New Council Swearing-in and Inaugural

The Provo Council announces the new Council Member and Mayor's Swearing-in Ceremony and Inaugural to be held on Jan. 7, 2014 in the Council Chambers.

The event will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There will be a brief program from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m, and a mix and mingle and open house from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Please come join us in welcoming and getting to know new Council Members Kim Santiago, Stephen Hales,  Dave Sewell. Provo Mayor Curtis will also be present to offer remarks and mingle with attendees.

The event is open to the public, and we look forward to seeing you there. 

Provo Council Passes Towing Ordinance

At Council Meeting on December 17, the Council voted unanimously (7-0) in favor of an ordinance which increases restrictions on the process of local towing in Provo.

The proposal under consideration by the Council offers property owners considering towing two options in how to proceed at  towing an improperly parked vehicle. The property owner must either have a contract with a towing company to handle parking violations, or the property owner must specifically call to remove a vehicle.

If a property owner chooses the option of contracting a towing company to handle parking enforcement, there are several restrictions about how that contract is to be set up.

According to an article in the Daily Herald, the contract between a property owner and the towing company must be a written agreement, and contain a  “written visitors plan, 24/7 access to temporary parking permits, an appeals process, lower fees and signage.” For property owners requesting towing of vehicles by phone call, towing companies must be certified with the city by Jan. 1, 2014. Towing by direct call will begin on Feb. 1, 2014.  

More information about the towing ordinance and events at the Council meeting may be found at this article by KSL, at this post on Provo Mayor Curtis’ blog, and at this story on Fox 13.

At the meeting it was emphasized that the Council will revisit the towing issue in a year to consider the impact of the towing ordinance as a policy issue.  

Council Honors Outgoing Council Members at Reception

Council Members mingle with visitors at Outgoing Council Member Reception

On  Tuesday, December 17, the Provo Council honored its outgoing Council Members Laura Cabanilla, Rick Healey and Sterling Beck in a reception held to honor their contributions to the community.

Council Chair Gary Winterton shared thoughts on the strengths and contributions of each outgoing member, and thanked them individually for their hard work and dedication to Provo.

“We appreciate Laura Cabanilla, and the perspective and experience she brought to the Council from both her service in the military and from her experience as a lawyer,” Winterton said. “Sterling Beck has also provided the Council an example of passionate, principled advocacy, and  helped the Council form a working relationship of trust and respect,” he added.

Council Member Laura Cabanilla offers remarks

Council Member Sterling Beck offers his thoughts at Outgoing Council Reception

Winterton also spoke about the strengths and contributions of Council Member Rick Healey. “Rick Healey has contributed immensely to the Council,” Winterton said. “He helped provide leadership and guidance for the Council during a difficult time, and brought his own unique insights from his many years as a police officer.”

Council Member Rick Healey offers departing thoughts at Outgoing Council Reception

At the conclusion of the reception, Provo Mayor John Curtis also shared some brief remarks about each outgoing Council Member, highlighting personal working experiences and relationships developed, and underlining qualities of each member which were valuable in maintaining those relationships.

Mayor Curtis shares thoughts and memories of working with Council Members at Outgoing Council Reception 

One again, the Council would like to offer its thanks to Outgoing Council Members Rick Healey, Laura Cabanilla, and Sterling Beck for their contributions to the community.

Provo Council Work Meeting December 17, 2013

Watch the Provo Council Work Meeting for Tuesday, December 17, 2013 here.

Council to Honor Outgoing Council In Reception Tues. Dec. 17

Council Member Gary Winterton offered these thoughts announcing a reception to honor outgoing Council Members:

Council Members Sterling Beck, Laura Cabanilla, and Rick Healey have served Provo with hard work and dedication. I would like to invite you to join with me in honoring them at a reception held in honor of their service to the community on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2013 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The event is open to the public, but please know that Council Meeting will commence shortly after at 5:30 p.m.

Please join us tomorrow!

 

Council to Review Parks and Rec Master Plan December 17

At the Council’s upcoming meeting on Tuesday, December 17th, the Council will consider for approval a proposed Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

The Council set the Parks and Recreation Master plan as a priority nearly three years ago when it funded the hiring of a consultant to work with the Parks and Recreation Department  and the Provo community to prepare the proposed plan. The proposed plan has a 20 year horizon, and will establish vision and policy guidance for the city through 2030.

Key Community Input Mandates Guided the Plan’s Vision

The proposed master plan used responses generated from a statistically valid survey to act as guideposts for the creation and direction of goal setting and vision for the future. The Council heard a summary of these responses during a presentation offered on December 3 which outlined three  “Key Community Input Mandates” as results from the survey.

• Maintain what we have
• Improve what we have
• Develop new opportunities

Goals and Recommendations:

To realize the objectives outlined in the “Key Community Input Mandates”, the master plan focuses on the following goals for the Parks and Recreation Department:

• Incorporate elements of Downtown Master Plan
• Increase public access to natural amenities
• Increase Parks and Recreation department efficiency
• Enhance program offerings
• Develop funding sources and strategies
• Acquire property for open space preservation
• Conduct feasibility study for:
• Expansion of facilities at Covey Center
• Relocation of East Bay Golf Course

Visionary Projects

The proposed master plan also details several potential forward looking projects to expand recreational opportunities in Provo. Here’s a list of those visionary projects:

• Development of a Whitewater Trail along Provo River
• Development of a Provo Beach Park
• Develop Provo Outdoor Adventure Park
• Develop a Botanical Garden or Arboretum and Outdoor Concert Facility

A discussion of funding strategies

The master plan also offers some tentative possible funding sources for Provo Parks and Recreation, again based on the three “Key Community Input Mandates” described above. 

A summarized, non-exhaustive list of the plan’s proposed funding sources include: 

• General Obligation Bond

• Park Impact Fees
• Tax Allocation or Tax Increment District
• Cash-in-Lieu of Open Space Requirement
• A variety of other fees and taxes based on use, permits, consumption and so forth

The Presentation also noted potential “Private  Funding Sources”

• Business/Citizen Donations
• Private Foundation Funds
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Foundation or Friends Organization
• Greenway Foundation

The following chart describes the cost of maintaining Provo’s current Parks and Recreation resources, as compared with the other cities of similar size and demographic makeup.

Contact Us

Please share with us your thoughts, ideas, concerns and priorities for the master plan by either leaving a comment on this article, reaching us at our Facebook page, Tweeting @provocouncil, or contacting your Council Member directly here. We’re also on Google +.

The slide presentation summarizing key elements of the proposed plan from Council’s December 3 meetings may be found here.

For more information about the presentation offered on December 3, see this story from the Daily Herald.

Council to Consider Proposed Towing Ordinance December 17

The Council will be reviewing a proposed towing ordinance, which can be read here, during Council Meeting Tuesday, December 17.

In the Council’s meeting on December 3, Council Members had asked for some time to look over the proposed ordinance, study the issue, and gain public feedback and input.

If you have concerns or questions about the ordinance, now is a good time to either write it as a comment on this blog, or contact your Council Member directly here.  Provo Mayor John Curtis also has a post up on his blog detailing the history of the issue here.

What are your thoughts about the proposed ordinance? Your thoughts and feedback are welcome.

Provo Council Work Meeting December 3, 2013

The Council's work meeting can be viewed here, as soon as it is available.

If you have questions or comments, please post them as comments on this post.