| office | Mayor of Brigham City |
|---|---|
| term_start | January 4, 2010 |
| term_end | January 6, 2014 |
| constituency | |
| majority | |
| predecessor | Lou Ann Christensen |
| successor | Tyler Vincent |
| prior_term |
Just one month before the election, Brigham City’s mayor, Dennis Fife, heard the news that an LDS Temple was to be built in his town and realized that if he won the election, he would be highly involved in the construction process and related events. He said, “The election was in November, and then I was sworn into office the first week in January, and that’s when I got involved.”
When it was announced that the temple would be built across from the tabernacle, Fife felt that would be the perfect place. From the city’s perspective, it would revitalize the downtown. The city’s main involvement at the start was with the city planners and city permitting process. They received all the site and construction plans to be approved by the city. From there, city officials formed different committees from their staff members to review the site plans, safety, and closing of the street. City involvement with the temple construction continued from the groundbreaking to the completion and dedication.
Mayor Fife’s plans for the future include installing a pressurized irrigation system to reduce the cost of using culinary water for watering lawns. He explained, “We have plenty of water, but we have to plan for the future. For our forefathers who planned the water, Brigham City is extremely fortunate. We have a lot of springs that just naturally flow. In the winter we don’t have to pump any water.” He has started a study about installing an overpass over the railroad switching operations on Forest Street because delays make it difficult for emergency vehicles to get out. He also hopes to do an upgrade on the electrical system.
The mayor feels optimistic about the town’s lifestyle. “For a city our size, Brigham does extremely well,” he explains. “We have some beautiful parks. We have nice museums and senior center and so forth that cities our size normally can’t provide, but we do.”Oral history with Dennis Fife by Kathleen Bradford, June 6, 2012. Accession # 2012.38.1 / MSS 419
Notes
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