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Show WEST BOUNTIFUL -Grant Secrist, who retired from a position as senior vice president of equipment and maintenance in IML Freight prior to deciding to run for the West Bountiful mayoral post, finds that being mayor is a full-time job. MAYOR SECRIST took over the West Bountiful job in January. "It's surprising I can spend almost full time in meetings." He recently attended at-tended a three-day session geared for local elected officials of-ficials sponsored by the Utah League of Cities and Towns. The session was held to inform in-form the officials on the issues is-sues and keep them aware of proper procedures in government, govern-ment, he said. In addition to all city meetings, his position as mayor requires that he also al-so be a member of the Davis County Council of Governments Govern-ments (COG). He has also been appointed to the transportation trans-portation committee of the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRD), the South Davis County Sewer Board and the 208 Water Quality Committee. MAYOR SECRIST called his new position "challenging." "challeng-ing." He says he has learned through management in industry in-dustry that "you've got to convince other people first," and tries to use this same technique in his work in government. When Mayor Secrist took over as mayor he set forth his goais, stating that the completion of the West Bountiful Boun-tiful master plan was his first priority. He said the city continues con-tinues to deal with the "age-old "age-old problem of how to get I funds without raising taxes." THE CITY hopes through careful planning to set aside areas for land for industrial and commercial development which can increase the lax base. Mayor Secrist said the city has been working on the plan, which divides the city into 25 planning districts, for about a year. During that lime the planning commission, commis-sion, on which Mayor Secrist served before being elected mayor, worked through questionnaires ques-tionnaires and public hearings hear-ings to get citizen input into, the master plan. The plan, which was prepared by Millard Consultants, Consul-tants, under the direction of the planning commission, specifies how each area of the city should be encouraged to develop, basing the recommendations recom-mendations for residential, industrial or commercial use on the present development in the area as well as plans for expansion which will be appropriate to the area. A moratorium on subdivision development has been enforced en-forced during the last several weeks until the comprehensive comprehen-sive plan is approved, Mayor GRANT SECRIST Secrist said. OTHER problems faced by the city are the extension of the culinary water supply as well as storm and flood water control projects and high water tables. He explained that the city connot continue to grow if additional water is not available from Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. In that event other water sources such as the well now being drilled, will have to be found to supply culinary water, he said. On the other hand, West Bountiful also has a problem with too much water storm water. 'The city must solve problems which have been created on the east side of the valley," Mayor Secrist said. There the cities continue to build up the hillside and create more runoff problems which, in some cases, must be solved on the west side of the city. MAYOR SECRIST hopes that some of this storm water can be diverted into a drainage canal which circles most of the city. The city is also working with the county on a cooperative storm drain project on 500 South. That project has come to a halt near 1100 West until the matter mat-ter can be resolved in the courts. Another project that Mayor Secrist sees as essential is the development of a park. He said the city owns about 15 to 16 acres of property just west of the Union Pacific track on Pages Lane. The city hopes to complete a sprinkling system and plant some grass and sume trees in the area by this spring, but the park will not -be ready for use this year, he said. THE construction of sidewalks is another priority set by Mayor Secrist. "We don't have a problem in the world that money wouldn't solve," he said. Animal control, resource development and increased money for law enforcement are additional problems that Mayor Secrist feels need to be addressed. Resource development develop-ment is essential to West Bountiful, he said, because the city has little industry and business. "Homes don't pay the bills. Industry would provide additional money, but the city must explore other solutions available. I don't know if it's desirable, but increased fees for water for new construction, might be an answer." HE ALSO says that police protection must be expanded. Mayor Secrist has contacted North Salt Lake, Bountiful and Woods Cross to see if the police departments might expand ex-pand their cooperation. "It just makes sense," he said. "We have a lot of things in common and should continue to cooperate." At the present time West Bountiful has two full-time police officers. As the city continues to grow. Mayor Secrist says the code book needs updating and the city must be aware that although the county supplies fire protection, the need may have to be taken over by the city sometime. At present West Bountiful has 600 and 700 families which could total as high as 3,000 people depending on the size of the families. MAYOR SECRIST said he likes his new job which makes him more aware of the community. com-munity. When four friends suggested that he run, he just laughed. He gave the suggestion sugges-tion little serious thought until un-til he mentioned the possibility pos-sibility to his wife Shirley, who thought it was a good idea. "New types of things appeal to me and I thought I could do some good so I decided to run," he said. |
