Councilman Matt Barber, the only incumbent in the race, withdrew Sept. 21 after the death of his father. Councilmen Seth V. Sorensen and Chris C. Wadsworth are not seeking re-election.

That leaves five contenders - Rodney C. Dart, Richard Money Davis, Rosemary H. Jarman, Jens Nielson and Scott Ward - to compete Nov. 6 for three council seats.

A retired school teacher, Dart, 60, said he is running because he wants to serve the community he has lived in all his life.

His most pressing issue: growth. Spanish Fork has jumped from 11,272 in 1990 to nearly 28,000 in 2006.

Dart said he would push to make sure this growth is managed and balanced so it can proceed in an orderly fashion. The city also needs to construct a fire station on the east side to give firefighters the ability to more quickly respond to emergencies, he added.

Another concern: The city's sewer system, which already is experiencing problems, will reach capacity in 10 years.

Davis, a 54-year-old contractor, views serving on the council as another way to pay back the city for the kindness his family was shown after his daughter, Kiplyn, disappeared in 1995.

He said his goal would be to guide Spanish Fork's growth in a manner that preserves the city's small-town atmosphere. That requires proper planning, he said, and making sure the city grows in an orderly fashion.

Other Davis goals: Ensure the city remains responsive to residents' needs and give residents an opportunity to get involved in city affairs. Davis said he would also push to keep city employees current on the latest technology.

Jarman, a 37-year-old homemaker and part-time bookkeeper, said she decided to run after working on City Council committees.

She also sees growth as an important issue and, like Davis, wants to preserve Spanish Fork's "hometown" atmosphere. She would push for a strict adherence to zoning standards as a way to keep growth orderly.

Some of the retail development in the north end has raised questions about whether the public's best interests are being served, she said, adding that she would work to create unity within the fast-growing city through its festivals, such as the annual Fiesta Days in July.

Nielson, 38, who said he has a law degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., is concerned about the city's roadways and the toll growth is taking on them. Fixing them, he said, will require planning and making sure that developers follow the city's master plan.

He said the planning also should focus on ensuring that there is enough water and sewer service for newcomers.

A key goal for the owner of Wasatch Land and Title Office: He would push to give the city's fire and ambulance crews the ability to respond to any home within five minutes, acknowledging that could require installing one or two satellite stations.

It would be worth it, he said, because residents would have lower insurance rates.

Ward, 43, offers his experience working in county and Orem government - as well as being a business coach.

He said he has a master's degree in public administration from Brigham Young University.

Like the others, Ward sees growth as a major issue, particularly in the areas of traffic and sewer infrastructure. He said he would work with the Utah Department of Transportation and Mountainland Association of Governments - the regional transportation-planning agency - to address traffic concerns.

Ward said the city also needs to guarantee that growth follows proper planning and zoning measures to remain orderly, and to eliminate some of the spot zoning that has plagued the city in the past.

dmeyers@sltrib.com