At the end of his first quarter of the year as mayor of Midway, Craig Simons said the last three months have been a period of discovery.
Multiple changes have been made, including the addition of a new city councilor, Andrew Osborne, who filled Simons’ midterm vacancy. Simons, who started with a seat on the Midway Planning Commission five years ago before transitioning to the City Council, said he has gotten to know the city in a new way.
“A lot of the three months have been discovery and engaging with the new council,” Simons said.
But Simons said he has also been able to interact more with committees like the Historic Preservation Committee, the Open Space Bond Committee and the Visual Architecture Committee.
“As I’ve engaged with those groups and understand now more of what they do, let them divide and conquer and continue the good work they’re doing,” Simons said.
That was part of Simons’ initial goal as mayor — to become more engaged with different boards. In January, Simons also expressed a desire to revisit zoning in the downtown area, support local businesses and resolve parking issues.
Since he took his oath of office, Simons said he’s also seen Midway begin the transition from a “one-stoplight town” to a “two-stoplight town.” For Midway, the change is significant. The stoplight, located at the River Road intersection on Main Street, is under construction. The project is scheduled for completion this August.
While there is currently more stop-and-go traffic on Main Street, Simons said the change will benefit the community.
“You don’t realize the traffic on a road until you close off one of the lanes,” Simons said. “Anytime you do something like that, it affects the community, but I think everybody’s been pretty good with it. There was great anticipation just to help that intersection be more effective and efficient for the community.”
When asked if any of his initial goals have changed, Simons said his top priority remains the same.
“In Midway, open space always comes up early and often, and that’s still on the list,” Simons said.
Midway is actively working on open space projects such as the protection of the Lundin family property — a 119-acre parcel of land the Lundin family hopes to put under a conservation easement. Utah Open Lands, Wasatch County and Midway are all contributing to the conservation easement, and the city approved its $1 million portion of the deal in December.
“We’ve got two or three projects that are in the works now. That’s a process, and that’s moving forward, but it is a priority for both our community and for us to execute here at the city,” Simons said.
He added that his latest achievements have revolved around being “proactive” and not “reactive” in local government. That includes implementing new tools for public works to keep maintenance and preventative maintenance on a tight schedule.
“We divide and conquer and handle things before they turn into a problem,” Simons said.
Most of all, Simons said he is looking forward to Midway’s America 250 celebration this July. With help from the Midway Boosters, the city will feature commemorative celebrations of all kinds, from pancake breakfasts to a kids’ bike parade. There will even be a community mural where Midway residents can paint one of 900 tiles that will transform into a work of art.
That mural will be assembled and displayed for Fourth of July celebrations. Then, it will stay up until the annual tree lighting ceremony at the start of the holiday season.
“We’re just excited about the opportunity to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” Simons said. “Just trying to bring people together. … For me, community is what Midway is (all about).”