As told to Jessica Neal – Orem News
What’s something that the city council has been working on lately?
The City Council right now is working on the short term rental ordinance. We’ve asked our attorney’s office to come up with two different ordinances. Basically, the difference is that one does not allow non-owner-occupied short term rentals and one does. The council is pretty split on what they want to do right now; some council members are more comfortable having owner-occupied short term rentals and other council members are not comfortable with that. There will be some compromise. I do believe that every council member does want to preserve neighborhood integrity; they want to have thriving neighborhoods. We’re very thoughtful and deliberate in what we’re doing, we’re getting a lot of input. Everybody’s working hard to understand all positions.
What was something you liked about Oremfest from your position as mayor?
We started something new, a section of Oremfest called All Things Orem. It was a dedicated booth where you could meet with council members and the mayor and just ask questions. We really want to be accessible to our residents so we thought, what better place to go than Oremfest?…We did have some people ask about a couple different issues, but most of the time it was just visiting and getting to know people. It was very upbeat. I got asked questions like: “What’s your favorite movie? Do you have a pet?” So my favorite movie is “The Princess Bride.” I have an angry cat, and yes, I have eaten cotton candy, but it’s not my favorite food.
What’s one of the important things you’ve done for Orem this month?
We had a joint Lindon and Orem City Council meeting. It was our first one during the time I’ve served as mayor…We talked about our relationship with emergency services, talked about canals, trails and water. It was good to get together and visit, get to know each other and discuss issues that affect both of us. We’re making a real effort to meet with the Timpanogos School District, Vineyard, Provo, and Lindon on a very regular basis so we can continue to build those partnerships. We’re meeting with the Timpanogos School District in August.
What moment from the last month has stuck with you?
The most powerful interaction, or what I observed, was when the Gold Star families were coming up and talking about their deceased loved ones and laying a rose or setting their picture by the Gold Star Memorial at the dedication ceremony. That made everything real…It was very, very powerful and very emotional…That’s a sacrifice I will never comprehend because I haven’t had someone in the military in my family pass away as a result of action. It was a very beautiful evening and just a very powerful experience.
Tell me one of the fun things you’ve gotten to do in Orem this month.
We have our farmers market every Wednesday and it’s huge -– they have over 200 booths. I volunteered at the bike valet, so people can ride their bikes and safely park them. They know they’re going to be secure and they can enjoy the farmers market without having to try and find a parking spot or drive in the traffic. They can just come and show up, ride their bike, and they’re right there at the booths. Each evening takes about 10 volunteers.
What’s something you’ve learned about leadership this month?
One thing I’m learning is the importance of being at events and being present and engaging in the community…it resonates with people. To be able to be there and interact is really, really important. I’m very fortunate to be in a life stage where I have time to dedicate, and I can do that. People are becoming familiar with the fact that I show up. We have such a wonderful community, the residents are wonderful. They’re kind, gracious and engaging, and it’s such a privilege to represent them and interact with them. I just really, truly, love our community.