Nibley Resident's Endorsements

I was recently contacted by some very active members of the community, as well as a current Council member, who have offered me their endorsements after their careful deliberation.  I am pleased, and grateful to have their support.  Here is what they have to say about my candidacy and they are willing to be contacted if you have any questions.


Nibley City Councilman Shaun Dustin:
"I endorse Kathryn's candidacy for Nibley City Council.  I believe that she will work to understand and represent the interests of the Citizens."


Barbara Willden:
"I am supporting Kathryn Anhder Beus in her bid for election as a Member of the Nibley City Council for the following reasons; (1) While Kathryn has not served in public office, except for a short time on the Tree Board, she offers a unique perspective to the City Council as a young mother with soon to be 2 young children. She has lived in Nibley since she was a child and has seen the explosion of growth in what was a small farming community. She would be conscious of open spaces and the rural atmosphere of Nibley City. (2) She lives onthe west side of Nibley where the bulk of the population is located and knows the problems associated with that area, which to date has had little representation. (3) She is a bright, knowledgeable young woman who is eager to learn and serve Nibley City. 

  I urge you to examine her stance on the issues and vote for her on November 8.   
Barbara B Willden"

Corlyss Drinkard:

"I support Kathryn Beus for City Council because watching her in two Candidates' Nights and talking with her in person, I'm impressed by her thorough preparation, her diligence in gathering facts on an issue, her poise, and her willingness to do a demanding job. I believe she will represent Nibley's young families' and west-siders' interests very effectively."

Ron and Wendy Hellstern:

"Having Kathryn Beus as a young, female representative on the City Council will add a new perspective to decisions affecting Nibley’s younger families.  She is articulate, well prepared, researches the issues, and has the integrity required for this position.  She will be getting our vote on November 8^th.  

Ron & Wendy Hellstern"

Again, I thank them for their support as I know they are all individuals that have worked hard to determine which candidate would best represent our concerns here in Nibley.

I'm out meeting people in our neighborhoods

You may have seen me as I  am out going door to door in the neighborhoods.  It has been a very rewarding experience.  One individual mentioned  to me how much she likes living in Nibley.  She likes the parks, open space, and general feel of our town.  That is the kind of Nibley I am working for!  I am really enjoying meeting the people of Nibley and if anyone would like to host a cottage meeting or some type of meeting in their home I would be delighted to come and chat about Nibley and my candidacy.  Please, let me know kathrynbeusfornibley@gmail.com

Meet the Candidates Night

Thanks to the efforts of the Nibley City Youth Council I feel that the Meet the Candidates night was a great success.  The citizens came prepared with thought-provoking questions and I feel there were good responses given by the candidates.  I kept quite detailed notes of the questions and my responses and have decided to post some of them here.

Question:  As a member of the Council what would you do to increase revenue?

Answer:  This is a question that I have thought about quite a bit knowing that if we want to avoid paying more money ourselves in taxes we need to look to other sources of raising revenue.  According to the current zoning of Nibley we have commercial zoning located along the Highways of 165 and 89/91.  I would like to establish an EDA (Economic Development Agency) which would consist primarily of council members that would be used to help attract high quality businesses to Nibley.  This type of agency is provided for in state law to provide tax increment financing.  Raw land is taxed at one level and developed land is taxed at a higher level.  The difference is used to pay for the infrastructure costs of placing the business.  This isn't a new mechanism in Cache Valley.  The Maceys that is now a gym/sporting goods store was built and remodeled this way.  

Question:  If elected, would you support an increase in taxes to fund open spaces or parks?

Answer:  I do not feel that a tax increase would be necessary to fund these projects.  As far as parks are concerned they are being built using the impact fees that are assessed to builders and Nibley has applied for and received a good share of funds from the County in form of RAPZ (Recreation, Arts, Parks, and Zoos) funds.  These are funds set aside for the express use in Cache County for these specific purposes.  Our trails plan also would receive funding from this source.

Question:  Do you favor keeping the rural flavor of Nibley?  How?

Answer:  Yes.  I support the Conservation Subdivisions that are outlined in the Nibley General Plan.  These planned subdivisions are built by developers with the goal of having more open spaces.  Basically it is clustering homes together on smaller lots allowing for the remaining land in the development to be devoted to parks and trails or simply left as open spaces.  I feel that this is a solution to the growth demands of Nibley as well as a solution to our desire to have open spaces.

Council member Scott Larsen Questionnaire

 My answers are in bold towards the end of this post.

Land Use

Nibley has grown at 9.5 % on average for each of the last 11 years largely due to family farms being sold to developers.  Land owners have a right to develop their land and simply saying “no development” is not an option. No one wants the City to tell them what they can and can't do in their backyard, but when their neighbor is doing something they don't like, residents expect the City to step in and stop the behavior. Nibley City is guided by a General Plan, State Code, and City ordinances. All of which come into play when making land use issues decisions.

a.       Have you read and do you know what LUDMA is and how it directs cities in Utah?

b.      What do you feel is the balance between allowing land owners to develop their land as they choose and seeing that development is done in a way that benefits the whole city?

c.       Have you read the General Plan and how does your vision for Nibley match or differ from the current Nibley City General Plan?

d.      How would you help preserve open space or agricultural zones within Nibley and within our Annexation Declaration area?

e.      What is the proper place for regulating residents and how much regulation is OK?  

Why I am Running

Candidates for public office often run with a specific agenda, personal issue, out of anger or frustration.  

f.        What is your primary motive for running for city council and what do you hope to learn, and accomplish, during your service?

g.       What is your greatest concern with the direction Nibley City has taken the past 4 years?  How would you change this direction?

h.      What do you feel are the biggest issues facing Nibley City within the next 4 years?

Money Issues

One of the greatest misunderstandings people have is what money is available and what can be done with that money. There are strict regulations and auditing processes on public funds.

i.        Do you know what the annual budget is for the City and what is the largest source of revenue for the City?

j.        What line items or departments of Nibley City's current budget do you feel need to be adjusted if any?

Parks, Recreation, and Community

Nibley City recently adopted a Parks and Recreation Master Plan that was developed by consultants and a committee backed by citizenry input. The study showed Nibley is far younger than the national statistics with a third of our population under the age or 12. It also showed that there are not enough facilities for national standards of a city of our size. Based on all the information certain recommendations were made and presented in the plan.

k.       Have you read the Parks Plan?  What do you think of it? What are your ideas for parks and recreation planning?  

l.        As the City continues to grow, we will see an increasing diversity in the demographics of our residents.  What can the City do to make sure Nibley is a place where everyone feels included and welcome?

Candidate Questionnaire

A couple of weeks ago, some Nibley city residents put together a questionnaire for the candidates.  They are well thought out questions and they really touch on some important issues.  I will be posting both questionnaires along with the candidates answers.  Thanks and don't forget to register to vote if you haven't already

Kathryn

Contact Kathryn

You can contact Kathryn anytime with your questions or concerns @ kathrynbeusfornibley@gmail.com.  She would love to hear from you!!!

Don't forget to vote on November 8th

Just a little reminder to vote on Nov. 8th 2011 at the new Nibley City offices.  Don't forget to tell your friends.  Stay tuned for more posts!

Kathryn