Monday, February 14, 2022

Tuesday February 15 2022 Update

Welcome to Tuesday, hopefully each of you had a happy Valentine’s day and had the opportunity to tell that special someone that you love them.

My name is John Borget and I am the Department Director of Administrative Services.  Administrative Services includes Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, Recorder, Facilities, and the Justice Court.

I was born in Provo and went to Grandview Elementary, Dixon Junior High, Provo High and graduated from Brigham Young University.  I have four children and ten Grandchildren ranging in ages from 2 to 17.  I just got back from having a fantastic time at Disneyland with two of my kids and their spouses and five grandkids.  I am an avid cyclist and my hobbies include Flying remote control airplanes and launching model rockets.

Today we are having a discussion with the Municipal Council asking them to consider adjusting the Sewer Impact Fee.  Impact Fees are designed to provide needed funding for infrastructure related to growth.  We recently completed the Sewer Impact Fee Facilities Plan and have met with the Utah Valley Home Builders Association and discussed the proposed adjustment to the Sewer Impact fee.

In the Council Meeting tonight I will be going over the Quarterly Report for first quarter of Fiscal 2022 ending September 2021.    The Quarterly Report is intended to give unaudited, summary information to the reader about Provo City’s revenue and expenses along with a five-year comparison for each fund. 


UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

West Side Story and YA Utah Valley Symphony I February 17 - February 18
Sherma Andrews Concert I February 19 7:30 pm
Learn It: Dungeons and Dragons I February 22 7:00 pm
Best Books of 2021 I February 23 7:00 pm
MUOTeen 2022 I February 25 - February 26
No Pressure Book Club I March 1 7:00 pm
BYU Vocal Point I March 18 - March 19
Soundsation I March 15 7:00 pm

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • Three bills aimed at reforming how law enforcement handles use-of-force incidents and mental health calls are making their way through the Utah Legislature.
  • Turf requirements on park strips would no longer exist in Utah under a measure endorsed Friday by a legislative committee, which also approved eliminating cities’ abilities to restrict water wise landscaping.
  • U.S. officials suspended imports of avocados from Mexico on the eve of Super Bowl LVI after a U.S. plant safety inspector received a threat. “U.S. health authorities ... made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” Mexico’s Agriculture Department said in a statement. 

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

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

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

TUESDAY TIP

How job crafting can create employee satisfaction 

Employees can find greater meaning and connection in their work through job crafting, which allows personalization within a framework, writes Jim Haudan.

FUN STUFF

With the 2022 Super Bowl in the books, here's a throwback to one of the most iconic halftime shows of all time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsopN7JKUVs

Utah native is doing great in the Olympics:

https://www.ksl.com/article/50344567/homegrown-world-record-holder-nathan-chen-fueling-skating-growth-in-salt-lake

Mountain Lion Visits Draper Family:

https://www.ksl.com/article/50347969/surveillance-video-captures-rare-visit-from-mountain-lion


Hope you have a happy Tuesday and a nice evening with your family.

John

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Monday February 14 2022 Update

Happy Monday!  I hope you enjoyed the weekend and the Super Bowl!  It didn't quite turn out the way I thought - I was the last place in our office predictions of the final winner and the margin of victory!  I had more confidence in the underdogs than I should have - although it did come down to the final 2 minutes of the game....

And it is also Valentine's Day and mostly I hope you are showing appreciation for yourself along with your loved ones.  Julie and I had fun assembling some Valentine's Day gifts for each of our grandkids this year just to help them remember how much they are loved.

As I mentioned earlier Julie had surgery at the end of last week.  I appreciate your emails and good thoughts.  She is doing well in her recovery; it will take several weeks to be back 100% for her, but she is making good progress.  

So this week, we will be having a few guest hosts.  John Borget will be hosting tomorrow, Jim Miguel on Wednesday and Gene Nelson on Thursday.  I hope you enjoy getting a fresh perspective this week.  I will be mostly working from home next week, so I will be back hosting the daily update on Monday.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

West Side Story and YA Utah Valley Symphony I February 17 - February 18
Sherma Andrews Concert I February 19 7:30 pm
Learn It: Dungeons and Dragons I February 22 7:00 pm
Best Books of 2021 I February 23 7:00 pm
MUOTeen 2022 I February 25 - February 26
No Pressure Book Club I March 1 7:00 pm
BYU Vocal Point I March 18 - March 19
Soundsation I March 15 7:00 pm

YOUR VOICE

Did you know that sharing your good news can increase your joy by 32%? Did you also know that 87% of all statistics are made up? Are either of those true? Who knows? But I do know that you should share your highlights with us!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • Today is Valentines Day, so take a few minutes today and share your appreciation for people you love! Today also marks another historical moment, so happy-first-woman-in-the-nation-to-vote day. Seraph Young cast her ballot in Salt Lake on her way to work on this day in 1870.
  • For those of you who missed the Super Bowl, the LA Rams won in the last quarter and the halftime show was spectacular. Especially for all of the millennials out there!
  • Rep. Birkeland's transgender athlete bill was on the docket for today in the House Health and Human Services committee.
  • Rep. Snow and Sen. McKay's bill to abolish the death penalty in Utah will be heard in the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice committee today as well.
  • Some Utah ski resorts are opposing a bill to end daylight saving time.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO

Several years ago during our "Speed of Trust" years, we put a lot of focus on engaging employees in the budget process.  Once we kind of got through the Great Recession, we implemented a number of changes based on our experience back then, but it is probably good to "pull back the curtain" and talk about our budget process a bit.

We get started in January of each year with a review of the first half of the fiscal year, looking at trends and issues we know are coming.  In early February, we refine our revenue projections for all city funds and start to take a look at how our resources are lining up.  Late February into early March, we are working primarily on personnel-related cost estimates that come from the city market study, health insurance and retirement cost estimates, expected turnover, anticipated merit increases, etc.  Personnel costs are the largest single part of our city budget, with some departments' budgets being over 80% personnel.

Also during this time, departments prepare and submit their 5 year capital improvement plans which are given to the City Council at the beginning of March.   Departments then submit budgets to Finance for their operating costs as well as their first year capital needs.  We also receive what we call "supplemental requests," which include new programs, new positions, capital equipment needs, or anything that enhances the prior year budgets.  All of those things are assembled and prepared for the Administration review.  We then meet in March and April with departments to review their budgets and requests, and then the Mayor makes final decisions about what will be presented to the Council.

On the Council's side, March and April are times when departments come in and talk to the Council about their budgets, their priorities, things that are coming down the pike that need to be considered by the Council, and then respond to questions.  Those are really helpful experiences that assist the Council in reviewing the budget once it is presented the first week in May.

May and June are the months when the Council reviews the budget, asks lots of questions and conducts public hearing.  Final budget decisions are usually made around the 20th of June.

So - that's how it all works.  It is a very grueling process for the elected officials, and we work hard to help them make good decisions that further the City's key goals for the coming year.  

FUN STUFF

For Valentine's Day today - a few of my favorite Valentine's Day memes.










Enjoy the rest of your day and the rest of the week.  Enjoy the guest hosts of the Update, and we'll be back in touch next week!  

Wayne

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

Thursday February 10 2022 Update

It is the end of another week; we are looking forward to the weekend.  My wife is having a surgical procedure shortly, and I will be out of the office for a week or so to help with her recovery.  So, I will be doing the Daily Update on Monday, and then the rest of the week, I have invited a few "guest hosts."  So, keep watching for more exciting things, and for a few days with a different point of view - which is always a good thing.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • The Oscars have received a lot of criticism lately, but some of the headlines this year have. Some have called this year an exception, with storylines including: Denzel Washington extending his record as the most-nominated Black actor in Academy Awards history, Jane Campion becoming the first woman to be nominated twice for the Oscar for Best Directing, Troy Kotsur becoming the first deaf male nominated for an Oscar, for the first time in the preferential era, no actresses nominated for Best Actress were in films nominated for Best Picture.
  • A new implant offered promise for paralyzed people in what is being called a breakthrough in the medical community. Researchers have published a study detailing how they were able to help paralyzed people walk again with the help of a surgically implanted spinal cord stimulator. 
  • For those of you who missed it, Nathan Chen scored a world-record 113.97 points in the men's short program at Beijing Olympics.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

Have we mentioned how much we love your highlights? Because we do. A lot. So keep sharing!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

MAYOR'S WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

This week Mayor's highlight was speaking to the 5th grader at Provost Elementary about being a mayor!


FUN STUFF

This week's meme collection - in honor of the Super Bowl.












Wayne

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022

February 9 2022 Update

Budget development for the next fiscal year is in full swing.  It is always an interesting process to try to balance meeting needs with resources that never seem to grow quickly enough.  I'll spend a bit more time next week talking about the process in general and try to bring a little more transparency to how the Administration works through the process to deliver a budget recommendation to the Council the first week in May every year.  

Isaac and I had a very interesting conversation this morning with a Utah County legislator who is working on a bill that could potentially impact cities.  He was very forthcoming about his interests, the various pressures he was trying to balance and he collaborated with us quite openly about ways to not negatively impact cities while still accomplishing what he hoped.  We are really fortunate to have some excellent legislators to work with, and we appreciate that far more often than not, we can work together to get to win-win.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

BYU Cougarettes in Concert I February 9 - February 12
Valentine's Ball I February 12 6:00 pm
Crochet Basics I February 15 6:30 pm
Crochet Club: Scarves I February 15 7:00 pm
Learn It: Build Your Bucket List I February 15 7:00 pm
Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club I February 17 6:30 pm
West Side Story and YA Utah Valley Symphony I February 17 - February 18
Fairy Tea Ticket Sales I February 19 9:00 am
Provo City Library Writing Group I February 19 1:00 pm
Teen Takeover I February 19 6:30 pm
Sherma Andrews Concert I February 19 7:30 pm
MUOTeen 2022 I February 25 - February 26

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • Carmakers are aiming for carbon neutrality and operations on green energy.
  • Researchers at several institutions in the US have enrolled more than 32,000 pet dogs in the Dog Aging Project, a long-term study of how environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors affect aging in dogs and, potentially, in humans. Scientists say the study could help advance veterinary and human medicine.
  • Researchers took a closer look at "never-COVID" people. Potential reasons for why some people never get COVID-19 despite being exposed to it include previous infections with a similar virus to SARS-CoV-2 and vaccination status.

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR VOICE

We can't wait to hear all of your fun adventures and work and life highlights!

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

EMPLOYEE / DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHT

Tell us your fun Valentine's Day plans and share some ideas with those last-minute planners!

FUN STUFF

So, Julie and I are spending way too much time watching winter olympic competitions right now.  Last night we stayed up way too late watching the qualifying runs in the snowboard half pipe competition, especially interested in watching Shaun White's runs.  Shaun is a triple medal winner and has competed in four Olympics.  He is 35 years old, which makes him the "senior" on the snowboard circuit.  This little video shows his two runs last evening in the qualifying round.  If you didn't see this, you will find that he had a terrible score his on first run, but he regrouped as only he could do and had a phenomenal second run that got him qualified for the final round.  He really is an inspiration, especially to some of us old guys who have maybe lost a step or two, but still hope to keep coming back! 


I hope you have a great rest of your day.  We'll be back tomorrow with a few Super Bowl thoughts.

Wayne

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Tuesday, February 8, 2022

February 8 2022 Update

I hope your day is going well.  Mine has been busy.  I was able to meet with three of my directors today for our regular bi-monthly meetings and get updates on key things their departments are working on.  It always reminds me of all the good work that is going on - sometimes behind the scenes - that makes life in Provo better.  I love the long term focus of our directors, but also the personal touch that lets them have influence in the lives of their employees.  They really do have your best interests at heart, as we do.

We also had an opportunity to meet today with two officials of the Federal Aviation Administration to talk about the future of the airport and the need to significantly step up our game with the new terminal building and all the additional activity at the airport.  We were able to look at some best practices at airports that work like ours around the western states, which always gives us something better to shoot for.  We appreciate our federal partners who have brought so many resources to Provo.


UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

Conversaciones I February 8 7:00 pm
BYU Cougarettes in Concert I February 9 - February 12
Valentine's Ball I February 12 6:00 pm
Sherma Andrews Concert I February 19 7:30 pm
MUOTeen 2022 I February 25 - February 26

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • The Clean Air Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, met last week to discuss the set of bills they’re sponsoring this session to improve air quality in Utah. The measures include placing a tax on vehicle emissions, making public transportation more accessible and creating an air quality impact study.
  • Meta, the parent company of Facebook, took a battering in the stock market last week after the social media behemoth forecast lower-than-anticipated earnings for the upcoming quarter. The plunge in shares is likely to cleave $200-plus billion from Meta's market value. Meta also fell short of fourth-quarter earnings estimates. Meanwhile, for the first time since its creation in 2004, Facebook lost daily active users. Meta attributed the losses and gloomy forecast to market forces such as inflation and supply chain issues, as well as privacy changes to Apple's operating system.
  • Doctors have found a potential way to cure leukemia. Carl June and Joseph Melenhorst, immunologists from the University of Pennsylvania, treated Doug Olson in 2010 for leukemia using an experimental chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, and after 10 years, Olson has remained cancer-free, together with another trial participant. "We can now conclude that CAR-T cells can actually cure patients, based on these results," said June, adding that the next challenge is figuring out "how to make this work in solid cancers."

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

Why a good plan can empower you during tough times

3 ways to keep your head above water when it feels like you're drowning.

FUN STUFF

So, this is a little less traditional fun stuff since it isn't a music video or a meme collection, but it is an amazing article from the Daily Herald about the growth of murals in our central city.  This is a heart-warming story about an idea that sprung out of the South Franklin Community Center to help build relationships in the South Franklin neighborhood.  Take a minute to click on the link and read this article about a homegrown project to help neighbors engage and support each other.  

Hope you have a great day.  I feel so lucky to be associated with you and to live and work in a community like Provo!  

Wayne

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Monday, February 7, 2022

February 7 2022 Update

I hope you enjoyed a little time away this weekend.  As I mentioned before, Julie and I are semi-isolating because she is scheduled for a medical procedure later this week and we are trying hard to keep her healthy.  So our weekend was pretty quiet, but we really enjoyed getting a couple of nice walks in with the sunny weather and clear skies and also watching several of the early Winter Olympic events.  We weren't much of winter sports fans until Salt Lake City hosted the games 20 years ago, and now we can't get enough.  

Things are continuing to move at the State Capitol with legislation we are following.  Speaking of the Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City is working toward hosting the Games again in 2030 or 2034, and we are working to secure funding from the State to make some needed improvements to the Peaks Ice Arena so we can be a venue city once again.  So stay tuned on that front, and read the Hot Button item below for more background.

UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

YOUR VOICE

Keep submitting information about your department or your life.  Let us know about weddings, new babies. vacations, etc.  Use the link on the right, and then click below to submit photos.  We love to hear about all that is happening in your world.  

UPLOAD PICTURES HERE!

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • The Utah Department of Health on Sunday announced it will temporarily pause the use of on-site rapid antigen tests at all state-operated testing sites starting Monday because of high false-negatives. 
  • UVU President Astrid Tuminez wrote that Utah should keep its engineering momentum going. Substantive investments and the right strategic partnerships will allow Utah to shape itself into a game-changer in the modern economy. 
  • Our own city councilor George Handley wrote a piece for the Deseret News talking about "the myth of the irreparable Utah Lake."

PROVO SOCIAL MEDIA

HOT-BUTTON ITEMS IN PROVO


Given that the Winter Olympic Games are underway in China, let's talk about the efforts and the decision process to potentially bring the Winter Games back to Utah in 2030 or 2034.  Those of us who remember the 2002 Games in Utah probably have a lot of nostalgia about experiencing the Olympic magic.  It really was incredible.  It put Utah on the map as a winter sports mecca, which really helped a lot of economic development and job creation in Utah.  It was also a source of community pride, and has been since 2002.  

Hosting the Games also brings a lot of expenses to the state and local governments.  Fortunately, most of the winter Olympic venues are still in place and operational.  In Provo, that includes the City's Peaks Ice Arena.  For us, the world of hockey has changed, and our facility would need to be upgraded and expanded to accommodate the higher level of expectation.  As mentioned above, we are working on securing some state funding to cover all or a significant part of the cost of upgrading our venue.  Other venue cities like Salt Lake, West Valley, and Ogden are in the mix as well trying to find venue enhancement funding.

We are likely looking at 2030 or 2034, but Olympic organizers are somewhat more pessimistic about 2030 since the 2028  Summer Games are in Los Angeles, which would put two consecutive games in the United States.  Brisbane, Australia will be hosting the summer games in 2032 so it would be more likely for North America to host the winter games in 2034 - opening a bigger door for Salt Lake to be the designated host.  

If you would like to read more about the Salt Lake efforts, here is a great article from the Deseret News.  

FUN STUFF

So - back to some of my eclectic music tastes - let me introduce you to Carlos Santana, who has been one of my favorite artists over the years.  He has a definite Latin, blues and sometimes reggae beat and is a gifted guitarist and songwriter.  Some of my favorites over the last 40 years or so include  Black Magic Woman and Do You Remember Me?   Santana and Chris Stapleton recently collaborated on an album called "Blessings and Miracles."  This piece called Joy found a home on my playlist last week.  I hope you enjoy this new and soon to be classic number from an incredible musician.  



I hope you enjoyed a little classic Santana.  Have a great week and stay safe!

 Wayne

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

February 3 2022 Update

The Mayor and Isaac and I enjoyed meeting with the Council staff and council chair and vice chair this morning.  It was a really positive meeting and we were able to talk about a wide range of issues.  We also met with the city hall project steering committee and got a good progress report on the project.  One of the things we heard about was the number of changes employees are asking for at this late date.  We know it is the first time many of our team has seen the space, but we need to emphasize that there are not many if any changes we can make work.  The project budget is tight, and change orders are expensive.  But the project team is willing to listen, and where there is some remaining flexibility, we will explore those ideas further.

We also wanted to highlight Free Fare February on the UTA network.  It is a combination of efforts of cities, the state, UTA and our metropolitan planning organizations.  So take advantage of the opportunity to commute to work, take your family places, and experience the UTA system.  



UPCOMING CITY EVENTS

NEWS YOU CAN USE

  • A pilot program in Massachusetts plans to test hanging solar panels on noise barriers along Route 128. They are hoping it will generate enough power for 120 homes.
  • Dexter takes existing commercial lawn mowers, both gas and electric, and turns them into autonomous vehicles. I don't know about you, but I am imagining a giant Roomba going around on my lawn and hoping it doesn't run into the neighbor's cat...
  • There are some interesting new suggestions that one of the uses for AI can be to teach us how to become more emotionally intelligent.

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 highlight was filming videos to promote the Provo Advantage imitative and speaking at Latinos in Action held at Centennial Middle School.

FUN STUFF

This week's favorite Internet memes.













Thanks for all you do.  I hope you have a great weekend.  Take care, everyone.

Wayne

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