David Imlay
For Hurricane City Council
CANDIDATE Q&A
Question #1
Washington County’s rapid growth pressures both development and preservation of open spaces. What is your proposed zoning strategy to balance new housing and commercial projects with maintaining the region’s natural landscapes, and how will you address community concerns about overdevelopment?
Much time and effort went into the General Land...READ MORE
Much time and effort went into the General Land Use Plan for Hurricane City. The research took into account the balance of growth and conservation. Unless a very worthy reason for changing the zoning is given, I would stick to the land use plan zoning.
Question #2
Aging infrastructure, such as roads, water lines, and public facilities, requires ongoing investment. What is your plan to fund and prioritize maintenance and upgrades, and how will you balance these costs with other municipal budget demands?
Hurricane City is the third largest city in Utah by...READ MORE
Hurricane City is the third largest city in Utah by area but the 42nd largest by population. Hurricane City has a large footprint with much infrastructure to maintain and a limited tax base to cover needs. Until Hurricane has more population to help adequately fund all the needs, priorities must be set. I would look first at infrastructure/public facilities, that if the needed upgrade/maintenance were not done soon, the cost would be much higher.
Water lines should be funded through water rates. Those funds are in an enterprise fund, separate from the general fund. Water rates need to be set to ensure funds are available to properly maintain the water system.
Power department is also an enterprise fund, and power rates should be set to adequately fund operation and maintenance of the power infrastructure.
State and federal grants are often available. Although application is time-consuming, grants can be an effective way to supplement city funds when building new infrastructure. I would be in favor of hiring a grant writer to seek opportunities and apply for grants.
Question #3
With rising populations, how will you ensure that police, fire, and emergency services remain adequately funded and staffed? Please specify whether you would reallocate existing budgets, seek new revenue sources, or implement other strategies to meet these needs.
Public Safety is mostly funded through tax revenue...READ MORE
Public Safety is mostly funded through tax revenue, and with increased population comes an increase of tax revenue. As much support and funds from the city budget as practical should be allocated to Hurricane City Police. I would be open to new revenue sources or strategies including grant funding. Hurricane Valley Fire District is funded through property taxes and is administered through Washington County.
Question #4
Large and even small scale development projects often spark community debate. How will you ensure that residents’ voices are meaningfully incorporated into decisions about zoning and development, and what specific mechanisms (e.g., town halls, advisory boards) will you establish or strengthen?
Often the community debate is over land use/zoning changes...READ MORE
Often the community debate is over land use/zoning changes that residents feel may cause adverse effects. As mentioned in a previous question, I would adhere to the General Land Use Plan for Hurricane City as much as possible. Any land use or zoning changes would require the surrounding landowners/residents to have input.
For example, if a homeowner purchased under a certain zoning and a developer wanted to change the zoning to better suit the developer’s desires, I would be hesitant to approve such a zone change if the neighboring residents were not in favor.
Question #5
To reduce reliance on tourism and construction, what specific industries or business types will you target to diversify Washington County’s economy, and what incentives or policies will you propose to attract them?
Incentives are a great way to entice businesses to...READ MORE
Incentives are a great way to entice businesses to Hurricane. Over time, incentives should pay for themselves from the tax revenues of the incentivized businesses.
There are businesses that chose to invest and build in Hurricane without incentives. I would keep this in mind when offering incentives to new businesses to ensure the new business is bringing an elevated benefit to the city. For me to approve incentives, the business should bring well-paying jobs and/or upgraded services and convenience. The incentives would be tailored to the specific situation.
There is a trend of manufacturing returning to the U.S.A., and developing manufacturing would help decrease Hurricane’s reliance on tourism/construction. Increasing large employers in the industrial park would add an elevated benefit.
Some of the incentives I may approve would be waiving impact fees and base utility rates. If impact fees, which are a real cost, are waived, the fees will need to be paid from the general fund and not passed on to residents/ratepayers.
Question #6
Washington County is experiencing increased traffic congestion, particularly in urbanizing areas. What specific infrastructure improvements or policies will you prioritize to reduce traffic delays and improve road safety, and how will you fund these initiatives without overburdening taxpayers?
Roads are very expensive to build. There are already...READ MORE
Roads are very expensive to build. There are already taxes being collected to help fund new road projects.
I am a proponent of growth paying for itself as much as is practical. I would be in favor of a road impact fee adequate to fund new road corridors.
Question #7
Given the ongoing drought concerns in Southern Utah, how will you prioritize water allocation among residential, commercial, agricultural, and recreational (e.g., golf courses) users? Please provide a specific plan or framework to ensure equitable distribution while addressing conservation goals.
With the tremendous growth, water supply is a...READ MORE
With the tremendous growth, water supply is a concern.
The Hurricane City Water Department has been proactive in finding and developing Hurricane’s water sources. Those efforts are still ongoing.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) is also developing all available water resources and has a 20-year plan.
I would leave the specific planning and framework to the Hurricane City Water Department and the WCWCD. Once the experts develop a plan, I would carefully review the plan and give input if needed.
As a Councilman, I would always refer to the current water supply when making development decisions to ensure those that are already here are not left short on water supply.
In an extreme water shortage, limited watering times that are strictly enforced would be the best alternative and easiest to manage.
Tiered water usage rates can and do generate higher revenues to help develop additional water supplies.
Continued use of tiered water usage rates that charge increased rates for high water users helps keep citizens conscience of conservation.