Call for Applications to Fill Council Seat Vacancy

It was with heavy hearts that we joined the Hales family yesterday to remember Stephen Hales and lay him to rest. Although he was only able to fill one year of his term on the City Council, he had a long history of service, including 16 years on the Provo Landmarks Commission. His funeral service confirmed what a remarkable spiritual and family man he was, as well as a gifted educator, civic and business leader.

Regrettably, we must now fill the vacancy left on the Provo City Council. This will be done as an appointment by the Council and the appointee will serve through January 4, 2016. The District 5 position will be included in the November 2015 general election to have residents elect someone to serve the remaining two years of Hales' original term. The filing period for this two-year term begins on June 1, 2015 and ends on June 8, 2015.

Codifying the Provo City Code

The City of Provo periodically performs a codification of its ordinances. This means that the City Code is updated with new ordinances passed and any errors or duplications eliminated. Then the City Council votes to amend Section 1.01.010 and Section 1.01.020 of the City Code to adopt that official edition and have it supersede any previously codified ordinance.

 On January 6, Council Members passed the necessary ordinance amendment to make this the most correct version of the Provo City Code. Appreciation was expressed for the efforts of Louise Jorgensen in the Council office for her work in getting this project done in time for the first Council Meeting of the year.

The online version of the City Code is updated within two weeks of an ordinance being passed. It is available at code.provo.org.

Council Resolution on Fight Nights

At the January 20, 2015, meeting, the Provo City Council passed a resolution encouraging parents to speak with their youth about the dangers of fight nights in order to help ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our children.

Several media outlets have also run stories on the resolution:
'Fight nights' making comeback among local teens - KTVX 4Utah
Fight Nights - Eleven News
Provo council to parents: Talk to your kids about fight club - UtahValley360

Council Member Kim Santiago shared the following letter on her website and has encouraged others to pass this information along:

Downtown Area Plan

Provo City is in the process of developing more specific plans and goals for each neighborhood that address various impacts to each neighborhood, such as land uses, new roads, different modes of transportation, changes in housing, preservation, etc. This is an effort to further support and implement the current goals and policies of the City's General Plan and identify areas that may need changes or enhancements.

The Downtown Area Plan has been developed and the Council would like to hear public feedback on this plan, especially since the area is surrounded by several other neighborhoods (Dixon, Franklin, Franklin South, Timp, North Park, East Bay, Maeser, and Joaquin).

You can help by taking a look at the plan and giving us your feedback and comments. Leave a comment on this post or on the Council's Facebook page. We will gather all the comments on Monday, February 2, and provide them to Council Members.

Provo/Orem City Council Joint Meeting - January 22, 2015

Agenda

12:00 PM, Thursday, January 22, 2015

1. An update on the Bus Rapid Transit
2. An update on University Mall
3. A discussion on State legislative items of common interest
4. Discuss items of common interest

A Message from Stephen Hales' Family

The family of Stephen Hales issued this statement regarding his death yesterday:

“Provo City Councilman Stephen A. Hales, beloved husband, father, friend and colleague, has died of brain cancer at the age of 55. His passing comes only two months following medical diagnosis of the illness. Although his death came unexpectedly he was at peace and surrounded by family as he passed Wednesday morning, January 21, 2015, at his Provo home.”

Summary of the January 20 Meetings

In the Work Session

User Fees:
The Budget Committee showed examples of some Provo City user fees and how close they came to covering direct and indirect costs. Determining the indirect costs has been a challenge and placeholders of ten percent of direct costs have been used when necessary. The committee recommends evaluating user fees this way, even if the City wants to subsidize some of the costs, so the true funding picture can be seen. Reviewing one-third of the user fees each year (so that all will be reviewed once in a three-year period) was also recommended. The Council will start by reviewing a list of 25 fees to determine where to focus their efforts first.

Stephen Hales has passed away

It is our understanding that Council Member Stephen Hales passed away earlier today.

As a City Council, we are filled with sadness and grief at Stephen’s sudden, unexpected passing today. He is a man of great faith and exceptional integrity. He was thoughtful in his community service and creative and brilliant in his profession.  We will miss his friendship, but we will remember his remarkable contributions to our city, including his recent work to strengthen Provo City’s brand and identity.  We extend our love and sympathy to Calli and to all of Stephen’s family. 

Gary Garrett and Kim Santiago

Provo Municipal Council Chair and Vice-Chair

Tribute to Becky Lockhart

At the January 20, 2015, Provo City Council meeting, the Council offered the following tribute to
Becky Lockhart, a resident of Provo who recently passed away. Her husband Stan, a former Council Member, was in attendance.

Provo City Council Work Session - January 20, 2015

Agenda (Times have been added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video)

ULCT Transportation Funding

The Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) has asked its member municipalities to present a unified voice among the Utah State legislature by requesting increased funding for transportation related activities. Provo's City Council discussed a proposed resolution to accomplish this at their January 6, 2015, Work Meeting.

Summary of the January 6 Council Meeting

In the Work Session

Proposed resolution requested by ULCT:
The Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) requested a resolution calling for the Utah State Legislature to increase funding for transportation and infrastructure related activities. Council staff presented the details and, after a discussion, the Council requested more information. This will be discussed again at the next Work Meeting.

Downtown Master Plan:
Josh Yost presented information for a discussion on the Historic Preservation area of the Downtown Master Plan. There are several options for extending protection of historic buildings outside of the currently designated area. Council Members requested more input from the public and will have a public hearing on the Downtown Master Plan at the February 3 Council Meeting.

Provo City Council Work Session - January 6, 2015

Agenda (Times have been added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video)

Looking Back on 2014

A fun review of what we did in 2014:

Council to Vote on New Provo City Flag

When Provo City's flag received a low ranking for its design, the Mayor's office set out to come up with a new design that better reflected our great city.  The current flag has been in place since 1985, but Provo has since undergone an overhaul of its logos and branding.

Provo City logo

Deputy Mayor Corey Norman headed up the effort to come up with a new flag design. Many people submitted design ideas and even more weighed in with feedback on the Mayor's blog and on social media. A three-person committee looked over all the designs and presented their final recommendation to the City Council at the October 21 Work Session. It is now scheduled for a vote at the January 6 Council Meeting.