Utah County's newest town already has a name and a fire engine, but Eagle Mountain will have to wait at least another week before getting its first mayor.
The Utah County Commission adopted a resolution Tuesday approving a petition to form the town of Eagle Mountain on 42 square miles in Cedar Valley. All that remains now for Eagle Mountain to become Utah County's 22nd municipality is for town leaders to file articles of incorporation with the lieutenant governor's office.The problem town founders are running into, however, is that Eagle Mountain's proposed mayor is ineligible because she doesn't yet live within the town's boundaries. In fact, only a handful of residents are eligible to be appointed mayor or members of the City Council.
State statute says the county commission must appoint registered voters to serve as mayor and council members for a new town until the next regular election. But only 22 registered voters live within Eagle Mountain's 27,000 acres.
Eagle Mountain developers asked county commissioners to appoint Debbie Hooge as the town's first mayor. But Hooge still lives in American Fork while her new house in the Cedar Pass Ranch subdivision is being built.
Commissioners determined that wasn't good enough and told developers during a meeting Tuesday they would have to come up with another candidate unless Hooge moves into the new town immediately.
"We'll abide by the commissioners' decision, and I'll just rent something out there," Hooge said.
There aren't many homes available for rent in the sparsely populated area west of Lehi. But Hooge said she'll find something until her new house is completed in about 60 days.
She said the matter will be brought before the commission again next week so she can be appointed mayor. A proposed city councilman, Robert Bateman, is in the same boat because he still lives in Alpine.
Other candidates for City Council, however, already live within Eagle Mountain's borders. That group includes John Jacob, Cyril Watt, David Conine, Diane Bradshaw, Wayne Bradshaw and Nick Berg.
Meanwhile, Eagle Mountain has already purchased its first piece of equipment. Developers bought an $80,000 fire engine for $12,500 at an auction in Salt Lake County recently. The fire engine was declared surplus and auctioned off by the Murray City Fire Department.
Developers expect to begin work on the new town's infrastructure - sewer, water, gas and electricity - as soon as the articles of incorporation are filed. Last week, project manager Bob Lynds told commissioners the entire $11 million needed to get the town started will be provided by developers.
The investors in the project, Florida doctors Andrew Zorbis and Scott Gettings and businessman John Walden, expect to recoup the money over time with user fees for utilities. The new town will also begin levying taxes in July, the beginning of the next fiscal year.
About half of Eagle Mountain's 42 square miles are owned by the federal and state governments. Those lands will remain undeveloped and will become open space for the new town, developers say, but the remaining land will be developed with commercial lots and some light industrial projects.
Jim Stith, attorney for the Florida-based developers, said Tuesday the town's new fire truck will be made available for use within Eagle Mountain by firefighters from Lehi and Utah County. Eagle Mountain plans to contract with those two entities for law enforcement and fire suppression until the new town creates its own public safety department.
Other plans for the new town include the construction of a city hall and an 18-hole golf course. Developers say the town could one day rival Orem and Provo in size, although Eagle Mountain's current population is only 161.