Thursday December 2 2021 Update

Well, we have hit another Thursday.  It seems like such a short time since Thanksgiving Day.  One of the things I have felt real gratitude about over the years has been the opportunity I have had to work with amazing leaders during my career.  I thought I would share a quick Facebook post I did a year ago expressing appreciation for all I learned from 10 mayors and a governor with whom I have worked closely.  Pictures in the post include Governor Mike Leavitt and Mayors Irene French, Wayne Kimber, Glenn Mecham, Matt Godfrey, Lewis Billings, John Curtis and Michelle Kaufusi.  I tried but couldn't find a photo of the first Mayor in my city manager career Willard Pence or Dick Berkeley in Kansas City.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Provo Christmas Market I December 4 4:00 pm

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Film Lecture Series: Christmas Movies - Some Deep Cuts I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Emergency Home Power Presentation I December 11 8:30 am

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

Conversaciones/Conversations I December 14 7:00 pm

Holiday Paint Night I December 15 7:00 pm

Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club I December 16 6:30 pm

A Pioneer Christmas I December 17 - December 20

A Christmas Carol I December 20 7:00 pm

Teen Book Club: Beehive Award Nominees I December 23 7:00 pm

Teens Talk: Share Your Hobby I December 30 7:00 pm

Countdown 2022 Party Animals I December 31 7:00 pm

Teen Volunteer Board I January 6 6:30 pm
The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Today is National Special Education Day!
• There was an officer-involved shooting in Taylorsville overnight. Two officers were injured, one critically, and the suspect is dead. Officers were looking for a rape and robbery suspect and located him around 10 pm, with an infant inside the SUV he had been driving. After negotiations, he released the baby and after more than hour, he finally exited the vehicle and began shooting at the officers who returned fire. The baby was unharmed. 
• The Department of the Interior recently ordered that the derogatory term “squaw” be removed from lakes, mountains, trails and other features on federal land — and the largest share of the cleanup will be taking place in the West.
• What makes life meaningful for people? A study from the Pew Research Center looks at the things that people say, in advanced economies, make their lives meaningful.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Thank you for sharing your happy news and exciting announcements! It has been a blast to hear and see what is happening in your lives!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

MAYOR'S WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

This week Mayor's highlight is getting to watch the Parks & Rec "What I said, What I did" Presentations and participate in a General Plan retreat.

FUN STUFF

It's Thursday, so time for this week's favorite Internet memes.

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Hope you have a great weekend!

Wayne

December 1 2021 Update

Last evening, the City Council gave its advice and consent for the appointment of Gordon Haight as our next city engineer.  Gordon brings a long career in public service to Provo.  He has been a transportation engineer in Salt Lake City, the public works director or city engineer in Draper, South Jordan and Taylorsville, and an assistant city manager in Herriman.  Gordon is highly respected across the state and has a well-deserved reputation as a good listener, a creative thinker and a mentor of young professionals.  He will begin working with us on December 15.  

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Provo Christmas Market I December 4 4:00 pm

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Emergency Home Power Presentation I December 11 8:30 am

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

Conversaciones/Conversations I December 14 7:00 pm

Holiday Paint Night I December 15 7:00 pm

Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club I December 16 6:30 pm

A Christmas Carol I December 20 7:00 pm

Teen Book Club: Beehive Award Nominees I December 23 7:00 pm

Teens Talk: Share Your Hobby I December 30 7:00 pm

Countdown 2022 Party Animals I December 31 7:00 pm

Teen Volunteer Board I January 6 6:30 pm
The Alibis I February 7:30 pm 

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• The Canyons School District is experiencing some controversy about some books in libraries in their district. Some suggest several should be banned while others insist it is a violation of their policy.
• Climate change and water woes are the reasons AccuWeather and the Tribune are redrawing the Great Salt Lake on maps to reflect it's changes over the past few years.
• If you haven't noticed, meat keeps getting more expensive — and you should probably get used to it. (With the article linked.)
• The United States has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world, and some of the proposed reasons are surprising to say the least.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Share your holiday pics with us! Is your house decorated? What did your Thanksgiving look like? What is your favorite tradition? We want to know! P.S. We also still want to know the fun announcements, hobbies, and exciting news! So keep those coming too! 

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

EMPLOYEE / DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT

Our Human Resources department has some fun news to share this week! Lillian Montoya was selected to fill the HR Technician vacancy. HR is so excited to have Lilly join the team!  Welcome, Lilly!

FUN STUFF

Sometimes the best you get from a hectic holiday schedule is "not mad."  Fortunately, my family's schedule isn't quite this hectic this year, but sometimes it has been this way.  Maybe you can relate.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Johnson Files (@johnsonfiles)

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Hope your day is going well.  Thanks for all you do for Provo!

Wayne

November 30 2021 Update

We are delighted to introduce Fred Ross as Provo's next chief of police, subject to the advice and consent of the City Council this evening.  Chief Ross has been the chief of the Utah Transit Authority police department, worked at the University of Utah police department, and was a career officer and deputy chief in the Salt Lake City Police Department.  He has worked extensively with police officers and civilian employees in these three departments and also with the homeless communities, disability advocates and other key stakeholders.  He instituted Utah’s first partnership with the Center for Policing Equity, establishing a commitment to fair and transparent policing and investigations.

We are thrilled to welcome Chief Ross to Provo PD! 

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Provo Christmas Market I December 4 4:00 pm

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

Countdown 2022 Party Animals I December 31 7:00 pm
The Alibis I February 7:30 pm 

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Today is Giving Tuesday! Find a way to give back today, there are some really great causes out there.
• An estimated $63 billion will be spent shopping online this holiday season, giving porch pirates incentives to "Christmas shop" off your doorstep. Doorbell cameras aren't much of a deterrent, sadly. Better options are to schedule deliveries for a time someone will be home, require a signature for delivery or have packages delivered to an Amazon locker near you.   
• If you haven't noticed, meat keeps getting more expensive — and you should probably get used to it
• Several vehicles were shot at early this morning by a person in an SUV on I-15 between Nephi and Scipio. Two people were injured. The current whereabouts of the shooter are unknown. Stay safe out there.

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

"How To Form A New Habit In 10 Simple Steps"

https://smartbrief.tradepub.com/free/w_deaa11/ 

On a scale of one to ten, how sick are you of setting goals and falling short?

The key to achieving your goals—especially those big hairy ambitious goals that really matter to you—is to hammer away at them bit by bit, in small steps taken daily. Success, as the saying goes, is doing a few simple things really well everyday. To put it another way: when you know how to form a new habit that’s related to a goal you’re working towards, then you can see yourself inching closer to success through the actions you take on a daily basis.

And a new habit, once you’ve successfully installed it, is easy-peezy to execute because you’re doing it automatically without thinking about it, just like you drive your car and brush your teeth.

In this piece, Dean Bokhari shares 10 simple steps you can start implementing immediately towards forming any new habit you want.

FUN STUFF

Now I have seen everything.  I have watched bears catch salmon in a river, but a skater dude catching one after jumping in to a pond from a handrail is altogether new for me.  

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Hope you have a great day.  And welcome to Chief Ross to the Provo team!

Wayne

November 29, 2021 Update

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day celebration and some time with family and friends.  The Parkers enjoyed a busy Wednesday preparing and Thursday celebrating.  My grandson was excited to have ten pies for ten people.  Obviously, we sent some home with our visitors!  But it was great to have the family together.

We also enjoyed the roller coaster known as BYU football Saturday evening in Los Angeles.  It was an entertaining game, and BYU held off an aggressive USC team (who, by the way is getting a new and very high profile head coach).  And both women's and men's basketball teams at BYU and the women's soccer team had great wins this weekend.  All in all, a good week for BYU athletics.

On a side note, there are some amazing Christmas concerts coming up at the Covey Center - they are listed below.  If you want to get into the holiday spirit, there is no better way!

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Joshua Creek Christmas I November 29 7:00 pm

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

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

• Wondering if you should worry about the new Omricon variant?  KSL has some answers.  
• Last night was the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-night celebration of lights.  Here's everything you might want to know about this important holiday.  
• Carrie Meek, the grandchild of a slave and a sharecropper's daughter who became one of the first Black Floridians elected to Congress since Reconstruction, died Sunday. She was 95. 
• More childless U.S. adults say they’ll likely never have kids.   

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

The City will be filling a couple of high profile executive positions tomorrow when the City Council considers two appointments for their advice and consent.  After an exhaustive regional search, we will be recommending a new police chief for Provo PD.  The announcement will be made tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. in the new - and under construction - public safety building.  And tomorrow evening, the Council will be considering advice and consent for the City's new city engineer.  So watch this space over the next couple of days as we introduce these two key members of Provo's management team!  I am personally quite excited about them and what they will bring to their new positions.

FUN STUFF

Time for a fun music cover.  I think you know I am a big Billy Joel fan, and I also loved watching Glee when it was in its heyday.  So this cover of Uptown Girl by the cast of Glee is worth a few minutes of rocking relaxation!

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I hope you have a great day!  You are the ones that make it all happen!

Wayne

November 24, 2021 Update

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Joshua Creek Christmas I November 29 7:00 pm

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

The Alibis I February 7:30 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• There are many holiday service opportunities, and if you're not sure where to serve, be sure to check out which organizations have service opportunities in Utah County.
• The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) launched their Cottonwood Canyons sticker program, a free and completely voluntary initiative is focused on increasing vehicle safety and preparedness by pre-inspecting tires for winter driving conditions.
• Warm weather causing some issues for Utah ski resorts. For example, Park City Mountain has decided to delay its opening day.
• Lehi City has announced that they will comply with the Biden vaccine mandate, their employees must be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing and masks.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

The results are in! It looks like stuffing and mashed potatoes are the crowd favorite, with Pie/Dessert coming in second. And poor brussels sprouts and carrots didn't make anyone's favorite Thanksgiving food.

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

EMPLOYEE / DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT

From our Parks and Recreation Department's Aspen Dalton:  We planned a Women in Parks and Recreation Leadership Summit and it went very well! Here is a photo with our Keynote speaker, Olympic Skier Shannon Bahrke. We were able to discuss the lack of female leadership in our industry, policies employers can implement for supporting mothers and mental health, and how to increase involvement of girls and women in sports and recreation.

FUN STUFF

This week's meme collection has a distinctive Thanksgiving flavor.  (See what I did there?) 😁

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Thanks for all you do!  I hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend.  And I especially appreciate all of those who will be working on Thanksgiving away from their families to keep our community healthy and safe.  You are our heroes!

Wayne

November 23, 2021 Update

Last evening and into the very early morning, we had a power outage in northwest Provo.  Our crews were out in very cold temperatures for about 4 hours working to restore power.  Due to some of the complexity of the operation and with some safety concerns, we actually had to increase the scope of the outage for a time to be able to effect repairs safely.  While it was an inconvenience for our customers, we kept our employees safe and minimized the downtime.  So many of our employees work just this way - maintaining service and emphasizing safety.  It is part of the Provo Way!  Thanks to all who work to keep our community safe and healthy, while still protecting our employees who are often in harm's way!  

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Barlow Ballet presents The Nutcracker I November 17 - November 20

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

Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra presents European Adventure I November 22 7:30 pm

Joshua Creek Christmas I November 29 7:00 pm

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

• Snow needs to be on the main menu for states like Utah, Idaho and others in the West to help them counter the effects of our recent drought.
• Pictures from the sky illustrate just how dramatic our growth is in Utah.
• Even as COVID-19 continues to show no signs of slowing in Utah, a new Intermountain Healthcare study finds a "very concerning" increase in depression among Utahns in the wake of the pandemic.
• During the pandemic, more people are getting more plastic surgery than before, and they're calling it the 'Zoom Boom'.

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

"Effective Communication Skills -- The 10 Things You Need to Know"

https://smartbrief.tradepub.com/free/w_wiki16/prgm.cgi

The majority of jobs require employees to have good communication skills, so that they can express themselves in a positive and clear manner, both when speaking to people and in writing.

Communication is one of the main ingredients for corporate success, but the problem is that the phrase ‘good communication skills’ is a term so overused that it is difficult to pinpoint what it actually means.

This tips and tricks guide starts with explaining what communication skills are and the importance of them in the workplace. Then it will provide you with the top 10 communication skills and how to obtain each of them. This guide has everything you need to sharpen those skills. You won't want to miss out! 

FUN STUFF

While I have many fun memories of Thanksgiving Dinners, including my grandmother's chocolate pie that gave everyone in the family heartburn (of which fact my grandma was blissfully ignorant) I'm glad they never dissolved into this level of not so friendly dysfunction!

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Hope you have a great day.  

Wayne

November 22, 2021 Update

Happy Monday, everyone.  I hope your weekend was great, and the events of this holiday week even greater.  Our family was busy for sure, and part of the fun was getting our front yard ready for the holidays.  A few new items for yard décor this year, which I hope will thrill the grandkids!

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

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

Barlow Ballet presents The Nutcracker I November 17 - November 20

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

Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra presents European Adventure I November 22 7:30 pm

Joshua Creek Christmas I November 29 7:00 pm

Ryan Shupe Christmas I November 30 7:30 pm

Learn It: Zentangle Holidays I December 1 7:00 pm

A Christmas Carol | December 02 - December 20

Light Up Christmas! I December 3 - December 4

Utah Valley Handbell Ringers I December 6 6:00 pm

Learn It: Holiday Menu and Meal Planning I December 7 7:00 pm

Teen Writer's Group I December 9 7:00 pm

Holiday Recipe Swap I December 11 1:00 pm

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

• President Biden has signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, praising it as a bipartisan win.
• Ryan Smith of Qualtrics is rebranding the Jazz. His next idea is to rebrand the state of Utah, though not everyone is excited about that potential change. 
• There are more jobs than jobless in Utah, says a new report, due to employees quitting their jobs in record numbers. Utah and Nebraska are the top two, according to the report.
• Utah is joining the ranks of states suing over the Biden vaccine mandate for health care workers.
• The update to the Thanksgiving Point Area Plan has been released, and includes adding 5,000+ housing units.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Let's talk about recent discussions at the City Council level about parking, especially the new option for paid on-street parking.  This framework, which was adopted by the Council last week, along with the potential application of the program in the Joaquin Neighborhood south of the BYU campus, has generated some controversy and some misconceptions.

The paid on-street parking framework includes some important tools which could help with better and more effective on-street parking management in Provo.  The Council proposal includes the following features:

• Parking on a public street within OSPM zones may be restricted by either of the following parking management strategies:
• Paid timed parking or
• Paid timed parking with optional permits
• Vehicles that are parked in a timed parking zone must pay the established rate.
• Timed rates will be market driven; high enough that parking spots are regularly freed up, but not so high that on-street parking is not being utilized fully.
• Payment would be made through a mobile app. City staff are working on options for drivers without a mobile device.
• Vehicles with valid permits are exempted from the timed parking rate in that OSPM zone.
• Permit holders pay for one year of access to an OSPM zone rather than paying the timed rate.
• To obtain a parking permit, the permit holder must prove ownership of, or residence at, a building with frontage along the OSPM zone with a maximum limit of two permits per property/occupant.
• The boundaries of all OSPM areas shall be shown on an official On-Street Parking Management Area Map adopted by the Municipal Council.

This is an innovative approach to resolving some key issues that may apply in specific areas.  It may seem challenging to implement and to explain to those who might reside in one of these zones, but it does apply the best of free market principles.  On-street parking is an asset owned by the City, and "congestion pricing" is a good way to ensure that the goals of having sufficient on-street parking and of encouraging full use of off-street parking by changing the price points.  When a commodity like parking is free, drivers will often make choices to park inconveniently, or to park at a long distance from their destination.  Making parking a consumer good with a cost associated will create an incentive for drivers to make better decisions.

While this framework adds an important tool to our parking management toolbox, where and when to apply the framework to a specific area becomes the rub.  At a town hall meeting last week, the Council heard from a very large number of residents in the Joaquin area with both pros and cons about how the system would work.  The arguments were primarily about costs for students living in the area who now park for free on-street, and about finding a way to limit on-street parking for non-student residents to minimize the risk of drivers parking so as to block driveways, sidewalks, and crosswalks and those who move garbage cans on collection days in order to park on street.  

There will be two more town halls on the topic to allow more time for interaction on the issue.  Time will tell on this one, but I give the Council sponsors high marks for developing a creative solution that will take some strong political will to implement. 

FUN STUFF

It is time for the fall holidays, and this little survival tip video should help you (and me) make it through Halloween, Thanksgiving and the best our family time has to offer.  Courtesy of our neighbors at Dry Bar Comedy.  

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Have a great rest of your Monday!

Wayne