SYRACUSE -- The city council has unanimously approved the hiring of Michael Eggett to fill its recently created community development director position. Eggett, 31, currently is the West Bountiful Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement administrator, a position with commercial development duties similar to what Syracuse officials hope to address in their city.
Eggett was selected from more than 40 applicants for the position, which is to pay a yearly salary ranging from $58,000 to $83,000 pending city council approval.
"We just heard so many great things about him," said Syracuse Mayor Jamie Nagle.
Eggett will start with the city Sept. 13, giving him time to finish up projects in West Bountiful and to marry at the end of this month.
Eggett, who grew up in Clearfield but will live in North Ogden with his new wife, has been with West Bountiful for about five years, evolving over that time into the city's community development director.
One project of note with which Eggett has been involved is a cooperative agreement among West Bountiful, Woods Cross and Davis County to form a community development area that makes it easier to offer incentives to attract a master developer -- and new jobs -- to the area.
But being "challenge-driven," the Clearfield High graduate said, Eggett envisions the Syracuse job as the next step in his "career evolution."
Being closer to where he grew up, and where he has friends, he said, also played a role in his applying for and accepting the job.
"I know they (Syracuse) have some significant challenges," Eggett said, referring to recent news stories about some of the city's budget challenges.
But looking at the issues with a fresh set of eyes and having the skills he possesses, Eggett said, will help him perform his duties.
Eggett said one idea he hopes to revisit is a plan that surfaced years ago involving the creation of a joint venture between three north Davis cities.
The Davis Economic Development Cooperative was formed about five years ago by Clearfield, West Point and Syracuse to create a master plan for 1,000 acres of farmland, shared among the cities, that could be marketed for development.
However, the concept was shelved after opposition of residents near the project area.
Before revisiting such an idea, Eggett said, he would determine how to work with residents to establish something that is amenable to and desirable for everyone involved.
Comments