Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Summary of the August 16 Meetings

In the Work Session

Joint Meeting with Planning Commission
Council met with the members of the Planning Commission to briefly discuss some items of mutual interest. They discussed the direction that Council is looking to take development in Provo, the appointment procedures relating to the Planning Commission, and land use issues coming before the Planning Commission that could be resolved through legislation.

User Fees Review
Acting on a recommendation from the Budget Committee, Council made a request in 2015 to have the Administration bring a group of 25 fees each quarter from the consolidated fee schedule to allow Council members to review them. The goal was to be able to look at all 300 or so user fees over time to evaluate how they compare to actual costs. Mayor Curtis had asked to discuss this process since it was originally requested by the previous Council. Questions were raised on whether the current Council wanted to continue with this process and whether the results from the review were worth the staff time and effort to provide detailed cost information. Council staff has been asked to consult with Administration and prepare recommendations to present at the October 4 work meeting.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Summary of the August 2 Meetings

In the Work Session

Sewer Base Rate
Over the last few months the Public Works Department has presented to Council several times regarding a recommended change to the sewer base rate. At the June 16 budget retreat, the Public Works Master Plan consultant presented on the concept of structuring base rates to cover operating expenses and the impact of per unit and per meter size billing philosophies. Options for a phased implementation of sewer base rates per unit for residential and per meter size for commercial customers were presented. Council gave input and a proposal will come to the August 16 Council meeting for formal consideration.

Wastewater
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality recently classified Utah Lake as an impaired waterway. With this designation the State has proposed implementing new standards on treatment plan discharges over the next four to nine years. This would require millions of dollars of improvements to Provo's wastewater infrastructure, impacting Provo City wastewater rates. Scientific studies have been conducted and there is concern that these improvements will have no real impact on the nutrient (phosphorous and nitrogen) levels of Utah Lake.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016