Provo Mayor

Questions and Answers about the Provo River Delta Restoration Project

2012-02-02T09:03:00.001-07:00

What is the project? An effort to analyze the potential impacts of restoring the Provo River delta back to a more naturally functioning delta ecosystem. It impacts approximately the last mile of the lower Provo River.

Who is spearheading the project? The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, the Department of the Interior Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District.

Why is the project being considered? It is believed that originally the Provo River flowed into the lake in a natural delta. This is also believed to be more conducive to the survival of the June Sucker.

How can you learn more about the project? Read the Scoping Summary Report or visit the Provo River Delta Restoration Project website.

New WiFi on Frontier Flights Free in February

2012-02-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

Now when you fly from the Provo Airport you can send email, check scores, and read my blog using the new WiFi on the plane.

And you get can 30 minutes free all this month.

City to Save $150 by Converting to a "Complicated Electric Apparatus"

2012-02-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Over 62 years ago the city determined it could save $150 a month by converting the electric power billing system from envelopes to postcards. The Daily Herald published this article on November 27, 1949, touting the money saving idea. According to the article the city had to spend $4,258 on a "complicated electric apparatus" to make the change.

In today's dollars the city spent almost $40,000 to save about $1,500 a month.

In my opinion today's TV remote may qualify as a complicated electric apparatus.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Not So Nice

2012-01-31T20:46:00.017-07:00

This morning Provo PD combined with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force to make raids on three smoke shops in Provo. An investigation had led them to believe the shops were selling Spice.

Spice is an illegal-synthetic drug being smoked to produce a high similar to marijuana or hashish.

One of my biggest concerns is that it targets youth. Take a look at the names in the picture below. Names like "Bubble Gum and Melon Berry" are clearly targeted at a young population. To put this in perspective, the shop asks for ID to sell cigarettes but sells the illegal drug to anyone with cash.

Today our officers confiscated a total of 659 single packets of spice from three stores and a small amount of Marijuana was found at two of the stores.

My thanks and congratulations to Provo PD and the Major Crimes Task Force for their proactive approach to improving the quality of living in Provo. Of course thanks is also due for letting me ride along.

PS Why the masks on the officers? Many of them are under cover and don't want to be recognized.

Celebrate Our Olympic Heritage at the Peaks Ice Arena

2012-01-31T11:08:00.002-07:00

Only a relatively few cities around the world can claim the distinction of having their very own Olympic venue. Here's a press release issued today about some great things happening at ours:

PROVO OLYMPIC VENUE TO CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY,

HOST FIGURE SKATING SECTIONALS

PROVO, Utah--January 30, 2012--Provo City will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympics at the Peaks Ice Arena, 100 N. Seven Peaks Blvd., on Feb. 10, during public skating, from 7-9:30 p.m. Patrons who wear Olympic-themed clothing or memorabilia will get half off the cost of admission and skate rental for the night. There will be a special presentation by Provo Mayor John Curtis and former CFO/COO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Fraser Bullock, at 8 p.m. An Olympic torch will be lit and displayed at center ice during the public skating session.

The Peaks Ice Arena, built as a cooperative Provo City and Utah County project, hosted men's and women's Olympic hockey events during the 2002 winter games. "The Peaks Ice Arena is a world-class venue that played an important role in the Olympics," stated Bullock.

Unlike some Olympic venues in other parts of the world, the Peaks Ice Arena is still used regularly, now by the community. "We transitioned it to a public-use facility by expanding county-wide skating and hockey programs and diversifying programming with the addition of indoor turf areas," stated Provo City Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Scott Henderson. Since taking over management in 2008, Provo City has increased facility revenues every year through higher levels of utilization.

The arena continues to host competitive events as well. This year it will host the 2012 Adult Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships, one of three sectional championships in the country leading to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in April. The arena also currently serves as the "home ice" for Brigham Young University and Utah County high school hockey teams.

"The 2002 Winter Olympics was a high point in the history of Utah Valley tourism, and the ice arena continues to be a draw," stated Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO and President Joel Racker.

For more information about public skating and other programs call 801-852-RINK (7465).

Provo - Tree City USA

2012-01-30T09:38:00.001-07:00

Did you know we have a city forester? His name is Scott Bunker and the Provo City Forestry Division in the Energy Department manages over 30,000 trees that are growing under electrical power lines and facilities. Our crews maintain (prune, remove, spray, and plant) 15,000 street trees throughout the city. In a typical year we donate hundreds of trees to Provo citizens in our annual Trees for Energy Conservation Program.

Provo City has been nationally recognized for over 25 consistent years as having an outstanding urban forestry program.

Provo's long standing tradition of planning for and taking care of our beautiful urban forest has been an important part of the beauty found in Provo. Planting and maintaining trees was also included in our Vision 2030 document.

The division produces a Tree Selection Guide and Tour of our city trees. The book is designed to serve as a directory of our trees and to help residents learn more about trees. It's also a self-guided tour of the trees in Provo.

It's a fabulous resource for our residents. If you haven't seen it check it out.

Win Tickets to the Oak Ridge Boys

2012-01-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

The Covey Center for the Arts is hosting the kings of gospel, country and rock and roll, The Oak Ridge Boys!

Tickets for this event are SOLD OUT, however, you can still get tickets. There is only one thing the Oak Ridge Boys are famous for besides their jiving vocals and jammin’ guitar solos: their facial hair! Enter the Covey Center’s Facebook contest: “Make Your Own Oak Ridge Boys Beard!” and you’ll be entered to win two tickets to their performance on February 9at 7:30 p.m.

Here is how to enter:

Use any household materials to make wearable facial hair wigs that resemble the Oak Ridge Boys band members.
Take a picture of you, your friends or family wearing your beards and moustaches.
Either post your picture to the Covey Center’s Facebook page or email your picture to sducharme@provo.utah.gov
With your picture, tell us what you made your facial hair out of and why you want to see the Oak Ridge Boys in Concert.
Winner will be picked based on their creativity and uniqueness.

Provo's New "White Way"

2012-01-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Recently, Provo City Power completed the renovation of the street lights located in downtown Provo. New light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures were installed on the existing decorative poles along Center Street and University Boulevard. The new LED lights are brighter and whiter in color while saving 60% on energy costs. The total lighting project will save about 7,400 kilowatt-hours of energy or $725 monthly. These lights use about 1/8 the amount of energy as compared to those installed in the 50’s and provide the same level of brightness. The funding for these new lights came from a federal energy efficiency and conservation block grant.

A similar change in the 40’s was celebrated with a lighting ceremony, a parade including the high school band, and a flyover by three airplanes. It was an exciting time according to the newspaper articles shown below:

Although there was no parade to celebrate the more recent installation of new lights, we appreciate the crews from the power department for helping to improve the ambiance and safety of the downtown area with the new street lights. Again, we thank the power department for brightening our roadways. Now that is what we call a new “White Way” in Provo for 2012.

(George E. Collard was mayor from 1948-49).

Meet the Biggest Loser

2012-01-26T17:55:00.002-07:00

Maybe you thought I was the biggest loser, but here's proof I'm not. This is a fantastic program put together by our local hospital, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Better health means fewer ambulance calls, so I highly recommend looking into this.

Provo Unlimited

2012-01-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Provo Unlimited is a new program on Provo Channel 17 about the fantastic art, music, and cultural scene in Provo. (What? You didn't know?) The video above is a promo for the new program that plays on Channel 17 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9 p.m. Provo Unlimited and a variety of other programs are also available on demand at channel17.provo.org and on YouTube. The first episode features Steven Halliday and Britney Holman performing at Guru's in downtown Provo.

Win Tickets to the Covey Center

2012-01-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Covey Center for the Performing Arts is conducting a survey and would like your participation. If you will answer these ten short questions, you'll be entered to win two tickets to your choice of these three performances:

Dinner & Drama ("Twitterpated" with the Thrillionaires) in February
Kurt Bestor & David Lanz in Concert in March
Anne of Green Gables in March

The winner will be notified via email and on the Covey Center Facebook page on February 1, 2012. (Also, watch this blog for an opportunity in the next few days to win tickets to The Oak Ridge Boys).

Follow Crime Online and Tip Cops with Texts

2012-01-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a press release the Provo Police Department issued last week:

New technology now allows Provo Citizens to take a more proactive approach to local crime fighting through CrimeReports.com and TipSoft

The Provo Police Department is pleased to announce that citizens can now gain access to neighborhood level crime incident data in near real time. Through a partnership with CrimeReports, creators of the national crime map at www.crimereports.com the Provo Police Department is giving Provo Citizens free access to the world’s largest online crime map. Together with CrimeReports, citizens are also able to send anonymous tips to law enforcement via text message, iPhone and Android.

“Providing reliable, timely information to our citizens is one of our top priorities,” says Rick Gregory, Chief of Police. “And partnering with CrimeReports gives us the ability to keep the public informed on a regular basis as to what is going on in the community.” He added that the public can access the crime map through the website or through the CrimeReports iPhone app, which is available for free download in the Apple iTunes store.

The new service even lets local citizens sign up for free customizable email alerts, so they can stay on top of crime in their neighborhood. “We hope that giving the community this information will help them understand crime trends and lower crime in their neighborhoods, and achieve the very important partnerships we are we are working for.” Rick Gregory, Chief of Police.

Along with the interactive crime map, citizens also have access to the anonymous tipping platform TipSoft, which is used by more than 700 law enforcement agencies nationwide. The service allows people to anonymously provide tips to law enforcement. When a tip is sent, it is encrypted and routed through secure servers, protecting the personal details of the tip provider. It also allows police to exchange text messages with the tip provider without ever knowing the person’s identity. Text users can send their tip to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword provotip. (Type "provotip" at the beginning of your message.)

“The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to help law enforcement agencies prevent and solve crime,” said Chief Gregory. “The ability for any citizen who owns a mobile phone to assist law enforcement is extremely valuable and we are excited to make this program available to the public.”

“The Provo Police Department is demonstrating its leadership in law enforcement,” says Greg Whisenant, founder and CEO of CrimeReports. “By offering CrimeReports and TipSoft, they are recognizing the value of the public’s involvement and being proactive in both policing, and fiscal diligence.” Both the web-based crime map and crime tip service are designed to be affordable for agencies of all sizes.

You can access the CrimeReports map and TipSoft service at www.crimereports.com.

Once Again Fire Strikes a Boulder's Apartment

2012-01-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Less than a year ago the Boulder's Apartment Complex was hit with a fatal fire. Today fire broke out again but this time thankfully there was no loss of life or injury.

The fire destroyed only one unit but will impact several families that live adjacent to the damaged unit.

Provo Fire and Rescue responded and had the potentially dangerous fire out in about 10 minutes. As of this afternoon the cause was still under investigation.

8th in Toilet Paper Spending?

2012-01-21T16:15:00.002-07:00

KSL.com is reporting that Provo-Orem made another top ten list. It seems that we spend a lot on toilet paper. According to the KSL article, only seven other cites in the entire USA spend more than we do.

All I know is that the Curtis home has been "T.P.ed" twice in the last few months. There seems to be a direct link to number of times we get "T.P.ed" and the number of 13 year old girls in our home.

My memory of the long time tradition is that when we got "T.P.ed," my dad collected the toilet paper in a box and made us use it in the bathroom.

That's not a tradition I care to honor.

Permit No. 30,000

2012-01-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Brent Taylor, Kerry Ashby, Tyler Ashby, and Derek Ashby

On January 4, 2012, Provo City issued its 30,000th building permit. The recipient of the permit was Kerry Ashby. Kerry was awarded a new 32 oz. hammer and a Provo City hat by building inspector Brent Taylor. Congratulations, Kerry!

Good, Bad, and Good News About Provo's Southern Magnolia Tree

2012-01-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

First the good news: Provo is home to what appears to be the only Southern Magnolia Tree in Northern Utah.

Now the bad news: It had to be moved.

Last week, the tree was moved to the south side of the Provo City Library. That process included spraying the leaves with a transpirant to help it maintain its moisture level, excavating out the root ball (about 8 feet across), wrapping the root ball with burlap and rope, preparing the tree to be hoisted with a crane out of its current location onto a truck, moving it to the other location, and lowering it into the new planting location, which was previously excavated and prepared for the reception of the tree.

Some interesting facts about the tree:

It has an estimated value of $25,000
The tree and root ball weighed approximately 16,000 pounds
It took about two months of planning and four days of work to excavate, prepare the root ball, and move the tree

More good news: The transplanting took place without any problems, and hopefully we'll enjoy this tree for many more years to come. Thanks goes to Scott Bunker, our city forester, and everyone else who helped move the tree.

FrontRunner Update

2012-01-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

We now have a date for when the FrontRunner extension to Provo will be completed. According to an announcement yesterday, reported in this Salt Lake Tribune article, we'll have commuter rail before the end of the year (early December 2012). It will stop at the intermodal hub now under construction in the area around 200 West and 600 South. This will benefit our city in a variety of ways--more people to shop, fewer cars on the road, less congestion after football games. It's something we're all looking forward to.

The Subject Politicians Hate to Discuss

2012-01-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Want to see a politician run for cover? Ask them to discuss their own compensation. I’d rather talk floods, fires, taxes and even the dreaded iProvo, than ask the residents to look at my compensation. So why have I made it a topic of discussion now? Why is it on the Provo Municipal Council's agenda for tonight? To be frank, it’s because the process for determining the compensation for mayors in Provo is dysfunctional and it's time to make it right.

It’s important for residents to understand that the current proposal is not to raise my compensation. Rather, it's to change the process for determining the issue. In addition, no change would be made until after the next election.

What’s wrong with the current system? In short, the current process has the mayor select his own compensation, bonuses and raises, all at his whim, and all without a public process. Anyone see a problem with that? Fortunately, I don't think any mayor has abused this trust. If anything, the awkwardness has led to mayors being substantially underpaid. Either way, it's a problem that should be fixed.

What is being proposed? The current proposal has two main elements. First, it puts the decision in the hands of an appointed citizen committee with the council having the final vote; and second, it makes the process very public. The proposal is a result of studying best practices around the state and incorporating them into the needs of Provo. I hope residents will take an opportunity to study the proposed changes and share their thoughts and suggestions with the council.

Utah County No. 3 in Job Growth in Nation

2012-01-16T10:08:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced last week that out of 322 of the largest counties in the country, Utah County had the third highest increase in employment last year. According to a press release last Tuesday, jobs in Utah County increased by 4.0 percent, behind Montgomery County, Texas, at 4.1 percent, and Ottawa County, Michigan, at 4.7 percent. Employment increased by 9 percent in the United States overall. You can read more about it in this recent Salt Lake Tribune article. Another reason to be optimistic!

Great Provo Photos: Downtown

2012-01-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tosh Metzger for this great photo collection.

Randy Merrill

2012-01-14T06:02:00.001-07:00

Superintendent Randy Merrill at the new recreation center groundbreaking. Photo by Bryant Larsen.

This last week Randy Merrill announced his retirement. Sue and I have known Randy for many years and have watched him tackle some very difficult issues in the District. We made a list of some of the things we'll remember about him as Superintendent.

Turned a budget that was in the red, surviving on fumes and credit card debt and turned it into a strong fiscally sound working budget

Developed a plan for extensive repair and/or replacement of aging buildings which included a rebuild of Timpanogas and Farrer buildings

Built Lakeview Elementary - long overdue for the West side patrons

Retrofitted, repaired and made needed additions to numerous other buildings

Established the Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS) believing every student deserves to learn something new everyday including both ends of the learning spectrum.

Added successful French, Chinese and an additional Spanish Dual Immersion program becoming a leader in the state in this growing field

Steered the District through a very tough 8.2 million dollar budget reduction creating a soft landing in hard economic times.

Led the way in the 20/20 Vision Initiative which established Guiding Principals and Imperatives to ensure excellence in education at every level into the future.

As a new mayor Randy reached out to me and helped establish a strong working relationship between the City and the District. I wish him the best in his new endeavors.

A Day On, Not a Day Off

2012-01-13T08:26:00.001-07:00

This year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when many take a day off, hundreds will gather in Provo to celebrate the life of Dr. King by performing community service.

Last year more than 1,200 members of the community and students came to the BYU campus to participate in Community Outreach day, an event designed to get anyone and everyone involved in service and inspired to continue volunteering in the community. This year, the Center for Service and Learning hopes to gather even more students and community members together for a day focused on a man who was an example of life-long service.

The event will be held on Monday, January 16, from 8:30 a.m to noon in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom, with more than 30 service projects and service organizations available for volunteers to pick from. Activities range from writing Valentine’s Day letters to the elderly to a blood drive held on campus. The service projects only take two hours out of the day, giving community members and students the opportunity to have the afternoon open for schoolwork or time with family and friends.

I'll be there as one of the kick off speakers (don't worry it's a short speech). I hope you can join us.

Your City, Your Channel

2012-01-12T16:28:00.001-07:00

The city newsletter this month highlights our government access channel, Provo Channel 17. Did you know you can watch the channel online at channel17.provo.org? That means you can watch it with a computer from anywhere.You don't have to live in Provo, and you don't have to have cable. (I watched parts of a council meeting live while I was in Israel). Also, you can watch many of the programs on demand for free. And if you haven't watched recently, here are some of the programs you may have missed:

City Beat: Your Inside Look at Provo City. This months' episode has fun footage from the Santa Run, Lights On Ceremony, and New Year's Eve ball drop,

Taking Care of Business. In this episode, Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce President Steve Densley interviews the new general manager of the Riverside Country Club.

Sports Beat. This episode from September spotlights the Timpview High School football program.

Provo Schools Spotlight. Host Laken Cannon interviews the new principal and student body president of Provo High School.

Behind the Badge. This is the first episode in a new show about the Provo Police Department. Learn how to protect yourself against crime.

Council Inauguration. Meet the new members of the Provo Municipal Council.

Update on the Customer Service Move

2012-01-11T11:26:00.001-07:00

Before construction.

The construction of the new customer service headquarters at the City Center is well under way. We originally announced in the December city newsletter that it would be open in January, but the official open date has changed to March 5. If you usually pay your utility bill in person, continue to go to the Provo City Power office until then. There is a customer service representative at the City Center, however, for those who go there instead. The representative is just inside the south doors off 100 South. Please use the east entrance (by the Police Department) or south entrance during construction. You can read more about it in yesterday's Daily Herald article.

Early construction.

Current construction.

How You Can Help in Emergencies

2012-01-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Community Emergency Response Team ("CERT") program is a way for ordinary residents to learn basic skills to help emergency responders in the event of a disaster. Here are two videos showing what they do during training. We are always looking for more people to train as CERT volunteers. If you're interested, read more about it on the CERT page of the city website.

Provo River Public Workshop

2012-01-09T16:40:00.003-07:00

I blogged about this a few weeks ago, but here's an even more important opportunity to weigh in on the Provo River Delta Restoration Project. The federal government is moving part of the Provo River, and while there isn't much we can do about that, we can have some influence on how the area is developed for new recreational purposes. Do we want to see fishing? Kayaking? A beach? A water park? The project team will hold a public meeting on this topic on Thursday, January 12, at 7 p.m., at the Utah Lake State Park visitors' center. If there's anything we're interested in, we have to get it on the table so it is not ruled out down the road.

Here's how Deputy Public Work Director Greg Beckstrom explains it:

The Project proponents, who are preparing the Environmental Impact Statement, are soliciting public input regarding the future nature of the lower section of the Provo River channel, which will be abandoned with any of the proposed Project alternatives. Additionally, they are soliciting input on potential community recreation opportunities which could be accommodated in the area north of the to-be-abandoned river channel and south of Boat Harbor Drive. This area of land would be acquired by the Project under one of the proposed alternatives.

This meeting will be a significant opportunity to express preferences regarding possible recreational features in this area of the community. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process is inclusive in nature. That is, the EIS document will include a number of possible recreational features which will be deemed as acceptable options. A recreational feature included in the EIS is not guaranteed to be implemented; and City encouragement of any particular feature at this point does not commit the City financially, or otherwise, to implementation of that option down the road. However, recreational features that are NOT included as options in the EIS document, would become nearly impossible to implement in the future within property acquired as part of the Project. The same things can be said regarding consideration of options for the future nature of the lower section of the Provo River channel.

If the proponent Agencies for this project conclude that potential recreational features do not have significant public support, or are not workable within Project boundaries; a scaled-back Project boundary would likely be pursued.

In Search of Past Miss Provos

2012-01-06T16:20:00.001-07:00

Miss Provo 2007 Elizabeth Jefferson

If you've spent any time in the City Center, you've probably seen the wall of Miss Provo portraits outside the Municipal Council Chambers. With the Customer Service Division moving into the lobby, we've had to take down the portraits. We had already been wondering what to do about them since we'd run out of space on that wall a few years ago. We decided to photograph them for archival purposes, then turn them over to the Miss Provo Scholarship Organization to give to the women in the portraits.

That is no easy task, but the MPSO leaders have done an outstanding job tracking down all but 12 of the 39 ladies to not only give them their portraits, but also to invite them to a special reunion dinner on June 7 and to be introduced onstage at the Miss Provo Pageant on June 9. Here are the names of those they have not yet located:

Melinda Fitzgerald 1998-99

Wendy Anderson 1994-95

Melissa Anderson 1991-92

Starlee Hansen 1985-86

Michelle Holt 1983-84

Cindy Quinn 1980-81

Kim Novas 1977-78

Mary Ann Miller 1976-77

Carol Craig 1975-76

Coralee Greer 1974-75

Pamela Glenn 1973-74

Marilyn Felt 1972-73

If you have information about any of these women, please email it to missprovopageant@gmail.com.

Also, before there was Miss Provo, there was Miss Liberty Bell. The MPSO is trying to find out when that changed. If you have any information about that, please email it as well.

The iProvo Debt

2012-01-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

An issue before the Provo Municipal Council Tuesday was what to do with the amount owed to the Energy Fund for iProvo. If you've been following the topic for the last couple years, you've heard me say:

While I was not part of the decision to build the network, it's done, and there's no point in debating it.

Instead, we need to admit that, with all of its benefits, there is a cost to the network.When the city operated the network, there was a gap between revenue and expenses, and now that Veracity is operating the network, there continues to be a gap.

The city is currently studying its options regarding the future of the network, e.g., operating it ourselves, re-selling it, leasing it, etc., but under any of its options, there would likely continue to be a gap.

In the past, the gap was filled by borrowing from the Energy Fund, which is not a transparent, sustainable practice.

The purpose of the new utility debt charge is to provide a more open, reliable way to cover the bond payments, and end borrowing from the Energy Fund.

Now that the new charge is in place, the question is what to do with the loans from the Energy Fund. The city's auditors don't like that fact that our books show what is essentially a loan to ourselves. While Provo City and the Energy Department are in some ways separate entities, they're both owned by the same taxpayers. Considering the city's options regarding the future of the network, it's unlikely that the loans would be paid by a third-party. That means they would have to be paid by taxpayers, and it's not likely that the city would charge taxpayers even more to pay off loans owed to themselves.

The decision Tuesday was to advance the issue to the next council meeting on January 17. Here are links to information to provide further background on the topic:

Time for Straight Talk About iProvo

What's the Latest on iProvo?

A Possible New Utility Charge to Pay for iProvo

The New Members of the Municipal Council

2012-01-04T14:04:00.001-07:00

Kay Van Buren, Gary Garrett, Gary Winterton, Hal Miller

It's an unusual circumstance that puts four new members on a seven-member council at one time, but that's just what happened last night.

Welcome to our  newest members of the Provo Municipal Council--Gary Winterton, Hal Miller, Kay Van Buren, and Gary Garrett. Each of them brings skills and experience that will help guide the city in a positive direction over the next several years.

They currently serve along with three others--Rick Healey, Sterling Beck, and Laura Cabanilla--who have already made significant contributions on the council. I encourage residents to get to know all the council members. Their contact information can be found at council.provo.org.

And congratulations to the new council leadership! Laura Cabanilla is the new chair and Gary Winterton is the new vice chair.

Dream List 2012

2012-01-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was about 12 years old my mother taught me the importance of visualizing a dream. She had me cut out pictures of things from a magazine that represented my aspirations. We pasted them to a poster board and hung it up in my bedroom.

Throughout my life, I've been amazed at how powerful visualization can be. I've seen some amazing things accomplished when it was first a dream then a goal.

Last year on January 1st I put together a dream to do list. The list was different than my goal list. I like dream lists because they don't have to be realistic and I don't feel accountable for them because they are, after all, just a dream. The list was made on a whim and I didn't keep close tabs on our progress until just a few weeks ago when I looked at the list. Guess what? Most of the items were completed. The one big one we didn't get was a Target store. Here is the list:

Scheduled service at the airport
Finish and implement the 2030 vision process
Announce that Target is coming to Provo
Find a new chief of police
Break ground on the recreation center
Watch BYU have an undefeated football season
Start the 10 foot wide trail on South State Street
Complete our business incubator for downtown
Bring businesses into Mountain Vista Business Park
Complete a balanced budget
Move the city off of the wage freeze

What's on my dream list for 2012? Take a look.

A grocery store on West Center
Add at least one more scheduled flight at the airport
Schedule Blue Man Group for the Mayor's Series
Announce a new hotel in downtown
See the US Government balance their budget like we do
Beat a Pac 12 team (to the North) in football
Reduce the $5.35 iProvo charge
Be recognized for the best managed city in the best managed state
Be done with construction on University Ave and I-15
Have the world take notice of our new branding efforts

2011 Accomplishments--Economic Development

2011-12-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Mayor's Office of Economic Development works to promote and enhance doing business in Provo. Here are some of its accomplishments from 2011:

Established a downtown business development corporation with a revolving loan fund and a mentoring board for small businesses located in downtown Provo.

Continued Provo Tech-X Revenue Accelerator, a program designed to provide applicant companies access to one-on-one sales and marketing mentoring help. Participating companies in 2011 are on track to collectively increase revenues by 50% and create 96 new jobs.

Converted the vacant, formerly Hollywood Video building into a business incubator.

Helped establish the Provo Dojo to provide ongoing support to a private business incubator for BYU spin-out companies and other local startups.

Implemented the Downtown Incentive Packages which includes reimbursement for building permit, plan check, and impact fees as well as property and sales tax.

Concluded the sales of 7.6 acres of Mountain Vista property to Tom Stuart Construction and facilitated AC Label's construction of a new facility, which will be occupied in January 2012.

Hosted the 2011 Tour of Utah and managed 200 volunteers to assure the safety of the race route.

Collaborated in the relocation of The Madison.

2011 Accomplishments--Redevelopment

2011-12-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Provo City Redevelopment Agency is a separate agency from Provo City, but the municipal council is the governing board, and the mayor is the chief executive officer. It is charged with revitalizing Provo's central business district and administering HUD programs. It also funds the Business Development Corporation, which provides loans and mentoring to new, primarily technology, businesses. Here are some of the things accomplished last year:

Purchased the 100 West right-of-way between Center Street and 100 South from Provo City and transferred it to Nu Skin, enabling the $90 million Nu Skin Innovation Center development to proceed. Project completion is scheduled for Fall 2013.

Closed 24 down payment assistance loans, assisting families to become homeowners in Provo neighborhoods.

Negotiated the sale of Redevelopment Agency land for the development of the 57-home Liberty Place town home development on a former industrial site at 200 North 1280 West.

Prepared and coordinated implementation of the “Getting Ready for the Convention Center Plan.” This plan, initiated by the Center Focus Implementation Committee, outlines a series of projects being undertaken by the City and others in the area surrounding the new Utah Valley Convention Center in anticipation of the Convention Center’s 2012 opening.

Initiated four programs to incentivize the improvement of Downtown business storefronts as part of Convention Center preparations: Projecting “Blade” Sign Grants, Self-Help Paint Grants, a redesigned Facade Matching Grants program, and Commercial Building Rehabilitation Loans. By year’s end, 5 blade sign grants had been completed, six were in process, one façade grant was nearing completion, and five façade grants were out to bid.

Assisted Downtown businesses to better attract young adult customers by 1) surveying university students’ awareness of and interest in Downtown Provo, 2) providing training to Downtown merchants in marketing to students via social media and other means. Work was performed by the Bradley Agency (student PR agency) at BYU. Project was a Center Focus strategy.

Sold the former Hotel Roberts site to the LDS Church for the new LDS Temple to be developed Downtown. The Redevelopment Agency had purchased this property earlier in 2011 after it had sat vacant for several years.

Entered into agreements with Utah County, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Provo City School District, and Provo City for use of their property tax increment to help redevelop the Mountain Vista Business Park.

Demolished the dilapidated Lloyds Business Machines building on Center Street, and neared completion of plans for developing the site as a temporary Downtown pocket park. The pocket park development is part of the City’s preparations for Convention Center opening.

Completed and displayed a scale model of Downtown Provo, to be used in promoting Downtown redevelopment, improving visitor wayfinding, and building interest in Downtown progress. Project originated with the Center Focus Civic Beauty Action Group.

Staged a six-week exhibit of student work by the University of Utah School of Architecture pertaining to ideas for redevelopment of a Downtown Provo parcel.

Solicited proposals for the redevelopment of the former Paramount Theater property at 63 East Center Street. The objective is to find a creative, feasible use for the property which contributes to the strong dining-retail environment which is taking shape on this block. Proposals are due back in mid-January 2012.

Provo in Top 10 for Keeping Resolutions

2011-12-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Provo was just named one of Livability.com's Top 10 Cities for Keeping New Year's Resolutions.

What are your resolutions for next year? If you haven't already, add these to your list:

Fly out of Provo. Buy tickets at Frontierairlines.com.
Attend an event at the Covey Center for the Performing Arts.
Register your bike (the $1 fee is waived until August) in case it goes missing, bike to work, or take this Provo City Bicycle Facilities Master Plan survey.
Cut back on vehicle idling.
Recycle.
Follow Provo City on Facebook or Twitter.
Sign up for Provo City emails.
Vote, and and if you need to, register to vote because every vote counts!
Volunteer in the community. For ideas, visit United Way of Utah County's website.
Read to a child in your PJ's.

2011 Accomplishments--Administrative Services

2011-12-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Administrative Services Department consists of several divisions--Human Resources, Finance, Accounting/Budget, Facilities, Information Systems, and the Justice Court. Here are just a few of its top accomplishments from 2011:

Human Resources--Developed, tested, and implemented a new interface in conjunction with a legislative mandate to produce the Utah State Transparency Report, enabling citizens to review budget and compensation information for all employees.

Finance--Facilitated the refunding of $6.180,000 in library bonds, resulting in an interest savings of $543,561; and facilitated the issuance of $39 million of general obligation bonds to fund the new community recreation center.

Accounting/Budget--Prepared a forecasting model that included a 10-year history and 10-year look forward for the general fund to help administration and the municipal council make important decisions related to revenues and expenses, and a long-term sustainable budget.

Facilities--Assisted with many construction projects, including the new airport terminal annex, the City Center elevator upgrade, City Center energy upgrades, the circulation desks at the library, and more.

Information Systems--Deployed new crime reporting maps for the city.

Justice Court--Set up new warrant service procedures that have helped resolve cases more timely and helped in collecting revenue on past due accounts.

Countdown to 2012

2011-12-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrate New Year's Eve at the indoor, family friendly "Countdown in Provo" on Saturday, December 31, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Provo Towne Centre mall, 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. There will be fireworks outside at 9 p.m. and midnight.

Activities include laser tag, photo booths, a rock wall, inflatable obstacle course and games, balloon twisters, face painting, hair stylists, karaoke, a food eating contest, live bands, Top 40's dancing, and the "Countdown Star" singing competition. There will be a variety of performers, including a comedy show, magic show, puppet show, and live animal show.

The public can buy admission bands at Provo's Parks and Recreation office, 351 W. Center St., and at Winger's in the Provo Towne Centre. The bands are $4 for adults 13 and over and $3 for children 12 and under. Children three and under are free. Admission is $1 more on the day of the event. All of the entertainment and activities are free with the purchase of admission. Food will be for sale in the mall food court. Purchase of admission also includes a free skate rental at Provo Peaks Ice Arena between Jan. 2-7.

More volunteers are needed to help with the event. To volunteer, please call the Provo City Parks and Recreation Department at 801-852-6636. Volunteers work half the night and get free admission and a t-shirt.

2011 Accomplishments--Legal

2011-12-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Provo City Attorney’s Office, or Legal Department, performs legal services on behalf of Provo City. The office initiates and defends civil lawsuits on behalf of the city, participates in negotiations, reviews contracts, and provides legal opinions to city administrators. The office also prosecutes domestic violence, theft, DUI, and other traffic and misdemeanor criminal offenses that occur within the city. Here are highlights from the department's past year:

Assumed Municipal Council Attorney responsibilities

Assisted with resolution of ethics complaints.

Obtained favorable trial court order in Rock Canyon litigation.

Assisted with requests for qualifications and requests for proposals for disposition of the city's fiber optic network.

Assisted city safety coordination responsibilities.

Drafted the Frontier Airline signatory lease agreement.

Represented Provo City in many federal and state district and justice court cases, including prosecuting over 2,750 criminal cases (not including traffic citations) and defending a variety of civil claims.

Memories of Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

The many ugly sweater contests.

A bear hug from Justin (notice how he only needs one arm to toss me in the air).

Watching the dog watching us open presents.

Seeing the many acts of service like this one at Wasatch Elementary.

2011 Accomplishments--Provo Fire & Rescue

2011-12-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Provo Fire & Rescue provides a variety of services in the areas of fire, paramedic transport, hazardous materials, rescue, fire prevention, and public education. Here are some of its accomplishments from 2011:

Led a task force to determine the origin, cause, and circumstances of the catastrophic fire at the Provo Tabernacle. Investigators reviewed dozens of witnesses, dug through over 100 tons of debris, and spent nearly 2,000 hours completing the investigation. The final report was released on March 31, 2011. The fire and fire investigation has been discussed nationally in trade journals.

Responded to a fast moving fire at The Boulders apartment complex. The fire claimed the lives of two women and severely injured a third. The department led the investigation into the origin, cause, and circumstances of the fire. The fire was determined to be intentionally set, and the department is currently assisting with the prosecution.

Hired six new firefighter/paramedics as a result of being awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant from FEMA.

Conducted more than a dozen emergency preparedness community outreach presentations and participated in a county-wide drill that evacuated 299 volunteer "patients" and distributed them to local hospitals.

Partnered with the Provo Police Department, The Boulders' owners and staff, and private health programs in the "Hot Spot" project to reroute 911 responses to the appropriate community resources to meet the needs of residents who need assistance, but not 911 emergency help.

Implemented the Lifepack 15 STEMI cardiac monitor/defibrillator project that provides advanced cardiac care in the field, decreasing time from on scene to the cardiac cath lab at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

Completed FAA fire training and credentialing in order to provide efficient and cost effective standby service twice a day for the new scheduled flights at the Provo Airport. You can watch the training in this City Beat segment from earlier in the year:

2011 Accomplishments--Police

2011-12-27T08:12:00.002-07:00

Provo is nationally known as a safe place to live, and the Provo Police Department is constantly striving to keep it that way. The department has undergone some major changes this year, and here are some of the highlights:

Completed a nation-wide search for a new police chief that resulted in the hiring of Chief Rick Gregory.

Implemented a canine program, adding two dual-purpose police dogs to the department. Two handlers were also selected by means of an intensive selection process.

Implemented a new Community Based Policing program to foster partnerships, problem solving, and the prevention of crime and the fear of crime.

Solved four homicides, including a murder-for-hire and an intentionally set residential fire.

Formed the Office of Professional Standards and Training, staffed by Lt. Brian Wolken, to bring excellent outside training to the department.

Appointed a full-time public information officer, Sgt. Matt Siufanua, to develop positive relationships with the public and the media.

Implemented the Volunteers in Police Service program, involving citizens in routine police work and extending the limited resources of the department.

Expanded the Citizens' Police Academy from once-a-year to a twice-a-year, resulting in 35 graduates in 2011.

Installed LoJack tracking systems in patrol vehicles to track stolen cars equipped with the LoJack system.

Handled a total of 188,960 phone calls through the Emergency Dispatch Center, resulting in 86,443 calls for service for the police and fire departments. The Provo dispatch center received two honorable mentions at the International Association of Public Safety Communications Officials conference held in Philadelphia for its handling of the 2010 attempted homicide and the Provo Tabernacle fire.

Joined with Carfax to now offer traffic accident reports online through the Records Division. Customers can now access reports without coming to the station. The Records Division is now accepting credit card payments as well.

You can read more about these recent changes in an article in today's Daily Herald.

Christmas Tree Pickup

2011-12-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Provo City will pick up Christmas trees from January 2 to February 2, 2012.
Just put the trees outside on the curb in order for them to be picked up.

Christmas of 1856 in Provo

2011-12-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

For the residents of Provo the Christmas of 1856 was a somber one. Two years of grasshopper invasions, drought, and a severe winter had devastated the city of Provo which was only seven years old.

While Provo was dealing with this difficult Christmas season, over a thousand late immigrants from the Martin and Willie handcart companies were caught by heavy snow and frigid temperatures for weeks in Wyoming.

An enormous rescue effort, including men and supplies from Provo, saved many of the immigrants from starvation and freezing to death. 141 of these destitute survivors were brought to Provo where resources were already stretched.

Wagon-loads of them, ragged, filthy, starved and homeless, descended on the town seeking shelter, food and nursing care. The immigrants were left at the corner of 5^th West and 1^st North and waited until sympathetic families took them to their homes.

The Provo people were quick to respond to the need. They had so little for themselves, still they found something to share. They opened the doors of the tiny log and adobe cabins and divided their food. They clothed them and warmed them at their fires. And they did it not just for a day, but for weeks and months until these immigrants could make it on their own.

And so that bleak Christmas of 1856 was a time of giving and healing, rather than light heartedness and festivity. But if Christmas is giving, the citizens of Provo had a meaningful Christmas in 1856--a Christmas to be remembered and honored.

Thanks to Lyndia and Robert Carter for the historical details.

Great Salt Lake Guitar Company

2011-12-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Years ago, following an accident during his career as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, Mr. Ken Stika, came to Provo to spend some time to recuperate. During that time, he happened to read a book about how to make musical instruments. He was so interested that he decided to stay and pursue the profession of guitar building. This eventually led to the founding of the Great Salt Lake Guitar Company. He started the business in 1979 and moved to 362 West Center Street a few years later. Since then, the company has been one of the most recognizable businesses in Downtown Provo. The company sells fine guitars, including some that are custom hand made by Mr. Stika himself. The custom guitars are in such demand; it can take almost a year between order and delivery.

Mr. Stika has recently turned the business over to his son Rio, who continues the tradition of building guitars by hand. On December 15, 2011, some of my staff members and I were honored to award Ken with a plaque of appreciation for his years of service and dedication to the downtown.

Congratulations and our best wishes to you, Mr. Stika!

2011 Accomplishments--Community Development

2011-12-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Community Development Department consists of three divisions--Planning, Building, and Zoning. Here are some of its accomplishments from 2011:

Issued over 470 building permits with a valuation of $150,000,000.

Demolished a dangerous building (the Roasted Artichoke) on Center Street.

Completed the Vision 2030 visioning process with the Municipal Council adopting the Vision 2030 document.

Initiated a redesign of Center Street. A demonstration project for the redesign has been completed at the new Convention Center.

Completed the new design standards for South State Street.

Enforced over 800 zoning code violations.

Issued over 400 apartment licenses.

Handled 1,656 zoning enforcement cases.

Initiated the Downtown Specific Area Plan.

Approved the intermodal hub design at 600 South and Freedom Blvd. for commuter rail service. Construction has already begun.

Skeleton Crews

2011-12-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Because Christmas Eve is on Saturday, today is the observed holiday for many city employees. City offices are officially closed, although every department has a "skeleton crew" at work, ready to handle most interactions. Of course, many departments work 24/7 or follow different schedules as needed to best serve the public--police, fire, the library, the recreation center, etc. And if you need anything, you can always call Customer Service at 801-852-6000.

The Parks and Recreation Department, which finds a way to have fun in any situation, sent me a photo of their lonely skeleton crew at work:

2011 Accomplishments--Library

2011-12-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

The Provo City Library at Academy Square celebrated its ten-year anniversary this year. One blog commenter said, "I love Provo library, it's a great resource for everyone in the community," and many others feel the same way. Here are some of the library's many achievements from the past year:

Hosted 5,750 patrons at 15 special events and author visits including authors Marcus Zusak, Leif Enger, Christopher Paolini, and Dave Barry.

Received a grant to host "Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible" exhibition from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Arts

Implemented strategies to fully incorporate ebooks into the library's collection.

Hosted the Teen Book Fest with 750 attending and four sessions of the popular Fairy Tea with 800 in attendance.

Installed a new castle themed entrance to the Storyroom in the Children's Services area.

Checked out over 1,790,000 items; issued 7,400 new library cards; and added over 32,000 new items to the library's collection.

Created a new bike rack area.

Update on Provo PD's VIPS Program

2011-12-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

The participants in the Provo Police Department's Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program, launched in late September, provided 456 hours of service in October and November. That equates to a value of more than $11,000 given to the community. The VIPS program continues to grow and we anticipate that by the end of December, twenty VIPS will be volunteering their diverse skills aimed at improving the quality of life in Provo.

The Provo Police VIPS program offers individuals several different types of volunteer opportunities, including special events, crime analysis, administrative assistants, chaplain services, translation, victim assistance, and citizens on patrol.

All our VIPS team members passed a rigorous background check and received a minimum of 40 hours of training prior to assisting in any field duty functions. Anyone interested in joining our VIPS team can go to this page of the city website.

2011 Accomplishments--Parks and Recreation

2011-12-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

The Parks and Recreation Department consists of several divisions--Parks; The Reserve at East Bay Golf Course; Cemetery; Recreation Division; Peaks Ice Arena; Covey Center for the Arts; Recreation Center and Veterans Memorial Pool; Eldred Senior Center; Special Events, Program and The Center; and Youth and Adult Sports. Each division is outstanding and has a long list of accomplishments. Believe it or not, this is the short list:

Completed the construction of Lakeview Park.

Acquired two parcels of property for Spring Creek Park.

Acquired two parcels of property for a new park in northeast Provo.

Selected a consultant and began work on a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Implemented a new weed abatement program, which successfully addressed long-standing problem areas on city properties.

Graded the steambed, added a pond liner, and landscaped the edges of the waterway through Riverview Park.

Installed bridge identification signs and underpass lighting along the Provo River Parkway Trail to assist with navigation and increase safety.

Completed a new hole on the executive course of the golf course that will open in 2012.

Hired cemetery planning and design firm to proceed with the cemetery expansion master plan.

Began accelerated construction of the new rec center, which is expected to be completed in spring 2013.

Installed an additional indoor turf area west of the north rink at the Peaks Ice Arena and successfully booked the area.

Successfully bid to host the U.S. Figure Skating Pacific Coast Sectional Championships in November 1012 at the Peaks Ice Arena.

Booked the Covey Center for the Arts at 90% capacity and already booked 85% of current clients for next year.

Enrolled a record high number of participants in swimming lessons.

Implemented a new membership program with incentives and a new fee schedule for group use of the Eldred Senior Center.

Engaged six full-time and five part-time interns at The Center who together contributed over 3,600 hours of service.

Averaged about 2,500 in attendance at the Movies in the Park, breaking all previous attendance records.

Operated the majority of sports programs with a 125% cost recovery of all direct expenses.

Who Gets to See the Thrillionaires for Free?

2011-12-20T19:04:00.002-07:00

The random winners of the Thrillionaires tickets are: "lyn," "head," and "sgj3."

Email your full name to me at jcurtis@provo.utah.gov and I'll have the tickets waiting for you at "will call" on Friday night.

I hope everyone else can also find a way to see the show. Get there early to get a good seat.

Banana Leaf Restaurant

2011-12-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you had a Sri Lankan meal? I can't say that I had every had one before today so it's easy for me to say the best Sri Lankan food I have ever eaten was right here in Provo at the Banana Leaf Restaurant, which also features dishes from Singapore. The Banana Leaf Restaurant is the first Sri Lankan and Singaporean restaurant in all of Utah and is located at 400 N. University Ave.

I met Niranjan Selvaratnam and his sister Radhika who, with their family, own restaurants in Sri Lanka and wanted to share their native food with their new hometown in Provo.

This is not only worth a visit for the cultural experience but the for the food as well. Excellent food and a totally remodeled interior make this a very pleasant meal.

Thrillionaires Ticket Giveaway

2011-12-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm giving away three sets of two tickets to the Thrillionaires' performance of "A Dickens of a Tale" on Friday, December 23, 2011, at 8 p.m., at the Covey Center. If you haven't seen the Thrillionaires in action, you're missing out. They're a group of local actors who perform improvised musical comedies, making up the script and lyrics on the spots. The results are hilarious in a very family-friendly way. In this one-night-only show, they'll improvise "A Christmas Carol." You have never seen anything like it before, and you will never see anything like it again. To enter to win, leave a comment below about the Thrillionaires or your favorite character in "A Christmas Carol." I'll randomly pick a winner tomorrow.

2011 Accomplishments--Public Services

2011-12-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Public Services Division of the Public Works Department includes the Provo Municipal Airport, Fleet Management, Sanitation, and Streets Maintenance. Here are some of the important accomplishments in these areas last year:

Commercial Service at the Airport – Obtained a $500,000 Small Community Air Service Development Program grant, which led to new commercial service by Frontier Airlines at the airport. The excitement of this accomplishment was captured in this video of the first flight landing by Provo resident Daniel Bean and this this City Beat episode about the inaugural flight to Denver.

Terminal Annex – Upon notification in March 2011 that Frontier Airlines was going to start commercial flights at the Provo Airport in June, secured over $600,000 in FAA and state grants to fund the construction of a terminal passenger and baggage screening annex. Constructed in 51 days, the annex was available to provide the first Frontier commercial flight with areas for TSA passenger and baggage screening and a waiting area for 100 passengers.

Radar System – Constructed a five million dollar Beacon Interrogator-6 Air Surveillance radar system to assist air traffic controllers with guiding planes arriving at and departing from the Provo Airport, which has greatly assisted in commercial flights staying on time.

Opt-Out Recycling Program – Implemented an opt-out household curbside recycling program that has raised the number of households recycling from 4,570 in June 2011 to 12,110 household recycling in November 2011. The number of residents recycling has gone from 25 percent to 68 percent.

Fleet Study – With the help of Mercury Associates, completed a fleet utilization and vehicle replacement cycle study of over 500 city vehicles and equipment. Their recommendation included eliminating eight vehicles and pooling 15 others to be available for all city agencies.

Another Great Provo Photo

2011-12-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Provo a Top Ten Best-Performing City

2011-12-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

We're not the only ones who are optimistic about our city. The Milken Institute also thinks we're in good shape. It just released its 2011 Best-Performing Cities Index, which evaluates U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. It considers job, wage and salary, and technology growth. The Provo-Orem metropolitan area ranked ninth in the country.

2011 Accomplishments--Storm Water

2011-12-16T15:17:00.001-07:00

The Storm Water Division of the Public Works Department is responsible for keeping the public street system from being encumbered with flood water during rainstorms and spring snow melt. Years of preparation were put to the test this year. Here are some of things that the division accomplished this year:

Heavy Spring Runoff – Responded to high mountain snow pack and wet spring weather resulting in the greatest Provo River runoff flows and highest Utah Lake elevation flooding in the last 25 years, with little incident and minimal damage.

East Central Storm Drain Project – Constructed new storm drain piping along 600 East and 700 East; thus increasing capacity and replacing an aging section of storm drain pipe, and providing significantly improved service in the Joaquin neighborhoods.

Mountain Vista Utility Construction – Constructed new storm water and sewer utility lines in the Valley Vista street alignment, between Mountain Vista Parkway and South State Street, providing improved service and facilitating new development in this business center.

I-15 Project Coordination – Coordinated with UDOT I-15 CORE design and construction team to minimize negative impacts to Provo City infrastructure, and to maximize opportunities for improved storm water service, including:

Significantly increased capacity of the Mill Race drainage crossing of I-15, south of the University Avenue interchange, and
Coordinated drainage system to address long-standing local drainage issues in the area east of I-15, north and south of 820 North.

North Oak Hills Storm Drain Project – Constructed new storm drain piping along 2050 North and the north end of 1450 East, discharging into the Rock Canyon outfall, thus alleviating some historical drainage problems in this area of the community.

You, Too, Can Go Caroling With Llamas

2011-12-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

2011 Accomplishments--Water Resources

2011-12-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

Water Resources, a division of the Public Works Department, supplies the water and manages the wastewater for the many residential and commercial customers throughout the city. It consists of four sections: Water Sources, Water Distribution, Wastewater Collections, and Water Reclamation. Here are some of its accomplishments from 2011:

Completed I-15 Utility Crossings – Working with UDOT’s I-15 CORE Project, installed new utility crossings across I-15, including a 36-inch sewer crossing, a 12-inch sewer crossing, and two 24-inch water crossings.
Constructed 500 East Sewer – Constructed a new 18-inch sewer main on 500 East from Center Street to 600 North, then east on 600 North to 700 East, and then north on 700 East to 650 North, providing sewer capacity to the growing area south of campus.
Delivered High Quality Water – Produced and delivered 7.88 billion gallons of water to customers without a single violation of federal and state drinking water regulations.
Saved Water – Utilizing new electronic leak detection equipment, located and repaired over 100 underground distribution system leaks resulting in an estimated water savings of 1.4 billion gallons in 2011, which is 15% of the total 2010 production.
Completed Master Plans – Working with Bowen & Collins Consulting Engineers, developed new master plans for both the water and sewer systems, including capital facilities plans and rate structure development.

2011 Accomplishments--Engineering

2011-12-15T07:03:00.001-07:00

The Engineering Division of the Public Works Department is responsible for designing and constructing streets, sidewalks, and bicycle paths, and making sure traffic flows smoothly throughout the city. Here are some of the many things it worked on this past year:

Slate Canyon Drive - Reconstructed Slate Canyon Drive from State Street to 1350 East and Seven Peaks Boulevard from Center Street to 450 North following the first phase of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District's water pipeline project. This federal project required significant coordination with the city. The reconstruction included new curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the west side of Slate Canyon Drive from State Street to the north end of the Bicentennial Park, and significant grading on the east portion of the park along Slate Canyon Drive.

2011 Road Rehab Project - Resurfaced several streets in the city, including 1860 South, 2050 West, 600 South, 1320 South, 2000 South, and other local streets. This years’ project also included pavement surface treatments on Mountain Vista Parkway, Ironton Boulevard, Larsen Parkway, and local streets in the area west of Geneva Road from 400 North to 600 North, and the installation of the pavement markings on these streets.

New Street – Began construction of a new street from 1350 East and 300 South to Center Street and Seven Peaks Boulevard. The project is expected to be completed by summer of 2012.

Provo Westside Connector - Obtained priority status from the Obama Administration for this project, which is expected to accelerate the environmental clearance and permitting process. The final environmental impact statement has been issued, public comments on the document were taken until November 30, 2011, and a Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration is expected to be issued by mid-December.

Transportation Master Plan Update – Updated the Transportation Master Plan, which was adopted by the Provo Municipal Council in September 2011. This process included an update to the city-wide transportation model, adoption of an updated Master Street Plan, an update to the five-year capital facilities plan for streets, evaluation of the street impact fee, and other minor changes to the plan.

Provo, the Retail King!!!

2011-12-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Most will be surprised that I am proclaiming Provo to be the retail king. We often get compared to our good neighbor to the north when it comes to retail, and I must admit they do a very good job of capturing the retail dollar. However...

Today I made some visits to just a few of our large retailers. Among other impressive facts, I learned that our JCPenney store is the state's largest volume JCPenny store and our Sam's Club is the largest volume Sam's Club store in the state. Not far behind is the Home Depot which is the states second largest volume Home Depot and only misses first place by a couple of high production weekends from a store in Salt Lake.

Sales tax is the largest single contributor to our city budget, so my thanks to our retailers that contribute much to our city.

Shopping local makes a big difference in not only the success of our retailers but in our city budget as well. BTW, don't forget sales tax is lower in Provo than in some of our surrounding cities.

$10,000 Donated to Toys for Tots

2011-12-14T06:43:00.001-07:00

Today I saw the Christmas spirit at work first hand at the Central Utah Clinic. Instead of giving a gift to its referring physicians this year the physicians teamed up with the clinic to donate the money to Toys for Tots. Which resulted in a $10,000 donation.

Scott Barlow the CEO of the clinic said it well, “Each year we see companies like ours give and receive gifts from various vendors and business associates. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gifts but there is a greater need. Our physicians see that need right here in our community. This donation is a great way to give to those who can really use the help,”

Let's Catch this Guy

2011-12-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

On December 5, 2011, Provo Police Officers responded to Board of Provo, a local business located at 465 North University Ave, on a forced-entry burglary.  

$5,600 worth of snowboards and skateboards were stolen. Just recently investigators were able to acquire video surveillance of the suspect entering the business. According to surveillance cameras, the suspect is first seen in the business at around 2:00 am and left at 3:27 a.m. Detectives are processing evidence left behind by the suspect.

Attached is a photograph of the suspect. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Provo Police Department at 801-852-7280.

2011 Accomplishments--Energy

2011-12-13T17:36:00.003-07:00

Provo City Power, or the Provo City Energy Department, supplies the electricity for all of the homes and businesses throughout the city. We are one of the few cities in the state and country that do not rely on a private, investor-owned electric company for power. Provo City Power is the largest public power system in the state with over 35,000 electric meters and well over 380 miles of distribution and 60 miles of transmission lines. Here are some of the Energy Department's main accomplishments from 2010:

Implemented and administered the "Switch It Provo" energy efficiency program, including an appliance rebate program, a weatherization rebate program, and a residential energy audit program, benefiting over 1700 customers and processing over $400,000 in federally-funded rebates.

Implemented a new electrical rate design to promote energy conservation as mandated by the 2005 Federal Energy Act and to cover increased power supply costs.

At the request of the administration, studied the need to centralize the customer service operation. The study resulted in recommendations that are now being implemented, including moving the customer service and billing operation to the City Center lobby.

Assisted UDOT in the reconstruction of the I-15 freeway by relocating the 46KV transmission line and 12KV circuits on 820 North as well as two overhead 6000 amp 12KV circuits.

Worked to sustain the system's 99.9% reliability rate by 1) upgrading server equipment to monitor the equipment, 2) continuing ongoing maintenance of 18 substations, and 3) planning for a $1.8 million substation to be built and completed by the summer of 2012.

Performed electrical utility engineering for approximately 265 projects, including new commercial developments such as the Utah Valley Convention Center, the Nu Skin expansion, and the airport terminal and tower.

Maintained street trees, including pruning or removing 10,604 trees, removing 191 stumps, planting over 400 new trees, and composing almost 3,535 cubic yards of wood chips.

Retro-fitted and repalced street lights on Center Street and University Avenue as part of the government funded Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant. Used LED lighting to replace the 150 Watt high pressure sodium lights and replaced cracked lenses and equipment at a total cost of $204,000.

Helped restore power in Bountiful after a severe windstorm as per a mutual aide agreement. One line crew of five worked for 4 days, another line crew of four worked for three days, and a forestry crew worked for three days. They worked 16 to 20 hours per day replacing broken poles and downed power lines.

UVEF Stewardship Award

2011-12-13T10:53:00.001-07:00

The Utah Valley Earth Forum recently awarded its first Stewardship Award to Provo City for the efforts we're taking to be protect and promote a healthy environment. What's even better is many of these efforts also save the city money.

Appointed sustainability advisor and volunteer committee
Designed traffic signals and installed roundabouts to reduce idling
Adopted anti-idling policy for city fleet
Launched campaign to reduce idling by public
Designated bike paths throughout city
Replacing traffic signals and street lights with LED lights
Weatherized city buildings
Using solar water heating for pools in new rec center
Offering low cost energy audits to power customers
Working on smart grid plan to help power customers reduce energy consumption
Adopted net metering policy to encourage solar power production
Implemented green waste and household curbside recycling programs
Working on promoting transit based development to reduce dependence on automobiles
Facilitates a farmers market in summer months
Allows employees to plant vegetables in City Center planters and donate produce to food bank

Provo Rated #3 Best City for Educated Job Seekers

2011-12-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

According to Research Magazine, the Provo-Orem area has an exceptionally high employer demand for educated workers. We tie with our nation’s capital for the second lowest education gap in the country. Combined with our relatively low unemployment, this gives us an overall third place rating among all US cities for educated job seekers.

What does this mean? Make sure your kids have a good secondary education from one of the many options here in Provo and they will have a strong chance of landing a good job close to home. Or in other words, you can keep the grandkids close.

What's Happening at the City Center?

2011-12-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Provo City Center, 351 W. Center St.

As I explained in the December city newsletter, the Customer Service Division is moving from the Provo City Power office to the lobby of the City Center. It will be open Monday-Friday, from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Remodeling related to the move will start as early as Monday and will continue until early February. During that time, the north entrance to the City Center, pictured above, will be closed to the public. Please use the east or south doors to enter the building.

Also due to the construction, the January 3 and 17, 2012, study and regular council meetings will be held at the Professional Development Center in the Provo City School District Building, 280 W. 940 North, Provo.

The Customer Service Division currently handles utility payments, answers billing questions, processes reports of city-related problems, and answers general city-related questions. Over time, it will handle even more transactions related to the city, providing a convenient, "one stop shop" for residents. Its phone number will continue to be 801-852-6000.

On Bull**** by Harry G. Frankfurt

2011-12-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of Christmas is attending all the city departments' Christmas parties. This morning I was at the library party. It should surprise no one that for their white elephant gift exchange they use books.

I watched as some really amazing titles were selected. Some of my favorites included:

Knit Your Own Royal Wedding
The Outhouse Revisited
My Dog Pooped in Your Shoe

Because I didn't bring a gift to exchange when it came to my turn, I picked out the smallest gift I could see. Somehow, of all the gifts wrapped on the table, I picked out the one book that is perfect for a politician. I can't write the name of it here on the blog, but I suppose the picture below will tell you all you need to know.

Good news - it's pocket size so I can have it handy for all my speeches.

Free Christmas Dance and Concert

2011-12-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Come and enjoy an evening of dancing or just listening to the "big band sound" of Dean Clark and his 17 piece orchestra tonight, Friday, December 9, 2011, at 8 p.m., at the Eldred Center, 270 W. 500 North, Provo. The group performs a wide variety of music featuring the original "big band" arrangements of the Swing Era. The orchestra consists of volunteers who play an exciting and entertaining "New York" style concert free for the public.

Princess Festival Tickets Winner

2011-12-08T15:07:00.003-07:00

The random winner of the four Princess Festival tickets is Havilah.

Congratulations! Please email your contact information to jcurtis@provo.utah.gov.

PJs and Reading at Amelia Earhart Elementary School

2011-12-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

I will admit it was with some reservations that I wore my Dr Seuss PJs to Amelia Earhart Elementary School today for their Read-A-Thon. It didn't help that I was the only one I could see who actually wore pajamas despite there being very clear instructions that it was a pajama event. However, once everyone saw my stylish Dr Seuss footsie PJs I could tell they were all very jealous of me.

My reading partner was Joe and we found a corner to lay down and read from his book. This is one of my favorite events of the year and I'm already planning what to wear next year.

Princess Festival Tickets Giveaway

2011-12-07T19:28:00.002-07:00

Have you heard about the Princess Festival at the Provo Towne Centre mall? I'm giving away four tickets for a any date and time that works for the winner. To enter to win, leave a comment telling me why you want to go to the festival or what you like best about the Provo mall. I'll randomly select a winner tomorrow. If you win, I'll need your contact information as soon as possible, so check back often.

A Life Saved

2011-12-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I met with members of our lifeguard team that were on duty last September when they saved the life of young three year old swimmer.

The young boy was pulled from the pool unconscious and had bluish skin. The lifeguard staff went into full action. After two cycles of CPR by the lifeguard, the boy was revived and started breathing on his own.

Imagine how pleased we are that after a visit to the hospital, the boy was doing well and there were no apparent injuries

My sincere thanks to the team that was on duty that day and more importantly that were prepared to deal with the life threatening situation. They're pictured above with the rest of the Veterans Pool staff from last season.

Sydney Miner, Lifeguard Supervisor

Matt Wright, Lifeguard

Allison Crimm, Lifeguard

Jason Huntsman, Pool Manager

Who Promotes the City Promoter?

2011-12-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight Helen Anderson was recognized by her peers as the Utah County Public Information Officer of the year.

No surprise here. Those of us that know Helen understand how good she is at promoting and representing Provo.

If you like transparency, informed residents and a positive public image for Provo you like what Helen is doing.

Congratulations Helen!!!!

A River Runs Through It

2011-12-06T17:03:00.001-07:00

When first elected, I was surprised to hear of the intentions of the Federal Government to move the Provo River.

Yes, it is true, and they are very serious about it. It's called "The Provo River Delta Restoration Project" and it aims to restore the mouth of the Provo River flowing into Utah Lake. One of the main objectives is to build a habitat for the June Sucker.

This is no small deal for Provo and I hope all residents will watch closely and add their input into the process. Tomorrow afternoon there will be an open house (4:00 - 6:00 p.m.) at Lakeview Elementary School (2899 West 1390 North). This open house will provide information regarding the concept evaluation process up to now, and about the alternatives still under consideration. If you go, let me know your opinion.

Update on Business License Fees

2011-12-06T09:09:00.002-07:00

What do you do when you need to mail out 3,800 letters by the end of the day, and your equipment for folding letters and stuffing envelopes jams? You rally the troops.

As a city, we did several things last week to try to notify the public about a possible change to business license fees. We wanted to go above and beyond the normal notice required for public hearings. One of the things we did was mail a letter to all current business licensees. Since plans A, B, and C for folding the letters and stuffing the envelopes failed, a group of employees from a variety of departments and divisions--Finance, Economic Development, Customer Service, the Municipal Council, and the Mayor's Office--came together late Thursday afternoon to get the job done.

Pictured above are some of the employees gathered around a conference table in Human Resources. Municipal Council Executive Director Matt Taylor stepped away from his post to take the photo. Others were helping at their desks in their offices. Some compared it to a quilting bee. An hour (and many paper cuts) later, the letters were stamped and ready to go to the post office.

As an update on the business license fees, the Municipal Council will not take action on the issue in its meeting tomorrow night. If you're interested in the topic, I encourage you to attend. There will be a presentation that will help answer questions about the proposed changes. It will be the first of several informational meetings we plan to hold for the public.

A Taste of Cincinnati

2011-12-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

As I said before, one of the best things about the trip to Israel was getting to know the other mayors in the group. Mayor Mallory of Cincinnati told us that Graeter's ice cream, made in his city, was "the best in the world." I didn't believe him, so he sent us several flavors to try, packed in dry ice. Now my staff and I think he may be right. Chocolate chip. Mint chocolate chip. Raspberry chocolate chip. Chocolate chocolate chip. It was all incredibly delicious. And even better, you can buy it in Provo. It's available in Kroger-owned stores, including the Provo Smith's.

Looking for Website Suggestions

2011-12-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Our city website has many outstanding features and has been recognized for how well it makes important information available to the public, but we're always looking for ways to improve. Are there any city websites you really like? Can you tell us what qualities we should incorporate into our own?

Christmas Parade Grand Marshall

2011-12-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last night it was my honor to present the Grand Marshall trophy to Peyton Page.

Peyton is a happy, healthy, 4-year old boy. Looking at him, you would never know that he has a congenital Heart Defect known as Hypoplastic Left Syndrome, which basically means that he has ½ of his heart. He had his first of 3 heart surgeries when he was just 7 days old. Today, Peyton likes to play anything with a ball and loves playing with his 2 brothers. His favorite food is pizza and his favorite color is orange. His favorite animal is his dog, Trigger.

He was a great Grand Marshall!

Update from Bountiful

2011-12-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on our employees who are helping restore power in Bountiful. We have two line crews and two tree crews working 18 hours a day. They are expected to be there all day. They are working hard, replacing broken poles and downed power lines. About 1200 people, or 10%, are still without power.

Provo Police Department Activity

2011-12-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Day Criminal Mischief

On Thanksgiving morning a total of eight Provo residents woke to find they were victims of broken windows, smashed mailboxes, and damaged lampposts. During their investigation of this crime, Provo officers located a 17 year old juvenile suspect who had been driving a stolen vehicle. Within the last two days the investigation has led Provo officers to 5 other Juvenile suspects who are all being referred for criminal mischief charges for the crimes committed early Thanksgiving morning.

“Criminal mischief is a crime that affects our quality of life in Provo and is one that we are specifically focused on reducing. Due to the relentless follow up of these officers seven suspects will be held accountable for substantial property damage to multiple victims.” Rick Gregory, Chief of Police

Recovered Stolen Vehicle

On December 1st, 2011, a white Chevrolet pickup was stolen in Provo. Two Provo Police Officers assigned to locate the stolen vehicle found it backed into a driveway. In an effort to hide that the truck was stolen the suspect had removed the license plates and replaced them with plates stolen from another Chevrolet pickup. The officers contacted 40 year old Christopher Damron at the residence and following their investigation placed him under arrest and booked into the Utah County Jail for vehicle theft.  

“Through the efforts of these officers both the pickup and stolen license plate were promptly returned to their rightful owners. We at the Provo Police Department will continue to aggressively pursue these crimes to both reduce crime and the fear of crime in Provo.”  --Rick Gregory, chief of police

Santa's on His Way

2011-12-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Three fun-filled events will kick off the Christmas season in Provo tomorrow:

Santa Run

4:30 p.m.

Watch hundreds of Santas run in this 5K race starting at the Nu Skin building at 100 West Center Street.

Parade of Lights

5:30 p.m.

The parade route will run west along Center Street starting at University Avenue.

Lights-On Ceremony

6:30 p.m.

After the parade,gather in front of the City Center at 351 West Center Street to celebrate Santa turning on the Christmas lights in downtown Provo.

Enjoy the light show in front of the City Center throughout the month of December. Tune into 99.9 FM for the music that accompanies the lights.

Public Hearing on Business License Fees

2011-12-01T17:07:00.000-07:00


Provo City Center, 351 W. Center St.

There will be a public hearing on proposed changes to business license fees in the Municipal Council meeting on Tuesday, December 6, at 7 p.m., in the Municipal Council Chambers of the Provo City Center, 351 W. Center St.

In a nutshell, business license fees allow the city to recover the cost of administering the licenses and the "disproportionate" cost of providing services to certain businesses (some businesses require more police, fire, sanitation, and other services compared to single-family homes).

For several months, the city has been evaluating the appropriateness of its business license fees and how to encourage business without overburdening taxpayers in general. After considerable analysis, including two professional studies, we found that the city is only recovering about 36% of its costs in this area.

The Municipal Council is considering a proposal to adjust fees to more accurately reflect the city's costs. Some fees would decrease while others would gradually increase to the point that the city would be recovering about 57% of its costs in five years. The first phase of increases would apply to new businesses starting in January, 2012, and to existing businesses in November, 2012.

It's a complex issue, and I hope business owners will take the time to understand it. The public hearing is probably the best opportunity to learn more and provide feedback, but there is also more information on the city website. Really, read what's on the website. It answers a lot of questions.

Power Trip

2011-12-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Provo, August 1, 2006

You've probably heard about the severe wind storm that has wiped out power for tens of thousands of people in northern Utah. Provo City Power crews are heading north to help restore power in the Bountiful area after getting a call for assistance from Bountiful City Power earlier this morning. Through our mutual aide agreement with them, we are sending a five-person crew with trucks to assist. We'll probably be involved for more than 24 hours, trading out crews as needed. It's similar to when other utilities helped Provo replace 80 poles after our August 1, 2006, microburst, pictured above.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

2011-12-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

"Raise your hand if you'd like to volunteer."

Our incredible Parks and Recreation Special Events staff needs volunteers for "Countdown Provo," the annual New Year's Eve event at the Provo Towne Centre mall. Everything our Special Events team does is crazy, original, over-the-top fun, like the annual Halloween Carnival and Kids Science Palooza. Who wouldn't want to get in on that action? Those who are interested should contact Whitney Booth at 801-852-6632 or wbooth@provo.utah.gov.

Wild Thing

2011-11-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

Last week I stopped for lunch at Wild Ginger, a new Asian restaurant at 366 N. University Ave. Wild Ginger is a good name because the food was "wildly good." Having spent three years in the Far East, I consider myself a pretty good judge of Asian food and this was excellent.

Wild Ginger was formerly Fortune Chinese Buffet. The owners remodeled after a very unfortunate fire and other setbacks this past year. We're glad they're not only back in business but that they took the time and money to rebuild a beautiful restaurant.

If you go please tell John the owner 您好 for me.

Wasatch Elementary Children Donate Toys to Provo Police

2011-11-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Children from Wasatch Elementary School recently donated 582 stuffed animals to the Provo Police Department. The toys were donated by the children during Red Ribbon Week. Patrol officers will place these toys in their vehicles and wait for the opportune time to hand them out to children in need. We are grateful to all those who assist us in reaching out to those who need us the most. Finding homes for these toys will give our officers great joy during this holiday season.

Santa's Looking for Helpers

2011-11-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

United Way of Utah County is in great need of volunteers to staff the Giving Tree located at the University Mall in Orem. The tree is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and they need two people for each shift for 2-3 hours. They also need volunteers to pick up the gifts from the tree and deliver them to the warehouse, and volunteers to sort the gifts once they get to the warehouse. Those interested in volunteering can call Erin at 801-691-5330.

They also need help with their workshops for applicants applying for the Sub for Santa program. For details about that, call Lauren at 801-531-5310. And those who would like to provide Christmas for a family in the Sub for Santa program can call 801-356-6300.

What Do You Think About Channel 17?

2011-11-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Provo Channel 17 has hired the BYU student-run Bradley PR Agency to research how it can grow its audience and better serve the community. You can enter to win a $25 VISA gift card by taking a short survey. I know we've been asking you to take a lot of surveys lately, but it's an easy, convenient way to engage with government. We want to know what you think.

Shop Till You Drop - In Provo Please

2011-11-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why residents are always encouraged to shop in Provo? The largest revenue source for the city is sales tax.

We just received the November sales tax distribution for September sales; we were up 13.24% over the prior year and are up 5.52% for the first quarter of the fiscal year. The state as a whole was up 16%, pretty amazing. The following table shows the distribution for other comparable cities:

Want to Know a Secret?

2011-11-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Don’t be a victim during the holidays!

2011-11-25T07:40:00.001-07:00

The holidays bring thousands of shoppers to our shopping malls and businesses every year. There are criminals who use the holidays to target victims who may be distracted by the busy season. Criminals are looking for crimes of opportunities, the easy targets. We shouldn’t let our holiday season be ruined by becoming a victim.

In an effort to remove these opportunities from criminals, the Provo Police Department would like to share some ideas on how you can eliminate the potential for crime in your holiday season. There are three necessary elements for a crime: target, desire, and opportunity. Eliminating just one of these will make a significant difference.

Home Crime Tips

1. Proper lighting – This is very important to your home safety. Criminals do not like to be seen. Make sure your lights are working properly. Also, make sure you have lights near or at each entrance to your home.

2. Shut and lock your garage door – An open garage door is an invitation to burglars to take whatever they can carry. Home owners are usually home when this occurs.

3. Lock your doors – Lock your doors even when you leave for just a few minutes.  Burglars can be very quick. The last thing you want to do is to walk into your home when a burglar is still there.

4. Locks & doors – Use sturdy doors. Some door frames can be fragile, use solid hardwood or metal frames. Use two to three inch screws on the strike plates (this allows the screws to reach the studs in the door frame. Deadbolt locks should go at least 1 ½ to 2 inches into the door frame. USE THE LOCKS!!

5. Sliding doors and windows – Break-in bars or lock pins are inexpensive ways to secure your home. A burglar does not want to break a window. Again they are looking for the easy way in. This is too much work and may give away their position. Go to your local hardware store to find these kinds of locking devices.

6. Don’t advertise – Don’t advertise on Facebook that you are leaving on vacation. Have a trusted neighbor take care of your mail and newspapers. If you have a week's worth of newspapers on your front porch or mail in the mailbox, you will be telling a burglar you are not home.

7. Serial numbers – Marked property or items with serial numbers make it hard for burglars to sell these stolen goods. An engraver is an inexpensive way to mark your items. Marked items can be used as evidence against a burglar. Take some time and write down all of your serial numbers to your property. The first question a police officer will ask you about a stolen item is, “Do you have the serial number.”

8. Shrubs and hedges – When you look at the shrubs and hedges around your house do you think transparency? Are your shrubs so high or thick that you can’t see your windows? If you will properly groom your shrubbery you will give intruders fewer places to hide.

9. Be a good neighbor – Some have said that the most violent element in our society is apathy. Good neighbors watch out for each other. If you see suspicious activity or individuals call the police.   

Vehicle Crime Tips

1. Lock your doors -- Always make sure your vehicle doors are locked when your vehicle is parked. Again, criminals are looking for those easy targets.

2. Hide your valuables -- Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle if you can help it. If you must, place your valuables in the trunk of your car prior to arriving at your destination. This will greatly reduce the chance of becoming a victim.

3. Parking -- Park your vehicle in a well lit and visible area. Criminals do not like to be seen.

Provo Sunset

2011-11-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful to live in Provo.

Thanks to Sgt. Dan Dove of the Provo Police Department for sharing this photo taken off the south side of the City Center last week.

Thanksgiving Starts Early

2011-11-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Three cheers to the Provo Elks Lodge for hosting a Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday night. The guests were about 300 Utah County residents who may not otherwise had a Thanksgiving dinner.

This is the Elks Lodge's 19th year of providing the dinner.

City on a Hill Ribbon Cutting

2011-11-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

I recently had a chance to attend the ribbon cutting of the City on a Hill Church located in the old Provo Theater Building.

City on a Hill is a Non-Denominational Christian church whose vision and purpose is to be a light and refuge for the community and to offer hope, support families, and reach out to the needy by educating people, equipping and encouraging leaders, and engaging churches, communities, and local businesses.

City on a Hill offers many service opportunities such as Adopt a Block, Coat Closet, and providing backpacks filled with supplies for title-one schools. Also, we are working with an outreach called “HopeKids” which is a support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions. At present, City on a Hill is working with businesses and local churches to provide a Thanksgiving meal for families in need.

On Saturday, December 3^rd, they will be hosting a Unity Service at 6pm and would like to extend an invitation to anyone to come and see their new building. Their worship services are on Sunday mornings at 11am.

They are having their traditional Advent services beginning November 27^th through December 25^th and will be concluding the Christmas season with their annual Christmas Eve Candle Light Service at 7pm followed by a Sunday morning Christmas Service at 11am.

The Vote is Final for District 1 Municipal Council Seat

2011-11-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

The tally is complete. Gary Winterton wins the District 1 Municipal Council seat by 6 votes. Lots of lessons for us to learn from this but the one that jumps out at all of us is the importance of every vote.

The only thing left is the formality. The Board of Canvassers will meet at 5:00 pm to accept the results of the election.

I would like to extend a personal thanks to both Bonnie and Gary for running. A vote this close emphasizes the fact that we had two outstanding candidates in this race. I know them both well and we are fortunate to have candidates of this caliber willing to serve.

Every Vote Counts

2011-11-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

I explained in an earlier blog post that the race for the District 1 Municipal Council seat is so close, there could be a recount. A recount was attempted yesterday, but there was an apparent problem with the equipment counting the ballots. So this morning, the ballots are being counted by hand at the Utah County Administration Building. I'll update this post when the results are in.

Feeling Groovy

2011-11-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Sutherland Institute blogged today about Gallup's finding of Utah being the first in the nation in a measure that they call city optimism. That is the number of residents who think their city is becoming a better place to live. As often is the case with good things, the Provo-Orem area is the national leader in city optimism. 76.9% of residents think that their city is becoming better. The next closest areas are Austin, Texas, and Huntsville, Alabama, but the gap is pretty wide. Salt Lake City area optimism rating is 64.5.

Provo-Orem is the second in overall wellbeing in populations between 300,000 and 1 million residents - second only to Boulder. City optimism is better here, but we have higher incidents of obesity and diabetes and lower exercise frequency than Boulder.

Free BYU Basketball Game and Food Drive

2011-11-22T11:25:00.002-07:00

Please spread the word with friends, family and co-workers. This is a great opportunity to spend time together and help out a great cause.

BYU Broadcasting and BYU Athletics are giving away free tickets to the Tuesday, Nov. 22 basketball game in exchange for food donations (4 cans or $3) to help support Community Action Services and Food Bank (CASFB).

The event begins at 4 p.m. inside the new BYU Broadcasting Building (just east of the Marriott Center).

Those in attendance will have a chance to hang out with Cosmo and get their picture taken, play games and see themselves at center court with green screen technology. There will also be a drawing to win gift baskets that may include the opportunity for a fan to sit in the control room during a game or a signed basketball.

The event is part of the annual BYU vs. Utah Food Drive hosted by the BYU Alumni Association. The food drive, which goes through November 26, has become a tradition for Cougar fans. Food collected through the drive will help families throughout Utah, Wasatch and Summit Counties have food to eat this holiday season.

Losee Jewelry Robbery

2011-11-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

Provo Police Department Press Release

Yesterday at approximately 7:20 PM, Provo Police Officers responded to a robbery located at 2230 North University Parkway.  Three Employees of Losee Jewelry stated that at around 6:30 PM an adult male suspect walked into the store and requested to see some jewelry.  A second adult male suspect walked in a few minutes later asking for the same thing.  The two males then displayed handguns and threatened the employees.  Three employees were bound with duct tape.  Duct tape was placed on their hands, mouth and eyes.  The suspects stayed in the store for approximately 45 minutes.  The suspects drove away in one of our victims vehicles.  The vehicle is described as a black 2011 Jeep wrangler with license plate o# Z74 2YW.  At 7:20 PM the victims were able to free themselves and call the police.  


The suspects are described as adult males in their mid thirties.  They stand approximately 5 feet 10 inches.  The two suspects are described as having olive skin.  The victims did not understand the language they were speaking.  Both suspects were wearing what is described as a, “puffy jacket.” One of them was black the other red.  

We are seeking the help from the public in locating this vehicle and any other leads that would be helpful in this case.  If you have information please contact Detective Nick Kogianes at 801-852-7258

Bicycle Facilities Master Plan

2011-11-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

The future of bicycling in Provo is in your hands. Take a survey at www.provobikeplan.com or attend a public workshop on November 29, 2011, from 4:30-7 p.m., at the Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave.

How Did I Get Invited?

2011-11-21T11:19:00.001-07:00

Left to right, Mayor Gimenez, Mayor Coleman, Mayor Barkat of Jerusalem, Mayor Parker, Mayor Mallory, and me.

The trip to Israel was invaluable for many reasons, including the opportunity to rub shoulders with a few other mayors from around the country and their staff. Our cities are dealing with many of the same issues--council meetings, budget cuts, transportation, snow plowing, economic development, re-branding--and there was much to learn from their experiences.

Mayor Annise Parker

Mayor Parker of Houston heads the largest city represented on the trip, and the fourth largest city in the country. She deals with a $4.25 billion total city budget, which includes a $1.9 billion general fund budget. She's a good fit for the job, having worked for many years as the city controller. The mayor faces re-election every two years and won the most recent election earlier this month. She usually has a team of security guards assigned to protect her, but was able to travel to Israel without them.

Mayor Mark Mallory

Mayor Mallory of Cinncinnati was the life of the party, constantly entertaining us with his dry humor and dynamic personality. In the photo above, he's listening to a pitch by a market vendor in Jerusalem. He has been working hard on economic development in his city, and gave us tips on the re-branding process. He comes from a family of public servants. His father was in the state legislature, he has been in the state legislature, he has a brother who is an elected official, and two others who are judges. He recently appeared in an episode of Undercover Boss.

Mayor Chris Coleman

Mayor Coleman of St. Paul wears cowboy boots and is part of a bagpipe band that once opened for Rod Stewart. He's a former defense attorney and asked some of the best questions throughout the trip. He has been instrumental in championing the largest transit project ever undertaken in the state of Minnesota which has been just one part of his efforts to bring his downtown to life with music, art, and restaurants.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez

Mayor Gimenez of Miami-Dade County, just elected in June, is a former fire chief. He was almost called on to do CPR on the flight back to the United States. One thing we have in common is we both had to make major budget cuts soon after being elected to office, but he had to cut more than $400 million from his budget and is working on reducing 42 departments to 25. Another thing we have in common is we are both married to our high school sweethearts. His wife Lourdes is an administrator with the local school district and accompanied him on the trip. In the photo above, he's standing with Provo City's public information officer Helen Anderson.

The Conflict

2011-11-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Dominant in almost every conversation this week on my trip was the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. While going through my pictures from my trip to Israel in 1979 I found this photo of the Old City walls taken with my friend and cousin, Kyle Bateman.

The photo seems to speak to the conflict that is so elusive to a solution. Brothers from one house divided against each other.

More than anything else I came away from my trip to Israel with a great sense of how small our problems in Provo are compared to so many in the world. It's easy to get lost in disputes about how much of one's yard should be paved and think the issue is so large it will undo us. This week put those things in proper perspective for me.