Cottonwood Heights voter guide 2023

City Council

District 1

Jen Cottam

Occupation: Realtor with ERA Brokers Consolidated, safety engineer with Cobra Vision, and yoga/fitness instructor for Snowbird.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

To ensure accessible and affordable housing, I propose a multifaceted approach. Firstly, incentivizing developers to include affordable units in their projects and exploring public-private partnerships can significantly increase availability. Additionally, streamlining zoning regulations to allow for higher-density housing in suitable areas is crucial. For instance, we have huge parking lots that do not get used. If done in conjunction with public transportation and modernized infrastructure, these areas could support mixed-use development with an affordable housing component. This promotes efficient land use while providing more housing options. I believe in a balanced approach that respects the character of our neighborhoods while meeting our growing demand. By encouraging sustainable growth, we can maintain the charm of Cottonwood Heights while also addressing the housing needs of our residents. It’s about finding the right mix that benefits everyone in our vibrant community.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

Cottonwood Heights is fortunate not to currently face a significant homelessness issue. However, it’s vital we remain proactive. Education is key, ensuring our residents are aware of resources available for marginalized groups. Collaborating with local organizations and advocating for mental health services, particularly through our police force, is also crucial. By fostering a supportive environment, I aim to prevent homelessness before it occurs. Additionally, I’m committed to exploring partnerships with neighboring cities and organizations that specialize in homeless outreach. While we’re currently in a fortunate position, we must always be prepared to address any emerging challenges with compassion and effective solutions. Our collective responsibility is to ensure everyone in our community feels supported and has access to the resources needed to thrive.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

The primary challenge facing Cottonwood Heights is the safety of our streets. It’s the driving force behind my candidacy. Currently, none of our streets meets the DOT Safe Streets 4 All (SS4A) criteria, which is deeply concerning to me. Just last week, we tragically witnessed a critical injury and a fatality on the same street. It’s imperative we design with the understanding that people will make mistakes. Implementing road diets and reducing speeds are practical, cost-effective measures that yield significant safety improvements. Moreover, fiscal responsibility is paramount. Our current City Council recently allocated $75,000 to join an organization that only garnered interest from a few businesses. We must scrutinize such expenditures and direct our resources toward initiatives that benefit our community directly, particularly toward making our streets safe. It’s about using our funds judiciously for the betterment of all residents.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I climbed on the back of a giant whale shark in the Indian Ocean and rode around as the sun set.

Matt Holton

No responses.

District 2

Sharon Daurelle

Occupation: Retired Department of Corrections administrator.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

The lack of adequate affordable housing is an issue all communities must address, and while residents of Cottonwood Heights have indicated their preference for single-family residences, there is also room for other solutions to help address this challenge. In some areas of our town, low-profile, higher-density housing may be appropriate. However, since much of the demand for affordable housing in our community is due to adult children seeking more independence, or other family members struggling with economic challenges, allowing homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs), often called mother-in-law apartments, may provide better solutions for our residents.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

While Cottonwood Heights doesn’t experience the challenges associated with large populations of unhoused people, every community has individuals or families who are one paycheck away from losing their home. There are parents who are skipping meals so there will be food for their children. There are those struggling to pay their utilities, medical expenses or rent, even as the economy grows stronger. Rather than blaming people for their situation, I believe city leaders should care about the people in their community. Many towns have public-private partnerships that provide resources for those struggling to make ends meet. Some have community centers that provide practical services, classes and programs that address the issues that often lead to financial distress, and others have found innovative ways to support those in need. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We can learn from the success in other towns, and adapt them to residents’ needs.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

Utah’s Department of Transportation has announced its plans to build a gondola up Little Cottonwood Canyon to benefit two ski resorts, while the residents of Cottonwood Heights will have to live with Wasatch Boulevard being remade into a high-speed highway, a 2,500-plus-space parking structure sullying the landscape and our views, and all the other ills this project will bring to our community. Beautiful Cottonwood Heights should be a destination, not a pass-through on the way to a ski resort. Whether this project can be stopped, or at least scaled back, remains to be seen. Our city’s leaders can do a lot to lessen some of the worst impacts this development will have on our town.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I’m a live musical theater buff, energized by diverse connections and captivated by the tales of people’s lives.

Suzanne Hyland

Occupation: Business owner.

If elected, what would you do to provide more affordable housing options to your residents? Would you support higher-density housing?

Let’s face the starkest reality for all of us: Utah has been discovered as a great place to live and visit. This, along with natural population growth, has resulted in an increased demand for housing. Parents like me want their adult children to afford to live nearby, so affordable housing is a high priority. We must think carefully about the trade-offs of growth, especially in our city, which has limited available vacant land and space for expansion. I’d start by limiting or raising taxes on short-term residential rental properties, revising zoning requirements to make it easier to build ADUs on larger residential parcels, and encouraging the conversion of unused or unoccupied basements as available rentals. Higher-density housing should be located close to transportation and commercial areas. I have confidence there are solutions that can be found as reasonable people come together to find common ground.

What is your city’s responsibility in addressing homelessness, and what would you do within the boundaries of your community to help unhoused Utahns?

With the rising cost of housing along the Wasatch Front, homelessness is becoming more common, especially for working individuals and families. Eliminating homelessness is a complex-yet-worthy community investment because it reduces other government expenditures related to community services, such as law enforcement and emergency health care costs. One of my primary goals as a council member is to eliminate wasteful government spending from duplication of services. Rather than working on our own as a city, we can spend less and be more effective by working as advocates and active partners with existing services in the county and state, such as the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness.

Besides affordable housing or homelessness, what is the biggest challenge your city faces, and how would you address it?

There are three important issues: Hillside Plaza redevelopment, citywide high-speed internet, and the implications of UDOT’s Little Cottonwood Canyon Transportation Plan (the gondola). The Hillside Plaza area should be a beautiful mixed-use, community-centered landmark. My preference is for it to feel more like the downtown Holladay area than the high-density Sugar House downtown. I will actively seek input from my constituents for their preferences. Laying fiber cable in a buried cable community like ours is a tricky proposition. I don’t want long-term financial obligations backed by the city for buried cable if wireless technology surpasses wired technology soon. I will work with the city to determine that trade-off. Finally, the gondola is Phase 3 of UDOT’s plan. My goal is to work so that Phases 1 and 2 sufficiently meet canyon transportation goals to render the gondola unneeded. Many are skeptical of this approach; I think it is achievable.

What is a fun or unique fact about yourself?

I have been to North Korea.