August 16 2021 Update

Happy Monday everyone.  A new week with new possibilities!

As I mentioned last week, we have been working with the Utah County Health Department to propose a plan to increase the number of Provo residents who have received a Covid-19 vaccine.  The plan is starting to come together; more work will be happening this week before we bring a solid draft to the Municipal Council next Tuesday afternoon. 

Mondays are usually a day filled with internal meetings - getting the week coordinated and making sure we are hitting all the important and urgent aspects of running the City.  Today is one of those Mondays for me.  I also sat in today on the Utah League of Cities and Towns Legislative Policy Committee meeting to work on hot button issues for the state legislature beginning in January.  

 

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

1820 The Musical I August 6 - September 11

The Diaries of Adam and Eve I July 29 - August 21

Food Truck Roundup I August 12 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I August 12 6:30 - 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Bags I August 12 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Minecraft Club: For Teens I August 20 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Tween Academy: Jade Mountain Academy I August 21 11:00 - 1:00 pm

Provo City Library Writing Group I August 21 1:00 - 2:00 pm

Authorlink with Rosalyn Eves: Beyond the Mapped Stars I August 26 7:00 pm

Rock The Canyon I August 28 4:00 pm - 8:00pm

Lunchbox Hacks I September 1 7:00 pm

Provo City Library Writing Group I August 21 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Blue Skies Concert Series I Wednesdays through September 22

YOUR VOICE

Don't forget to tell us about something fun you like to do in your spare time (on the right -->)  and be sure to upload pictures for us to share on future updates!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Today is National Roller Coaster Day and National Tell A Joke Day. With the news from this weekend, a little happy is needed, so here are a few for you: 
• What did one wall say to the other wall? “I’ll meet you at the corner!”

• I bought one of those ‘smart light switches’ but it was much too clever...  So I replaced it with a dimmer switch.
  
  
• If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.
  
  
• I taught my dog to fetch red wine.  He’s a Bordeaux collie.

• The Parley's Canyon Fire that started over the weekend is 10% contained, with several areas still evacuated.
• A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit near Haiti over the weekend, larger than the one in 2010. This ones has a death toll of 1,300 and counting. Gang violence is hampering humanitarian efforts.
• Afghanistan fell to the Taliban as they took control of the capitals, including Kabul. Videos show Taliban running in front of U.S. military planes as they left. The Afghanistan president resigned and fled the country yesterday, and imprisonments, rape and executions have already begun.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Today, let's talk about homelessness and what is happening in Utah County and in Provo to address this big challenge.

Homelessness is a community issue that knows no boundaries, although central cities in metro areas like Utah County tend to bear the brunt of the problem because we have access to social services and services like food banks and other programs.  The Mountainland Continuum of Care is the entity which coordinates services to the homeless through Utah, Wasatch and Summit Counties.  The CoC recently released a report on the state of homelessness in the three county area, and there is some good news.  But let me first start with a couple of disclaimers.

Homelessness if not as simple as it sounds.  The homeless population in our community is really made up of several subsets.  When we think of homeless populations, we often equate it with "panhandlers" or those we see sleeping in parks or in camps along the river or in the canyon.  But that is only part of the population.  When we measure homelessness, we usually look at the subsets.  The "chronically homeless" group are defined as those with a disability of some kind, who have been homeless for more than a year or more than 12 months in the last three years with more than 4 occasions of homelessness in that 3 year period.  This is the group we worry most about because they are most vulnerable to abuse and sickness.  

Two years ago, there were 252 chronically homeless individuals in the three county area.  After lots of work, that number is down to 70.  The others are no longer chronically homeless because they are housed somewhere - most frequently in what we call permanently supportive housing.  There are 195 units in this housing type in Utah County and it has been a significant way to make sure our chronically homeless have housing and programs supportive of their needs.

The other significant group of homeless are what we call unhoused but engaged in services and seeking housing.  There are 299 people in this category.  About half of those are housed in temporary quarters or living with others; the other half are living in places "not meant for habitation" like cars, camps, or other similar locations.  Generally, these are people who are working with local social service agencies to get help with housing, food and job searching.  Some may be struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.

The good news is that we are making a big dent in the chronically homeless population and we are working closely with the other homeless population to meet their short-term needs and to help them find housing they can afford and that will work for their situation.

Interestingly, the vast majority of our homeless population are Utah natives; they are not coming here from outside the state or the region.  Our CoC partners also know virtually all of them by name and their situations are discussed in CoC meetings every other week.

I hope this helps quantify the problem somewhat and help us all realize that most of our homeless neighbors have access to programs that can help them become housed and helped.

FUN STUFF

So, you probably remember that I have a dog at home.  My wife loves Molly dearly, but I seem to be the one she wants to hang out with, even when I am working from home and doing Zoom meetings.  When I saw this video clip, I was reminded of several times when Molly interrupted my participating in a meeting for some reason or another.  It even happens to heads of state, so at least I am in good company.

I hope you have a great rest of your day!  

Wayne