This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Unrepentant and intractable, state Sen. Mark Madsen told a group of constituents worried the prison may move to Eagle Mountain that he thinks it could be a boon for the city, though he hasn't made up his mind.
He also said he wouldn't rush to respond to their emails or phone calls, if he responds to them at all.
The 90-minute gathering Friday at the state Capitol was the first time in three months that Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, has been willing to talk to the people who elected him about the state's prison-relocation efforts. Despite the short public notice (two days) and the inconvenient time (7:30 a.m.), 15 people arrived at Madsen's meeting, including Eagle Mountain Mayor Chris Pengra, who has also found it tough to contact his state senator.
"People believe that they are entitled to an immediate response from me on any issue if they want it," said Madsen, who has served 10 years and is not running for re-election in 2016. He said he doesn't respond to the "clamor" and instead will vote his conscience.
"I was elected to represent principles. I will apply those principles the best I know," he said. "You have had opportunities to unelect me. I've always won overwhelmingly. Now I'm choosing to leave [in two years] and I'm sure a lot of people will be happy."
Madsen said he would wait for the Prison Relocation Commission to release its final report later this year before making up his mind, but has found most of the arguments against building a penitentiary at the south end of Eagle Mountain unpersuasive.
Two people who have previously talked to Madsen about the prison — Pengra and Heidi Balderree — argued he gave them the impression that he supported the Eagle Mountain site.
"You were definitely pro-prison," said Balderree, who criticized Madsen for failing to provide information showing why he believes the prison could benefit the city, as he promised to do in November when they last talked.
Madsen apologized to Balderree, a member of the No Prison in Saratoga Springs or Eagle Mountain group, but would not apologize to the rest of those in attendance for his lack of communication. He said he found the debate over the prison to be unproductive and full of "misinformation."
Adam Bradley, an Eagle Mountain councilman, admonished Madsen for not learning after 10 years in office that his constituents would like to hear from him on controversial topics.
Erin Madsen, the senator's wife, came to her husband's defense.
"Mark is a perfectionist. I guess you marry your opposite. I want something done and if it is 85 percent right, I'm thrilled and I move on. Mark wants it perfect," she told the constituents. "Mark is probably the most a-typical politician that you will ever meet. He is not a backslapper. He's kind of an introvert, but he does want to do the best thing for the state of Utah."
She also said her husband just wasn't like David Lifferth, the Republican state House member who represents Eagle Mountain. Lifferth, who opposes building the prison at the Walden site, aggressively seeks out public opinion in meetings and social media and often uses that information to determine how he'll vote.
He has said opposing the prison in Eagle Mountain is "a no brainer."
"I think it is political suicide to support a prison in our area, but people can make up their own minds," he said.
Lifferth has at times gotten himself in trouble for sharing too freely with the public. He recently posted a blog item saying Gov. Gary Herbert would prefer to build a new prison near Salt Lake International Airport, and then later apologized for divulging the details of what Herbert assumed was a private conversation.
Madsen has been far more deliberate, telling people for months that he planned to write an opinion column that would serve as his answer to the scores of emails he has received on the topic. That column, expected to appear in Utah County newspapers as soon as this weekend, will express his belief that the prison must move from it's current location in Draper. He said it is outdated and is taking up prime real estate that would be perfect for a high-technology business park.
Madsen dismissed claims that a prison in Eagle Mountain would inhibit development or reduce property values, though he said he's open to reviewing additional information on those topics. He said that Eagle Mountain may be growing fast, but has plenty of land. The site under consideration is about three miles from any developments.
He also indicated that a prison could have economic benefits, presumably from its steady workforce.
Madsen said he had it on good authority that Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams wants to keep the prison in his area.
McAdams' spokeswoman Alyson Heyrend disputed that.
The mayor "has not said that a new prison should be built in Salt Lake County," she said. McAdams wants the Legislature to pass a bill to reduce recidivism rates and boost drug treatment before making a decision on moving the prison.
The commission is considering a site west of Salt Lake City International Airport. It is also looking at land near the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele County.
Bradley, the councilman, asked Madsen to explain his relationship with John Walden, a developer and founder of the city, who owns the land under consideration for the prison.
"He is my friend," Madsen said. He previously worked for Walden, but said he no longer has any ties to him or his real-estate holdings. While Walden has corroborated Madsen's statement, the Senate website still lists Madsen's profession as a developer for Walden's Eagle Mountain Properties. Madsen has said that was an oversight.
Like Pengra and Balderree, Walden told The Salt Lake Tribune he believed Madsen was in favor of the prison moving to his land.
Madsen insists he has never told anyone that and said it would be "foolish" for him to make a decision without all the facts. But of the arguments he has heard, he's found only one legitimate problem with moving the prison to Eagle Mountain: it could stigmatize the city.
To combat that, he suggested the city could release its claim to the land and let it become part of unincorporated Utah County. He said he's run the idea by Utah County commissioners, who are willing to discuss it.
Bradley argued that was a weak fix, since people would still have to drive through Eagle Mountain to get to the prison and would consider them connected.
The Prison Relocation Commission plans to meet in late February, when it may add sites in Tooele and Utah counties to the short list. The Legislature is not expected to make the final determination, during the current session, which ends in late March.
Twitter: @mattcanham