State of the City 2016

Kim Santiago, Provo City Council Chair, attended the Mayor's 2016 State of the City event and shared her thoughts.

I really enjoyed the Mayor's State of the City address. We have so much to be grateful for as a city and we recognize there is more work to be done. As a basketball player, I liked the Mayor's example of the triple threat and his focus on employees, fiscal stewardship, and quality of life.

In basketball the triple threat position allows you to stop and analyze the situation, look for opportunities and create a plan to get to the basket by driving, passing, or shooting the ball.

The Council this year has taken time to assess Provo’s needs. We are organizing ourselves and creating a plan to work with the administration to accomplish our goals. Input from citizens helped us develop our top priorities: emphasis on zoning compliance---which fits nicely with the Mayor’s goal of increasing quality of life---increasing citizen engagement, and providing a sustainable long term budget. I am grateful that we align with the administration in these important areas. 

Like the Mayor, I encourage Provo residents to get involved and make your voices heard. Tune into Council meetings, join your neighborhood Facebook group, or simply give us a call. Together we can accomplish our goals and make sure Provo is always a great place to live.

Kim Santiago chats with Police Chief John King before #StateOfProvo

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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.

Summary of the February 16 Meetings

In the Work Session

Council Priorities:
Council Members continued their discussion on priorities and added "civic engagement" to the eight that had been approved at the last meeting. Civic engagement as a priority will combine several similar items that had been on the Council's original list. After confirming the nine priorities for 2016, several of the priorities were discussed and then assigned to committees or staff for further research and recommendations. The remaining priorities will be reviewed at the March 1 Work Meeting. 

• Zoning Compliance 
• Development Approval Process 
• General Plan Update 
• Economic Development 
• Budgeting to Priorities 
• Housing 
• Structured Policy 
• West-Side Plan
• Civic Engagement

Provo City Council Meeting - February 16, 2016

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 Meeting, February 16, 2016

Agenda  (After the meeting times will be added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video.)

Provo/Orem City Council Joint Meeting - February 11, 2016

Agenda  (After the meeting, times will be added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video.)

Provo City Council Meeting - February 2, 2016

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

Summary of the February 2 Meetings

In the Work Session

Council Priorities:
The Council continues to discuss possible priorities for 2016. After the last Work Meeting Council Members submitted priorities they were in favor of and added desired outcomes and performance indicators. The majority of today's Work Meeting was spent discussing eight of the priorities and urgency versus importance. Those eight were approved and the remaining items on the list will be discussed at the February 16 meeting. Once the Council has decided on its list of priorities the next steps will include clarifying how much falls under the Council's purview and how much is the City Administration's responsibility.

Provo City Council Joint Meeting with Provo School Board - February 4, 2016

Agenda  (After the meeting, times will be added to the ends of the individual agenda items to help you find them in the video.)

Matthew Taylor Resigns as Provo Council Executive Director, Effective May 1, 2016

PROVO, Utah -- February 2, 2016 -- Press Release

The Provo Municipal Council announced today that Matthew Taylor has submitted his resignation, effective May 1, 2016, as Executive Director for the Council.

“It has been a great privilege to have served the Provo Municipal Council for nearly six years. I truly have appreciated my opportunity to assist the Council in fulfilling many of their initiatives to foster a sustainable and vibrant Provo City. As well as seeking other opportunities in the coming months that align with my professional goals, at the conclusion of my service, I will be collaborating with Milestone Management Partners to advise on municipal issues,” said Taylor.

Council Vice Chair Dave Sewell said, “We appreciate the many occasions on which Mr. Taylor has offered helpful advice on policy and land use issues, his guidance in preparing for difficult agenda items, and his efforts to help us learn our duties and opportunities as Council members.”

Council Chair Kim Santiago added, “We thank Mr. Taylor for his service and his willingness to assist the Council in the transition while we go through the process of selecting a new Executive Director. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Taylor will continue in his duties under the direction of the Council Chair through the end of April. In the meantime, the Municipal Council will begin the recruitment process for Taylor’s replacement.


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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.

Provology 101 - 311 (Customer Service)

Provology 101, a series of classes that give a behind-the-scenes look at how Provo City runs, has given City departments the chance to show and tell about what they do for Provo. One of the participants, Anona Sobczak, has been sharing her experiences on Facebook and gave us permission to share them with you.

October 28, 2015

Have a question? Call 311! The employees there have to be knowledgeable about every department in the city, and stay current with events going on by reading the newspaper, Mayor's blog, news articles, City website, etc. I think most of their calls are related to utility billing, but I've definitely called them about other random things. A lot of the job seems to be anticipating what questions people are going to ask.

Provo City Council Work Session - February 2, 2016

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