Monday August 2, 2021 Update

Happy Monday!  It is August - how did July get away from me?  My grandkids are heading back to school in a couple of weeks, especially the ones in Illinois who start on August 15.  Watching the weather the last couple of days has given me some hope that autumn might be around the corner.

This morning on my early exercise walk, I captured this picture of Y Mountain with the clouds in the background.  We really do live in a wonderful spot!

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

The Diaries of Adam and Eve I July 29 - August 21
Paint Night I August 3 7:00 pm
Recipe Swap: Breakfast I August 4 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Intro to Studio Production I August 4 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Cool Science: Ice Cream Demonstration I August 10 4:00 - 5:00 pm

Learn It: Canning 101 I August 10 7:00 - 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

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

Rock The Canyon I August 28 4:00 pm - 8:00pm
Blue Skies Concert Series I Wednesdays through September 22

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• The national debate around Big Tech, social media censorship, misinformation and political bias is coming to Utah. While the state legislature tried to address the issue unsuccessfully earlier this year, it is coming to them again in their next legislative session in January 2022.
• The summer cold is back, and doctors say it could be worse than what we remember as our immune systems "adjust to society again".
• Several companies are offering up incentives to stay competitive in Utah’s job market, taking their game up a notch as they work to fill their staff.
• Wanting to go stargazing? A new park in Eagle Mountain with have a solution with their new stargazing park!

YOUR VOICE

Here is your friendly reminder to fill out this section (on the right -->) where we will include polls and questions for you, as well as a form where you can highlight a coworker or tell us about what you do for the city! This can range from new babies or weddings to just wanting to give a shout-out to a fellow employee. Fill out the questions on the right, then upload pictures for us to share using the link below!  We will post your responses in upcoming editions of the update.  

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

I hope you will take a quick minute to share some thoughts with us about your experience as a city employee.  We will leave the poll open for this week and then share results next week.  

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Today's let's talk about the Provo River Delta Restoration project and mitigating its impact on the Provo Airport.

The Delta Restoration project has its roots nearly 20 years ago as federal agencies and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District were trying to find ways to protect the endangered June Sucker whose native waters are the Provo River and Utah Lake.  The listing of the June Sucker as an endangered species threatened to shut down multiple water development projects in Central Utah which would have had catastrophic impact on our quality of life and on growth in metropolitan Utah.  The idea of diverting the existing Provo River back into the delta which once existed here in early pioneer days was to create idea spawning conditions for the June Sucker fish species, thus protecting important water resources in the community.

One of the biggest challenges to this project was its proximity to the Provo Airport.  One of the potential consequences of rerouting the river channel into a delta was the unintentional creation of a refuge for large waterfowl that could wreak havoc on aircraft, especially jet engines, and compromise air safety.  This was an unacceptable outcome for Provo and for the airport, so the City started working on influencing the delta restoration project to mitigate serious risks and to make sure that the delta didn't create more bird strike risk than the airport currently experiences.

Accordingly, the City's public works and legal staffs have worked literally for more than a decade on this issue.  The stakeholders on the issue include the Utah Reclamation and Mitigation Commission, the US Department of the Interior, the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Central Utah Water, Utah County and Provo City.  The good news is that we are rapidly reaching the point where the governing documents and funding agreements are completed and ready for approval by all of the involved entities.  Work has begun on the delta project, the City will be constructing and managing a new trailhead park on the river near Lakeshore Drive, and the City and the Mitigation Commission will be jointly funding an airport wildlife biologist to monitor bird populations and habitat to ensure that the designs used with a goal of avoiding waterfowl habitat will be properly maintained over time.

Kudos go to Dave Decker, Brian Torgersen and Steve Gleason for working collaboratively to find solutions and to our partners for their hard work to find common ground and commit to sharing resources to make the project work!

FUN STUFF

During this Olympic season, it's important to watch for life lessons and see how we can apply those life lessons for us.  The University of Utah gymnast MyKayla Skinner is the comeback kid this year with what one journalist called the "most unlikely medal of the entire Olympics."  This story from Access Hollywood encapsulates her indominable spirit.

Wayne