Provo City Council Work Session - May 28, 2015

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

Employee Wage Study Leads to Adjustments

Provo City's Human Resources Division conducted the annual study of public sector pay grades and 122 job classifications have been recommended to receive a pay grade adjustment. Because Provo City is committed to the effort to attract and retain quality employees, they realize that compensation is a key component of that goal.

The City's overall compensation plan consists of many balanced parts, each designed to address various aspects of pay, benefits, career progression, employee rewards, internal equity, recruitment efforts, and market competition. The changes recommended as a result of the wage study are included in the budget Mayor Curtis presented to the City Council. More information about the wage study can be found in the documents attached to the May 19 Work Meeting agenda (executive summary, employee guide) and you can listen to the administration's proposal in the video from that meeting.

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Comment below (requires Google+ account), on our Facebook page, through our online comment form, or by contacting Council Members directly. Comments/input on items appearing on an upcoming meeting agenda will be compiled and provided to Council Members the day before the meeting. **Note - your comments will be part of the public record.

Dixon Day of Service

Brady and Enoch try out the new sidewalk

What would you do if your friend had trouble getting around the neighborhood? For Enoch Robertson, he reached out to his mom, Cori, and then to his neighborhood. Enoch's friend Brady uses a wheelchair and had trouble making his way on the sidewalks because there are so many cracks and holes. He ended up going up and down driveways and even into the streets to get where he wanted. Brady isn't the only one having a difficult time. There are others in wheelchairs as well as parents with strollers and they're thwarted by damaged sidewalks as well as areas where there are no sidewalks at all.

Fundamental Points for Understanding the RAP Tax

Included in the Mayor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year is a proposal to place a Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) Tax on November's ballot. This was unanimously supported by the Parks and Recreation Board and the City Council has been given a draft of a 10-year funding strategy that incorporates the RAP Tax with other funds. If the Council approves a resolution for the RAP Tax, it will then be on the November 2015 ballot for a vote by Provo citizens.

What follows is a basic explanation of the Parks and Recreation Funding Strategy and the proposed use of a RAP Tax. If you want more detailed information, links to supporting documents are at the end of this article.

UPDATE (7/15/15)

The City Council approved the tentative Provo City Budget without including the RAP Tax. Council Members are still studying the options and will make a decision at the July 21 Council Meeting on whether or not to have the RAP Tax move forward and be placed on the November ballot. Discussions between the Council and the City Administration are continuing as they consider how the revenues would be spent. Information in this article was based on the original plan presented to the Council by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Summary of the May 19 Council Meetings

In the Work Session

Balanced Neighborhoods:
Council Members had previously discussed creating outcome policies and intent statements and one of the topics of concern was the distribution and mix of housing types within Provo. After some discussion about the issues of low to moderate income housing and a high concentration of tax credit-related developments in certain areas of the city, the Council decided to form a new committee to address the issue and submit recommendations.

Recycling Update:
When Council Members approved the funding to purchase cans for the curbside recycling program a request was made for some updates on the transition process as well as rate options for consumers. Public Works is collaborating with the current vendor to extend the contract a few more months in order to provide a smoother transition to managing the recycling program in-house. Rate options for both recycling and garbage pickup services were examined to see the costs of switching to weekly recycling pickup and how different rates for each service impact each other. The recommended rates will be evaluated in next year's budget process to see if any adjustments are needed. Consumers will be receiving a packet of information about the changes when their new recycling cans are delivered this fall.

Provo City Council Work Session - May 19, 2015

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

Provo City Council Work Session - May 14, 2015

Agenda 

Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Highlights

1.	A discussion on a proposed RAP Tax as presented in the Mayor's proposed 2016 Fiscal Year budget (0:01:34)

2.	A discussion on a proposed appropriation for city-wide Fleet Facility funding as presented in the Mayor's proposed 2016 Fiscal Year budget (1:44:01)

3.	A discussion on proposed Rate and Fee Changes as presented in the Mayor's proposed  2016 Fiscal Year budget (2:39:50)

4.	A discussion on a proposed Property Tax increase as presented in the Mayor's proposed 2016 Fiscal Year budget (3:01:34)

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Comment below (requires Google+ account), on our Facebook page, through our online comment form, or by contacting Council Members directly. Comments/input on items appearing on an upcoming meeting agenda will be compiled and provided to Council Members the day before the meeting. **Note - your comments will be part of the public record.

Communicating with the City Council

As the City's legislative body, the City Council plays a crucial role. How can you, as a Provo
resident, communicate with them?

Council members work part-time in their council positions and many have full-time jobs to support their families. Although their office hours may vary, they are available by phone, email, or appointment. Contact information is on our website.

Annual Budget Timeline

The timeline for approving Provo City's budget is set by Utah State Code.

• The Mayor presents the proposed budget to the City Council at their first meeting in May. (This year it was the May 5 meeting).


• All municipal final budgets must be adopted before June 22, or, in the case of a property tax increase, before August 17. The Council's vote on adopting the budget will happen at the June 16 Council Meeting this year.


• The tentative (proposed) budget is available to the public at least 10 days before the adoption of the final budget. You can view the proposed budget in person at the office of the City Recorder. It is also available online. Budgets from recent years are also available on the Finance Department's website.


• A public hearing must be held before adopting the budget. The Council has chosen to have this hearing at the June 2 and June 16 Council Meetings. According to Utah State Code, "All interested persons in attendance shall be given an opportunity to be heard, for or against, the estimates of revenue and expenditures or any item thereof in the tentative budget of any fund." 


• There is a property tax increase included in the proposed budget this year. If the Council decides to move forward with the increase, a Truth in Taxation hearing will be required. The date for the hearing is set by Utah County and will most likely be held in August.

In between the Mayor presenting the budget and the Council adopting the final budget there are usually some extra Work Meetings where Council Members examine the budget in greater detail, ask questions of department directors, and hear presentations and analysis from Council staff.

Watch the city calendar or our Facebook page for meeting/hearing announcements.

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Comment below (requires Google+ account), on our Facebook page, through our online comment form, or by contacting Council Members directly. Comments/input on items appearing on an upcoming meeting agenda will be compiled and provided to Council Members the day before the meeting. **Note - your comments will be part of the public record.

Provo City Council Work Meeting - May 12, 2015

Work Meeting to discuss Vision 2030 as well as elements of the Provo City budget

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Comment below (requires Google+ account), on our Facebook page, through our online comment form, or by contacting Council Members directly. Comments/input on items appearing on an upcoming meeting agenda will be compiled and provided to Council Members the day before the meeting. **Note - your comments will be part of the public record.

Budget Work Begins

At the May 5 Council Meeting Mayor Curtis presented the proposed City budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016. The City Council has begun the review process, which includes holding extra work sessions and having Council staff provide analysis.

The Mayor has written an article on his blog about what's in the 2016 budget. Here are some of the highlights:

• Three new police officers
• Request for a property tax increase to keep pace with inflation
• Funding for a new fleet facility
• New citywide software system
• Proposal for a Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) Tax
• Utility rate increases

Update on Curbside Recycling

Council Members were pleased to receive public input on the future of Provo's curbside recycling program. The majority of people who responded indicated a preference for weekly pickups rather than biweekly and most preferred to keep the program as opt-out instead of mandatory. A representative from Republic Service, the City's current vendor for recycling, spoke to the Council and Mayor at this week's Work Meeting.

A request to spend up to $612,000 to purchase recycling containers was approved at the May 5 Council Meeting. This is the first step in transitioning to an in-house program. Provo City will buy 12,000 cans, enough for current customers plus spare containers for future and replacement needs.

Summary of the May 5 Meetings

In the Work Session

Summary of agenda items

Balanced Neighborhoods:
With the recent number of tax credit-related developments, Council Members requested information about the distribution and mix of housing types within the City and whether the City has any options regarding the disbursement of various projects and housing types. This will be a continuing discussion.

Provo City Council Work Session - May 5, 2015

Agenda  (Times have been added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video. Network problems caused a loss of sound two times during broadcast.)