Stansbury Park voters will head to the polls Nov. 6 to vote in two leaders for the Stansbury Service Agency, which is made up of two service areas: greenbelts and recreation.

The Greenbelt Service Area manages and maintains parkways and greenbelts.

The Recreation Service Area manages the golf course, clubhouse, parks, swimming pool and Stansbury Lake.

The service agency operates on general property taxes.

Glenn Oscarson and Gary Ziser are vying for one open seat on the three-member Stansbury Recreation Service Area, and Christy Achziger is unchallenged for an open seat on the three-member Stansbury Greenbelt Service Area.

To help voters make an informed choice, the Transcript-Bulletin sent each of the candidates a questionnaire addressing issues currently facing the community. Their responses, along with biographical information, are included below.

Christy Achziger

Christy has lived in Stansbury Park for more than six years. She was elected to the Stansbury Service Agency in 2003, and has served as treasurer, vice chairman, and currently, chairman of the board. Christy also served as president of the Stansbury Park Community Association. She volunteers her time with the United Way Board of Tooele County, the Tooele chapter of Exchange Club, the Tooele County School District, and Daughters of Utah Pioneers, among other organizations. She also owns and operates a consulting company. She ran unsuccessfully for a state senate seat in District 12 last year and plans to run for the same seat in 2010.

Glenn Oscarson

Glenn has lived in Stansbury Park since 1972. Upon graduation from college, Glenn was employed by Terracor, Stansbury Park's original developer. He has a degree in business management and is a certified purchasing manager. Until last year, he owned and operated Deseret Peak Feed in Tooele. He is now employed part time by Ward Engineering, providing inspections and oversight for new infrastructure construction in Stansbury Park. He was recently selected to fill a vacancy on the recreation service agency board, and is seeking election at this time.

Gary Ziser

Gary has lived in Stansbury Park for 13 years. He was chairman of the recreation board for three years and chairman of the service agency in 2005. He has a four-year college degree in communications and business management. His business experience includes radio station ownership, service on the board of directors of the Utah Broadcasters Association, and many years in the restaurant business. Before retiring from the business world, he spent eight years as food and beverage director at a major hotel.

Q: If elected to the Stansbury Service Agency, what will your top three priorities be?

Achziger: Good government is open government. Four years ago, my top priority was to make sure the service agency was in compliance with a myriad of regulations and laws. My top priority continues to be staying compliant with these ever-changing requirements. Our biggest projects include beautification of common areas and a new 28-acre park. I would like to see the possibility of an indoor recreation facility in that park.

Oscarson: First, to place special emphasis on improving our open spaces, especially the entrances, by providing opportunities for our community projects and volunteerism, as well as through increased allocation of the existing budget. Second, to create a cemetery serving Stansbury Park. Third, to represent all areas of Stansbury Park. Not everyone lives on the lake, yet if I am not returned to the board, five of the six seats would go to residents who do live on the lake. I would like to be a voice for the other neighborhoods and represent their concerns.

Ziser: 1) Lake management: I am concerned that the primary source water has been cut off to the lake in order to improve water quality. This was done without a satisfactory plan to replace the lost water. Beginning last winter, and continuing until now, lake levels have been between 8 inches and 13 inches low. These levels have affected dock use, lake weed control and shoreline appearance. The present plan does not provide enough water to cover evaporation, proper circulation, and lake water pumping to golf course ponds. 2) Water rights management: I am concerned about talk among board members about transferring control of Stansbury water rights to another agency. These water rights support Stansbury Lake and must be kept under service agency management.. 3) Recreation impact fee management: I am concerned that a recent revision of the Stansbury Impact Fee Plan for future recreation may not be in accordance with Utah law. Probable future homes are understated, thereby increasing the fee by 25 percent. The impact fee is paid by new-construction home owners and amounts to more than $7 million. This plan must be properly managed or developers will be able to challenge payment of fees.

Q: Do you think Stansbury is becoming overdeveloped? How will you ensure that future growth is sustainable and managed?

Achziger: The service agency's responsibility is only the recreation and common areas of the park. I will continue to push for more open spaces and recreational facilities in every new development. New facilities need to be balanced with incoming tax revenue to maintain them.

Oscarson: If anything, we are underdeveloped on the commercial side. The original plan envisions a much larger community than presently exists. We must make sure that as new subdivisions come online, they are consistent with the "open space" concept.

Ziser: Declined to answer.

Q: What do you see as Stansbury Park's most pressing infrastructure needs? How would you fund and advance these projects?

Achziger: The service agency does not oversee infrastructure for the residential areas. I will continue to push for maintenance of our current recreational facilities.

Oscarson: First and foremost, we must manage and protect our water resources. Also, I am employed by Ward Engineering inspecting and providing oversight for all new infrastructure at Stansbury Park. I am also able to ensure that new parks and open space, provided by the developers, are constructed to engineered specifications.

Ziser: Declined to answer.

Q: What steps would you take to unify Stansbury Park and create a better sense of community in the area?

Achziger: The Stansbury Park Community Association is, just as the title implies, a "community association." I have supported their efforts and encourage all new residents to join. The new high school will also bring a sense of community and is being built on land donated by the service agency. Beyond these, I will continue to push for beautification of the entrance ways, frontage road, Village Boulevard and other areas.

Oscarson: I anticipate the completion of Stansbury High School. That will do more for community unity than anything that has happened to this point. The planned supermarket will serve as a meeting place and I will do everything I can to ensure it is built and conforms to community expectations.

Ziser: Declined to answer.

Q: Would you be in favor of making Stansbury an independent municipality or becoming incorporated within Tooele City?

Achziger: I support the current township movement as a way of keeping our independence. Stansbury Park does not have the commercial base currently to become a city of its own. In my role as a private resident of Stansbury Park, I will continue to support the township drive and to help reasonable commercial development.

Oscarson: No, I'm not in favor of incorporation at this time. Areas incorporate in order to receive services such as roads, police protection, snow removal, water/sewer, trash collection, parks and recreation, etc. At present, all of these services are provided at a high level through the county or other agencies. Perhaps we could explore the possibility of a township.

Ziser: Declined to answer.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com