Commissioner looks back with fondness

FARMINGTON — Imagine the surprise on the faces of the two veteran county commissioners — Dannie McConkie and Carol Page — when Santa showed up for the last commission meeting of 2005.

In his pack was — what else? — coal for the commissioners.

For the past four years, Santa has made a visit, showing up to the Davis County Memorial Courthouse in a furry red suit, matching hat, boots and white beard. But instead of only spreading Christmas cheer, he stays to vote on county legislation and participate in administrative discussions.

That's because this Santa is actually Commissioner Alan Hansen, who cleaned out his office this past week for incoming Commissioner John Petroff Jr. It was Hansen's last official day as a county commissioner after he didn't seek re-election in 2008.

At this point, it's too late for this to turn into a prank.

Hansen has left the building.

Though the nameplate on his office still bears his name, that will change Monday at 10 a.m. this week when Petroff is sworn in for a four-year term.

And after a single term in office, Hansen looks back with fondness at the people he's worked with, one of whom is Mel Miles, the county's personnel director, who has become a personal friend over the past two years.

Miles and Hansen regularly rib each other over Hansen's fondness for doughnuts.

Recently, when Miles, the overseer of the county's wellness program, declined to provide doughnuts for some morning meetings, Hansen fired off a good-natured doughnut-harassment e-mail.

And Miles replied with a friendly reminder that Hansen only had 30 days left in office.

So for Christmas this year, Santa had a special gift for Miles, an Ozonator, designed to eliminate foul odors coming from the county's personnel department.

From the time he was 18 years old, Hansen has been playing politics in one way or another.

Having grown up in Sunset, he was recruited to be a county delegate at his first neighborhood caucus in 1972 and served as both county and state delegate numerous times.

He ran for City Council after moving to Clearfield but lost and served on the city's planning commission instead until a third run for City Council was successful in 1999.