Provo City

2006 Accomplishments


Partial List of Key Accomplishments for 2006
by Department and/or Division
Presented by Mayor Lewis K. Billings
January 9, 2007
 

Community Development:
•    Processed new rental dwelling licenses.  Processed and approved 724 Rental Dwelling Licenses, total number issued 3,169.
•    Made a successful challenge to the Census.  Provo is now recognized by the Census Bureau as having a population of 115,135.
•    Performed over 9,300 building inspections.
•    Accepted and processed 333 development projects.
•    Modified the City General Plan. Modifications to the General Plan regarding the West Side Development Policy, Specific Development Plan and Open Space developments will have a huge impact on future development in that area.
•    Issued over 800 building permits, an eight year high. Issued 278 Single Family building permits, a nine year high.
•    Expedited the review of SPRO (Schematic Project Redevelopment Option) applications. Reduced the time required for Planning Commission review to as little as two weeks.
•    Handled 1323 zoning enforcement cases.
•    Issued 388 zone verifications.
•    Handled 9 rezonings.
•    Processed 1 annexation.
•    Fostered outstanding working relationships. Continued to foster a healthy working relationships and communications between the Community Development Department and the Municipal Council, Planning Commission and other boards.
•    Processed 19 Appeals to the Board of Adjustment.
•    Provided access to GIS data on Arc Explorer for all departments, decreasing the time needed to make decisions.
•    Approved 34 Conditional Use Permits.
•    Revised the application form to provide more accurate information.
•    Processes 24 variances to the Board of Adjustment.
•    Streamlined the Zone Verification process to establish quicker response time.  Zone Verification letters now include information regarding “rebuild” status of properties and rental license information saving time and application fees for customers.
•    Recorded 41 new subdivisions.
•    Streamlined the Zoning Division’s Administrative Hearing process.
•    Reviewed over 300 Commercial Business Licenses for zoning compliance.
•    Reduced the time required for plan review of residential building permit plans from 4-6 weeks to three weeks.
•    Implemented paperless plan submission.  As of July 1, 2006, the Community Development Department implemented a paperless plan submission process wherein all permit applications are submitted and City responses are provided electronically.
•    Scanned 8,024 zoning files from 1988 to 2003 into Casefile for easier information access and less storage space used.
•    Scanned 802 old building permit plans into the permits program.
•    Completed flow charts  for each of the major job functions in rental licensing and code enforcement.
•    Completed a policy and training manual for rental licensing.  Specific individuals are designated as trainers.
•    Created checklists for different tasks. Letters and documents for daily tasks have been standardized. Interior inspections for rentals have been standardized.
•    Implemented outreach efforts with neighborhood chairs, with plan techs introducing themselves and providing field trips when desired by chairs.
•    Refined legal interactions. We have been working to refine our interaction with the Legal Department to resolve the more difficult cases and the appeals from the Board of Adjustment decisions.
                   
Economic Development & Redevelopment:
Downtown Initiatives:
•    Worked with the Utah County Convention Center Task Force.  The task force developed a concept for the facility, selected a preferred site, refined capital budget projections and developed funding alternatives.
•    Facilitated meetings between the City and Utah County and secured resolutions of support for the convention center
•    Purchased key properties that are part of the preferred site for the convention center
•    Supported and worked with Utah County to secure passage of an additional transient room tax levy to support convention center development
•    Worked with the owners of the Harmon Auto Center to support their expansion and to successfully expedite approval of a street vacation necessary for the expansion
•    Selected a developer for the Block 28 Phase II redevelopment and worked on preparing the development agreement
•    Continued progress toward the redevelopment of Block 70, including the temporary location of the proposed  Provo City Justice Court on block, completing appraisals on property in the block, and began the process to select a master developer for the project.
•    Completed assembly of Chris Leinberger’s recommended data for the downtown strategic plan preparation, including a Market Analysis by Economics Research Associates and a Dan Jones survey on downtown living
•    Developed a downtown parcels database to assist in planning efforts in the downtown
•    Completed assignment agreements for Provo Town Square and Wells Fargo parking structures

Mountain Vista Business Center Activities:
•    Re-branded  the Ironton name to Mountain Vista Business Center
•    Started the demolition of old foundation structures
•    Completed planning on new road infrastructure
•    Applied for Federal grant to assist in ongoing development needs
•    Continued the ongoing marketing program
•    Sold surplus property in the Center for development

Business Development Corporation (BDC):
•    Funded nine new portfolio companies
•    Created 140+ jobs
•    Assisted portfolio companies in doubling their sales to $6,000,000
•    Restructured board with Dan Campbell Chairman, Paul Allen Vice Chairman, with 5 new board members: Kim Brown, John Richards, Jared Stewart, Brent Strong and Ron Eliason.
•    Established the “BDCX” Xelerator, a virtual business incubator managed by the BDC
•    Funded $475,000 in new loans
•    Provided support for the Novell Open Source Technology Center and Provo Labs
•    Calculated the cumulative benefit of the Business Development Corporation to the community.  BDC has created 1,116 jobs and funded $4,571,017 in loans, resulting in an economic impact of $16,000,000

Business Retention and Expansion Program:
•    Created new program and increased resources
•    Conducted 54 business visits
•    Developed a business recognition program
•    Responded to 33 requests for information
•    Conducted site visits with prospective relocating companies

Neighborhood Redevelopment Programs:
•    Created a new Neighborhood Development Specialist position to give added attention to neighborhood planning, plan implementation, and marketing
•    Promoted home ownership in the Pioneer Neighborhoods
    •    Supported the construction of five new owner-occupant homes in the Pioneer Neighborhoods; six more are under way (NHS)
    •    Assisted in funding the rehabilitation or expansion of five existing homes which were sold to owner occupants; 13 more under way (NHS)
    •    Closed 13 Equity Share home buyer down payment loans
    •    Closed three other home buyer down payment-closing cost loans
    •    Worked with the Rural Housing Development Corporation to complete a twelve-lot subdivision on Maeser School block; five additional owner occupant self-help homes under way
•    Supported the Provo Housing Authority in the completion of the Maeser School Apartments - adaptive reuse/historic preservation for 31 senior dwellings
•    Funded remodel/fire safety updates to Wasatch Mental Health’s Alpine House
•    Supported the Pride in Provo (PIP) campaign in Carterville neighborhood
•    Cleared property for development of a new park in the Joaquin Neighborhood
•    Provided continued administrative Support for HUD Grants including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Grant, the American Dream Initiatives grant and various Economic Development Initiatives grants
•    Continued staff support for standing committees, including the Central Neighborhoods Revitalization Coordination Committee (CNRCC) and the Utah Valley Consortium of Cities and County

Sister City Program:
•    Hosted a four member delegation from Meissen, Germany, including Mayor Olaf Raschke, during the week-long Freedom Festival celebration.
•    Signed an official  Sister City Agreement with Meissen
•    Planted a Friendship Tree at the Provo City Center
•    Placed two German college students in a 6-month internship at Tahitian Noni.
•    Facilitated regular teleconferencing between Meissen and Provo.
 
Property Management:
•    Managed 15 lease agreements on property owned by Provo City
•    Renegotiated/renewed three commercial leases at former Sears site
•    Acquired the property necessary to expand the new Provo Center for the Arts
•    Maintained over 1,200 property files on Provo City property
•    Negotiated and prepared documents for the purchase of the Food and Care Buildings
•    Completed over 30 projects requiring administrative approval through real property conveyance (Quit Claim Deeds, Boundary Line Agreements, Easements, etc.)
•    Coordinated with Questar and various departments with the relocation/replacement of the Questar Pipeline
•    Purchased property for the future expansion of 700 South
•    Negotiated and prepared documents for the acquisition for park property in northeast Provo
•    Negotiated lease renewal for the "Powerline Parks"
•    Directed real estate agent professionals in various property acquisitions
•    Reconciled the real property assets list with the records in the Finance Department

Energy Department:
Energy Operation
•    Managed the system with no electric rate increase. The department was able to continue to provide the same level of quality and reliable service for the 18th year in a row without a rate increase.  Provo enjoys electrical rates lower than most municipal utilities in the state and less than Rocky Mountain Power for residential and commercial services.
•    Maintained Successful inventory management.  Completed another successful year of inventory management with a $279.70 adjustment (0.03% of the $824,000 total inventory) to the physical count for year end.
•    Enhanced reliability . The department responded to a devastating storm where winds were recorded over 100 mph damaging over 1.5 miles of transmission line.  10,751 customers lost power with service restored to all but 722 customers in less than seven hours.  All power was restored within three days.  With the help of eleven agencies working around the clock, 45 transmission poles and 35 distribution poles were replaced.  Normally this much work would have taken several months to complete.
•    Furthered open wire secondary replacement. The line and labor crews replaced and upgraded over 30,000 feet of open wire secondary conductors to improve system reliability and upgrade clearances to meet the National Electric Safety Code.
•    Enhanced 4 kV conversion. The department has converted all but eight city blocks from 4 kV to 12 kV distribution.  The conversion will eliminate four distribution substations and improve losses on the distribution system.
•    Supported urban forestry. Forestry Division planted approximately 1,500 trees (300 for replacement program, 600 new street trees, 600 for energy conservation programs).  The division also met its goals for line clearance limiting tree related outages to 27.
•    Continued engineering excellence. Engineering designed a total of 300 different job orders during the year which include new subdivisions, maintenance work, street light upgrades and distribution upgrade projects.
•    Completed substation technician maintenance and vault project. The Technicians completed the maintenance on five substations and eight oil circuit breakers as scheduled in the five year rotation plan.  They also completed fiber installation and relay programming between five underground vaults in the downtown area providing control and monitoring capability at the power plant.
•    Implemented meter reading handheld conversion. The department recently implemented a new meter reading system called Neptune.  This system provides electronic water reading capability in the field where remote devices are installed in hard to access areas.
•    Continued to offer superior customer service. Implementing RICK principles, the customer service division has fielded over 115,000 calls and dealt with over 5,000 walk-in customers providing superior customer service.

Telecom Operation
•    Completed construction of the iProvo project.  As of the end of 2006, the project has passed over 34,000 residences, apartment units and businesses.  Over 220 miles of overhead fiber has been installed.  Over 140 miles of underground fiber has been installed.  All new huts (node points) have been installed except for one (area 25).  The work in on time and substantially completed by the contract time of April 2006.  The costs are within the proposed budget for the project.  Over 200,000 man-hours were expended in 2006 without a lost time accident - excellent safety record.
•    Furthered the make-ready work for the iProvo telecom project . The Energy engineering, tree crews and line crews performed all of the make-ready work for the approximately 100 overhead and underground jobs.  These jobs allow the iProvo fiber to be installed according to clearance codes and attachment policies.
•    Supported over 8,500 subscribers on the network.  The service providers have over 8,500 subscribers with residential, apartment units and businesses on the iProvo network.  Although, this number is behind the timetable target from the business model, efforts are being made to continue to add customers to the system on a daily basis.
•    Added local community productions . A new channel was launched with local production of community programming including new programs with “Talk it up Provo”, “Kelsey’s Kitchen”, “Utah Valley Sports”, “Inside Provo” and other local programs.  New efforts with the school district are creating new programs exclusive to the iProvo system.
•    Established new telecom warehouse.  Set up a new warehouse system to support the Telecom warehouse and implemented a new inventory unit on the inventory system “Encore” to track Telecom inventory.  The staff provided support for the bidding and inventory control to the iProvo contractor.  World wide Packets equipment and construction materials are within budget.
•    Continued management of iProvo construction finances . Managed and monitored financial aspects of the iProvo construction project including the proper accounting for draws from the bond fund.
•    Enhanced iProvo billing system . Using our current “Banner”utility billing software, staff created a new iProvo “instance” to generate wholesale transport bills and implemented a billing process to ensure accurate transport fees for the iProvo retailers.
•    Provided enhanced customer service assistance for iprovo consumers . Staff served in an ombudsman role for iProvo issues and concerns regarding retail operations and for construction issues citywide as the iProvo system was deployed.  Staff conducted daily phone surveys regarding iProvo installations and feedback was shared with the providers and contractors to improve operations and the installation process.  Staff provided marketing and public relations to support the iProvo project.

Finance Department:
•    Completed and implemented the Annual Budget for FY 06-07
    •    Completed the audit with a new auditing firm and prepared the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 on schedule.  Trained accounting staff in new audit responsibilities.
    •    Reduced the number of management comments on the schedule of findings and questioned costs from the auditors in the Single Audit and State Legal Compliance Reports.
    •    Received  certification of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officer’s Association (GFOA) for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2005.  This is the 14th  consecutive year the City has received this prestigious recognition.
    •    Prepared and had approved a new Collection Policy providing guidelines for collection procedures.
    •    Increased P-card usage by 20% which reduced the use of blanket POs and SPAs and made Accounts Payable more efficient.  The rebate check also increased by 20%.
•    Enhanced the Cell Phone Policy  to provide cell phone stipends for Police and others toward payment of
    personal cell phone bills.  Cost saving occurred as a result of cell phone account pooling. 
•    Implemented the Vehicle Management Policy to standardize the types of vehicles used
    in the fleet and reduce costs through reduced maintenance and better fuel economy.    
    •    Issued  $9,140,000 in General Obligation Road Bonds and refunded $3,200,000 of 1995 General Obligation Road Bonds.
    •    Implemented the News Rack Ordinance as approved by the Municipal Council - Unsightly news racks in the downtown area were replaced with standardized racks enhancing and beautifying the Central Business District.

Provo Fire and Rescue:
•    Integrated new equipment into the fire service.  The department received four new Quints, five new medium duty Paramedic Rescue Ambulances, three new wildland brush rigs, and a second airport ARFF truck   The City also sold part of their used fleet: four quints and five ambulances
•    Remodeled Fire Station 1. The headquarters station was remodeled to add a bay and convert underutilized space for office use in the Community Development department.
•    Installed new fire and ambulance reporting software.  This project was funded by federal grants and created improved software which will allow better information retrieval and sharing of data with other neighboring fire departments.
•    Trained all departmental personnel in National Incident Management System (NIMS) mandated training of Incident Command System (ICS): 100, 200, 700, and 800.
•    Delivered ICSW training to over 200 additional Provo City employees (primarily in public works).
•    Completed ‘live-fire’ training burns for all department personnel at the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy (UFRA) and annual required department-wide certifications.

Human Resources: 
•    Validated Provo City's compensation analysis methodology.  Report indicated that the City "maintains an overall sound and comprehensive salary survey and salary plan update methodology for maintaining the City's level of salary competitiveness that ensures fair and competitive compensation for its employees."
•    Improved results of worker’s compensation management. Claims under permissible loss ratio of 70%, the City had 23%. We received two dividends totaling $57,000. (Citywide WC loss ratio since 7/1/2000 has been 34%, excellent for our industry). This is based on active safety programs, few accidents and an aggressive  return to work program.     
•    Generated cost savings and coverage enhancements in insurance.  Renewed boiler policy with increased coverage and savings of $1,700.  Renewed travel accident coverage increasing limits and seat belt coverage also at a cost reduction. Negotiated liability insurance coverage renewal at a flat premium cost in a tight market.
•    Enhanced employee relations. Handled numerous employee relation matters including sensitive employee and supervisor-relation matters, disciplinary problems, behavioral counseling, benefit counseling, medical concerns, injuries, morale problems, and others.       
•    Conducted training for City board governance, workplace violence, vehicle backup, defensive driving and customer service.  Additionally, a drug education DVD was made available for employees and their families.
•    Provided free on-site annual physicals for firefighters.
•    Added drug and alcohol testing of identified safety sensitive positions to current testing of CDL operators and new hires.
•    Supported legislative efforts in helping to defeat SB113 from no government immunity to $2 million per occurrence and  retirement related bills that would have cost both the City and employees substantial retirement funding.
•    Conducted City-wide compensation review on over 200 different classifications.  Adjusted 45 different classifications that positively affected 62 employees.  Implemented major adjustments to Power Line Worker positions.
•    Completed mid-year market study of Police Officer positions.  Due to out-of-pocket retirement cost impact in July, conducted study resulting in 5 Police Officer classification adjustments that positively affected 88 employees and the City’s ability to recruit new officers.
•    Conducted Market analysis of Provo City's Management Group, producing the first increase to broad-banded ranges in 9 years.   
•    Implemented COLA ‘s in January and July 2006.
•    Lowered worker’s compensation rates through audit and reassignment of rate codes to golf course and electrical workers.
•    Restructured and created several divisions, including those in Community Development, Parks and Recreation, and Energy.  Conducted market and staffing research for the creation of the Justice Court.
•    Developed employee self-service functionality for rollout to employees in 2007.
•    Restructured management group to include only Department Heads and Assistant Department Heads.  Resulted in removing 9 employees from the group and placing them on grade/step.
•    Reevaluated human resource software to compare market alternatives for improving cost of ownership and meet functional requirements.  Resulted in decision to upgrade current software and reevaluate options in few years.
•    Enhanced time and attendance system to allow employees and managers to query on time sheet information.  Helped departments learn and utilize available functionality to streamline and better control time management in their areas.
•    Generated 64% savings on unemployment budgeted costs through aggressive monitoring, employment retention and transition efforts.
•    Encouraged high participation in retirement savings plans. Approximately 75% of the full-time employees now participate in the voluntary retirement savings programs (Utah Retirement Average is 46%).
•    Received recognition for wellness promotion with hundreds of employee participating in walking competition, weigh control programs, wellness screenings, and exercise incentive programs. Employees have commented that because of their participation they have made better lifestyle choices to improve their health.  City was again recognized by the Utah Council on Health & Fitness as having one of the best Corporate Wellness Programs.
•    Transitioned employee Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) to new administrator to resolve service concerns.
•    Implemented health management tools  with Health Equity's providing employees on-line and 24/7 phone access to nurses, advocates, diagnostic tools and health research.
•    Achieved increased participation in flexible spending account.  50% of the full-time employees are setting aside their own money in a medical flexible spending account (FSA). (Industry average is 23%)   
•    Decreased life insurance rates for basic life and dependent child life rates and maintained voluntary life rates
•    Implemented self-funded dental program
•    Implemented medical plan cost control measures  with prescription drug changes, new preventive care allowance and terminated ineligible participants.
•    Administered FMLA  tracking and coordination for 38 employees.
•    Provided education through DVDs, meetings and fairs to help employees understand their benefits.
•    Assisted in Corporate Games Challenge and Senior Games events hosted by City.
•    Coordinated a successful employee blood drive.
•    Negotiated free of charge property replacement cost studies for major City properties.
•    Conducted numerous recruitments and employment tests, processed approximately 3,230 applications and hired approximately 566 employees (seasonal, FT, PT & temp.) Specialized testing was conducted for numerous police officer and firefighter candidates for entry-level and promotional positions.
•    Enhanced job applicant recruitment by implementing an online electronic job application.  Created iProvo cable recruitment spots utilizing employee clips.
•    Improved employee performance measurement criteria by incorporating specific customer service measures.
•    Revised City policies on ten City personnel policies and procedures
•    Co-Chaired the employee contributions to charitable agencies - Employee United Way participation increased by $1,517 to a total of $28,531 this year. In addition, employees donated 1408 (increase of 409) pounds of food to the food bank and 2 truckloads of coats.       

Information Systems:                       
•    Installed new VoIP E-911 phone system in Dispatch.  This system is capable of showing the position of emergency mobile phone calls as soon as the phone companies configure their systems to support this feature.
•    Installed, configured, and implemented the first city-wide graphical information system (GIS) data repository.  Also developed and implemented wastewater and stormwater data models and migrated legacy GIS data to the new model.  Also implemented department/user security for access to GIS repository.
•    Implemented active directory and Group Policy to provide increased control over desktops and to enhance security.
•    Installed new firewall  systems to protect against security attacks, to protect the water and traffic systems, and to enable enhanced interoperability between county first responders such as fire and police.
•    Enhanced the City's anti-SPAM and Web filtering capabilities while reducing cost for these functions.
•    Deployed VPN service to allow City workers to work securely from remote locations.
•    Upgraded the City's network to provide greater security and monitoring functionality.
•    Upgraded 60 police cars and 20 fire vehicles to provide automated vehicle location capabilities which can be monitored at the dispatch center.
•    Converted the first production systems to run as virtual servers, increasing reliability and maintainability while reducing cost.
•    Installed new Intranet server and migrated existing intranet.
•    Developed and installed the on-line job application system in cooperation with the Human Resources Department.

Legal:
•    Created  Provo City Justice Court. The City Attorney’s Office was tasked with getting the new Provo City Justice Court up and running by July 1, 2007, in accordance with state statute and guidelines from the Utah Judicial Council and the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC).
•    Argued Court Cases for Construction of Road. Working with Utah County, the City Attorney’s Office was successful at the Utah Supreme Court in arguing that Provo City’s interlocal agreement with Utah County for the construction of a road at 4800 North was a valid exercise of its municipal powers.  With this ruling, the City and County were able to begin construction on the new road.
•    Negotiated acquisitions of Travelers’ Inn . The City Attorney’s Office was also successful in negotiating for title to the Travelers’ Inn on Center Street for the construction of the new Provo City performing arts center.
•    Provided legal advice regarding iProvo project . Our office, especially Ryan Wood, provided highly technical legal advice to the Energy Department regarding the City’s Public Power Utility, and to the Telecom Division and the Telecom Board regarding the “build-out” and City-wide implementation of the iProvo project.
•    Drafted Interlocal Agreement regarding Utah Lake.- The Utah Lake Study Committee, under the chairmanship of Mayor Billings, has been studying how to improve Utah Lake.   In December the Committee unanimously recommended that the State of Utah, Utah County, and Utah County cities and towns adopt the interlocal agreement creating the Utah Lake Commission.  Efforts are underway to see the agreement approved through resolutions adopted by the Utah Legislature, Utah County Commission, city and town councils, and the CUWCD.
•    Managed Citizens Claims.- During 2006 David Dixon and Denise Leifer of the City Attorney’s Office processed 97 claims.  The total amount claimed exceeded $438,828.63.  Forty-six of the claims were resolved without making any payment.  The City paid a total $122,175.80 on the remaining claims.  The Office was also able to settle two large claims from prior years.  One was a fatality involving a young child and the other claim involved significant injuries from a motor vehicle accident in 2001.
•    Resolved two long-standing civil lawsuits against the City . The Whatcott case finally resolved when the 10th Circuit upheld U.S. District Court Judge Benson’s dismissal of the lawsuit against Provo City.   Mr. Whatcott failed to comply with the Judge’s discovery order.   In the Vega (Champion Safe) case, the United States was a co-defendant.  The case was settled at the behest of the United States at a cost to the City of $17,000 and through the efforts of a 10th Circuit Court mediator.
•    Managed two major on-going civil cases associated with the Peaks Ice Sheet and Rock Canyon . Assistant City Attorneys Camille Williams and James Wilde made significant contributions in advancing the City’s interests in those cases and the City Attorney’s Office is hopeful that their work during 2007 will again advance the City’s interests and bring favorable resolutions.  
•    Developed specialized court sessions at 4th District Court. City prosecutors have been instrumental in developing and maintaining court sessions to handle both domestic violence cases and cases involving persons with significant mental health issues.  These court sessions have been in place for a number of years and continue to be very effective.
•    Continued mental health court . This highly successful program continued this year, with the Office’s active participation.  The defendants in this court are those with mental illnesses, but who are not incompetent.  There have been a number of those defendants graduate from mental health court this year, and they are doing much better as to their mental health difficulties because of their participation.  The mental health court has resulted in many fewer jail days being served by these defendants, since their recidivism rate is significantly lower.
•    Supported domestic violence court. This court, specific to domestic violence cases, brings together in one weekly court session the prosecutors, victims’ advocates, victims who choose to attend, and social service personnel to better handle and track these cases.
•    Assisted various crime victims in our community.  They  meet regularly with court personnel, Provo police, and  BYU police to coordinate efforts to effectively and efficiently prosecute criminal and traffic cases.  In addition, prosecutors have met regularly with other city prosecutors in the county to discuss issues pertinent to misdemeanor prosecution.  Steve Schreiner has been serving as chair of Fourth District Victims’ Rights Committee, which handles victims complaints and concerns as to the criminal justice system, and provides information to those who work with victims, and victims themselves, as to available services.
   
Library:
•    Facilitated 1,097 meetings, including 132 ballroom uses.
•    Held first annual Staff Training Day, and increased staff training in all departments through the year.
•    Improved access to the website and improved and increased content.
•    Added eAudiobooks to our collection. (Electronic, downloadable books)
•    Researched and analyzed the utilization of RFID. Presented to Library Board, City administration, and City Council.
•    Upgraded servers, hardware, and software for implementation of new Horizon release and RFID.
•    Provided service to 66, 714 participants in Children’s programs.
•    Initiated new Children’s program, “Get Ready for Kindergarten.”
•    Intense participation in local and state Early Literacy efforts. Many presentations throughout the city and state.
•    Circulated nearly 1.5 million items.

Parks and Recreation Department:
•    Recognized at  the “Department of the Year” for cities over 50,000 population by the Utah Recreation and Parks Association.
•    Achieved another year without a time loss accident.  The Parks and Recreation Department now has the record among City departments for the most number of hours worked without a time loss accident.
•    Continued construction of The Provo Center for the Arts.  The Center continues in the construction phase and is being administered effectively to create a useable and vibrant facility.  A grand opening is slated for May  2007.  Fund raising and facility programming efforts are in the final phases of development. 
•    Managed the Fire Station #1 remodel for Fire and Community Development work spaces.  The project is nearing completion.
•    Completed major re-roofing projects at the Eldred Senior Center and golf course clubhouse.
•    Upgraded the duct work and a/c system controls at the IS computer room data center
•    Upgraded the City Center parking garage lighting for better visibility and safety
•    Upgraded City Center stairwell signage and painted garage area
•    Upgraded locks, card readers and keys for increased security and safety at City facilities.
•    Installed new lighting, walls, doors, electrical circuits and painted the Peaks pavilion/
      restroom building
•    Manufactured and installed a new after hours cash drop box to provide a safe and secure
      depository for Recreation Division funds
•    Remodeled the Vets Pool concession area to improve traffic flow and upgrade food
      preparation areas.  Revenues increased by 30% over the previous year
•    Secured funding for the demolition of the old cannery building and completed the project to remove a safety concern and create an additional future cemetery expansion area.
•    Moved First Night 2007 indoors to create a warm family friendly environment.
•    Created a time line to construct a new Provo Community Recreation Center.
•    Conducted another very successful Senior Games.  Participation levels increased by 17% over the 2005 Senior Games.  The Provo Senior Games was also selected by the Utah Recreation and Parks Association as the “Most Outstanding Program of the Year.” 
•    Increased overall participation at the Eldred Senior Center by  21% for lunches, 75% for tours, and 19% for classes and other activities over the previous year.
•    Completed the design phase for Sherwood Hillside Park.  Bid documents are being prepared with an early spring construction period planned.
•    Completed Phase 1 improvements to the City rifle and pistol ranges.  A $10,000 grant was received from Gunnies, Inc. for Phase 2 & 3 improvements.
•    Constructed an ADA sidewalk connecting the parking lot, playground, pavilion and restrooms at Bicentennial Park.  A new asphalt overlay was installed over the Bicentennial Park parking lot.
•    Completed the installation of the new Lions Park playground.
•    Assisted in the landscape design and landscape construction around the Freedom Flag Pole installed at The Reserve at East Bay Golf Course.
•    Installed a new automated controller at the Cemetery Veterans Gate to better serve the public.
•    Installed new metal around 75 water taps in the cemetery, prolonging the life of the cedar posts and enhancing their beauty.
•    Removed trees from area between the 4th tee and 4th fairway and under power lines at The Reserve at East Bay Golf Course to enhance visibility and playability of the hole.
•    Implemented a new fee structure at the Provo Recreation Center, wherein patrons now pay one fee, but have access to all activity areas within the facility.
•    Facilitated another record summer season at the Veterans Memorial Splash Pool.  Overall revenues, attendance, swim lesson participation and sales increased substantially even over last years record numbers.  Sufficient revenues were received to cover all costs associated with M & O and Recreation Division debt service.
•    Solicited and obtained sponsorships in support of the Candy Windows program, Summer Band Series and the Blue Sky Concert Series.
•    Supported  the Downtown Business Alliance to inaugurate a public art program in the downtown area.
•    Conducted a very thorough sports evaluation program to receive feedback from participants in order to improve each program.  Many suggestions offered were implemented into the programs.
•    Worked with Provo City School District to address concerns over gym use and scheduling.  Positive progress was made.
•    Offered a variety of new programs at The Center.  They include: Tumbling Tots, Intro to Dance, Jazz Dance, Tap Dance, Martial Arts, Adult Pottery, Cardio Kickboxing, Sculpt and Tone, American Sign Language, etc.  A major focus was placed on new programs for ages 2-5.
•    Increased marketing approaches for Special Events provided huge increases in attendance for Pioneer Day, the Halloween Carnival and Dart the Turkey.  The department also provided substantial support for many of the Freedom Festival events.



Provo Police Department:
•    Implemented a Citizens Academy.-  The Provo City Police Department Citizen’s Academy was formulated and designed to better acquaint the public with the operations of the Police Department. The first Academy began April 5, 2006.  The Academy consisted of eight sessions lasting four hours from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights.  Eleven citizens attended the first Academy.  The final session included a dinner, slide show and graduation.  The purpose of the Academy is not to produce a street officer but to produce a well informed citizen, who has gained a greater knowledge of laws, criminal procedures, crime prevention, and the police role in society.  Course topics included subjects ranging from crime scene investigations to use of force.
•    Continued rotation of officers throughout the department .  This allowed officers with experience in investigations, School Resource, and Major Crimes to rotate back to Patrol.  It provided those experienced officers to use that knowledge in Patrol and it allows other officers to gain experience in those other fields of police service.
•    Investigated Several major cases .  Those cases included Homicide, Aggravated Assault, Arson, and Kidnapping.  This required teamwork throughout the Department.
•    Supported the DARE Program . This past year 330 students graduated from DARE.  That means we have 330 more young people that have been taught about the destructive forces of drug abuse and violence.
•    Equipped officers with TASERS .  All police officers serving in Patrol Division have been trained and equipped with TASERS which provides another non-lethal tool to the officers as they deal with violent offenders.
•    Enhanced the starting salary for officers .  After several years of falling behind the starting salary for new officers along the Wasatch Front, starting in January of 2007 Provo will once again be very competitive in starting salary for new officers and our tenured officers as well. 
•    Promoted statewide victim advocate training.  In July 2006, the Victim Services Program hosted a statewide Victim Advocate training in Provo.   A National presenter was brought in to train advocates.  Approximately 85 advocates attended.
•    Enhanced dispatch .  Dispatch has a new system installed bringing it to “State of the Art” in Dispatch Centers.  Positron Wireless Phase II is up and running.  We are currently fine tuning the system.   We have seven more dispatchers than we had last year at the same time.  We have completed the restructure of supervision and assignments.  Morale is at an all time high.

Public Works Department:
Water Resources Division
•    Improved Water Reclamation Plant . Over the past year we have completed approximately 80% of a @2.14 million upgrade at the Water Reclamation Plant included in this upgrade is a modernization of the 50 year old influent pump station as well as developing an auxiliary power system that will run the plant in the event of a power outage.
•    Relocated the Reams Flagpole. The Division of Water Resources took the lead in taking down, dismantling, refurbishing, and reinstalling the Ream’s Flagpole at the East Bay Golf Course adjacent to I- 15.
•    Promoted Water Conservation. Although the City saw a slight increase in per capita consumption during 2006 (211 gpcd to 215 gpcd) we believe the community did an excellent job in managing water use compared with other cities and given the fact that our area saw record heat in July.
•    Offered Bottled Water. The Division of Water resources introduced a bottle version of our South Fork Spring Water designed for use as a public relations tool.  This project has been well received and has proved to be very popular.

Engineering Division
•    Completed Traffic Operations Center . The Traffic Operations Center and fiber optic connection to all signals was completed in the summer of 2006.  This project took many hundreds of hours of work in order to install and program several hundred different electronic devices.
•    Replaced Utah Lake State Park Bridge . The Utah Lake State Park Bridge was removed and replaced with a new structure at the entrance to the Utah Lake State Park.  This was the culmination of many years of planning and budgeting and final construction this last year.  The bridge has been constructed higher so that it should not be subject to flooding damage as was the old bridge, as well as widening and making it much safer for pedestrian, equestrian and vehicular use.
•    Completed Independence Avenue Phase I. Independence Avenue Phase I was constructed which connected Independence Avenue at the high school to 500 North on the south side of the river.  It included a bridge over Provo River and a new pedestrian underpass for the parkway with landscaping to blend with the Ream’s Park environment.  This connection should relieve some of the traffic on 800 North which is getting close to its environmental capacity, and also provide quicker, safer access to Geneva Road for the residents in the Timpanogos area.
•    Began work funded by the road rehabilitation bond . The first year of construction was completed on the Road Rehabilitation Bond that was passed last year.  We were able to bid and contract this phase of construction before the dramatic jumps in asphalt costs this summer.  The many roads that were resurfaced have added efficiency to our transportation system city wide.
•    Streamlined development review. The development review process has been significantly streamlined to allow for quicker review processes.  Since the process is now handled electronically, significant time savings have been accomplished for development projects, building permits, and city capital projects that are currently reviewed through this review group.

Public Services Division
•    Enhanced street, traffic and sidewalk maintenance . While continuing to provide high quality street, traffic and sidewalk maintenance, completed a number of special projects to include upgrading the Provo Gun Range, paving the Y Mountain trailhead and the Fire Station 3 parking lot, building the Footprinter Park overflow parking lot and cemetery storage pad and several months of clean-up after the August 1st wind storm.
•    Improved the vehicle equipment authorization process . Developed a Vehicle and Equipment Authorization list to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing vehicle and equipment life cycle costs.
•    Facilitated growth in the recycling program. During this past year, the blue container recycling program has grown by 13.2 percent to 2642 containers and the green yard waste container program has grown 12.9 percent to 3500 containers.
•    Enhanced airport safety. The greatest accomplishment at the airport was the improved safety as we completed the first year of Air Traffic Control Tower operations and completed two major projects to improve our airport with the completion of the new parallel taxiway and rehabilitation of the south apron.

Storm Water Division
•    Completed Phase I for the Little Rock Canyon Outfall Storm Drain Project.  Construction of approximately 3500 linear feet of 18 8ncy to 36 inch storm drain along 3650 North Street from Canyon Road to 930 East Street and a section of Timpview Drive between 3650 North Street and 3704 North.
•    Constructed storm drain and sewer improvements in the 4800 North connector project - Construction, using in-house crews, of approximately 1700 linear feet of 18-inch storm drain and approximately 1100 linear feet of 8-inch sewer line in the new 4800 North Street alignment between University Ave. and Canyon Road.
•    Managed the above average spring snow melt runoff.  Although 2006 snow melt runoff was not as high as it was in the spring of 2005, it was sufficiently managed without any resulting flooding (or other problems) to residential or commercial properties.
•    Responded timely to the August 1st microburst storm, and the subsequent debris cleanup - In addition to high winds, nearly one half of an inch of rain fell in approximately one half of an hour.  After initially responding to the flooding issues, our crews assisted in the efforts to restore power and clean up and remove debris.