Let's get to work!

If you look at Layton and Davis County, both are nearly built out, with the LDS church owning a majority of the land still available. 

The biggest obstacles are real affordable housing and higher paying employment opportunities here in Layton, so the residents can live and work, without commuting, wasting their time and money. 

Layton advantages: we are the home to Hill Air Force Base, and our proximity to many outdoor recreational opportunities is just a few. 

I do believe in a good General Plan. I spoke at the city council meeting when the last Plan was approved, and I was told by a Council Member that I had a better understanding of the Plan than he did. 

The Plan is a living document that has been amended again and again on a case-by-case basis; this practice is not responsible development. Many Citizens, including me, took time from their busy lives to attend meetings and voice their concerns on the Plan. Now, to just have amended freely at the developers' desires is not how we should be governing. 

As the City grows and ages, the stress on City infrastructure is going to compound. We need to address our infrastructure needs and funding to ensure that we do not fall behind and burden future generations. 

The public did not have enough input before Layton City sent the termination letter to the Davis County Commissioners; this was an error on the City's part. 

I do not favor the termination of the services that Wasatch Integrated Waste Management (Davis Landfill) provides to the residents of Layton.  I will work to ensure that the residents of Layton always receive the best value for the service the City and other government entities provide.

I was an employee at Wasatch Integrated for 11+ years, and I know the past and current Executive Directors and some of the current staff. I believe my knowledge of working in the Waste Management business would serve the residents of Layton immensely on this issue. 

I would revisit Layton City's Landscape ordinance, to start, and look to implement common-sense solutions. 

Conservation is the quickest way to ensure we have enough water for a growing city, and then we can take a look at longer-term solutions to ensure we can maintain the population into the future. 

All life depends on water. 

Mental illness. During my employment with the Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake, I was witness to many of the effects of mental illness. Whether it was homeless veterans suffering from PTSD, individuals with functional mental illness, or the elderly and the decline with age, it was clear that mental illness weighed upon individuals, their family, and community more than many of the other challenges we all face today. 

This was also part of a conversation I had with Chief Swanson, and that conversation cemented my opinion that mental illness is the number one issue facing Layton City, as I asked Chief Swanson the same question you asked me today. Without any hesitation, his answer was mental illness, and he elaborated with many similar details that I had experienced in my profession. 

During my 40 years of professional experience, I’ve worked on teams that prepared budgets for government entities, NGOs, and private sector entities. All look at budgets differently. 

When it comes to the Layton City budgets, it is planned as a balanced budget and should be adequately funded to address the current and future needs of its citizens. 

That can be done through both fees and taxes, as well as responsible planning and growth of expenditures to ensure we are not maintaining or building something that may be unnecessary. 

I would look at all of these areas to find the most beneficial outcome for the city taxpayer.  

Multiple government agencies impact the transportation options, including Layton City, UDOT, UTA, and Davis County. 

The City’s role should be to coordinate and lead these partners to ensure safe transportation options for its residents. I do believe there needs to be more coordination to ensure our roads are safe and well-maintained. 

I would advocate for bike lanes as I believe they are useful for commuters, recreationists, and other residents throughout the city. 

I believe the City has the tools in its toolbox to address housing issues, some of which are incentives and grants that the city can apply for to help development.

Overall, both new build and renovations are market-driven by the current economy and property owners. 

I would be an advocate for those grants and incentives to help with renovation if a property owner came to the city looking for assistance.