April 18 2022 Update

Greetings from beautiful southern Utah.  Dixon and I are attending the Utah City Management Association spring conference the first part of this week, and I am participating as a panelist tomorrow on the topic of finding the balance between micromanagement and blissful ignorance (my terms). 

I hope you had a nice Easter weekend.  I mentioned last week that I was invited to speak at the Easter sunrise service at the Provo Congregational Church.  It was a nice experience, although it made for a long day as we needed to be at the church at 6:00 a.m. in preparation for a 7:00 a.m. service.  Reverend Cupples and Dave Lewis - the artistic director at the church - do an amazing job with a small but committed group of parishioners and with the Utah Valley Interfaith Choir. 

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Mad Science: Spin, Pop, Boom! I April 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Basics I April 19 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Samplers I April 19 7:00 pm

Paint Night I April 19 7:00 pm

CSYP's Suessical Jr. I April 19 7:00 pm

Learn It: Autism Across the Lifespan I April 20 7:00 pm

Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club I April 21 6:30 pm

Earth Day I April 22 4:00 pm

Make Your Own Stress Ball I April 26 7:00 pm

Teen Book Club: Books to Movies I April 28 7:00 pm

Courtyard Book Sale I April 30 11:00 am

Steel Magnolias I May 5 - May 28

Thousand Trees Initiative Kickoff I May 21 8:30 am

YOUR VOICE

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NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Mike Lee was in the news all weekend for his many texts to Mark Meadows about the 2022 election results.
• Ukrainian forces in the southern port city of Mariupol defied a Russian ultimatum yesterday to lay down their arms, sources say. The offer reportedly would've allowed safe passage to roughly 2,500 soldiers holding out at the Azovstal steel plant in the eastern part of the city. The massive mill covers roughly 4 square miles and is believed to be the last major pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city.
• The average US tax refund to date—$3,175—is up 10% over the 2020 filings as Americans file their taxes for today’s deadline.
• At least 17 Palestinians were injured yesterday after Israeli police were required to help clear a path for Jewish worshippers at one of the country's most revered religious sites. The clashes unfolded at the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism; the hill is also home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, generally considered the third holiest site in Islam. More than 150 Palestinians were injured Friday after police broke up crowds reportedly throwing objects near the prayer area of the Western Wall.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Things are moving quickly on our preparations for moving many departments and employees into the new city hall complex.  Our team, with special focus on the fire department, are moving the 911 dispatch center into the building this week.  Moving a dispatch center is very complex as you might imagine.  But our team is doing a remarkable job in getting ready and executing the move.  Information Systems will be next in short order.  The rest of us will move on a specific schedule - for the most part from the top of the building to the first floor.  With limited elevator access, and to minimize damage to the building from the move, that seemed like the best way to go.  

With the new building comes some other changes, one of which will impact the entire city.  Our telephone system is operating on old technology and we have needed an upgrade for some time.  Moving the technology backbone of the phone system was problematic, and so replacing it became the best alternative.  So, this system upgrade will impact all of our operations, regardless of whether or not you will be in the new city hall.  Watch your email for updates from the IS division and from your department liaison.  The good news is we will keep the same phone numbers.  The less good news is we will probably replace your phone set unless it is fairly new.  But lots of new features will make the system way better (like getting voicemails via email and being able to use your cell phone with your desk phone number).  So stay tuned.

And save Saturday July 2 on your calendar for the ribbon cutting event for the new city hall and public safety building.  We will not be fully moved into the new facility by that date, but we will be close.  We will be having a fun event, and offering tours of the new facilities for our residents.

FUN STUFF

I don’t know how you are feeling about the Encanto frenzy, but my grandkids of all ages know “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” by heart and will sing it all day long if their parents can tolerate it!   This brand new cover of the song by BYU Vocal Point, Adassa (who was the voice in the movie as Dolores), and Utah’s own One Voice Childrens’ Choir, is fun, colorful and engaging.  Whether you are sick of the song or not, this is a great music video.

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Wayne