October 19 2021 Update

Happy Tuesday!  It has been a really good day because I got to see some of my favorite employees and friends out at Public Works today and also spend some quality time with our legal team - who are also some of my favorites. In addition, it was great to be able to get out of the office for some of my meetings.  Also, in the office today, I got to meet with a graduate student in the BYU MPA program to talk about careers in city management and what has made it so rewarding for me.  I love talking with students and seeing the glimmer in their eyes that I recognized in my own eyes from 4 decades ago when I started in this business.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

Learn It: Bookbinding I November 3 7:00 pm

Provo City Library Writing Group I November 6 1:00 pm

Conversations/Conversaciones I November 9 7:00 pm

Fall Leaves for Families I November 10 6:30 pm

Harry Potter Trivia I November 10 7:00 pm

A Night of Bluegrass with The Fabled Folks I November 15 7:00 pm

Learn It: Medicare 101 I November 16 7:00 pm

Learn It: Gluten Free Cookies I November 17 7:00 pm

Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club I November 18 6:30 pm

Joshua Creek Christmas I November 29 7:00 pm

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Did you know what the world's hardest cheese is? It turns out chhurpi might hold the title.  (No that name is not typo.) This cheese is extremely hard and can last up to 20 years if stored properly.
• The Road Home is in need of travel sized hygiene items for the men they serve at the Men's Resource Center (3380 S. 1000 W.). Items can be delivered daily, between 8am-7pm. This is a great place for those unused bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion that come home from vacation with you. 
• Want to know how your voice can be heard in Utah politics? Check out a few ways to get involved!
• Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit is coming to Kanab at the end of this month. Normally it's a three-day event but this year it is two regional gatherings.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Share your exciting news or fun hobbies with us below or in the section on the right, we love hearing from you!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

EMPLOYEE / DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT

This weekly highlight is about Karen Tapahe in the Council office. She was presented with the Team Player award at the Utah PIO Association annual meeting on September 29 in St. George.

Congrats to Karen!!  She does such amazing job with the Council's public outreach and social media!  

FUN STUFF

So, I have talked about our Goldendoodle Molly before.  As you may remember, I often think she loves  me a lot more than I love her, but my wife would certainly dispute the last part.  But the good thing is that she doesn't care about any of that!  So someone alerted me to a fun Twitter personality called Thoughts of Dog - that clearly could be written by Molly.  Here are some of my favorites.  It has been a while since the dog tweeted, but these are timeless.

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Hope your day is going well.  It is so great to be a part of the Provo team.

Wayne

October 18 2021 Update

I hope you had a great weekend.  It was nice to have some time to get some work done in our garden getting ready for winter, and in the process planting some garlic for harvest next summer.  It is kind of fun knowing that the garden is doing something productive over the winter!

I also wanted to mention that Fire Chief Jim Miguel is celebrating his five year anniversary with the City.  Jim and I have become good friends over that five year period, and I appreciate his leadership in the department and his collaborative work with the rest of the Administration.  Congrats, Chief!

I'm not going to talk about the BYU game - still too frustrated.  But I did want to mention the amazing welcome that Baylor and the City of Waco gave to BYU as a new member of the Big 12 conference.  They even had President Worthen and Athletic Director Tom Holmoe ride in the Baylor homecoming parade.  It makes me even more excited for BYU to be a part of the Big 12 culture of excellence.  

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

An Evening of Dance with Grupo Folklórico Tollan I October 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I October 19 2021 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Hats I October 19 7:00 pm

Covey Tapestry of Dance I October 19 7:30 pm

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

YOUR VOICE

One of the ideas that came through the earlier survey was the desire to make the update more interactive. So, today we are asking you to check 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 left, 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!

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• University of Utah engineers have developed a new exoskeleton to help amputees walk more easily.
• The Red Cross said it continues to experience an emergency blood and platelet shortage that recently led the supply to drop to "the lowest post-summer level in at least six years." The organization is offering a free Zaxby's sandwich or a $5 electronic gift card "to a merchant of their choice" to those who donate in October. 
• The Bureau of Land Management West Desert District is getting an exponential increase in permit requests, especially at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Because of that rise, some racers are finding they could have to wait up to six months get get a permit.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Let’s talk today about one of the interesting features of our form of government - the role of the executive and legislative branches in the hiring of key leadership roles in the city organization.

The Mayor leads the executive branch of city government in Provo (and other cities with our form of government), and the Council represents the legislative branch.  Each branch has its own unique powers and duties under our form of government, which creates this uniquely American brand of “checks and balances.”  For example, the legislative branch approves budgets and appropriations, while the executive branch has the responsibility to manage the use of funds within those budgets.  The legislative branch approves policy (through resolutions and ordinances) and the executive branch “executes” those policies.

State law and city ordinance govern how the Mayor appoints key positions in the City, and for some of those key positions, law requires that the Council gives its “advice and consent” before mayoral appointments are approved.  Most of our board and commission appointments and all department directors are subject to this “advice and consent” process.   Additionally, there are also some “statutory positions” which are not department directors but are key positions identified in state law that also require Council approval.  In Provo, these include the city engineer, the city recorder, and the city treasurer (finance division director).  

Recently, when the Mayor appointed Amanda Ercanbrack to fill the position as customer service director, Amanda’s appointment was submitted to the Council for their advice and consent because Amanda was appointed to department director position.  We also have three other “advice and consent” positions that are currently vacant - police chief, city engineer, and city recorder - that will need to go through that process as new appointments are made.  

During my time here, this process has always been one where both legislative and executive branches have worked within their respective roles to fill these kinds of positions with able and professional people.  It is certainly one area where the two branches can be at odds, but we have found ways to work together to get really good outcomes.  

FUN STUFF

In honor of the release of the latest James Bond movie (and Daniel Craig's last one) No Time to Die, I thought you might enjoy this little Studio C parody of a high stakes poker game between Bond and his nemesis.

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I hope you enjoy your day today.  Thanks for all you to do make our city great!

Wayne

October 14 2021 Update

Last evening we held a public open house to discuss the potential of adding an additional stop to the UVX line near the BYU Creamery.  The open house was held at Wasatch Elementary School.  We had about 50 residents come to learn more about the proposal and to express their opinions.  We directed my residents to our Open City Hall feature on the city website and it looks like about 45 of them went there to complete a survey.  We also allowed residents to submit written comments which we will compile.  It was really nice to be able to interact in person with our residents again!  And it was great to see so many folks we got acquainted with several years ago when we were considering creating the UVX bus rapid transit route in the first place.  We will have one more open house next week at the Provo Recreation Center, and then will compile all of the information and public feedback to present to the Mayor and Council in November for a decision about where we go from here.

I find myself with some mixed feelings about the upcoming weekend.  Tomorrow Julie and I will attend the funeral of the husband one of Julie's best lifelong friends.  He had a slow and agonizing battle with colon cancer.  Every time something like this happens, I find myself thinking about the challenges of life and how I would fare if I found myself there.  I hope I am resilient enough! 

But Saturday is my day to work in the yard getting ready for winter (which I love to do each fall) and watching the BYU football game - about which I am never quite sure how I will feel.  But the Baylor game has so much drama - first Big 12 opponent since the conference alignment announcement, facing BYU's former offensive coordinator, and coming off the loss to Boise State.  I'm hoping I feel lots better about Saturday's game than I did last weekend.  

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Paranormal Percussion I October 15 - October 16

Superhero Academy I October 16 11:00 am

An Evening of Dance with Grupo Folklórico Tollan I October 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I October 19 2021 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Hats I October 19 7:00 pm

Covey Tapestry of Dance I October 19 7:30 pm

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• It’s not just about Wasatch Front housing costs. Even rural Utah is seeing ‘unprecedented’ spikes in the cost of homes.
• National park usage is at an all-time high. They are being "loved to death". Deseret News has an article on solutions to help reduce traffic.
• Although Utah is in the top 10 states for reported human trafficking cases, the state has few programs to help survivors of trafficking get back on their feet, according to Petey McKnight. The Aspen House organization, for which McKnight serves as chairwoman of the board, was created to address this issue and they are currently looking for supporters.
• Pattern, a Utah company that began life selling fridge magnets on Amazon has grown into a global powerhouse and on Wednesday announced a whopping $225 million funding round and a valuation of $2 billion.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

One of the ideas that came through the earlier survey was the desire to make the update more interactive.  So, today we are asking you to check 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 left, 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!

MAYOR'S WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

This week Mayor's highlights this week were:

• participating in Monday's Business Leaders' Summit at the Timpanogos Golf Club and arriving in a helicopter;
• meeting with our department head team on Tuesday;
• attending the Utah Valley Economic and Resilience board meeting with other mayors; and
• celebrating her birthday today!

FUN STUFF

This week's favorite memes from social media.

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I hope you have a great weekend!  Go Cougs!

Wayne

October 13 2021 Update

It is Wednesday, and it has been a busy day.  Trying to catch time in between meetings has been a challenge.  Last evening's municipal council meeting went well.  The evening meeting was short (only one item) but the work meeting was full of interesting issues.  These included:

• The council discussed how to react to state legislation that requires the city to permit accessory dwelling units in 33% of the land that is zoned for residential uses in the City.  Currently, only 20% of our residentially zoned land allows for these ADU's.  Accessory dwelling units are like basement or attic apartments that allow a separate family unit to live in an ADU in a dwelling that is owner occupied.  The Council is debating how they would decide on how best to get to the 33% threshold.  
• The council reviewed a new parking management model framework that could be applied in areas in the city that have a shortage of on-street parking.  The model involves using a smart device app to pay for parking in these areas with "congestion pricing" that would adjust hourly rates based on the number of stalls that are currently occupied in the area.  The model will be rolled out for public engagement in the next week, and we will see how residents, students, landlords and other partners react.
• The consultant retained by the County and the State to help determine the future of Bridal Veil Falls made a presentation to the council on their project and civic engagement efforts.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Paranormal Percussion I October 15 - October 16

Superhero Academy I October 16 11:00 am

An Evening of Dance with Grupo Folklórico Tollan I October 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I October 19 2021 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Hats I October 19 7:00 pm

Covey Tapestry of Dance I October 19 7:30 pm

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Governor Cox’s 2020 campaign manager was accused of sexual misconduct recently, but resigned before he would have been terminated. He responded to the allegations on Friday.
• Utah Transit Authority is advising riders to Salt Lake City International Airport and to the University of Utah to expect some light rail delays this month as a result of projects near the two locations.
• A gentleman who was boating in Flaming Gorge discovered one the best known ichthyosaur (fish-lizard) specimens recovered in the state.
• Utah schools are seeing a large uptick in mental health support for students, some saying they are in ‘triage’ mode due to the amount of mental health concerns their students are facing. SUU reports a 400% increase in the number of students seeking help.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Thank you for continuing to share your exciting news in the section on the right! We love seeing your pictures and hearing your exciting news every Wednesday! Please keep sharing and check out this week's employee highlight  below!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

EMPLOYEE / DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT

This week's highlight comes from Administrative Services' own John Borget. One of his hobbies is model rockets. What a cool hobby!

FUN STUFF

This is not your traditional "fun stuff" item, but it is one I am really proud of.  You may have read that Provo Parks and Recreation was recently recognized with the highest national award presented by the National Recreation and Parks Association - the Gold Medal - as the best such department in the United States for 2021.  It is a BIG DEAL!   I wanted to share with you the video that was included in their application materials.  I hope you burst a couple of buttons on your vest with pride to be associated with the superstars of their industry.

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Hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

Wayne

October 12 2021 Update

Welcome to the beginning of fall weather - with a touch of winter chill.  Yesterday after work, I headed home to try to get my freeze-sensitive garden plant removed from the garden before the freeze hits later this week.  So, tomatoes, peppers and squash are done for the season.  The rest can wait until the weekend, and then garlic goes into the ground, covered with mulch, to await harvest next summer.  Other than that, the garden will need to wait.  

Part of the garden earlier in the year.

Today is a city council day and while we have some "big idea" items on the work session agenda today, we have only one item on the evening meeting agenda.  I look forward to seeing how some of these topics like parking management and accessory dwelling unit zoning are addressed and prioritize by our council members.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Conversaciones/Conversations I October 12 7:00 pm

Paranormal Percussion I October 15 - October 16

Superhero Academy I October 16 11:00 am

An Evening of Dance with Grupo Folklórico Tollan I October 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I October 19 2021 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Hats I October 19 7:00 pm

Covey Tapestry of Dance I October 19 7:30 pm

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• This weekend over 1,000 flights were cancelled on Southwest. The company announced the cancellations were due to bad weather and technical difficulties, but there are rumors that pilots are on strike due to vaccine mandates.
• Publicly, Facebook's execs have tried to undermine the credibility of whistle-blower Frances Haugen, but internally, the company is in full crisis management mode, holding informational meetings to calm employees and distributing talking points, including info on how employees should respond when they are “asked questions about recent events by friends and family.” 
• Over the weekend, ultramarathoners were hit by a big winter storm in Farmington Canyon - 87 runners needed to be rescued in the near whiteout conditions.
• President Biden will issue an executive order to restore and enlarge the Bears Ears national monument and restore the 1.78 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante monument. Utah's federal delegation penned a joint op-ed calling the re-expansion of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante a "monumental insult."

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Have any exciting news? Birthdays, babies, weddings, fur-babies, graduations? Share about it in the section on the right --> and upload pics below!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

TUESDAY TIP

Leadership as service -- it's just common sense: Servant leadership attempts to take common sense principles and translate them into effective actions, starting with the strategy and following up with "service -- helping people accomplish the agreed-upon goals," write Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley. They offer several questions leaders use to assess how trustworthy they appear to colleagues and teams.

FUN STUFF

So, I love the Holderness Family musical parody videos on YouTube.  I grew up loving Neil Diamond, so I couldn't resist sharing this little parody video where we learn how Neil Diamond music can infiltrate every part of your day.

Hope you have a great day.  Stay safe and warm as our weather changes.  But - good news - the 60's are just around the corner for the weekend.  :)  

Wayne

October 11 2021 Update

It is great to be back in the office today - although it has been eerily quiet.  Most of our office is engaged in today's Provo Advantage Economic Summit at the Timpanogos Golf Club.  You all probably know I am not a golfer.  I tried in college but it was clearly not my game.  😉  But given more than 600 emails I needed to read, it was good to have a quieter morning.  

I'm still feeling a bit down after Saturday afternoon's football game.  Add to that the defeat of my KC Chiefs having a lackluster season, I'm still smarting from the weekend.  But there's a good opportunity for both teams to bounce back.  

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Lark and Spur Concert I October 11 7:30 pm 

TRIBUTE presented by Utah Metropolitan Ballet: Art and Heart I October 8 - 9

Conversaciones/Conversations I October 12 7:00 pm

Paranormal Percussion I October 15 - October 16

Superhero Academy I October 16 11:00 am

An Evening of Dance with Grupo Folklórico Tollan I October 18 7:00 pm

Crochet Club: Crochet Basics I October 19 2021 6:30 pm

Crochet Club: Hats I October 19 7:00 pm

Covey Tapestry of Dance I October 19 7:30 pm

Halloween Book Page Wreaths I October 20 7:00 pm

TrickTok or Treat I October 21 7:00 pm

AuthorLink with Brandon Mull I October 22 6:00 pm

Swing 4 Cancer Benefit Concert I October 23 4:00 pm

Teen Takeover: Magical Mayhem I October 23 6:30 pm

Paint Night I October 26 7:00 pm

Catapult I October 26 7:30pm

Learn It: All About Stress I October 27 7:00 pm

Ammon and Liahona Olayan I October 27 7:30pm

BYU Young Company: Luna I November 1 7:00 pm

Learn It: Buying Your First Home I November 2 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

YOUR VOICE

Thanks for sharing with us! Don't forget to upload your photos below and share with us some of you hobbies, exciting news, and anything else you would like to share with your fellow city employees!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Google Maps now has some eco-friendly options that will help guide drivers on the most fuel-efficient routes.
• China could be ready to mount a 'full-scale' invasion of Taiwan by 2025, island's defense minister says.
• A ship's anchor may have caused a massive oil spill off the coast of Southern California. Crews are actively working to clean the area.
• Workers at all of Kellogg’s U.S. cereal plants went on strike. A spokesman for the union stated that “The company continues to threaten to send additional jobs to Mexico if workers do not accept outrageous proposals that take away protections that workers have had for decades,”

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

You will notice in the social media posts above that we are beginning a community discussion about adding a new stop for the UVX bus rapid transit line near BYU.  I have to admit - I still have scars from the initial community engagement process on creating the Provo-Orem BRT, now known as UVX.  Those who are here at the time will remember that it was very divisive in our broader community as well as here in Provo.  There was a city council election in which BRT was a defining issue.  There were efforts at securing signatures and court battles to put one of the actions of the City Council on the ballot.  There were very contentious public hearings.  And there were lots of questions about the size, scope and impact of the project.

At the end of the day, the project was constructed and, pre-pandemic, ridership surpassed expectations.  Both BYU and UVU entered into contracts with UTA to offer free fare for all BYU and UVU students, employees and their families across the UTA system.  And federal grants were secured to make UVX free fare for the early years.  

The original BRT design included a three stops to serve BYU - one of the largest ridership generators on the planned system.  One was planned on 900 East near the BYU creamery, one near the MTC, and one near the football and baseball stadiums.  Because of community concerns, the 900 East station was relocated to just south of the BYU campus on 900 North and 700 East.  In recent months, the City has received about 150 emails asking us to consider restoring the 900 East station.  In response to those who submitted these emails, we worked with UTA, the Mountainland Association of Governments and BYU to develop a scenario that would add a station on 900 East.  We will be hosting two public open houses on on October 13 and 20 in Provo to discuss the scenario.  UTA and MAG models suggest that that added station would add several thousand riders daily, and current cost estimates are about $4.2 million.  We don't currently have a definitive funding source figured out, but we think most of the cost will come from county, federal and UTA funds.  

We look forward to sharing more information with the Provo community and hearing what they have to say at these open houses.  

FUN STUFF

For today, I thought I would share some submissions to the Tonight Show Hashtags last week with the hashtag #mycrazyinvention.  I can sure see a need for all of these awesome ideas.

Thanks for all you do!  Looking forward to another great week in Provo.  Drive safely everyone as we likely see our first winter weather of the season later this week!

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Wayne