What does the fox say?

Eagle Mountain is a wild-urban interface.

The truth is, and this should be no surprise, the community has wild canids living within city limits. Likely, there’s an influx of migration and emigration of coyotes and red foxes moving through the city throughout the year. 

It’s important that residents are aware of these and, like any wildlife, stay clear and give them space. 

Eagle Mountain has three species of wild canids that call the city home. First, and likely the most common, is the red fox or Vulpes, vulpes. It’s debatable as to whether or not the red fox is native to Utah. The state does not consider them a native or protected species. They are not included in Utah’s Wildlife Action Plan. 

Given that they are not a protected species, they can be taken any time during the year. The red fox has benefited greatly with the urbanization of Utah and North America. They are very adaptable and proficient hunters and persist well in the wild-urban interface.

There are likely several mated pairs located within City limits. More exist closer to Utah Lake near Lehi and Saratoga Springs.

They typically become more visible during the fall and winter months as food sources become scarcer and their breeding season approaches. They can quickly expand their population where prey is available, and larger canids are absent.

It’s important to note, because many of our native small mammals and birds didn’t evolve alongside the red fox, that they can impact populations for certain wildlife and can cause localized extinctions.

In the early 2000s, the red fox was almost single-handedly responsible for low populations of the Greater sage-grouse around Strawberry Valley in Wasatch County.

Second, is the coyote or Canis latrans. While native to Utah and North America, the coyote is another non-protected species of wildlife in Utah not mentioned in the WAP.  

Coyotes are commonly observed within the city, and Eagle Mountain likely has several mated pairs that successfully raise pups each year.

The most important thing to know about coyotes is this: In the absence of hunting, and/or continual harassment of man, they become habituated quickly to the urban-wild interface and have no real fear of man. 

While they are exciting to see to some, and always make cool sounds during certain parts of the day, they can cause problems with human health and safety, as well as the safety of kids and pets. 

Coyotes can be very protective of their den — especially if residents venture into their denning territory with pets.

Just like the red fox, Coyotes will take advantage of left-out garbage, garbage in the trash bins, and dog or cat food left in the back yard. Once they find these sources of food, they will continue to use them and become less fearful of humans, dogs and loud noises.

Third is the kit fox or (Vulpes, macrotis). The kit fox is only about the size of a house cat; however, these are a protected species in Utah and more information can be gleaned about them from the WAP (pg. 275). 

What is known about the kit fox is that it is native, nocturnal, it is found in desert habitats in Utah and found in flat desert areas throughout the Great Basin ecoregion. They feed primarily on small rodents (deer mice Peromyscus, maniculatus and Ord’s kangaroo rat Dipodomys, ordii ) that are abundant in Cedar Valley. 

They likely have established dens in the city along major washes, or in the undeveloped areas to the south and west portions of the city.

Here’s the take-home message about wild canids in Eagle Mountain City. Like all wild animals, coyotes and foxes are still wild:

1-PLEASE do not go out of your way to feed them,

2-TRY to not leave your food garbage and or pet food around your house and especially don’t leave it out overnight,

3-DO NOT try to make friends with them and keep them as pets just because they are cute and cuddly.  Stay clear, give them space report any serious issues or problems to the city.  

Families honor lives of lost children in annual Children’s Day ceremony

Tuesday evening, Eagle Mountain City hosted its annual Children’s Day event. The event is an opportunity for parents and other loved ones to honor and remember children who have passed away.

Communities across the world honor Children’s Day by gathering to remember the lives of children at angel statues scattered throughout cemeteries across North America. 

The angel statues are inspired by Richard Paul Evans’ book, The Christmas Box, in which a young father learns the value of spending time with family from an old woman who lost her child at a young age. 

The first angel statue was erected at Salt Lake City Cemetery on Dec. 6, 1994, a year after The Christmas Box was published. 

The statue, which represents hope and healing for families who have lost young children, has since gained popularity and can now be found in more than 120 different areas, including Canada and Japan.

Eagle Mountain City has honored Children’s Day each year since 2019, when the angel statue was erected at Pony Express Memorial Cemetery. The angel sits at the center of the cemetery’s Angel Garden.

Families who attended the Children’s Day ceremony remembered their loved ones by writing messages on wooden angel tree ornaments and hanging them on the cemetery’s live Christmas tree. 

These messages are kept by the City Recorder’s Office and hung on the tree again each year, so families can revisit the messages to their loved ones year after year. 

Children who are buried in the Pony Express Memorial Cemetery also have their graves lit up with the “light of the angels,” special solar-powered lamps dedicated especially for children who have passed. 

The Children’s Day Ceremony culminated in the release of several floating paper lanterns, signifying hope and healing for mourning families and serving as a message of love for children who have passed. 

Eagle Mountain City hosts its Children’s Day Ceremony on Dec. 6 each year. In addition to the families of those buried at the cemetery, the public is also welcome to attend and honor their memories. 

EM City reminds residents of proper flag disposal practices

Residents of Eagle Mountain have undoubtedly noticed the roundabout in City Center as well as the south entrance at City Hall, both with three large flagpoles. One flying the United States flag, one for the Utah state flag and one for the Eagle Mountain City flag.

Eagle Mountain City displays all three and keeps an eye on them for wear and tear so they can be properly replaced as needed. Wind and weather are factors in the durability of any flag.

All three flags are flown day and night, 365 days a year — sometimes at half-staff under Presidential Proclamation.

When the United States flag becomes worn and cannot be repaired, Eagle Mountain City returns them to the manufacturer for proper disposal.

The Utah state flag is currently undergoing a redesign.

While many designs were submitted by Utah citizens and groups, those have been winnowed down and modified to a final design choice by the Utah State Flag Task Force. The next step will be in the hands of the Utah State Legislature, which will consider approval of the design in a bill expected to be presented in the January 2023 legislative session.

This new design has elements representing the northern Utah mountains, the Utah state beehive logo, and an eight-pointed star — which represents Utah’s eight sovereign Native American tribes. The red stripe represents the red rock of southern Utah.

“When the new design is finally approved by the state legislature and it becomes time to replace the Utah state flags that fly here in Eagle Mountain, the City will recoup a little of the cost of those old flags by offering them for sale at a discount to the public, provided they are still in good condition,” says Jeff Weber, Eagle Mountain facilities operations director.

Eagle Mountain City flags have undergone a few design changes over the years, as the City logo has been updated. The City Recorder’s Office has kept one of each of these various designs for the purposes of record-keeping. Those designs will be on display at Eagle Mountain City Hall during the week of Flag Day 2023.

More information regarding this display will be provided on social media and the City website as the time gets closer.

There may be some who are unaware of the proper disposal of worn-out United States flags. They are not to be disposed of in the trash like an ordinary worn-out item.

Just as there is protocol for raising and flying the flag, there is also protocol for disposing of flags in a dignified manner, according to several federal laws. Many state and county government offices and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts have flag disposal boxes outside of their buildings. Police stations also collect them.

Once the disposal boxes are full, various organizations such as American Legions, VFWs, and the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts collect the flags and hold flag retirement ceremonies. The ceremonies are conducted in a specified manner to show honor and respect to the flag.

More information about United States flag retirement may be found at the U.S. Department of Defense website.

Eagle Mountain City to host blood drive for American Red Cross

Eagle Mountain has partnered with the American Red Cross to organize community blood drives since 2014.

“Eagle Mountain City has been one of our constants,” says Anita Kay with the American Red Cross. “We can always count on them.”

Blood drives hosted by Eagle Mountain take place three to four times per year, and are always successful, says Kay.

But during a time of year where people generally feel more giving and are more willing to donate blood, the American Red Cross is seeing a decrease in donations.

“We’ve been trending toward less donors, but our need is still constant,” says Kay.

Kay says there is always a need for blood, but especially during the holiday season. Holiday travel increases the amount of accidents seen on the roads, which increases the need for blood donations.

“I think what people might not realize is that it is literally helping to save someone’s life,” explains Kay. “There’s going to be people that are sitting in the hospital during this holiday season that are going to depend on that gift.”

Even with the shortage of donations, Kay says she never worries about Eagle Mountain City’s blood drives.

“The people out there are just so good and willing,” says Kay. “The people that we work with have just been so supportive, so we really appreciate them.”

The blood drive will be held on Wednesday, December 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the City Council chambers at City Hall, 1650 E Stagecoach Run.

Each presenting donor will receive a long-sleeved American Red Cross t-shirt.

Residents should visit the American Red Cross webpage to make an appointment.

EM City launches enhanced Resident Portal

Residents have been able to submit issues with parks, roads, signs and graffiti to the City for several years. Now, Eagle Mountain City is enhancing that service.

“The Resident Portal has been a great tool to help residents and the City know where there are issues and how we can best resolve them,” said Eagle Mountain City Communications Manager Tyler Maffitt. “What we’re doing is making that process even easier while allowing the public to follow issues as we resolve them.”

With the launch of the new Resident Portal, Eagle Mountain City has improved the appearance and functionality of the service on its City website. It has also launched an upgraded City app, now available for Apple and soon on Android.

“We wanted something that was convenient for residents and that was also mobile. We’ve definitely accomplished that through some wise investments and considerable technology upgrades,” says Maffitt.

Residents will be able to access resources such as City information, contact their elected representatives and submit issues the City can resolve in a user-friendly manner.

Eagle Mountain City made the decision to upgrade its Resident Portal at the end of the 2021/22 Fiscal Year.

The City responds to thousands of resident requests every year by phone, email, social media and the Resident Portal.

“Being as responsive as we can is critical to the success of City government,” says Maffitt. “If we’re improving the level of service, residents can have confidence that their tax dollars are being used efficiently and that City employees are being held accountable for a high level of service.”

To implement the change, Eagle Mountain City has partnered with Austin, Texas-based RockSolid. The company has experience working with City governments of all sizes across the country.

Eagle Mountain City is open to feedback on upgrades to the Resident Portal. Users can submit their feedback using the website interface or the new City app.

“This should be seen as a step in the right direction,” says Maffitt. “We need to be doing the most we can to satisfy the needs of residents.”

Within the upgraded Resident Portal, Eagle Mountain citizens can view issues being handled around the city and within their neighborhood. By submitting an issue, residents can also track the responsiveness and the progress of the issue they’ve submitted to completion.

“The new Resident Portal is really dynamic, and we believe our residents will notice an immediate difference,” says Maffitt.

Access the new Resident Portal

Getting to know local birds

Late summer, early fall and into the winter months is the time of year we see many of Utah’s summer migrant birds like the Swainson’s hawk, Bullocks oriole, barn swallow and western kingbird fly south to warmer latitudes. 

These birds are primarily insect eaters, and with colder temperatures, there just isn’t a food source to sustain them over the winter months. 

Some of these end up as far as South America. A study of the Swainson’s hawk in Utah, for example, found most of them ended up in Argentina during Utah’s winter.

When the summer migrant birds leave, it’s also the time of year when we will see some of the year-round resident birds migrate from the higher elevations down to the valley floor — a term called altitudinal migration.

These are rarely seen in the spring and summer months in Cedar Valley but are very common during the winter months.

The Dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch and the mountain chickadee are very common at winter feeders around Eagle Mountain.

If Utah has significant winters with heavy snow at further northern latitudes, Utah may even have common redpoll, black rosy finch, and grey crowned rosy finch, and snow buntings show up. 

All of these birds are primarily seed eaters and thus are looking for seeds to sustain them during the winter. 

With each snowstorm, seeds can be hard to find causing these birds to travel longer and longer distances to find a food source. If one can’t be found, these birds will eventually starve to death.  Fortunately, there are ways to help them survive the winter.

An important and great activity to participate in during the winter months is feeding birds in residential back yards. Feeding birds is a great source of food for them and allows many to stay over winter, travel and search less for a food source, and arguably allows their populations to increase among loss and fragmentation of habitat. 

Additionally, and maybe more importantly, this is a perfect opportunity to enjoy wildlife up close, and to introduce kids to wildlife and conservation.

As residents start this activity, it won’t take long to have these birds show up in numbers in back yards. 

If close attention is paid, residents will quickly realize how many different species Eagle Mountain has

There are several good internet sources out there to help residents get started in a bird feeding program. Homeowners may decide just to feed in the winter or feed year-round. They may keep it simple with just one feeder, or branch out and go crazy, having all sorts of feeders.

Here are couple of the better sites to help assist you getting started: 1-Wild About Utah, 2—USU/EXT, 3—UDWR. 

There are many businesses to help you get started as well. All the box stores; online; and bird specialty shops have feeders, food and some knowledge to help you. 

Overall, it’s simple. All a resident needs is a basic bird feeder and some bird seed. I personally like the black sunflower oil seeds—lots of fat and all birds seem to like them. 

There are thistle feeders that are made specifically for finches, feeders that don’t allow squirrels to steal your seed, suet (beef/pork fat) feeders make specifically for woodpeckers, of course there are hummingbird feeders.

If a resident just wants to get started, keep it simple. If you’re a long-time feeder, look at other types of feeders to try. Residents may be surprised what shows up. Once you’re hooked, you will want to enjoy these activities year-round.

Christmas Village reindeer incorporate local agriculture into holiday festivities

The excitement of seeing live reindeer has been an event familiar to Eagle Mountain residents attending the City’s Christmas Village event held on the first Saturday in December.

Reindeer, also known as caribou, are not native to the area, but Utah does have a herd residing in Spanish Fork. There are currently seven in the herd – one male (bull) and six females (cows).

Five of those females are currently expecting young this coming spring.

Aurora Ventures, LLC is a family-owned business, owned by Matt and Elisha Shadle and their family.

“Having a live Christmas tree sales business, I wanted to add a new and interesting dimension by having live reindeer on the tree lot to bring in more business. That was back in 2001,” says Matt Shadle. “We rented some reindeer that year, but the following year we obtained one of the first USDA licenses for reindeer in the state of Utah and began obtaining the reindeer that now make up our very own herd.”

The Shadle family bring some of their reindeer herd to Eagle Mountain’s Christmas Village event each year.

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are members of the deer family. In Europe, they are called reindeer. In North America the animals are called caribou if they are wild and reindeer if they are domesticated.

Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, while in most other deer species, only the males have antlers.

Compared to their body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species. A male’s antlers can be up to 51 inches long, and a female’s antlers can reach 20 inches.

Unlike horns, antlers fall off and grow back larger each year. Male reindeer begin to grow antlers in February and female reindeer in May.

Both sexes finish growing their antlers at the same time but shed them at different times of the year. Males drop their antlers in November, leaving them without antlers until the following spring, while females keep their antlers through the winter until their calves are born in the spring.

Santa’s reindeer were first mentioned in 1821 when New York printer William Gilley published a 16-page booklet titled A New Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve, Part III by an anonymous author:

Old Santeclaus with much delight
His reindeer drives this frosty night.
O’er chimney tops, and tracks of snow,
To bring his yearly gifts to you.

Two years later, in 1823, the Troy Sentinel published the poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. The poem featured eight flying reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh, and for the first time, they are identified by name.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began guiding Santa’s sleigh in 1939, when Robert L. May wrote the story of “the most famous reindeer of all” as a Christmas coloring book for his employer, the department store Montgomery Ward. The company gave away the coloring books as holiday gifts to children to entice their parents to visit and shop at the store.

In 1948, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made the story into a song. It was featured in a cartoon shown in movie theaters but wasn’t released as a stand-alone recording until 1949 when “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry recorded the song and its popularity soared. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the biggest-selling Christmas songs of all time.

Eagle Mountain City encourages residents to stop by the Shadle family’s live reindeer display at Christmas Village.

The event will be held at Cory Wride Memorial Park on Saturday, Dec. 3 from Noon – 4 p.m.

Eagle Mountain City again recognized for financial reporting

The Government Finance Officers Association has named Eagle Mountain City a Triple Crown Winner in several financial reporting categories for Fiscal Year 2020.

The City was recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting and Distinguished Budget Presentation in a fiscal year.

“Over the years, we’ve worked hard to ensure that Eagle Mountain City is transparent financially and this shows we have taken great strides to maintain that.” says Eagle Mountain City Administrator Paul Jerome. “We’re grateful for the efforts of our staff and the work they do to help the City achieve this recognition.”

Eagle Mountain City is one of just 317 governments that received the Triple Crown for fiscal year 2020 in the United States and Canada.

Receiving recognition for a Triple Crown designation is considered a significant achievement, according to a press release from the GFOA.

“Eagle Mountain City has long been committed to going beyond the minimum reporting requirements of financial information,” says Eagle Mountain City Finance Director Kimberly Ruesch. “This achievement is evidence of the spirit of transparency and full disclosure that is at the heart of our elected officials and staff.”

The Eagle Mountain City government met the high standards of all three categories to receive the awards.

This is the second year in a row Eagle Mountain has received Triple Crown recognition. Eagle Mountain City has been receiving individual financial reporting awards since 2007.

According to the press release, these awards honor governments that produce reports communicating their financial stories in a transparent manner.

City Council approves 10-year Strategic Plan

The Eagle Mountain City Council voted to adopt a new 10-year Strategic Plan for Eagle Mountain City via resolution in November.

The strategic plan, which drives the goals for the community over the next 10 years, was presented to councilmembers during their Nov. 15 meeting by City Economic Development Director Evan Berrett.

“Municipal governments across the nation use strategic planning to unify their organizations behind a vision they work to achieve,” says Barrett.

City staff began developing the 10-year strategic plan in 2021 and have worked to improve it based on feedback given by the City Council in through various Strategic Planning workshops in 2022.

The results of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis conducted at a Council Visioning Conference were also taken into consideration while drafting the strategic plan.

“I really enjoyed the process by which we did this,” said Councilmember Brett Wright. “I was confused by it at first, but I really started to embrace it, and I loved the visioning meeting that we were able to have. To be able to hash that out in a public meeting with my fellow council members and with the mayor present, I felt like that was one of the better meetings we’ve had.”

The SWOT analysis identifies several factors working in Eagle Mountain’s favor, as well as several areas in which the City has room for improvement. After months of analysis, the 10-year Strategic Plan was completed this fall.

The Strategic Vision for the City is as follows:

“Eagle Mountain is a safe, growing city with a small town feel that serves families and individuals by creating reliable services and infrastructure, cultivating economic and recreational opportunities, and harmonizing protected space wit the flourishing of all life.”

Using the SWOT analysis from the City Council Visioning Conference and individual interviews with members of City Council, City staff tabulated the most common themes or interests, and categorized them into six distinct categories, each coinciding with one of six strategic goals.

The Strategic Goals for the City, as laid out in the plan, are:

Diverse Economic Growth
Eagle Mountain is home to businesses of all sizes spanning several industries resulting in an expanded tax base, convenient access for all residents to essential goods and services, and growth of employment opportunities for workers at any stage of their careers.

Robust infrastructure Networks

Eagle Mountain has expanded its infrastructure capacities to comfortably accommodate the demands of a larger population by improving transportation connections and infrastructure standards alongside state and regional partners, augmenting network capabilities, and implementing maintenance and replacement programs for all infrastructure.

Unique Reputational Evolution

Eagle Mountain is known and respected for its commitments toward, and achievements in, meeting the expectations of residents through efforts to embrace its family-centric and rural heritage, engaging in creative solutions to accomplish its goals, and its contributions to the prosperity of the state.

Proactive Generational Planning

Eagle Mountain is a balanced, intergenerational city that has proactively managed its growth, resulting in homeownership opportunities for residents; a redundant and reliable water supply; and the creation of gathering places and amenities that provide for the social, educational, recreational, and health care needs of its residents.

Interactive Environmental Stewardship

Eagle Mountain has interlaced the preservation of the natural environment; the protection of native wildlife; and the promotion of outdoor recreation through the expansion of permanent, convenient, and interconnected trail networks; conservation of open spaces, natural features, and wildlife; and protection of historic sites significant to our cultural heritage.

Dynamic Service Enhancement

Eagle Mountain is a full-service community that delivers extraordinary services and amenities to residents by attracting and retaining passionate employees, innovating throughout the organization to increase efficiency and remain fiscally conservative, and developing highly responsive communication channels to improve resident experiences.

City Council unanimously voted to approve the resolution of the Vision and Strategic Goals. Moving forward, City staff will pass all decisions and plans through the filter of the Strategic Plan to ensure the City maintains compliance with its visions and goals.

Read the full Staff Report about the 10-year Strategic Plan.