Randy Lundin, who was born in Midway and grew up on a farm there, is making a run for a seat on his hometown city council.
He decided to throw his hat in the ring for a Midway City Council seat because of his concerns about water and growth, among other challenges facing the city.
“I’d like to curb the growth around here,” Lundin said. “It’s growing too fast for the amount of water we have and the infrastructure we have. I’d like to try to find out where all this water is they’re going to be building with.”
Lundin, who grows grass and alfalfa on his small farm, is concerned Midway could lose its rural character.
“Farming is going away fast, and I think we’re in trouble if the farms go away,” he said.
Many residences have big lawns, and he would like to see the proliferation of landscaping that conserves water, Lundin said. There are alternatives to gardens and big, grassy yards, and they look just as good, he said.
“Everybody has a huge lawn and spends time mowing it and using the water,” Lundin said. “They keep cutting down the farmer on the water so that they can do the rose gardens. They really need to start doing xeriscaping to preserve the water.”
Lundin, who has worked in construction as a crane operator, has lived in Midway most of his life. At times, he went where the work was and lived a little while in other places, including Yakima, Washington; and Hawaii. He also owned a Park City excavation company for 20 years.
His experience in construction and roads is a plus when it comes to voting on future projects, Lundin said, adding that he wants to improve infrastructure and ease traffic problems.
“I can’t even get on my street,” Lundin said. “I have to wait to get on my street here. That never happened in my lifetime.”
He does not support having more roads but said the city could improve existing streets by adding lanes.
In addition, he would like to establish a better way to preserve open space, which he thinks is not being handled very well, Lundin said.
Lundin has personal experience with open space preservation. He and family members have been working toward turning 119 acres of their property into a conservation easement since 2023. Multiple lawsuits, including ones within the Lundin family, have stalled the transition.
There are six candidates running for two open seats on the Midway City Council. The other candidates are Andy Garland, Craig Knight, Genene Probst-Miles, Jared (JC) Simonsen and Starr Stratford.
Ballots were mailed beginning the week of July 22, and voters can select up to two candidates. The primary, which will narrow the candidates to four, is on Aug. 12. The general election is on Nov. 4.