2023 Candidate Questions

Media Questions by Publication

2023 Cedar Valley Sentinel Candidate Questions

In 2023, Mike Kieffer, of the Eagle Mountain news website Cedar Valley Sentinel, asked each candidate to answer 16 questions to get a better feel where each candidate stands on the issues facing Eagle Mountain. Here are Melissa's answers:

Motivation

Why are you running for city council and what motivated you to get involved in local government?

As a mother, wife, and business leader, the safety and vitality of Eagle Mountain are a huge priority. As a longtime resident of Eagle Mountain, I appreciate the city's unique character and natural beauty. I am committed to responsible growth that preserves the city's heritage while creating opportunities for future generations. I believe in investing in essential infrastructure, maintaining a safe and vibrant community, and protecting the Eagle Mountain way of life.

Experience

What relevant experience or skills do you bring to the role of city council member?

I have a proven track record of success in both professional and civic roles. As the President of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce, I have been instrumental in promoting economic growth and supporting local businesses. With my leadership and an amazing team, we have fostered a thriving business community, attracted new investments and created job opportunities for residents.
My professional background as a project manager and business consultant has equipped me with the skills necessary to navigate complex issues and deliver results. My service and leadership with local nonprofits has demonstrated my ability to effectively manage resources, coordinate stakeholders, and drive projects to successful completion and has been recognized and valued by those I have worked with.
During my service on the Eagle Mountain City Council I developed strong relationships with business leaders, government officials, and residents. I actively listen to the concerns and aspirations of the community, and I am dedicated to being a voice for the people of Eagle Mountain.

Most Pressing Issues

What do you see as the most pressing issues facing our city, and how do you plan to address them?

Responsible Growth and Development
I advocate for responsible growth and development that aligns with the values and aspirations of Eagle Mountain residents and landowners. I understand the importance of preserving the city's unique character while meeting the needs of a growing population. I have worked to ensure that growth is thoughtful, mindful of finite resources, and considerate of the infrastructure and services required to support it.

Economic Vitality* & Job Creation
I am dedicated to fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities in Eagle Mountain. I work closely with local businesses, entrepreneurs, Chambers of Commerce, and economic development organizations to attract new investments, support existing businesses, and promote job creation. Professionally, I work tirelessly with the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce to foster a business-friendly environment that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Transparency and Accountability
I am committed to transparency and accountability in government. While serving in City Council I would actively seek input from residents, hold regular town hall meetings, and utilize digital platforms to keep the community informed and engaged. During COVID when there weren’t a lot of in-person meetings, I would present virtual open houses, via facebook, with local, county, school board, and state leaders as a way for residents to ask questions and get answers. I wholeheartedly believe in open and accessible government, where decisions are made in compliance with the law, with the best interests of the community in mind and are supported by clear and honest communication. Our decisions won’t make everyone happy, all the time, but I will always do the work to study all aspects of an issue, and make the best decision possible.

Public Safety and Preparedness
I have prioritized public safety and the overall quality of life for Eagle Mountain residents. I will work collaboratively with fellow councilmembers, Utah County Sheriff's Office, and Unified Fire Authority to ensure adequate resources and support for public safety initiatives. I believe in investing in CERT, Emergency Preparedness, and crucial equipment needed in the event of emergencies. While serving on Council, I worked closely with city staff, VIPS, Eagle Mountain Ham Radio Group and Be Ready Eagle Mountain to help our city to be prepared for emergencies. I actively pursued and supported the creation of two CERT trailers, and increased equipment for disasters. I am also CERT trained, and a ham radio licensed operator- KJ7HRL.

Collaboration and Community Engagement
I value collaboration and community engagement as essential components of effective representation. I have and will continue to actively engage with residents, landowners, and community organizations to gather feedback and learn about different perspectives. I believe in working together to find common-sense solutions.

Support of Families and Way of Life
I am dedicated to supporting families, of all shapes and sizes, and to preserving the way of life in Eagle Mountain. I understand the importance of strong families, safe neighborhoods, and the preservation of what makes Eagle Mountain feel special.

Principles of Liberty, Fiscal Conservatism, Limited Government
As a long time county and state delegate, and precinct chair, I have worked hard to help support and preserve the principles of liberty, fiscal conservatism, and limited government. I believe in responsible financial stewardship, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively. I will continue to advocate for limited government and empowering individuals and businesses to thrive.

Resident Involvement

How do you plan to engage and involve the community in decision-making processes?

My personal cell 801-357-9156 and my social media and email are always available to residents. Like many residents, before I served on City Council, I had really strong opinions and felt like I didn’t have a voice at City Hall. I will study out the issues, I will connect with residents and landowners, and ultimately, I will use principles, the law, and good stewardship to make the tough decisions.

Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management

What is your stance on fiscal responsibility and budget management? How do you plan to balance the city's financial needs with the expectations of residents?

As a family, we are graduates of Financial Peace University. While on City Council, it was my priority to make sure the City budget maxed out the “rainy day” financial reserves so we would always have some money set aside of unforeseen or unavoidable expenses. In municipal government there are some legitimate reasons to bond and “go into debt”. Examples of legitimate reasons to bond include essential infrastructure, limited instances of impact fee eligible amenities and public safety. Eagle Mountain has done a really good job of keeping the tax rate low and providing the basics. As those who have responsibility to judiciously use taxpayers' money, we should also make sure that our city staffing levels are set to provide services in a timely manner, but not ever excessive and wasteful.

Environment & Conservation

What is your position on sustainable and environmentally-friendly initiatives, such as renewable energy, waste management, or green spaces?

I believe each of us has a responsibility to be good stewards of the resources and land we are blessed with. A few years ago, through careful use and great negotiating, the city had a pretty significant surplus in the solid waste fund. Based on feedback from residents I advocated for the city to provide glass recycling. Individual glass recycling pick up wasn’t a viable option, so city staff worked on some options to present to the Council. Now we have a really awesome glass recycling unit at Cory Wride park, and it even has a beautiful mural! We have room for improvement as a community when it comes to our efforts. I am a big advocate for a “carrot versus a stick” approach for policies and requirements. My preferred way to address some of these things is education and training resources to help people to know the best way to be good stewards.
It has been a huge priority to work with those experts that are passionate about our wildlife, native plants, and open spaces. I will continue to work to bring people together for this crucially important part of our community.

Housing Affordability

How do you plan to address affordable housing challenges in our city? Are there specific policies or initiatives you would advocate for?

Historically, one of the best ways to keep housing affordable is to keep taxes down, commutes short, and promote vital economic development so people can work closer to home and the community can have a solid tax base. We can all see that those efforts just are not enough with our current economic climate, but home ownership is still one of the best ways to help escape multi-generational poverty.
As part of the major economic development projects with RDA, Redevelopment Agency, in Eagle Mountain, (such as Facebook, Tyson, and Google), by state law, there is a sizable portion of money that comes from the property tax and RDA budget each year of the RDA. Our city needs to create an Affordable Housing Plan to use those resources to help foster stability in our community.

That plan should include a healthy mix of programs and resources to foster home ownership, revitalization grants to improve value, ADU grants/loans to help homeowners create additional housing, and first-time home buyer grants. In addition to home ownership programs, we should also have programs that are temporary support to people who are not yet in a position to own homes. Whenever possible we should allow programs within the private sector and charitable organizations to help stretch the dollars in the Affordable Housing fund.

Economic Development

What is your stance on economic development and attracting businesses to our city? How do you plan to promote local entrepreneurship and job growth?

For many people economic development is almost an afterthought, that they will get to when a bunch of other items are addressed. This is the opposite of what we need to be doing because a healthy, thriving business community mitigates the other problems that often plague communities. For example, one of the best ways to address rush-hour gridlock is to have great jobs in the community so there are less people leaving the city and returning at the same time every day in a long commute. A vibrant business community also addresses some of the biggest needs in a community. In times of crisis, local small businesses are often the first to step up and support their communities. They are the ones sponsoring local events, participating in fundraisers, and giving back whenever there is a need. They are invested in the well-being of the community because they are part of it. Supporting them means ensuring that we have a safety net of support during challenging times and a foundation for growth and prosperity in the future.

Eagle Mountain has been on the forefront of creative solutions and attracting businesses to our city. One such way has been the RTI, Regional Technology and Industry, Overlay Zone. This has helped the city prioritize specific business types, that are either needed in our community or are big contributors without as many negative impacts. It opens up a special approval process for qualifying businesses. The RTI makes specific areas of the city designated for this purpose and then pre-qualifies certain uses and streamlines the approval process and provides development-friendly standards. Eagle Mountain fostered the creation of our own Chamber of Commerce to be a support to local business and entrepreneurs. As the President of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce, I have worked over the last year, to listen to the individual needs of local business owners and entrepreneurs, provide resources, training, and workshops, and create more networking opportunities so new business owners can find mentors and colleagues to improve their business. All of this has been done almost entirely without taxpayer dollars and yet both examples have been a tremendous help to local business and a huge draw to new businesses.
As a Councilmember, I will continue to listen to the business owners to hear about what they really need, I will advocate for our community on a regional and state level, and I will lead out with innovative ways to support and foster our businesses.

Public Safety

How do you prioritize public safety and community well-being? What ideas or strategies do you have for enhancing public safety and building stronger neighborhoods?

One of the biggest indicators of safety and well-being of a community is the stability of that community. We have to ask ourselves “are people moving to Eagle Mountain for 2-3 years and then moving away and why are they leaving?”, “Do our neighborhoods know about resources available to them through our Sheriff's department, Be Ready Eagle Mountain, and Communities that Care?”, and “Do people know where to turn to prevent issues within their neighborhood?”. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but we do need to inform about available resources, regularly evaluate those resources and programs, and actually know and listen to residents. You cannot know and listen unless you are out meeting with people and hearing directly from them. One of my favorite questions to ask is “Why did you move to Eagle Mountain?” followed up by “What makes you stay?”. When I have done that I have heard over and over again, “We moved here because it is quiet”, because “there is still open space”, and “we wanted a safe place to raise a family.” When I have asked people why they are moving away, it is almost always because they couldn’t find a move-up home here in Eagle Mountain. We have made some great strides in prioritizing a diverse mix of housing products, and ensuring there are some homes and lots that people can move-up to and have more space for their growing family, or even to downsize because all of their kids have grown & flown.

We are getting closer and closer to the time when EM will need to create its own police force. Right now we have access to really great resources through our contract with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. Things like investigators, lab services, special units, SWAT, are all very expensive and as we have been growing, our contract with USCO has been of great value with many services. We need to continue to support community policing with programs like Neighborhood Watch, RAD Kids and RAD Women, and School Resource Officers. EM has historically been super supportive of our SROs and have made a point to fund more than many other communities. Over and over again I have heard from our deputies how important it is to be present in the lives of our kids while they are in school and everything is going relatively well, so when the hard stuff happens or a kid makes a dumb choice, which they do sometimes, the SRO deputies have already built positive interactions with the kids and help them navigate out of some of the really difficult times.

Along with supporting our Public Safety programs, we also need to make sure our parks, open space and trails are well maintained to be a healthy place both for people and the wildlife that calls EM home. The health of the wildlife of our community is a measure of the health of our community.

I have prioritized public safety and the overall quality of life for Eagle Mountain residents. I will work collaboratively with fellow councilmembers, Utah County Sheriff's Office, and Unified Fire Authority to ensure adequate resources and support for public safety initiatives. If a city fails at supporting public safety, they have failed one of the most crucial roles of government. I believe in investing in CERT, Emergency Preparedness, and crucial equipment needed in the event of emergencies. While serving on Council, I worked closely with city staff, VIPS, Eagle Mountain Emergency Communications Ham Radio Group and Be Ready Eagle Mountain to help our city to be prepared for emergencies. I actively pursued and supported the creation of two CERT trailers, and increased equipment for disasters. I am also CERT trained, and a ham radio licensed operator- KJ7HRL.

Collaboration

How do you plan to collaborate and work with other council members and community stakeholders to achieve your goals?

Even before I started serving on Council, I saw the importance of learning from colleagues on the state and county level, the school board, and even our Federal delegation. I have built some really important relationships with my counterparts, both elected officials and leaders of local nonprofits, and business leaders. I have advocated for regular meetings with surrounding communities and their Councils, and regular meetings with our school board. Those types of working relationships have been a huge benefit to our residents, our nonprofits, and our local businesses.

I have a ton of respect for anyone who will put themselves out there and run for office, especially my colleagues on City Council. Civility is something we need as part of the public discourse. Those who have served with me in professional and civic roles know I work hard and don’t give up until we can find a solution to the problem we’re facing or issue we are trying to address. I have regular touch base meetings with my counterparts, and stay in contact with community stakeholders. When people need a resource or connection, they know I will help get them connected to the person and resources they need.

Resolving Conflicts

Can you provide examples of situations where you have successfully built consensus or resolved conflicts in a diverse and potentially divided community?

Three examples jump out at me. With a particular development in City Center, we had a councilmember who felt very strongly that we needed to preserve larger lots in that area. I agreed. The project the developer brought before the Council wasn’t bad, but it did not meet the desired land use for that area. Instead of just voting yes or no as is, I met with that developer and the other councilmember. We worked through the concerns and desires of both the landowner and councilmember, and ultimately found a way to increase the average lot size without stripping the landowner of the value and use of his property.

Another example is when we were working on getting the code created for the Wildlife Corridor Overlay Zone and one of the first developments to adopt the Wildlife Corridor-friendly components. I remember talking to a very supportive landowner and developer that had reached the end of how much he could bend and accommodate the wishes of those in support of the Wildlife Corridor. He was getting worn out from that back and forth and was close to just giving up on the discussions and moving forward with the development as vested. In listening to both sides of that issue, I knew we were super close and both side just needed someone to hear and help the issues along. It wasn’t my doing that finally got it over the finish line, it was a total group effort, but sometimes in situations like that, both sides just need a little nudge, or sympathetic ear and ideas for creative solutions.

The last example was when one neighborhood was subject to some really impactful and even damaging activity in their neighborhood. We found ourselves in a really tough spot because the activity was partially done and if we made the developer and excavator halt the work, it would have left a huge mess for those neighbors. We had to listen to the residents to hear their biggest concerns and then also hear what efforts could make the problem better. We were able to create code to prevent that situation from ever happening again, we were able to get compensation for those that sustained damage, and also were able to get some additional park amenities funded by that developer to help mitigate the inconvenience, damage, and frustration. We couldn’t undo what had started, but we could facilitate a path forward. (I use the word we because it was a group effort. I was able to help contribute to the solution with some of my skills, but that solution was not only from my work, it was a combination of residents raising concerns, city staff helping provide context and the understanding of what could legally be done, and the elected officials repeatedly going to the neighborhood and listening so we could help make this situation better.)

Vision of Eagle Mountain's Future

What is your vision for our city in the next five to ten years? How do you plan to involve residents in shaping that vision?

Eagle Mountain is such an amazing place to live and work. When I think of some of the awesome things we have accomplished together here, it reminds me of the term originally coined by Early American, John Winthrop, and later adopted by the great Ronald Reagan, “we shall be as a city upon a hill”. We have 50+ square miles of some of the most beautiful land around and home to some of the smartest, most talented, and most caring people in the country. For decades people have called this area “the Crossroads of the West” and recently I heard a successful business leader say, we have developed into “the Crossroads of the World”. There is a great deal of truth to that statement, but there is also a huge responsibility to get it right. We can be special and different. We can choose creative solutions over a cookie-cutter approach, and we can create that shining city on a hill that was spoken of over 400 years ago. We need to preserve the city's unique character while meeting the needs of a growing population. With a focus on innovative practices and thoughtful planning, we must ensure that the city's infrastructure, transportation, and public services keep pace with the demands of the community. We will plan ahead, use industry best practices, and implement the most crucial responsibilities of the government–public safety, roads, and life-sustaining infrastructure. The reality is, growth is going to happen, we get to decide if we help to manage that growth in a responsible way or if we just become subject to whatever outside forces dictate. We have to be intentional about creating safe and adequate roadways and fostering jobs and resources right here in our community.

As for how I will involve residents in the shaping of that vision, I will do what I am known for–being with the people, listening to them, being available to them, and being their voice at City Hall.

2021 Cedar Valley Sentinel Candidate Questions

In 2021, Mike Kieffer, of the Eagle Mountain news website Cedar Valley Sentinel, asked each candidate to answer 16 questions to get a better feel where each candidate stands on the issues facing Eagle Mountain. For this election, Melissa was running for Mayor. Her answers reflect that candidacy.

Property Rights

Can you balance property rights while protecting residents from predatory development behavior?

I always tell my kids, “the most expensive mistakes are the ones we do not learn from.” There have been situations councils over the last 25 years have found themselves in and felt like their hands were tied, by a previous council’s decision, by not foreseeing how a situation would play out, or by constraints that the state has put on cities. The important thing is that we learn from those opportunities and improve. One of the most important ways to protect residents from predatory development behavior is to enforce the code already in place. Another important way to protect both property rights and residents is to regularly review our code and look for inconsistencies and areas that code has not yet addressed. This is an area in which we can lean on both our trained staff and our boards and commissions. We need to be intentional in giving direction to the other bodies in our city and asking them to review a certain area of concern or code and bring a recommendation to the City Council.

Housing - Needs vs. Wants

In your opinion, what type of housing is needed in Eagle Mountain?

Eagle Mountain needs a balance of housing and one of the types of housing we still lack is “move up” housing. For many years, Eagle Mountain was known as the place you can get more house for less, and “starter homes” for a great price, largely because of the distance to retail, goods, and services, which has steadily improved during the last few years. Many families moved here and grew here, but as they began to outgrow their first or second EM homes, they found themselves looking for a place to move up into. In the last 5 years, we have made a lot of progress in working with the development community to help encourage more “move up” homes. To have a fiscally healthy and stable community we need a mix of housing types. We need to continue to work to make sure the various types of homes don’t get out of balance.

Rural Living

In a survey [from Cedar Valley Sentinel], one of the biggest reasons people move to eagle mountain is for a “rural living”. What is your definition of rural living?

There are plenty of legal descriptions of rural. Some are based on population, some are based on proximity, and some are based on characteristics. When Eagle Mountain people talk to me about “rural living” they are talking about a place that is rural in character. They are talking about a place where people can still ride their horses or horse power and you see a horse in line at the drive thru of McDonalds.

“Rural Living” is a place where you can raise chickens, and grow fruit trees and a garden.

“Rural Living” means you can step just outside your neighborhood and access a trail to hike a mountain.

“Rural Living” means your kids can just go outside and play on the grass or in dirt because you have space to do so.

“Rural Living” means you can see stars at night. The people of Eagle Mountain may not meet all of the legal definitions of rural, but they are talking about a lifestyle and sense of community.

What Brings People to Eagle Mountain?

What is the biggest factor that brings new residents to Eagle Mountain?

If you asked this question 15 years ago, the answer would emphatically be more house & land, at less cost. Today people are moving to Eagle Mountain because they are choosing the lifestyle. Eagle Mountain is close enough to both Salt Lake City and the Provo-Orem Metropolitan areas, so our residents can access amenities and services, and yet Eagle Mountain can still boast wildlife, open space, comprehensive trails, and mountainous and valley views. People love the fact that they can run to the local grocery store on an OHV or horseback. People move here for space, fresh air, and something different than what urban areas have to offer.

Vested Density

Eagle Mountain already has more vested houses than houses that are built in the city. What do you feel is the best way to deal with this surplus of vested unbuilt properties?

Housing Moratorium

There has been some talk about a building moratorium. Do you think a building moratorium is in order, legal, or necessary in Eagle Mountain?

Building moratorium is a tool allowed by Utah State Law that allows a city to create a temporary land use regulation to have time to create a solution to an extreme problem or emergency. Recently Oakley, Utah enacted a moratorium on all building permit approvals and new landscaping requiring connection to City Culinary water. In Oakley’s case they are unable to provide any additional city culinary water hook ups, so they have halted all building permits. Their mayor said this is about averting a crisis during an extreme drought and if there was a big fire, there is a significant likelihood they would not have enough water to both put out the fire and continue to provide water to residents for home use. Another example is Bluff Town passed a moratorium on all building permits for 6 months while they work on their zoning ordinances. In Eagle Mountain, we would need to show three things: 1. justification and that we cannot continue to serve the public “health, safety, and welfare”, 2. the area that the moratorium affects, 3. the length of time for the moratorium. To the question of “in order, legal, or necessary”, this tool cannot just be used to slow growth; we would have to be creating a solution during the time period. Possible instances where I believe we would need to enact a moratorium include the following: if we needed to install an additional well or make repairs to our water system that could not otherwise be made; if we needed to put in a new road or repair a road that would be safety risk without; or if we needed to revamp code and it couldn’t be revamped without halting building. The reality is, this is a tough issue because a moratorium is merely a “band-aid” while a city works to get “better care.” We still have to address the issue; a moratorium alone doesn’t solve the issue.

City Council Districts

Currently, the city council members are elected by a city-wide vote. What are your thoughts on breaking the city up into districts and having each district vote for one of the city council members?

This is something that is often done by larger cities. The sentiment behind districting is valid as Thomas Jefferson said “the government closest to the people serves the people best”. The question our city needs to ask every two years is “as representatives of the people, can we still serve the people without living in the same neighborhood?”. I believe right now, we can and have. As a council member, I care about and represent the people of White Hills, Lone Tree, Meadow Ranch, and Pioneer Addition equally. While districting may create a sense of being more connected to one’s districted council member, there are also pitfalls. As we can see in the state and federal governments, there are alliances and other shortfalls that take place. As we grow and mature as a city, we should revisit the idea of districting regularly.

Housing Crisis

What should the city of Eagle Mountain do about the housing crisis, and what is your definition of the housing crisis?

Anyone who is paying attention can see that home prices have nearly doubled in the past few years. This is a widespread issue in the state of Utah and in other states as well. It is a problem that most of us could not afford to go out and buy our homes with the current market prices. It is a problem that people are having to spend a bigger percentage of their income to get into a basic home. Historically, when the government tries to “solve a problem” by intervening or trying to control something like a housing market, there are always additional problems that are created. To quote Jurassic Park, “Your scientists [or in our case, elected officials] were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Just because a city can do a list of things to intervene, does not mean a city should do all of those things. Look at places like NYC and San Francisco, rent control, housing projects and government intervention have not solved the housing crisis for them. Utah andEagle Mountain are great places to live because we have always upheld principles of thrift, charity, and accountability. Every action that a government takes has broad and long-lasting impacts on the community, so the actions taken should be based on principles and best practices, not on emotion or whims.

The things EM should do about the housing crisis include:

provide the most important government functions like public safety, fire, clean water, solid waste and sewer, safe and adequate transportation infrastructure;
continue to preserve and protect our wildlife, clean air, and water resources because they are key indicators of a safe and healthy community;
keep spending and taxes low to reduce the tax burden on the people,
look for additional ways to foster small business and entrepreneurship.

As a result of economic development and community development areas, EM will have money that is mandated by state law to go toward affordable housing. When Eagle Mountain does anything above the basics listed above, the goal should be clear–to get people into a better situation and to help them get to a place that allows them to not need help indefinitely. Should there be some safety nets in the event of extenuating circumstances? Of course. Safety nets are meant to catch you when you fall, and not a web to entrap you forever.

Special Contribution

What can you do for Eagle Mountain that someone else cannot do?

We have had some really great mayors that have each brought significant talent and skills to the job. Mayor Jackson was masterful at bringing attention to EM and advocating to get things like funding for road improvements and other needs. She worked to build community and was a steady hand after years of tumult. Mayor Pengra was a strong leader with a commanding sense of stewardship and responsibility. He was always accountable to the people and people knew how to access him. He built a sense of community through Cory Wride park and was intentional and resolute in the vision of economic development and building relationships with neighboring cities. Mayor Painter, while he only served a few months, brought experience and helped continue the progress that was made by previous Mayors, and also appointed individuals to help keep that vision and progress going. Mayor Westmoreland comes from a marketing background so he was willing to try new things like a podcast and additional social media presence. His laidback nature made difficult meetings more bearable and allowed for council to work through difficult decisions.

I will take all the good things I have learned from our previous mayors and add my leadership and problem solving skills that I have learned from years in the business world. Our company’s increased revenue and productivity speaks volumes about my ability to manage the operations and projects of several teams and interact effectively with marketing, manufacturing, sales, and logistics and along other divisions. I bring my ability to connect, inform, and relate with people that I learned from years as a teacher. While I am a strong leader and tenacious advocate, I have also learned to be a really good listener; people have come to know me for how much I love this city and the heart that pour into all that I do.