Community Announcements & Events

• The annual curbside spring clean-up will be April 6-10 with your pickup day being the same day as your garbage day. You can find details on what items are allowed and how to properly sort your items HERE.

• It’s nearly time for the annual Bountiful’s Got Talent Auditions. You can find the details and dates on the auditions HERE. Finalists will preform in concert June 26th at the Bountiful City Park. 

• If you want to try your hand at chalk art, registration for the annual Chalk Art Festival opens on April 20th for the June event. You can find all the details along with sponsorship and volunteer opportunities HERE.

• The Bountiful Farmers Market season will begin in June, but if you are interested in being a vendor or musical act this year, applications are open now. You can find the details HERE to apply.

• The Bountiful Community Garden will be launching in April of 2026. Applications for garden plots are open now with plots at $35 for a small plot and $45 for a large plot. The community garden will be immediately east of the city cemetery (90 West 2100 South). You can find more information HERE.

• Bountiful Fiber is available city-wide and you can find all the details on how to sign up and start enjoying fast, reliable internet options HERE. Have questions or want to know what I picked for my house? I’m happy to chat or talk you through the sign-up process.

Utah State University Wellbeing Project

Since 2019, Utah State University (USU) has been conducting a long-term study on wellbeing within Utah cities. Each year USU distributes a survey that tracks several different metrics and responses from people living in 62 cities across the state. The survey asks questions about both personal and community wellbeing from a number of different perspectives like family life, safety and security, living standards, leisure time, social connections, and transportation just to name a few topics. Then the researchers group city results for comparisons like rural cities, large cities, rapidly growing cities, and established mid-sized cities which is where Bountiful falls. I like to think of our category as the Goldilocks group: not too big, not too small, not growing too fast, but still experiencing some growth. This is a study I review each year to help me in my elected responsibilities related to areas where residents believe we are doing well and those that could use improvement. It is a survey that will take a few minutes to complete, but I would really like to urge readers to do it as it is something that I feel helps me do my job better and inform many of the decisions we make as a city. Here is the link to the SURVEY and to more information on the past survey results HERE. 

Donations for Summer Concerts

The Music in the Park summer concert series is one of Bountiful’s beloved Friday night summer traditions. Over the years this tradition has grown in popularity and is organized by local volunteer extraordinaire Richard Watson. If you see Richard around town, which will most likely be when he is volunteering with the Bountiful Rotary, Bountiful Food Pantry, or the Bountiful Community Service Council— please let him know you appreciate the work he puts into the concert series! Another way to show your support and appreciation of the concert series is to consider a donation. The budget for the artists and sound equipment comes from the city budget, but each year we see the costs go up for those things so your donations help offset those increases and ensure we are able to provide the same number and quality of concerts as in years past. If so inclined, you can donate HERE for a tax-deductible donation. The line-up for the 2026 summer concert series will be announced soon, but I can preview that the Bountiful Philharmonia has agreed to do a special July 4th concert as part of our America250- Bountiful celebrations. Stay tuned for companion activities related to that concert as part of our summer of America250 events.

Trail Projects for Summer 2026

We have a few cool new trail projects to announce as part of our Bountiful Trails Master Plan (TMP). The first is the long planned and anticipated “Big Rock Trail” that will be specifically for hikers and equestrians in Mueller Park canyon. This is meant to be a companion to the bike-only downhill trail from Elephant Rock. It was flagged by the trail designers in 2021 and approved by the U.S. Forest Service in 2022, but was then put on hold by the U.S. Forest Service for additional review due to the technical terrain. The hold has been lifted, and the city was able to move forward with approvals on a trail construction bid. I do want to note for those that have been looking forward to this trail for a while that we can’t start construction until the goshawk nesting season is over mid-summer, but the staff feels confident that even with the later start, the trail can still be completed this summer. This is going to be a really beautiful trail that will take trail users through some of the dense old growth forest on the north-facing slope of the canyon with similar terrain to the Peregrine and Elephant Descent trails. It will utilize a connection at Bridge 3 (the same bridge the Elephant Descent trail uses so all user groups will re-converge and share that bridge) from the Hornet trail above the water intake weir and then continue to Elephant Rock to connect with the Mueller Park trail. It will be a bi-directional trail so you can go up or down it and use it to make looped options from the Mueller Park, Hornet, and Bonneville shoreline trails. It also could serve as a slightly shorter connection way to reach the Peregrine trail. While most of the trails in the system are multi-use trails, this particular trail will be limited to what we affectionately call “hoof & boot” use only.



Next on the list are two trails in the Holbrook canyon/Temple Ridge areas called “Kinglet” (named for a bird species found in the area and it gives a nod to O. King Green a centenarian Bountiful resident that helped build many of the original trails on our mountainside) and “Fools Gold” (named for the many pyrite rocks on Temple Ridge). These trails are intended to help with the connection to trails further up the mountain that have already been constructed: Bellevue, Twist, Shout, Shoot to Thrill, and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The priority based on funding will be the Kinglet trail and then if funding and grant awards allow, we will also build Fools Gold. If we are not successful in our grant application, then Fools Gold will move to the 2027 timeframe. 

If you have ever done the absolute calf-killer climb straight up the hill (even worse if you do it pushing your bike) and regretted every bit of your lung-busting trail choice, then let me assure you that you’ll love the Kinglet trail once it is completed. I was able to help flag a portion of the Kinglet trail with the trail designers last summer. My job was to simply follow the trail designer around and stand where told so she could bounce a laser off my shoulder to get the elevation and GPS coordinates for sections of the trail design. However, in weaving our way up from the Holbrook trailhead, I could very much appreciate the design of what will be a series of long sweeping switchbacks that will help spread that elevation gain out over a more reasonable stretch of trail while overlooking Holbrook canyon. This will be a “green” rated trail for all trail users to connect to Bellevue and the Bonneville Shoreline trail. With its completion, we will also be able to complete the designation of the O.G. Holbrook trail to being limited to a “hoof & boot” trail because there will now be an alternative way for bike-users to access and exit the upper Holbrook trails system. Fools Gold will traverse a more northern route on Temple Ridge than Kinglet and while it too will be multi-use and bi-directional, it will be design to flow best downhill to help direct downhill bike traffic that direction as a way to encourage the separation of user groups by natural trail selection. With the design plan, compatible shared travel upward by user groups will happen on Kinglet and downward naturally separates to Fools Gold. Of course, with the trail construction timing, Kinglet may serve a season as the main route for all user groups.

As longtime newsletter readers know, I often find my happy place and best thinking in our mountain backyard with my husband Michael and dog Henry so I’m excited about these new trail projects. Beyond just my work on our local trails, I serve on the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission representing all Utah cities and get to play a role in developing trail and outdoor recreation assets statewide. I’m always happy to help people that want to explore our new trails by foot or bike (sorry, I don’t have a horse, but can connect you to the equestrian on our trail committee if that is your jam). Last summer I offered some “Hikes with Henry” and “Bike with Kate” options for residents and a few intrepid souls took me up on the offer. I’m planning to do a similar option this summer for “party pace, no drop hikes or rides” for residents that would like a friendly, guided exploration to understand how the trail system connects, a detailed understanding of the Bountiful TMP, help understanding trail building techniques, the ‘method to the madness’ on trail design features, the backstory of how different trails got their names, and of course a side dose of any Bountiful topic you might want to talk about while on the mountain. If this is something you might be interested in, drop me a line and I’ll put you on the invite list for the hike and bike dates this summer. It might even count toward any America250 health & wellness fitness challenge points you are working on. Finally, if you like the trail system we are building and want to help build more trails faster, you can donate directly to our trail fund HERE.

South Davis Greenway Project

Bountiful is part of a feasibility study that will be taking place this spring along with the cities of North Salt Lake, Centerville, and Farmington on a future active transportation project called the “South Davis Greenway”. The study will look at creating a new shared use path/trail that could connect these four communities on the east-side of I-15. You might be familiar with the Legacy trail that is a paved path on the west side of I-15 that allows users to walk, run, bike, or generally roll for 14 miles connecting to the Jordan River Trail in Salt Lake City and through many Davis County cities west of I-15 along the Legacy Highway. While not exactly analogous, the South Davis Greenway project idea does have some overlaps as a way for active transportation users to be able to connect and travel in a way that feels safer than traveling in a traditional roadway with cars. The point of the feasibility study is to see if we can identify a route and basic concepts along the 4-city route for a plan that would then need to be approved and funded (such a project would be eligible for the State’s Utah Trails Network funding).

Since North Salt Lake, Bountiful, Centerville, and Farmington are older communities that are “built out” on the east-side the idea is to use existing street routes, but to separate the active transportation users from cars with a greenway of plants and trees that acts as a buffer between uses. For instance, 200 West in Bountiful is a very wide street that could accommodate a greenway and still accommodate 2-way vehicle traffic. Think of a greenway as a linear park that might help people reach the Front Runner station in Farmington to commute for work. Or it could be a way for students to travel to school safely and easily from their neighborhood as the proposed route would be near Boulton Elementary, South Davis Jr. High, Bountiful Elementary, Bountiful Jr. High, Meadowbrook Elementary, and Viewmont High. The city adopted several goals in our General Plan to support active transportation and help walkers, runners, dog walkers, bikers, and anyone rolling feel safe moving around Bountiful outside of a car. This is one of the first projects to work on those goals. As part of the feasibility study, there will be open houses and surveys for residents in all the cities to offer feedback so stay tuned for those events (I’ll share them in future newsletters, my social media, and the city’s social media). In the meantime, there is a quick survey to kick things off that you can find HERE.

Street Intersection Safety Projects

Thanks to grant application work by our City Engineer Lloyd Cheney, the city has received a Davis County grant to help improve street crossings at three busy intersections; two on 500 South and one on 400 North. As I mentioned above, we have adopted General Plan goals to make active transportation safer and easier in Bountiful and are working to make good on those commitments. 400 North and 500 South are major arterial streets that carry large volumes of traffic every day. They can be very intimidating streets to try to cross if you don’t do so at a traffic light-controlled intersection. I’m an active early-morning dog walker and some of my preferred routes with Henry take us along both 500 South and 400 North as we live between those streets and any connected loop between home and Henry’s favorite sniffing trees (or the place he last remembered finding an abandoned pizza crust) is likely to take us along those streets.



The grant funds will allow the city to construct enhanced crossings at the following intersections: 400 North & 200 East, 500 South & 100 East, and 500 South & 200 East. The enhancements will include “rectangular rapid flashing beacons” (RRFB) crossing signs that a person can activate to alert cars to their intent to cross. It will also include installing pedestrian refuge islands mid-street where a person can safely stop to observe traffic to ensure cars are actually stopping so they can continue to cross. Both 400 North and 500 South are wide streets at these intersections with traffic traveling in two-lanes each for both north and south bound traffic and being able to ensure 4-total lanes of traffic stop for the pedestrian can sometimes be hard to ascertain which is why the mid-street pedestrian refuge islands are helpful and enhance safety. There are some handy pictures and diagrams of what the RRFB’s and refuge islands/traffic flow will look like in the March 10th city council information packet that you can find HERE (see pages 57-62). It is anticipated that the projects will completed in the fiscal year 2027 streets budget.

Don't forget to check in on the City website for council meeting agendas and the latest City information. I also highly encourage signing up for the City's E-Newsletter that goes out twice a month and following Bountiful City on social media.

If you are in need of help or have questions that I can assist in answering, you can reach me at 801-599-9017 or email me at my personal email KateforBountifulCity@gmail.com or city email kbradshaw@bountiful.gov. Thanks for reading and allowing me to represent you. I hope this newsletter was informative and helpful, please feel free to share it with neighbors that might not receive it directly or you can always find the newsletter on my Facebook page too. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to share a concern, have an idea for a policy improvement, or need help navigating City services. I'll do my best to assist.

-Kate

Paid for by Kate Bradshaw. Not produced or distributed at taxpayer expense.

Entirely written by Kate Bradshaw, especially the typos.

Kate Bradshaw Contact info:

KateforBountifulCity@gmail.com

KBradshaw@Bountiful.gov

Mobile: 801-599-9017

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Kate Bradshaw serves as Bountiful's Mayor. She first joined the Bountiful City Council in November 2018 to fill a mid-term vacancy. She won city-wide re-election in a 2019 and again in 2023 to the Bountiful City Council before again winning election in 2025 and taking office as Mayor.