I have been a Vineyard resident since early 2017 when my husband and I moved here with our three young children. We have loved the direction of this city as it has developed and have felt privileged to reside in a city with plans for extensive trail systems, safe pedestrian traffic, plentiful green space, and the largest public-facing shoreline on Utah Lake. It is the place leading Utah County to the future, a place that respects nature and embraces progress.

 I served as an alternate planning commissioner beginning in February 2020 where I was exposed to fundamental building blocks of municipal development by reviewing site plans, evaluating policy, and supporting bold ideas for our future. As a Master Gardener, I created a Facebook group called Gardening in Vineyard where I worked to support native flora, pollinators, waterside landscapes, self-sufficiency, community, and more. This allowed me to assist the city in building Vineyard Community Garden, a passion project that enabled residents from around the city to begin growing their own food with grow boxes. In addition to growing fresh food, participants now build gardening skills through classes, experience mental health benefits through nature and community, and can share extra produce on our resident-constructed vegetable stand.

I served as a sustainability liaison for Utah County during 2021, and I have continued my efforts to ensure our city develops with biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and the natural resources that enrich our beautiful city in mind. Surveys of residents show that air quality is a top concern, and ensuring we protect our 55+ residents, children, and other vulnerable populations from poor air must be a priority. Taking small steps to restore our lakeshore and Utah Lake, maintain and protect wetlands and sensitive landscapes, and keeping our eye on energy independence will keep us on the long path of health and prosperity through the coming decades.

We are undergoing a technological revolution as the world continues to advance at exponential rates and science offers us myriad quality-of-life improvements. Maintaining highway travel times for drivers commuting to Salt Lake City means getting new residents into public transit and allowing urban residents to travel by foot, bike, and micro transit as they please. New technologies can also maximize traffic flow, utility efficiency, and enhance safety and effectiveness for police and firefighters. Creating clear and robust privacy and data policy will allow us to implement the modern infrastructure we need while protecting the rights and personal information of our residents.

Due to the years of planning and infrastructure building of the last decades, Vineyard is ready to see its downtown move forward with vertical development. Through the excellent collaboration of our city leaders, the property owners and developers, and the many other stakeholders involved in our downtown planning, it will be a place for everyone. There will be diverse housing with pathways to ownership, public transit with well-implemented vehicular and pedestrian transit elements, and all of the work and play people need to thrive. It will become an economic powerhouse that enriches the area for decades to come and will make it possible for the many people who recognize how wonderful Utah is to stay in this beautiful valley.

Whether you seek the quietude of suburban housing with abundant greenspace or an urban setting with culture, art, and nature integrated with the built landscape, Vineyard has something for all of us, and I am looking forward to making sure there is a place for everyone within our borders.