Over 60 people crowded into the Kamas library Tuesday to get to know the candidates for Hideout mayor and town council.
Incumbent councilmember Chris Baier and interim mayor Ralph Severini are competing for the mayor job.
At Tuesday’s forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters, both candidates said they have the right set of skills to lead the rapidly changing town into the future.
Baier asked voters to have confidence in her decade of service to Hideout, including eight years on the town council.
She said her top priorities would be smart growth in areas like Richardson Flat, safer roads and new town gathering spaces.
Severini, meanwhile, pointed to his time as interim mayor since being appointed in May. He also cited his business career.
He said he would prioritize lowering Hideout’s legal fees, developing Ross Creek and creating community amenities.
Commercial development and places for the town to gather are top issues for the town. Mayoral candidates largely focused on the Richardson Flat annexation, 350 acres of open space in Summit County.
Baier said she envisions a robust town center for the annexed land. She said its location close to state Route 248, U.S. 40 and the park and ride makes it the perfect place for commercial growth.
“That, to me, is where the commercial zone will be: a town center, quality grocer, hopefully, restaurants, some kind of nightlife,” she said, “and a place where people will congregate and want to visit, socialize and help our sense of community.”
Severini emphasized working with Larry H. Miller Real Estate, the developers for Richardson Flat. He said he meets regularly with the group.
“Working with them will be the way to expand this to the level that we will have really a world-class kind of development at Richardson Flat,” he said. “That’s critical for our amenities and for the success of our town.”
The candidates also discussed how to foster a strong identity for Hideout without a traditional Main Street.
For Baier, cultivating a community includes having town-sponsored events and things the community can be known for regionally, like quality mountain biking. She also said it’s important for Hideout locals to honor the history of where they live.
“We have the sunken town of Keetley – there’s a very compelling story everyone should know about,” she said. “Japanese settlers in 1942 came here to the town of Keetley to start Keetley Farm, to avoid internment during that terrible time in our country’s history.”
Severini said he wants to see Hideout move to a more unified community, rather than several separate neighborhoods. He echoed the importance of town events and said places to gather would help promote a shared identity.
“It’s about time we break down the barriers between the fiefdoms called the HOAs and call ourselves a community and a town,” he said. “And that requires some cultural changes, meaning you have to think about what our brand is, who we are.”
Both candidates discussed the importance of working collaboratively with other governments in Summit and Wasatch counties.
They also addressed some of the challenges facing the town.
When asked about a recent decision he regrets, Severini spoke about Hideout’s water needs. He said he wants the town to be more transparent about its water audits and plan future development accordingly.
Baier discussed recent council decisions over staff that have strained the relationships among town leaders. She said she wants the town council to be collaborative and debate its disagreements openly.
Along with the mayoral race, two seats on the town council are on the ballot.
The general election is Nov. 4.
