for you. You're a business owner. You deal with the public on a daily minute basis. What's something that you've learned uh in how to approach and deal with people? So I believe customer is right but I still believe they are not always right. So I listen to the complaint. If it's a complaint then we review it with the other people. Then I come up to the decision

and if it's a genuine we go back to the customer. We apologize or we do whatever we have to do. But if I just say, you know, over here there's a thing, you know, customer is right. I still I don't want to push my employees that hard. You made a mistake. No, to me, my employees are first, right? Council member Anderson. Um, so what would you like to accomplish in Pleasant Grove?

I want to raise my kids and hopefully grandkids in the future. And that's my first. And then, um, I want this to be still a small town feel. That's the main reason when we choose and hopefully we'll have the same feeling from down from road and 50 years and the other thing I want to accomplish from these like the kids those are our future I want to see more and more kids sitting in this room then uh those are the people who I can I can rely not just the gray hair people like me sorry council member Williams Sunday what uh if you were appointed what what would be kind of the first thing that you would want learn about

learn about uh lot of things as uh I come from a different uh faith background and different than you guys and yeah so I want to learn about more about the culture even though I know but I'm always a learner. Good. Thank you, Council Member Lemon, Cindy, what do you feel makes you the most qualified candidate based on either your professional work experience living here? What do you feel? Uh, that's what I I'm going to leave you to decide. And if you think I'm good enough, please. So, I don't want to say anything on that. Sorry. Thank you. All right, Council Member Rogers.

All right. This is a different question sand deepep and that is when was the last time you realized you were the problem in a conflict and how did you grow from that? We always have those days and uh when we have problem we analyze we lay out the plan step by step then at the end if you think I'm the problem then I will take the blame and then yeah move forward just say that make you we all are human we make mistakes and if I made a mistake I should be saying okay I made a mistake so yeah just admit it Great, Sandep. Thanks for your time.

You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. All right, we invite Jeffrey Snyder up.

Welcome, Jeffrey.

Thank you. I'm Jeff Snyder. Uh my wife and I moved here to Pleasant Grove 16 years ago last month with our two kids just before our oldest started kindergarten. Uh, now both of those two kids have graduated from Pleasant Grove High School and the one who didn't exist yet is a ninth grader at Pleasant Grove Junior. Now, um, we love it here. As I've kind of looked, I grew up in in Southern California in a town that I was, I think, seventh generation there. My parents are still there. There's streets named after my relatives. The library is named after my great aunt. Um, and what I love about Pleasant Grove is Pleasant Grove is the town that I thought I grew up in. Uh it wasn't until I was an adult and realized, oh yeah, there was a lot of gang activity and murder and stuff. And uh I like that we get all the good stuff of the small town without the gangs and murder and stuff. Uh Pleasant Grove is just a wonderful place that I love living and uh it's somewhere that I don't intend to ever leave. Um I I I used to work at a a company called Digert. It's a Utah company. I was the second employee at Digicert when it was a tiny little startup

and uh was there until the founders sold it for a couple hundred million dollars and then another year and a half after that um before I moved on. A and I kind of when I look at Pleasant Grove, Pleasant Grove I feel like to the extent that a city can compare to a business, Pleasant Grove is somewhere in that growth cycle that I saw at Digert, you know. um not not yet to the point where the founders sold it, which is good because that's when it went downhill. Uh but all the things that were great about it when you know when it was a great company. Um and that I feel like that you know as a member of the executive team at Digisert kind of through that entire period of growth gives me an insight that uh that I has a lot of parallels to city council. When I was a teenager, my dad uh used to love to preach Stephven CVY at me like most people's dads probably did. And the the big one that always stuck with me is seek first to understand and then to be understood. My mom had a favorite quote that said, I never learned anything with my mouth open. Uh the key the point of both of those is shut up and listen. And I am a big believer in shut up and listen. And I my wife can tell you I can also talk, but I think that it's very very important to know what you're talking about before you start talking. I believe in getting information, learning what I can, and then I I can put my skills, my talents, my intelligence, my experience, those things to use, but not until I actually understand what's going on. So, that's my number one goal in everything. Uh I do a baseball podcast. I'm a Dodger fan, so I get a lot of hate uh because we we just keep winning. And uh so I but I I love that. I love that kind of conversation because, you know, that's how you learn is by disagreeing with people and talking it out.

It's okay. I'm Oakland A's fan. I had to Hey, 1988 was a good year for one of us. It was. Yeah. It was a little ways away. Council member Rogers. So, describe a time when somebody or something made you frustrated and then how you dealt with that. maybe the things that you felt like you were successful in dealing with that and things you would have done differently.

Yeah. Um I'm not easily frustrated. Uh the things that do frustrate me is when people Well, I I'll tell you I overheard a meeting the other day um at work. I I'm the dining director at an assisted living home in Lynon now. Um and I I was sitting in I wasn't part of the meeting, but I was in the room where the the video meeting was happening. And in a 20-minute meeting, I heard the guy on the other end say the phrase once again 26 times. And for me, that's the sign of somebody who came here with something to say, not to learn anything, not to listen to anything, just a once again, let me repeat myself. Okay, but we're trying to have a conversation. So, that's what frustrates me is when people aren't interested in actually having a conversation. And you know, how to deal with that. It depends on the situation because sometimes the only answer is, okay, I'm not going to make headway with you. let's let's move on before somebody gets mad. Um, but if there is a chance to, you know, have a conversation, uh, I'm I'm always in favor of it. I hope that's a decent answer.

Great. Council member Williams, um, I read I read a line on your on your, uh, application that I want you to kind of help me with. Absolutely. I'm far more interested in public service than in politics. So unfortunately they're tied to the hip. I mean that's those are the same things, right? We we all like public service. We hate politics. Yeah. Um h how do you separate that, live with that, deal with that? You know, sleep at night because I haven't figured it out.

When I think of politics, I think of adversarial. I I think of, you know, whether it's national politics and so many things are determined by the capital letter that's after your name. It's a D or an R. And so you turn off your brain. You I don't have to think because the party thought for me. That's what I mean when I say I'm not interested in politics. I I think that people should think for themselves. And even if they have a capital letter next to their name, uh they should think for themselves. And one of the things I love is that city council, it's not a partisan thing that you guys are here to think for yourselves, have conversations that are meaningful and and you know, not adversarial even when you disagree and and I think that's aided by the fact that you don't have the pressure of the party pushing down on you that you have to represent. You can just represent the city that you that you love.

Thanks, Jeff. Perfect. Council member Lemon, you said during your time at Digitsert there was when it started going downhill after the executives left or made some different decisions. Why do you think that was? And explain the parallel that you're referring to in regards to maybe how a city could, you know, go downhill by decisions they make or things like that.

I I couldn't have fed you a better question. Thank you. Um the the thing that made Digert great was we remembered what made us great, which was our customers and our employees. And we took great care of our customers and our employees. And as the company got bigger, we still managed to do that and could even do it better because we had more resources to be able to do that. When it sold and now it was owned by a faceless corporation, they stopped caring so much about the employees first. It's like my my brother and my best friend both still work at Digisert. Um, and it is it's a good job that pays well. And when I was there, it was a lot more than that. It was a wonderful place to work. It was a special place to work. And, uh, for me, the parallels is the thing that makes Pleasant Grove is the people who make it great. The people who live here. You know, you guys do your best to do what's best for them, recognizing that the city council isn't what makes the city great. The residents are. And I think the most important thing is to keep that in mind that everything that is done is for the benefit of the people who make the city great. And I think that's the parallel between that and Diger.

Okay. Thank you. Do you have anything, Councilman Anderson? Yeah. What are you excited about attacking? Uh, I'm excited about figuring out what to attack. I, you know, there may come a time in the future when I'm running for re-election when I have specific things I want to do. I think, you know, whatever the pressing need is for the city, that's what I'm excited about attacking. I I I love working hard and giving my all to do to do what needs to be done. And so, uh, I don't know enough about what needs to be done right now to really have a good answer of a specific thing I want to attack. Okay, I think we're good. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Wait, where in Southern California? It's called Lake Elsenor.

Okay. Y San Frernando Valley. All right, Peter Steel, come on up. Peter Steel.

Hi, Peter Steel. Um, I've lived in Pleasant Grove for about 15 years as a teenager and as an adult. Um, I've lived here with my wife and two boys. Um so uh professionally I am an archaeologist and environmental consultant. Uh so I work helping cities and state agencies uh get approval for their projects and find funding and all of that. Um I spent eight years on the planning commission uh served as the chair and vice chair and uh through a lot of a lot of the last uh decade of growth in Pleasant Grove. Um, so I'm interested in serving on the council so I can uh help with the the next 10 years of Pleasant Grove's growth as well and development. So I'll cut it a little short so we you know maybe we'll get it under two hours for the meeting.

Yeah, I know. Yeah, we'll see. Council member Anderson, what do you have any questions? Well, Peter, um you actually know a lot about uh what's happening in the city. So, so what are you excited about uh moving forward with? Yeah. So, I um I think that um a couple of things. One is just connection within the city. I think that's

uh an important thing. It's getting harder and harder uh you know in modern day to connect with people. Uh so I think finding ways to foster that connection to make Pleasant Grove a vibrant city. And uh the other thing um is just uh things to make Pleasant Grove a more pleasant place to live. Uh sidewalks are something I care about. I walk around Pleasant Grove a lot and you know walking down Third East at night is not not a lot of fun. Um maybe a pool. I don't know. I think that would be great. But yeah, but mostly just uh to find ways to solve problems. I like to dig in, learn about things, solve issues, and that's what I'd like to work on.

Peter, you served on the planning commission for a long time. What's one thing that you learned from planning commission that you could take into city council? Uh, don't trust developers when they promise you retail if you give them residential. Amen. That's big right there. Uh, but also just uh

took me a long time to learn. the the planning commissions that I served on were very collaborative, very uh it was a team atmosphere. We were working together for the good of Pleasant Grove uh to make the best decisions we could. And so I think um you know working together uh even if um you know there was a question asked earlier about if you're the if you're the lone disagreeer on the on an issue um that I think you can still make the decision even if you don't get to a yes on it. Uh, but you can only do that by being part of the team. Council member Rogers,

describe a time when you've realized you were the issue or the problem and what you did about that and how you went about maybe recognizing that and how you grew from that.

Yeah. Um, so I'm I'm don't get upset very easily. Uh, one of the people who can push my buttons is my teenage son. Um, so that has been a learning process to to learn how to stay calm and, uh, address his concerns carefully, listen to him, treat him with respect. And so that's that's something that I've, you know, worked on. and uh just even when I find something upsetting to be able to address it with respect. Great. Council member Lemon,

what makes you the most qualified candidate for this position? Uh well, um I think uh I like to plan things. I like to think things through. I like to uh research and learn and dig into the details and the numbers. Um, and I spend a lot of my life finding money for cities and helping them get approval and build things that they need for their citizens. And so I'd like to use that for through grant writing or Okay. Grant writing and similar things. Yeah. Through your career.

Speaking of that, what's your biggest find as as an archaeologist? Uh my biggest find um no an obsidian pendant was pretty cool. We found that a couple obsidian pendant like a necklace. Uh we found that a couple of years ago down near Canab. Um that was pretty fun. Uh my favorite project that I've worked on was uh was the the Mstead hydroelectric plant at the mouth of Provo Canyon. We have central Utah water with that project. That was a cool one. Council member Williams. So, Peter, thanks for being here. U and thanks for your service for all these years. Tell us uh tell us why now. Why why did you submit your application now and

Yep. Um mostly because my kids are old enough that they don't need me around quite as much and maybe don't want me around quite as much. Uh so I have more time out of the house. I'm at a place in my career as well where um I I have some additional time. You know, planning commission is a a lesser obligation than being on the city council. Um and And then also I'm been looking for somewhere new to volunteer. Uh so I volunteer at the library but would like some additional service. Okay. Thanks Peter. Great. Thank you Peter time. Mayor. Yes. So we're halfway through. We do. We have opportunity here. Do we need a break? Is everybody good or do

Now's your chance council. If you need a threem minute break, now's the chance. Or you want to keep moving forward. Let's go. Keep it looks like we're moving forward. So Joe, come on up. I think you're next. Yeah, you we'll give you a threeminut break. My mouth is in the fridge. I know where it's at. Okay, you should have grabbed it. He stole that from someone. Then I wouldn't be able to go to sleep. So

cool. My name is Joe Goff. Thank you for allowing me to come here and spending your time to listen to all of us ramble on. I've been a longtime resident of Pleasant Grove. My wife Sherry and I have five kids, uh, ranging from 23 to 11. And they've all gone to school here. She teaches school, American Heritage. So, they've all gone there a little bit before they gone to our public schools here. And I've been able to coach them for many years at the rec center. So, I love doing that. And we're in the middle of junior jazz right now, which is great. Our awesome two and three record this year. I love it. So, I believe that I'm the best person. And this is why because I come to council meetings. I've been here pretty much the majority of them last year. And I've learned your vision, what you guys want. I've learned your goals. I have a vision of what I want, too. And I know your goals. I've researched you. I've stalked you. I don't know. I I know where some of you live, Steve, on the corner. You've told us all. And I know that I can with your vision and my vision, they work hand in hand. And I know that I can be an asset to you. And because of the businesses I've own, I've owned a couple businesses here and since 2000 and 2004, respectively, that I've had to deal with all different kinds of people and employees and disgruntled homeowners. I want some of these good questions you've asked the other guys because I'm ready. Um, I know that each of you care for our citizens and my number one goal if you ask me that is safety because the last few months we've had a few issues with safety at intersections in front of schools and stuff. That would be my number one thing if I was to to double down on for the next three years if

you're going to ask that. Um, just today I learned from a friend about Sandeep's intersection. What happened there? You know, that intersection is wide. There is a crosswalk. It's not It's not a zebra style. So, it's just a faint crosswalk. And I think we need to do kind of what we've done at other intersection. I know it costs money, but maybe blinking lights or something. We were a contractor on the Cook Park. So, we actually printed those safety signs, installed them like on the on the northwest corner where you push the button. And I've been through that intersection a hundred times the last few months, testing them, make sure they're all good and and people have learned that they need to slow down there. That's one of the biggest things, too, is you're trying to educate people. And I see the lady that's on 500 North and 300 East, the crossing guard. That's my street. And I'm glad you made that a four-way stop because my wife got in a wreck there probably 15 years ago. And and everybody was good. But I'm glad that is is a four-way stop now. So, the end. I'm good.

Okay, questions. I'm ready. Go right to Council Member Williams for you. Uh Joe, how do you how do you balance confidence in your views with also humility and openness to kind of listen to others? One thing that has helped me, I've been part of BNI, which is a networking organization. Some of you have heard of them. I I've been a member since 2012. I was a director for them for almost five years. And that was dealing with a lot of people, a lot of from different businesses. Some business owners and some some employees. Some business owners would send their employees and they didn't have really the oomph and to show up on time and stuff like that. So, I learned how to deal with all kinds of different people. And I think I succeeded.

Did that answer your question? Sure. If you succeeded, then you're uh that's great. That's what I think I succeeded. All right, Council Member Anderson. Um, so besides the safety crosswalks, which um, yes, very important. Um, so then what's after that? What's next after that one? What's after that? Yeah. What do you want to What do you What else do you see?

Uh, one thing I want to see is better communication with the residents who just want to file a complaint to Gail and she comes and does an awesome job with stuff. I've heard a few issues over the last few years about, for example, horses on a property. I learned that there was a a six sixmonth thing. If you don't have horses on a property for six months and you can never put them on there again. That was one example. I'd like to maybe talk through that because there's a lot of a lot of horse owners around here that might want to get stuff changed. So, stuff like that. And um like neighborhood parks that we can just walk to that are on like flag lots or something that are hard to develop. Just just simple stuff like that. Great. Council member Rogers,

in your experience, when have you realized that you had a biasy or something that was a preconceived notion that was not true and how did you check yourself and learn from that?

That's a good question. Um, also in BNI, I've noticed that people like to jump chapters, like to jump to bigger chapters with bigger groups. And there was this one person who I knew in my mind was wanting to change chapters because her chapter in Lehi had like 12 members and my chapter in Lyndon had almost 80. So, she did the membership committee letter in. And then after a while, I learned that no, she truly wanted to be in that chapter and she was a very good fit for that chapter. So, did that answer it? Kind of. Council member Lone.

So, you've mentioned you've already kind of addressed the qualifications and things like that. What would you say would be the biggest challenge for you as a council member? Uh, patience because a lot of times I see stuff like on Instagram or Facebook, people just firing at you guys. I'm like, "Oh boy, I'm glad I'm not getting that, but I'm ready." So, but I wish those people would come talk to us face to face. That's how we work things out the best and communicate when we can look them in the eye and not be rude to each other, but but work it out. So, what I'd like to do is kind of what Eric does every Monday from 9 to 12 is we're all welcome to come sit in his office and have a Mountain Dew. I'd like to do that, too. Even though the city council does not have their own offices, I learned, yeah,

hey, maybe we meet in here one evening and just come and chat, shoot the bull, whatever, and I will listen. So that's what I want. That's what I want to do. Joe, it's Pepsi. Mountain Dew, so diet. He's gonna change your mind. He's gonna change my mind. Eric doesn't like Mountain Dew. I'm so sorry. That's okay. But we are fellow 49er fans. Oh, yeah. We are 49er fans, so it's all good. Uh, any other questions before we move on? No. Joe, thank you for your time today. Thanks, Joe. Okay, Mr. Griggson, come on up. Welcome. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Now, you already had a time to stretch and we had You don't want to start now and have another one? Okay. Well, I'm going to stretch then before we get going.

Um, I know you have better things to do with your lives, so thanks for coming out and doing this tonight and dealing with us. Um, giving me a chance to introduce myself. My name is Jeff Gregson. My family and I moved here 10 years ago. Um, we knew right away that this was the place where we were supposed to be, especially when we saw that someone had kindly put our initial up on the side of the mountain. And, um, you know, that really sealed the deal for us. I have six children. I should say we have six children. And, um, they're all grown and out of the house. We have no grandchildren. So, I like to say I've been investing in children for 35 years and have nothing to show for it. But someday, um, hopefully we'll remedy that. Um, we love living in Pleasant Grove. We love the parks. We love the mountain. Um, any warm summer evening, you're going to find us at the pool hanging out and just enjoying living here. Um, I've lived all over the country and met a lot of different people, but I got to tell you, some of the best people I've met, some of the best people I know are here in Pleasant Grove. That's what we really like about it best is the people who are here. Um, I spent many years in the technology field, working in IT, in wireless communications, building and leading teams that worked with large organizations. And my job was to understand their issues, ask good questions, and help create good solutions for them, help them solve their problems. And that's what I would like to bring to the city is the ability to listen, to understand, and to come up with good solutions. I know that listening is probably the key to that. Um, mostly I know that because I was raised

with people who don't listen very well. So, it's a skill that I've had to to develop and build on my own. And, um, yeah, I've I've really learned how to to implement that in my life. Um, some of the things that I'm passionate about, I'm passionate about emergency preparedness, ham radio. In fact, my wife would call me a serial hobbyist, by the way. So, blacksmithing, beekeeping, skiing, gardening, fishing, whatever. I love doing it all. And, um, I've learned a lot of great things from that, things that I think I could bring to the city. Um, I have to look at my notes here because I have so much I wanted to cover. Um, I have an MBA and have also owned several businesses and um have seen cities in action, have worked with cities in different um capacities, whether volunteer, personally, professionally, and I kind of know that when communities work together and listen to each other that things move forward well. When city councils and government does whatever they want, it builds frustration and division. Thanks.

Okay. Uh, we're going to move to Council Member Leone for the first question. What makes you the most qualified candidate? I was hoping you'd ask that. I don't know that I'm the most qualified, but I'm definitely the best looking. They're all smiling. There you go. Yeah. See, um, but I have I have worked with cities a lot. I have had a lot of experience in seeing good city councils and mayors and not so good. And so hopefully I can bring that experience to uh to Pleasant Grove and help make things better here. Council member Rogers, can I call you captain? Sure. Yeah.

Wow. Yeah. Okay. So, um, talk to me about a time when you were maybe frustrated with kind of the inability, uh, your inability to get a project to go the direction that you wanted to or that maybe somebody who is your boss or superior changed the direction of of the project and you didn't agree with it. How did you deal with that situation? Well, that's a tricky question because if it's my wife, then I always agree with it. But if it's, you know, like my boss or somebody else, that's when you start to try to dig in and understand, again, asking questions, understand why do we want it to go this way? How is this would this be best for our organization? And if I feel like if my what's the word I'm looking for? Evidence, proof is better. If I can say, "Look, this will be better for us and can make a case," then hopefully it'll go my way. If it doesn't, and I feel like they've made a case, I'll happily go their way. And honestly, if it's my boss and they finally say, "Just do it, then I'll get it done."

Council member Anderson, um, and you were very clear about the things that you were excited about working on. Um, what and even in the order in which you, um, were excited about that. So, safe safe schools, infrastructure, safety. Um, when it comes to public safety, what what things specifically are you with the emergency management? What what things are you excited about there?

Well, I'd like to see this have more involvement from from the community. I'd like to see the city sponsor maybe emergency preparedness fairs, talk about the C organization. Um, you know, we live in an earthquake zone and um, bad things have happened before and so what happens, you know, what's what's the plan if that happens? Do we does the city have a plan? I don't know. I looked all over the website, couldn't find it. I figure, you know, we just make it up as we go along, but I would like to see us have be more organized that way. Okay.

Right. Council member Williams. Uh Jeff, how uh how do you stay up or stay informed on city matters, on our budget, on our long-term planning goals? How have you done that in the past couple of years? Honestly, I really haven't. Okay.

I've been working in just in the last well working then going to school and only in the last several months have I begin to say how can I give back? What do I need to do to you know make my community better? and use the talents, the skills that I've developed over all these years. Um, I used to be involved in social media and I realized that it was just I'll say not for me to avoid saying anything that's politically incorrect. But, um, yeah, I'll I look at websites, I speak to people. I would rather sit down face to face and really understand what's going on and have somebody tell me what's the rationale behind this, why why are we going this way than even just try to it on the website.

Okay, thanks J. Okay, thank you for your time. Thank you. Okay, you're ready for your walk, Tina. Tina Fontana, come on up. She sat all the way in the back.

Yeah,

that was the plan. Okay. Well, welcome My name is Tina Fontana and I would say I'm auditioning for the role right of city council member, but I am excited to have this opportunity to potentially represent my neighbors and my friends here in Pleasant Grove. Um, as I was driving here to the this meeting, I thought, what could I say? Why why do I want to do this? What makes me qualified? Steve, I've got a great answer for you for conflict. Throw your gloves off and just hit them hard. But

don't tell Don't tell him that. He may he may take it up on me.

Um, no, I've got some other answers for that. But I thought, what could I say that kind of shows who I am? Because you do know you do know me. I have worked with you for over 10 years on the arts commission as the chair of the arts commission. And it was Sid. I I'm grateful to Sid for pointing me in that direction. And I remember I will not forget that we were in a school bus going to Hehawoth Farms, right? And said, "You should." I was telling her about myself and she said, "You need to serve on this commission because they need your skills because I've I have been in the high-tech industry for over 14 years as a change manager who I specify and focus on transformational change, helping people get from point A to point B. So I have a whole different set of eyes and I've worked as a project manager. I've worked with leaders of I worked for Cisco, the company, for over 14 years. And I've worked with the CEO of Cisco and of Trell, which was my other company that I worked for. So, I've worked with management, and see what they need in order to make their businesses successful. And then I come up with a strategy, and I implement that strategy in order to make everybody successful and hit their their targets. But I thought, okay, what what is important? And I don't know about you, but this world is in upheaval right now. And I had a friend that went uh to visit with Representative Mike Kennedy yesterday, and I couldn't go, but I said, "How did it go?" And she said, "Well, he was very um apologizing, but nothing really is going to happen." And I thought, "How sad that that's how our government is." And I I am excited for the opportunity to be a

voice who will actually get things done and listen. And when I told people that I was thinking of running the they're like this is what you need to do. We have a problem here and a problem there. And I don't that's one of my superpowers is to connect with people and to listen and to make people feel heard and I hope that I get that opportunity on the council to get that chance. Awesome. Thank you, Dean. Um, I'll ask a question. Uh, using that superpower, what is your vision and something you think the city could improve on? Okay, that's two that's two different questions, Eric. I know. I'm just trying to get a couple.

Okay. What What is my vision? Well, we've done a lot like on the arts commission, we did a whole what do we what do we want to achieve? What is what does success looks like like for the arts commission? And I and I wrote down here in my notes, what does success look like for the city council and for Pleasant Grove? Because as a change manager, that's also I need to know what success looks like so I know if we've achieved it, right? And one of the first things was I want Pleasant Grove to be a place where people look when they want recreational facilities, when they want artistic to go to something for art, when they want resources like restaurants and somewhere to go parks, I want them to go, "Oh, Pleasant Grove is that place." So that's what success it also. I want it to be a safe place to live. I think that's important. And I think our city is doing a great job with that. Um, what was your second part?

I think you took care of it. I'm I'm don't want to hog your time, so I'm move on to council member Anderson here. Um, so in the change, I love that. I did not know that about you. Oh, thank you.

Um, so when it comes to the communication between citizen and council, what would be some of your suggestions there? You know Diana that is an very important question because I think change succeeds or fails on transparency Sid I agree with that and on awareness of what's going on and I love So you have to look at all your different communication channels your social media your newsletters uh I loved your 9 to2 on Mondays your one-on- ones with people. So, look at everything that you can get to communicate out and then actively hit each one of those channels because not everybody's going to see social media or they're not going to see the agenda for the city council. So, they aren't going to be aware. And one of the things that I was thinking of with the um there was someone in the last city council meeting who got up and said we're doing all these amazing things for safety at at at 3,300 North and and around that and I my first thought my change manager hat was how are the people in the city finding out about all the good things that you are doing and they need to find out from very different resources. Yeah.

Great. Council member Rogers. Well, you'd have to take a vow of secrecy for anything that happens at my hockey games. Okay. Yeah. Sorry. She's like one of our three fans that attends because her husband plays with our team and daughter. Yes. And daughter. That's correct. My question is uh when you see an injustice, if you have, how do you go about addressing it? And can you give an example?

That is a great question. Trying to think of a good example. I am one of those people. Sorry, I get a little emotional sometimes who looks out for the one. For some reason, I've always been that way that I see someone sitting by themselves or ostracized and I go and I sit by them and I talk with them because I and I think it's important to make sure that everybody feels heard and validated and that they have a voice even if it's through me. Council member Lemon,

thank you for your time on the arts commission and I think you have been a change for that commission and the PG players and your time that you've given to that organization and I'm so glad that you you decided to volunteer there. What makes you the most qualified candidate?

Okay, Sid. Uh I think it's my eyes as a change manager. I just look at problems differently. I think it is I've so I have a lot of different varied experiences. I have for over 17 years I've done real estate investing. So I understand the laws and the concerns about affordable living and places and and housing. I have, as I said, I have my own consulting business now as a change manager. So I have the time and the opportunity and the flexibility to devote to city council and being and serving in that capacity. And I think also um I'm a mom and I have four children and a husband that I've learned to manage appropriately.

Thank you, Tina, for your time. Wow. Okay. Thank you. Keep going. I would like to have a whole session on that one. All right, Mr. Fugle, come on forward. Hello. I prepared a few notes for my

No, these are actually uh the applications of everyone here and I am so impressed with the talent and the desire to serve that all of us have. I uh I've got to say another thing right off the bat. When I look into your eyes, I've seen you look into the eyes of everyone that have in times past come to this podium and expressed a concern and you've been there heart, mind, and soul wanting the best for them and listening. Because when it's all said and done, I think people just want to be heard. They want to be understood and that diffuses not 100% of the time, but it diffuses a lot of the pent up energy that they uh of whatever issue they're dealing with or they think needs to be solved. So, my name is Niels Fugal. I'm oh, a personable individual. I've been a commercial real estate broker for over 40 years. I left Brigham Young University and took a job in mortgage banking in Yor Belinda, California. I've lived in other states. I've uh been a broker in uh Texas as well and I've encountered a lot of differing opinions and how do I solve that or deal with that or in terms of bringing a deal to

contractual form, you You know, if there's any one thing I think is very important from a city standpoint, uh, and contractually is to stay out of legal hot water. I've endeavored to do that my entire career, and I have not had a a a contract that I've been a part of ever come to uh to be a lawsuit. And I think the reason for this is is that we I spell out all the details of each contract so that all parties know exactly what's going on whether it's landlord or a seller, a tenant or a buyer. Um running down here quickly. Um the reason I want to serve And why haven't I put my hat in the ring before? It's because the uh city council has just done a great job. You have if there are problems that come about it, it it's solved. It really gets solved. Um

well, with that, we'll move to I better quit. Okay, now we'll move to the first question here. Council member Williams. All right. Well, maybe this will help you answer this answer that question. I hope I'm I hope I'm not teeing you up too much, but um what kind of reputation, Niels, do you do you hope to have as a council member?

Oh, one that is affable, that gets along, one that uh listens. You know, if there's ever a conflict and if somebody's being critical of me, I learned a certain skill and that is to step out in my out of my body, if you will, in my mind's eye, put myself up here and look down and see what's happening in the interaction. What is going on? And it's a new perspective of understanding and um I think in so doing so in answer to the question someone that solves the problems or as part of the solution I should say it's not that I have to solve it it's that they solve it by creating an environment where people can express themselves and be understood. good and reach a consensus in their own mind. If they can't, which does happen, uh, how to say that, they'll at least know that they were heard and understood.

Thank you, Council Member Rogers.

What do you hope to accomplish in the first in this two-year term if you're appointed to this term? Thanks for that question. I would like to focus on economic growth. We are landlocked here in terms of retail sales tax and Lynen city has more raw ground right now that can be developed in that way. Uh what I want to ensure or see happen is more higher paying retail uh taxes so that we can have more money in the coffers. The other thing I'd like to see is uh really analyze the budgets and the budget uh against revenues and see how we can create more revenue.

Great. Council member Anderson. Um, actually Todd Todd, no Todd Todd's question answered my Oh, so council member Leone, what makes you the most qualified candidate? I think my depth and breadth of experience of dealing with people uh connecting and solving the problem so that it is as much a win-win as possible. Thanks, Sid. Well, great. Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you. And I need a drink of water. We can find you some back there.

And on that note, Denise. Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay. Denise, come on up.

And Denise, who do you have with you tonight? Who's who's sitting by you again? I have three of my boys. Three of my four boys. and two of my grandchildren are here. Look at that. Okay.

All right. Um, I am Denise Strickler. I have lived here in Pleasant Grove for about 17 years now. Raised my four boys and my youngest one is in high school. He's a junior in high school. So, I've raised them all here and now starting my two grandchildren are being raised here also. Um, I currently work at Groverest Comm Grove Elementary School and um, love it. I've been there for um, six years now and just enjoy joy working with the children in our community and seeing them grow and seeing that light bulb moment for them just gives me a high that I can't I can't get anywhere else. Um, my whole life has been about volunteering. Since I was little, my parents always got us all out doing volunteer work. And so I have just always continued that. And um, I have volunteered in the schools, in the community, um, and in the city. Um, I was on the committee for rebuild um, Discovery Park and that was so much fun seeing the community come out and rebuild that park for for nothing just to be part of this community and that was that was the hardest week and the most rewarding week. Um, I have been a delegate in my precinct for four years now and for the last seven years I have been on the historic preservation commission. Um, and I serve currently as the the vice chair. Um I've as a key um

member of getting the walking tours, the summer walking tours going and I've always since I've been on the commission, I have always been a part of the heritage days um festival and the Victorian Christmas celebration. Um I have been on different school community councils for the last eight years and um for the last two years I have been on the planning commission and only missing a few meetings and for the last 10 years I have been regularly coming to city council meetings and finding out what is going on in my community and my community my neighbors know this and they always ask me what's going on and I am was able to to tell them. Um, and all of this experience has taught me how the city has operated and the important importance of thoughtful informed decision making and I wish to serve the community more on being on the city council because I deeply care about Pleasant Grove's future. Thank you.

Great. Council member Anderson. So, thank you for being here for 10 years. Um, so what are you excited to tackle? Um, school school children's safety is is a big concern for me because I watch I drive down 1100 and watch the kids walking down that hill. And we have gotten some more sidewalks, but I would love to see sidewalks on the the main the main roads going to schools so that the children are safer and and crosswalks need to be safer also. These children are our future and we need to protect them.

Council member Williams, um thank you for being here for 10 years. I we have seen you for 10 years. Um so how do you how do you decide um between two good options?

Um getting feedback from other people. I I listen being on the planning commission. there's always two good options and and I listen to what my fellow commissioners have to say and also on the historic preservation commission there we we want to do so much and there's just so little time and so little money to do it. So you have to just listen to the community what they want and what other commissioners want and and just choose the better. Great. Thank you, Council Member Rogers.

How do you deal with a bully? I have seen bullies at this school and it is hard. Um, I personally am a peacemaker and it's hard for me to deal with a bu bully. I personally usually just step back and let them do their thing and try and find a workaround because I do not like complication. But on the pleasant on the planning commission, I have been able to stand up and say, "No, that's not what I want. I think that what is best is this." And I have been able to do that.

Great. Council member Leone, thank you for your service in all these different areas in the city. It has made a difference. So, thank you Ann for coming to city council. What makes you the most qualified candidate? I don't know if I am the most qualified. There's a lot of good people here in this city and I'm blown away by how many people wanted this position. It's amazing how many people want to serve. But I feel like with all the time I put in for this city, I feel like I have a I have a good chance. Great, Denise. Thank you for your time tonight. I've got one more question. Sorry. Go ahead, Council Member.

Um, what do you think residents uh want most from their city council? To be heard. They want to be heard and felt like that they are heard and that their feelings matter. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Alicia Tucker. Hello. Um, uh, like Mr. Fugle, I really appreciate everyone who is so civically engaged and turning out for, uh, the opportunity for the, uh, to throw their hat in the ring. Um, so I'm Elicia Tucker. I'm currently a program director and constitutional literacy fellow in the center for constitutional studies at Utah Valley University. Um, so that's what I'm doing right now, but most of my career has been uh teaching about the American Revolution and the Constitution and helping people understand founding principles and how they can uh our generation carry on those founding principles and respond to our challenges today. Um, so that's has been most of my career. Uh so including nonprofit leadership, working with budgets and uh working out with people um and uh for a time uh I worked for the Charles Ko Institute in Virginia uh and uh teaching about the um management philosophy of market-based management and specifically helping to train young professionals to uh in nonprofit leadership to think like uh business leaders so that their um uh that their work can be really efficient and not just mission focused but also u be efficient in their leadership. So um so I uh bring that experience as well. So I am interested in this. So I'm I'm especially interested in the um the council's responsibility, the state mandate to u make plans for um middle inome housing. So my husband and I just recently uh purchased a home here in Pleasant Grove. We um love the historical nature of it and the the small town feel and at the same time uh as you know property owners that we want to have our property to maintain value

and you know hopefully grow in the future. So, we understand and what I'm concerned with is that um negotiation around the smart growth strategy, having the overflow of Lehi um with Silicon Slopes and opportunities there. And that um I've I've heard uh um Governor Cox say that we want our kids to live with us or live near us, not with us. um that there's really this affordable housing that if we don't have the the smart growth strategy uh then we're really pricing out our kids and uh you know newly becoming established people like uh like my family. Um so I'm interested in that responsibility that's in the the general plan for the um what the council is responsible for doing moving forward. So yeah.

Great. Thank you. Um I'm gonna ask a question. uh founding fathers, give me one of the principles that we could use today.

Oh uh uh so I just taught so I teach American heritage at UVU as well as a lot of other responsibilities and uh I just had a class session about George Washington and uh he is the model of civic virtue for Americans. So he modeled himself after Cenatis who was a Roman leader who laid aside his personal ambition uh took power in Rome at a at a time of crisis and could have maintained his position as a dictator but he turned power back over and retired back to his farm and Washington in lots of struggles throughout the war. He always deferred to Congress. He could have been in a position to arrandise himself at the end of the war. people wanted him to be king and he said I'm going to retire and and to show that Congress is more important than the position that I have. So civic virtue and people showing up and being engaged. So it's putting the good of the community ahead of your own naked self-interest. So we all can do do that.

Thank you. Uh Council Member Leone,

what makes you the most qualified candidate for this position? Um I I think that what I would bring is this, you know, you all have served for such a long time and done really great work. And so what I would do would bring the perspective of uh the constituency that's really growing in this community as a newly uh I don't uh I want to be more established than I am, but like newly established person. So somebody who's civically engaged, has leadership experience, um but also bring that perspective, but not at the expense of uh the historic nature and the quality and the character of the community which I really value and appreciate. So it wouldn't be this eitheror. It would be a I would embody both and try to represent that perspective.

Thank you. Great. Council member Rogers. So, what is the most unfair criticism that you think you've received and how did you respond to it? Oh, you're really good with experiential questions.

Uh, so I have a nonprofit. I also teach about um citizenship through the lens of the religion clauses of the first amendment. So, working through um understanding our right of conscience. So um and be and it especially trains public school teachers to uh navigate religion in a constitutional way in a public school setting. Uh so I've had accusations of uh I'm either uh teaching uh critical race theory because part of uh some of the um some of the content is talking about the constitutional convention and how the the founders made compromises around slavery. So anything that has any kind of race uh component to it then uh at a a at the school board level and at the uh this was at the state level. So he's been accused of CRT and at the other end it's also been accused of just teaching religious freedom at the expense of LGBTQ rights because this that's also been u been pitted against uh one another. So uh so I just think it's important to represent uh stand by what is the framework. The framework is the constitution. The framework is the right of conscience. And because of that we're able to navigate uh this diversity of opinion when and we live in a pluralistic so society. So we're not all going to be the same but we're able to uh live together under a constitutional framework.

Mayor uh Council Member Williams. Was that Mayor Williams? Is that Mayor Williams? Yeah. Just that was a Freudian slip, I guess. Yeah, it was. No, Alicia, thanks for being here and I I very impressive uh background and resume. How do you bring constitutional structure uh or even knowledge, let's say it's even that constitutional knowledge uh back into our city, back into our homes. You know, I read about your school projects. I think that's great. But city and homes.

Uh that's a good question. So um uh the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is just happening this summer. So there's a lot more public programming around it. Uh so I think just naturally we have these anniversaries and we're going to just have more awareness publicly about it. Uh, but I think um in helping people within our circles be aware of the um the kind of media that they're consuming, is it trying to make them angry? If it's trying to make them angry, uh, as Arthur Brooks says, it's probably manipulating you. And that we need to have the perspective that everyone is a citizen, everyone has a voice and they can be very different from me. So understanding that um you know we can still advocate for our perspectives um but the constitution is designed for us to be able to have that space to live out our consciences but also be able to find some kind of unity and the city council and uh other governments help us to find where that unity will be. We do a better job at it at the city and state level than what we're doing at the national level now.

I agree. Thank you.

Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. All right, Dustin Phillips. Thank you, council members and mayor. has been said before, I totally appreciate your willingness to be here and the unenviable position of having to decide who to select. Uh, a stable full of talented and committed and and sincere people. Uh, I don't think you can go wrong with whomever you you choose. So, um, good luck. Having said that, for myself, just like so many people here, my kids have gone to school here, lived here for 20 years, served uh the community by coaching sports, um topping strawberries, library board uh back in the day with Sid, all the different things that that we've done as a community. The evidence is here in the room of people that are committed to this community and have a sincere desire to serve and and we've all been involved in that. Um, in addition to that, that community commitment, I've got experience both in the corporate world as well as the nonprofit world, the last six years, having been uh part of the executive team of a local community bank that just built our headquarters here uh right on State Street. um committing to the community, creating jobs, uh helping build the tax base, um and bringing vibrancy to an area of State Street that that uh needed a new building. So, um as a corporate executive, being able to make tough decisions, no decision is black and white. Um, sometimes people are offended, sometimes people are hurt,

but finding ways to deliver difficult decisions in ways that that uh bring continuity, bring unity uh to solve the problems, finding creative solutions, uh that are for the betterment of the organization. I've always felt like for me decisions should always be made based on the overall greater good of the long-term view. We can sometimes compromise short-term gains, short-term wins um and and and give up that long-term view. But we should look at what the overall uh benefit is. Beyond that, you look at the civic responsibility here in serving again on the library board, the board of adjustments, and the planning commission. This city is facing a number of serious significant challenges. growth, uh, building tax revenue, traffic, safety has been brought up, all these things. It's it's impossible to solve everything because there's only so much money and resources to do that. But we've got to balance those needs, balance the the uh overall good of the community and and find creative ways to make our resources go as far as they can and and bring the community together in the process. So, I think that's all I've got.

Great. Thank you. We're going to start with Council Member Anderson. Wait, like over here? Over here. He's been doing that all night. I've been watching just testing you. These are no look passes. No, thank you. Um I was trying to figure out what question Steve would ask if I was Steve. Um thank you for all of your service. Um we've been watching for a long time. So uh having been in planning commission like a couple was it a week ago, two weeks ago. um and knowing that growth uh managing growth um what is what is the thing that you're really excited about moving forward?

Yeah, for me there's a number of things. Obviously, there's a lot of safety issues with growth. Um, again, it's been talked about um sidewalks and and uh just a number of things that can be done to to create safety, but for me, water resources, um traffic uh concerns, congestion, but overall to me, it's a matter of, and I think this has been said before, continuing to help Pleasant Grove be the kind of community where people want to be. when when I ran for city council six years ago, I think it was.

Um, talk about being named things differently, but you know, socialist or whatever, because you wanted community benefits. You wanted to help provide benefits, especially to the underserved or to those who who may be um less privileged. uh like the library is a great community resource that takes government funding, but it provides such a social need to provide internet access to those who may not have it, to provide books to those who who may not have the the ability to have a Kindle. Um there's there's tutoring that goes on, things like that. Um, being able to look at the needs of the community and be able to identify ways to continue to attract and make this a great place to be is is really what I want to help accomplish.

Great. Council member Rogers.

So when conflict in your experience has gotten maybe loud or even political, what does it bring out in you in a good way and in a bad way? Sure. Um, conflict can get loud, but I think part of the skill and and technique of diffusing conflict is is helping to make sure the people who may be getting loudest are are uh acknowledged and heard. I I feel like everyone has good intentions. Everyone's motives are pure. Um, and sometimes just knowing that you're being listened to, knowing that you're being heard can help tone it down. And so for for me, it brings out uh a matter of of stepping back and saying, "How can I hear you better? How can I understand you better?" The the quote from Cubby about seeking to understand. I think when people recognize that you're seeking to understand them, uh they're they're much more open to uh come to a middle ground, come to a resolution, and and so it it brings out that willingness to step back and say, "Okay, what maybe am I doing that's escalating or elevating the conflict, and what can I do to help diffuse it instead?"

Council member Williams, uh Dustin, what what uh what position do you play on a team? you know, I think that can evolve. Um, even though I've got significant uh background and experience in serving in different capacities at the city and nonprofits and things like that, I've still never sat in your chair. Um, I've still never had the experience that you've had. And so to me being a listener and an observer uh at least initially um is very important. being being able to kind of assess the situation, assess the needs, uh, from a position of of quiet uh, I think is is initially there, but then evolving into giving a voice because I I think I'm throwing my hat in the ring because I think I have valuable thoughts, valuable opinions that can help complement the opinions that are here already. Uh, and over time taking more of a leadership role. I look back to when I started on the planning commission. Peter Steele was a fantastic mentor for me. I still look to him as though he was he was incredibly knowledgeable and a great leader in that role and and so you few years later then I'm the chair. Uh and so you you grow into those roles. But I think to me, bringing the experience that I have, bringing the background that I have, but being willing to listen and and learn before stepping in as though I knew everything.

Great. Thank you. Thank you, Dustin, for your time. Well, look at that. Matthew, we're at you. You're You've been waiting so long back there, and you're up.

All right, the caboose is loose. Thanks for your patience. Uh yes, I'll try to make this quick. I appreciate you guys' patience, you know, listening to everybody and being very attentive. So, um I'm just honored to be here to to have an opportunity to speak for to you guys and let you know a little bit about myself. Um I moved here for after I got out of the military when I was medical out. I uh was back home for a little bit and I was looking thinking of what am I going to do? What am I going to do? How am I going to raise my family? I still had kids unborn yet still and some born. I have four kids. And uh I had an opportunity to come out here and and work a job out here. And when I came out here to get my house in that time when I went back to Minnesota where I'm from, one of the neighbors was killed and shoved in his shed for no reason. I wanted to be here where it was nice and a nice place, a good people, a safe place to raise my kids. And I've done that. Um, my youngest has been graduated for a year and a half now. Um, I always talked with I've coached uh youth football and I've coached wrestling up at the high school. Done that for 12 years. And I've uh talked with Brock a number of times. We get into conversation. I thought, well, maybe, you know, when my kids are gone, I'll look into getting into politics some way, shape, or form. Um, this opportunity presented itself. My wife was like, "Hey, this is for you." And so, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring. Um, I have I love this community. Uh, I plan to be here the rest of my life. So, I want to be able to have a say in how things go and and try to help people. Um, I was always raised to serve. My my dad was a police officer. He served in Vietnam. Uh, my grandpa served in the Navy in World War II and got long history of service and I followed in that area. and um haven't really served outside of uh with the school and I'd like to get involved in the whole community and see how I can help other people other than just the kids and then in that small community demographic that I've worked with. Thank

you. Great. Okay, with that said, we're going to start with Council Member Leone. First, thank you for your service. My dad also served in Vietnam and then I failed to thank Robert as well for his service in the Navy. So, thank you to both of you for serving our country in that way. Hi. Why do you think you're the most qualified candidate?

Well, I think there's many great qualified candidates. I think uh my greatest asset is my ability to cut to the heart of the issue and in even the most crazy situations to be able to identify the the problem and then find the solution and then overcome that. And having been in special operations, I've been in a lot of different scenarios where you have to think really quick. And I I think if I can do that, I I I don't think I have a problem being able to get to know each one of you and get to the heart of each issue and let's figure out the best solution together. Great. Council member Rogers,

tell me about a time when you held a minority or an opposite position to somebody that you were interacting with or within a group and tell me how you advocate for your position without becoming combative.

Okay. Yeah. In any kind of situation, I think uh clear and concise communication is the key. Um if we can't explain our position, how can we expect anybody to understand us? And vice versa. We have to listen to other people and hear what they have to say so we can understand where they're coming from. That's the only way we can come to a common ground. I think a lot of times people get caught up in debate instead of entering into dialogue. And when we enter into dialogue, that's when we can find a solution together instead of combating each other. And when you're in a situation where someone doesn't agree with you and uh you know you're in a group of people, I think the group is the majority is the one that that finds the way. Whatever the majority thinks. You know, that's the kind of society we live in. We don't have dictators that say, "No, I'm right and you're all wrong and we're going to do it my way." Um and I think that's probably one of the best things about this kind of a position would be to work as a group.

Great. Council member Anderson. Um, so what are you excited about tackling and thanks for uh helping up with the high school? Oh, thank you. It's my honor and privilege. Um, I don't have anything specific that I'm, you know, motivated to come in here and and do. Uh, my thing would be really kind of getting to know each one of you and what the issues are that we're dealing with and then finding the best solutions together. You know, I I really feel like it is a team effort. It's no one individual that does this. So, yeah. Council member Williams, let me ask you the same question that I asked Dustin. Uh what what position do you play on a team?

I play whatever position is needed. Um I'm the kind of guy that uh I don't need to be the leader. I I prefer just being the top contributor that I can be and giving everything that I have to each situation. Um I can't do more than that. That's what I can do. And then what I bring to the table I think is uh a lot of good experience and good perspective. Oh, he has two minutes. Any other questions? Are we good? All right. Well, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you. I think we've reached the end, Scott. You know, while you come up, Scott, just everyone look turn around, look at the room. Well done. Thank you.

It's this is an amazing process. This is what community is all about. This is what Pleasant Grove is all about is getting involved at the local level. It's still the my it's the favorite, you know, that the state can brag or the national can brag, but this is where everything happens. And so, thank you to everyone who's put their name into the ring and has come up and spent a few minutes with us and answered the questions. So, thank you again, Scott. Mayor, how do we how do we put these 16 people to work immediately? All right. Well, there are going to be some that unfortunately are not going to be selected and then they're going to be hearing from uh Mayor Jensen. So, yeah.

Okay. Uh here's how uh the process is laid out. Uh each city council member is going to have uh one vote. Um the mayor does not have a vote in this process. All these votes will be done by secret ballot. I believe you have a little pad of paper in front of you. Does everybody have that?

We do. Uh, so what you will do is you'll write uh your candidate of choice. Um, please fold it up. Um, and then Wendy will come by with her little mug and you're going to drop it in the mug. Tina's going to come over here and sit by Wendy. So, we have a second witness as the votes are counted. Um, and then Wendy will announce um the vote getters. Um if a single candidate has four three or four votes then they will be the the potential nominee. They'll be the nominee. If if we pull out one name three times it's that's that's

okay. Uh if we have uh two candidates each receive two votes. There's a process to resolve that and then I'll stand back up and walk through the two two process. If uh we have a scenario of one candidate getting two votes and two different candidates getting one vote, I call that the 211. We have a specific process for that. Or if we have four different candidates each get one vote, we'll have a specific process for that. So we'll do the initial um nominating nomination. Uh we'll read the votes and then depending on how they go, then I'll stand up and we'll walk through what the next process is going to be. Is there any questions from the council? No. I almost feel like we need some music playing while the council does this. Like Jeopardy music.

Yeah, that's it. Yeah. Okay. So, if you if you write down your vote and then we'll have Wendy come up and and collect your vote. Do you need a second, council, or are you good? It's probably going to take a second. Okay. We we just need a Do we need a few minutes? We'll we'll just have some quiet time. If people need to get up and stretch, now's the time. So, I am actually going to comment on the amount of time that this I mean this this was really remarkable. I was thinking midnight. So, we're not done yet.

Oh, yeah. We're not done yet. I'm going to stand up. You guys can keep I'll stand up. I'm okay watching us. You guys still need more time?

You Wish we had this many put in for all leather board. Don't touch it, D. Okay, Wendy, come on up. And th this must be a special mug. It does have PG

name on it. Okay. All right. We We go real out here, Diana. Todd, she tried to grab your your Yeah, we said no. It's okay. Slapped her hand. Yeah. You know, again, for for those that put in, I know there's going to be 12 people that uh you know, you did your best and so thank you again. This is always hard because we had 16 great, wonderful people interview. So, and please run in the future. Please run. Please run. We don't want to be here forever.

So, please run. So quiet. See, we did. We needed music. Scott. Yeah, he's looking away. So Wendy, you we'll have you come up to the the main mic here and we'll have you come up here and give the results.

So we have a vote that is 211. So we will do a coin toss. No, I think you you uh Wendy, go ahead and announce the names and then we'll have Scott come up and and describe how that's going to happen. Is that okay? Is that okay, Scott? No, let's announce the names, then I'll walk. Okay. All right. Announce the names. Okay. So, two votes to Dustin Phillips. Okay. One vote to Peter Steel. One vote to Matthew Davis.

Okay, Scott. Come. Thank you.

So, um, as Mayor Jensen stated, everybody is welcome to stay, but if they are not one of those three at this point, they are eliminated for future consideration. in the 211 vote. Uh the process will be as follows. The candidates um will be if the council chooses you can we can do another round of questioning. Um if we do that then we will do it in a reverse order. So if we do that in a reverse order on the master ballot position list so that um in essence if somebody had to speak first last time that they'll have an opportunity to speak uh last or however the order uh comes out. Um after the round of questioning the city council will vote again but just amongst these three candidates. If one candidate receives three or four votes and that person will be selected for appointment. If two candidates each receive two votes, then the mayor will make the tiebreaking vote. If after this we still have a candidate with two votes and two candidates with one vote, then we will the one with two votes will automatically advance and then the two remaining uh people that have one vote uh it will be determined by a coin flip. that coin flip. Uh, a c one candidate will be assigned heads and the other candidate will be assigned tails. We'll flip the coin. It's going to land on the ground and then that will determine who the second candidate is. So, that will get us down to two candidates.

Can you explain where these ground rules come from? Well, this is this is state law and our city ordinance. Yep. Okay. So, we're not making this up on the spot. Yeah, I know. This I want everyone to know

this is uh something trust me we've given a lot of thought to and uh the 211 uh gets a little convoluted but we we really want to make sure that this is done the right way. Okay. So uh yeah the two candidates receiving one vote will have the coin toss. One candidate will be assigned heads and the other candidate will be assigned tails. After the coin toss the city council will be down to two candidates and you'll vote again amongst those two candidates. If there is an individual that gets three or four votes, they will be the one that advances. If it's still a two- two tie at that point, then the mayor will have the tiebreaking vote.

So, is do we want to go in reverse order and ask another a question or questions or are you comfortable voting again? No, I've got to I've got to hear hear from the candidates. Okay. So, we'll turn that back to you and I don't know if you want to. It's going to go I believe Matthew, then Peter, and then Dustin. It's probably Matthew, Dustin, Peter. What's that? Matthew first. Okay. Then Dustin, Peter's last. And And uh we didn't assign a time limit. You can stick with five minutes or if you want to reduce it. I'll let the council decide that. What do you want? Two minutes, three minutes.

You can stick with five. And if you don't take five, we'll take we'll go with five. And then if we don't take five, just know that we don't we don't have to take five. Okay. So, we're going to invite Matthew back up, you know. Then with that, Steve, we're going to have you go first. Time no see. All right. All right, Matthew. Um, name one group of residents who will be unhappy with the positions and priorities that you support and why you're willing to take the heat. I guess it would have to be the criminal element because uh I like a safe environment and I have no love for them.

They good. All right, Council Member Balone, do you have anything for Matthew? Can you answer them? Kind of on the spot. Okay, so you've already told us why you feel you're the most qualified. tell us how um I would say your time in the service would parallel and be able to translate over to city council service.

Well, again touching on communication being the key. You know, we have to be able to communicate, you know, effectively and uh that is definitely something we have to do in the military. People's lives are on the line and you say the wrong thing and your own guy is dead. So, I think having good communication, being able to get to the to the heart of the issue and being able to communicate, I mean, that is is my my greatest asset and the thing that I think that uh would work really well here in the city council. Thank you. Great. Council member Anderson, do you have anything?

So, what what's your availability on time? So that's that's the best part is that uh my I'm a disabled veteran and so uh outside of wrestling, you know, my time is is open and I'm willing to commit as much time as necessary. Uh there's no time limit for me. Okay, great. Coun Williams. Matthew, what is what is one thing that you're actively working on to improve yourself?

Well, this is one of the things I I I tell my uh wrestlers all the time. You know, you guys got to get back. get back to the community, get back to those that have given to you. And uh you know, it's one thing to say it, it's another thing to do it, you know, and to be an example for them is the biggest thing for them and for my my own children and and my two grandchildren to be able to see that, you know, I'm willing to still give back to this country, to this community, to to the place that I I love more than anything and was willing to sacrifice my life for. Great. Thank you. Great, Pat. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, Dustin,

Diana, you jinxed us. I did. You said amazing we were done so early. You thought it was going to be midnight.

We're gonna start with Council Member Williams. Uh, what Dustin, what what helps you stay grounded? I think it's pretty easy to see my own faults. And so recognizing my own faults and and having desire to address those um I think keeps me grounded. And maybe maybe I just a follow-up question. What what is something that you're working on to improve yourself? Uh yeah, for me it's it's a matter of for this year um personally working on my own spirituality.

Okay, Council Member Anderson. Um no, those were good. Okay. Steve, do you have anything?

Yeah. describe a specific Pleasant Grove problem that you believe the city has underaddressed and what exact policy or change or budget action you would propose to address the what you believe to be an underaddressed issue. underaddressed issue. Um I I guess I think and it's not necessarily historically been a fault of the city because it's been some efforts to address it, but the roads has been a major issue that was held up by lawsuits for a number of years and and So the efforts were there to to generate the funds to to solve the road problems, but because of the litigation that held things up for so long, um that left it unattended to for quite a while, but thankfully that's back on.

If elected, how would you communicate with residents in your efforts and what you're doing as a council member? Yeah, I think there's actually some really good things that are going on. Specifically, Sid, I'd suggest your activity on social media does a good job of of communicating uh not only informational, but also connecting with history and and uh just new businesses opening up, things like that. I think Mayor Jensen does a a great job of with the open door uh 9 to noon as well as his activity with the chamber with with my business connections and my my uh job responsibilities things that that I've done. Being involved with business owners um and being an open ear to to the business owners would be a matter of of making communication to them. I would say more in person and even going to the businesses. Um I'm not a huge social media guy. I'm not I mean I'm on but I'm not necessarily active I would say but but I'm very engaged with the business community not just in Pleasant Grove but in in I'd say the larger area and and being engaged to be an ear to give the business owners a voice would be where I think I could focus.

Yeah. I think and connecting in person is a way to do that as well. So, thank you. All right. Thank you, Dustin, Peter. Let's go with Council Member Lemon. Peter, what would you say is we've already, you know, talked about how you're most qualified, but now based on the three of you that are remaining, what would you say sets you apart at this point in this process?

Um, I mean, that's a tough one. I think Dustin and I are are similar in a lot of ways, have similar backgrounds with the city. Um, but I think the uh depth of knowledge u you know over the last 10 years I've spent a lot of time thinking about uh what the city is doing well and what could be done better and um you know I have some ideas. Council member Anderson.

Um in 50 years what do you want Pleasant Grove to be known for? I want Pleasant Grove to be the best place to live in Utah. The most walkable city, the best restaurants, the uh best art scene. I think we should be the best at everything. Council member Williams. Uh Peter, what's your leadership style? Or even even different if you want to answer this one. Uh how do you how do you like to be managed? How do I like to be managed or either either your leadership style or how do you like to be managed? Either one.

So I I do both of those. Uh my leadership style is collaborative. Uh you know I um want the people who work for me to understand why I'm asking them to do things. I think people need information to make good decisions and also to be properly motivated. Uh so I'm going to include the people who work for me in uh discussions about what will happen. Uh and then uh you know we'll make decisions together. Great. Councilman Rogers.

All right, Peter. If you could accomplish only one major priority in the next two years, what is it and what are you willing not to pursue in order to accomplish it? Uh for me, I would like to double the miles of sidewalk and trails that we have in the city and I would give up the indoor pool for that. All right. Thank you, Peter. All right, Scott, come up and explain again.

Okay. Uh we will now do another round of voting. So, if you'll uh choose uh between one of these three candidates, uh then Wendy will come around and pick it up and then we'll uh announce that vote total and then we'll talk about the if if any candidate gets three or four votes, then that will be the person. If we're at a 22, we're still at a 211, then we'll talk about the process. Great. Thank you, Wendy. Bring your Yeah. Yeah, I see them writing quickly. So, I think they are Go back down there. I spoke too soon. Sorry.

No.

All right. Okay. All right, Wendy,

we have three votes for Dustin Phillips. I think we're good, Scott. Yep. One vote for Peter Steel. Okay. Scott, will you explain what's going to happen next? Yes. So, um Dustin will be the uh nominee at this point. Uh our next council meeting, which is Tuesday next week, um Dustin will be sworn in as a council member as part of our council meeting. Um so, at this point, that's that's where we're at. Um mayor, if there's any parting comments, then soon as you're done with that, we can close the meeting.

No, I I've already gave my parting comments again. Thank you for all the the candidates that's put in. Thank you, city council. I mean, taking your time out for the special session tonight and and asking the tough questions and being here. You know, I actually want to just go go down the line if I could. I mean, I know it's already been a little long night, but I'd like to start with Council Member Leone, and if if you have anything, that's fine. And then we'll just kind of close from there.

Just being on the council for 13 years, I I know the time and effort it takes to serve and to throw your hat in the ring. It's not easy to put your name out there. So, I appreciate this is the largest number of candidates I've ever seen either for an election or for a special election like this. So, I would love to see this in the general election to give the people of Pleasant Grove an opportunity to vote themselves on on who their next council member or mayor would be. So, I hope that you would consider doing that and that others will as well. I'd love to see a huge pull, but I really appreciate you putting your name in because that takes a lot of courage just to to do that. And I hope that even if you didn't get chosen tonight, you'll find other ways to serve in our community because we do need people like you who are willing to step up and serve. And whether that's on the beautifification committee, the library board, historical commission, it doesn't matter. We can just use you and we need you. So, thank you for taking the time tonight and during this process.

Thank you, Councilman. Uh Steve.

Yeah. I just want to express my gratitude to the citizens of Pleasant Grove for really stepping up because there's been circumstances where yeah, we don't even have elections because we don't have enough people putting in and to have 16 overly qualified applicants who with any one of whom I would have been happy to serve and work with um was just inspiring to me and I appreciate that and I appreciate you sitting through this meeting and supporting each other. Um because I think a lot of the candidates said what what that represents that we are a community who cares for each other and who wants the best for our community and to be the best community where people are safe, they feel accepted, they feel heard. And I felt that from you candidates. And I hope that you go out into your neighborhoods and you carry that same uh kind of conviction for the city and for resolving conflicts that you demonstrated here today cuz I I was just very very inspired by your willingness to serve by your qualifications were just mindblowing. And I just I I hope that you'll come say hi and that you'll be willing to serve uh because we need help in our community and you guys really do represent some of the best. So, thank you

Diana. Amen. Amen. Uh this was it was a joy to get this packet and start reading it. Um, I am so sad that I have not been your best friend for a long time. And I'm saying that to all of the candidates that were up here. Um, I I would love to be your best friend. So, if you would please uh call me sometime and we can hang out. Um, that's how impressed I was with every single person and the backgrounds, the education, the design, the just phenomenal humans and so very very grateful to have been here tonight. Todd, everything. You know, it's uh it's it's humbling. There are many more qualified people out there than there is in this seat. and um from educators to veterans to doctors to to scholars. Um that was a difficult thing we did because I want all 16 of you to serve somehow somewhere. Um so please do. Um serving is sometimes a lonely a lonely job um or service that uh that is it's kind of quietly um it's quietly uh

satisfac satisfactory. Um, and it's it's something that uh that my wife doesn't see even, right? It's just something that that you get when when you know that you're you're making improvements to the city that you love. And um it's a pleasure to serve uh Pleasant Grove and I I view it as that. I view it as a as a service and um when we have so many people that that want to serve and that are qualified to serve um it just makes the city better. So, so thanks for being neighbors and thanks for being friends and and uh let's keep making Pleasant Grove the best place possible.

Thank you. I wrote a number down at the top of my sheet up there and it's number 12 and that I'm going to be either reaching out or I'd love for you 12 that didn't move on to reach out to me. My email is mayor atpgcityutah.gov. Um I want to talk to you. I'm interested to talk to you and see how we can make our better community with you. I know some of you are already currently serving and and that's wonderful. I still I still would like to chat about the process tonight and the wonderful people that we had. Um Scott, with that I think we're going to take the the ceremony is going to take place next council meeting. Is that correct? Yes. Okay. So, uh with that I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn.

May I make a motion that we adjourn? Motion by council member Anderson, a second by Council Member Rogers. All those in favor?