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The Spanish Fork City Council poses for a photo on Wednesday, June 16, after selecting Shane Marshall, second from right, to fill a vacancy on the council. 

Courtesy Spanish Fork City Pete Hansen

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Spanish Fork City Councilmember Shane Marshall poses for a portrait. 

Courtesy Spanish Fork City Pete Hansen

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Shane Marshall has been selected to fill a vacancy on the Spanish Fork City Council.

Marshall, director of transportation development with Horrocks Engineering, replaces Keir Scoubes, a three-term councilmember who announced his resignation earlier this month to pursue a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies at the Inter-American Defense College as a colonel of the Army National Guard.

During a special meeting on Wednesday, the Spanish Fork City Council heard from nearly a dozen candidates vying to fill the council vacancy.

Each candidate had two minutes to answer three questions: What do you want us to know about you? What is your vision for the future of Spanish Fork? And, why you? Help us know what sets you apart from the others who applied for this position.

Nearly every candidate spoke about the need to sustain the rapid population growth Spanish Fork has seen in recent decades while still maintaining the south Utah County city’s rural roots and feel.

Marshall told the city council about the 25 years he spent working with the Utah Department of Transportation, experience that he said would benefit the city as officials consider “different modes of transportation (for) our community.”

“We need active transportation,” said Marshall, who has a degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University.

Marshall added that he would bring a “fiscally conservative approach to taxes and spending” if chosen to serve on the city council.

“I think we all can agree that when we spend money, we know whose money that is. That’s our citizens’,” he said. “We need to be very responsible with that. We need to talk about those priorities open and honestly and let everyone know what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Marshall said he would also work to ensure there are “a range of housing choices” for residents and a “solid plan” for growth and development.

“It can’t all be one thing,” Marshall said about housing. “We just can’t do that anymore.”

Each member of the city council selected their top three choices to fill the vacancy. Marshall and Kevin Oyler, a member of the Spanish Fork Planning Commission, emerged as the two finalists.

Councilmembers Mike Mendenhall and Brandon Gordon both chose Marshall, noting that he ran for city council in 2019 and therefore had already demonstrated an interest in serving.

Councilmember Stacy Beck said she preferred Marshall because “infrastructure right now is a big deal for our city.”

In a written statement following the meeting, Marshall said he is “grateful for the opportunity to work with the City Council to add value as quickly as possible.”

“Utah County and Spanish Fork are facing growth challenges for the future,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the community to find sustainable solutions that allow us to continue to have the quality of life that we’ve come to expect in Spanish Fork.”

Marshall will serve out the remainder of Scoubes’ term, which ends in January 2022. The seat will be filled during this year’s municipal election.

“We are excited to welcome Shane to the City Council,” Mayor Steve Leifson said in a written statement. “He will provide us with great insights on infrastructure and transportation and I look forward to working with him for the next six months.”