Steady growth, rising housing pressures and development are shaping the future of Cache Valley’s largest city, and its new mayor says his term will focus on guiding that change without erasing the city’s charm.
Logan Mayor Mark Anderson took the oath of office Tuesday, replacing outgoing Mayor Holly Daines before a packed council chamber.
Three council members were also sworn in, including incumbent Ernesto López, who retained his seat, and newcomers Katie Lee-Koven, who won in the general election, and Melissa Dahle, who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Anderson in November.
Residents who spoke during the meeting expressed both optimism and frustration — welcoming the change in leadership while calling for improved communication between city officials and the public.
“As I stand here I actually feel relieved,” said Logan resident Josh Molitor, who has made a bid for a City Council seat twice before. “I actually look at you and think to myself, you know what, I want change. A lot of Logan residents want change.”
Anderson, a former council member, said in an interview Wednesday that he plans to make communication with the public a priority. He said the city will work with a public information group to share information with residents more quickly and efficiently, building on an effort he says was started under the previous mayor.
“We have committees for each each neighborhood, and there’s communication happening almost on a monthly basis between the community, neighborhood chairs and the mayor,” Anderson said, “and so we’re just going to work on trying to make sure that information gets out much sooner, so people know what’s happening on the city level.”
Managing growth
While Logan’s growth over the past two decades has been steady, Anderson said rapid growth in neighboring Cache Valley communities has placed increasing pressure on the city’s infrastructure. Strengthening relationships with surrounding municipalities will be key to managing that growth, he said.
“We’re kind of the commercial center of the county,” Anderson said, “and so as our neighbors get bigger and they start to have pressure on their infrastructure, it affects ours, and that’s the whole reason why Main Street is so busy.”
He said the city has made recent decisions and started infrastructure projects — such as the new water tank and waterline project — that he said will be important for future growth.
The pipeline project has drawn strong opposition from some residents because it required the removal of century-old trees along Canyon Road, where Anderson also lives.
Neighbors protested the tree removal for more than a year and kept protest signs in their yards even after crews cut down the trees in November.
Last month, residents saw Anderson and his wife removing the signs from neighbors’ yards at night. Anderson returned the signs the following day and issued a lengthy public apology.
Since then, some residents have said the action damaged their trust in the new mayor.
Logan resident Albert Wiebe raised those concerns at a December council meeting, saying he expects honesty and integrity from city leaders and asking the council to address the matter publicly.
“People are absolutely entitled to their opinion as well and I respect that, but I stand by my apology,” Anderson said Wednesday. “From here on out, my focus is on the city and what’s best for the city and what’s best for our residents.”
Housing availability
Housing is a top concern for residents, Anderson said, particularly for young families, students and recent graduates trying to find places within their means.
While a housing shortage is affecting communities across Utah, he said Logan faces added pressure as a university town.
Many students currently occupy single-family homes, he said, limiting options for new families. Anderson said he supports city involvement in developing walkable student housing near Utah State University to free up existing homes.
“And it should make a difference in our housing market as we get those students out of those homes, and all of a sudden we have starter homes for people to purchase that will be on the lower end of the market,” he said. “The more supply we can create, the better the pricing.”
During his term, Anderson also hopes to expand workforce housing for median-income residents. He praised a partnership between developer Visionary Homes and the city to create River Crossing, a deed-restricted town house community for income-qualified workers that is currently under construction.
“We’d like to see a lot more of those happen as well,” he said.
Another challenge for Logan, Anderson said, is a shortage of city employees. Many departments are short-staffed, making it difficult to keep workers motivated and prevent burnout. He said higher pay in other cities has drawn away some of Logan’s best employees.
Some residents at the swearing-in offered praise for city leadership, including Linda Johnson, who commended council members for their responsiveness to residents’ concerns.
“I have not seen an instance where any of you have dismissed, outright, something someone said. And I really appreciate that you guys are each thoughtful members of our community,” Johnson told the council. “So much effort on your part, and I wanted to thank you for all the little things that I see around Logan every day that make this a good place to live.”