January 27 2021 Update

Hope your day has been going well.  Things have been busy in our office as usual.  I mentioned the legislative session earlier this week; I spent a good share of my day today on legislative discussions that could impact city operations.  Things move fast and furious on Capitol Hill, and I really appreciate Isaac being our key liaison with our legislators.  If you become aware of bills that might impact your job or your operations, feel free to reach out to us.

CORONAVIRUS STATS

Nationally, the CDC reports 25,301,166 cases with 423,519 fatalities.

Utah:  340,684 cases (up 2,009 from yesterday); 13,217 hospitalizations; 1,620 deaths (up 7 from yesterday)

Utah County:  83,004 cases (up 442 from yesterday); 2,209 hospitalizations; 281 deaths (up 2 from yesterday)

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Today is National Holocaust Remembrance Day, on the day that the prisoners in Auschwitz were released.
•  A bill to drop the permit requirement for Utahns to carry a concealed firearm was approved with the specification that any unused funds from the remaining permit fees be transferred to the state’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for suicide prevention initiatives and educating the public about safe storage of firearms.
• The Utah Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that it will not appeal a recent ruling that allows BYU to keep its police department.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

THE MAYOR'S DAY

Today, Mayor Kaufusi:

• Participated in a Board of Trustees meeting for UTA
• Met with a City Councilor
• Participated in an APPA PMC call
• Held a meeting with representatives from the County Health department
• Participated in the ULCT Board of Directors meeting
• Met with office staff
• Participated in the UMPA Board of Directors meeting

FUN STUFF

Years ago when I worked in Governor Mike Leavitt's office, I was impressed about his techniques for keeping meetings short and to the point.  Often, he would have meetings in the car as he drove to commitments around the state.  Or, at times I would show up for a meeting and the Gov would be in a sweat suit and walking shoes and we would go for a brisk walk through City Creek Park while we talked.  But this...this is a brilliant idea.  And given how much time I spend in meetings, it might even be worth it.  

Thanks again for all you do, and for keeping Provo a great city and community.

Wayne