Draper Public Works clears path to help local scouts earn Eagles

Draper City employees are going above and beyond the call of duty to help local youth make a difference in the community and learn leadership skills.

Draper Public Works crews are paid to render services such as snow removal and flood control within the city. Through a city-supported program, those same city staff members are also working with local scouts on projects so that the youth may earn their Eagle Scout badges.

Draper City Parks Department Trails and Open Space Specialist Greg Hilbig said many city employees are working with the scouts because the projects benefit both the youth and the city.

“[City staff] volunteer their time to lead these projects,” Hilbig said.

In addition, Hilbig said he earned an Eagle Scout as a youth and appreciates the importance of scouting in the community.

“I was an Eagle Scout. My dad was, and so were my brothers,” he said.

Youth are encouraged to get involved through activities such as helping to clear trails, install park benches, plant trees or place orange flags for pedestrians at busy traffic intersection crossings.

Past Eagle Scout projects in the city have also included scouts painting mile-markers along the Porter Rockwell Trail system.

In December, local scout Gareth Miller, 17, completed an Eagle Scout project by interviewing Draper City Waste Disposal Manager Steve Hullinger and creating a blog webpage with tips for residents about how to recycle Christmas waste.

Hullinger said Miller did a great job on his project and provided a service to the community.

“It was a really good experience,” Hullinger said.

Local youth with a desire to earn an Eagle Scout will find information about project ideas and opportunities for service in the city through the Draper City Public Works webpage, linked to the official Draper City website.

The introduction to the program through the city website reads in part, “The focus of the Eagle Scout project is concentrated on developing leadership skills and providing service to a local institution or the community. Your involvement in an Eagle Scout project will have a lasting impact on you and the members of your community. Draper City is anxious and excited to begin working with you on your project. We hope that you are excited, as well.”

To get started on a project, youth should prepare to present an idea for service to city officials, who will then work with the youth to complete the project.

To contact the city and plan a project, scouts and their parents may fill out a registration form online or call Draper City Hall for more information.