Welcome!

[Administrator]

Thanks for visiting the discussion forum for Provo's Vision 2030 process. Your comments and thoughts on the process and product overall and your input on the individual topic areas will be given the full attention of the steering committee. Please keep your comments civil and on topic.

You can learn more about the visioning process at vision2030.provo.org.

[amyhyde]

Great Job!! I especially like the focus on sustainable neighborhoods, walkablity, responsible growth, and cherishing what makes Provo great. Thanks to all who worked on this project.

[natephillips]

I expected to poke holes in this vision - but found it to be incredibly thorough and accurate - if not exciting! Although vision discussions are just that, it would be great to follow this up with some actionable plans to provide line-of-sight.

In particular I see the airport, lake area, river area, and canyons areas to be top priority, and somewhat low-hanging fruit. We have such natural beauty in this city that just isn't planned well. Provo could be incredibly beautiful and enjoyable if these areas were well-developed.

One thing I would note, which I will place in the Education section - would be to provide an entrepreneur 'incubator' facility. It would make Provo a very attractive place for start-ups. Also, it would be great to make use of iProvo's bandwidth and create some type of 'link' with another global city, to truly become an 'international' city. Not sure what this would look like - it would be innovative - and allow citizens to connect with possibly one of Provo's sister-cities.

Also, the first I've heard of the Golf Course project. Where is the Squaw Peak area near downtown?

[govwatchdog]

The one big gaping hole I see here is about local governments and governance. It is mentioned in the values statement, but no vision statement about things like transparency, civility, attracting and keeping good govt employees and getting people "off the bus" who need to go. Maybe some stuff about attracting good quality elected officials at all levels. How about some programs that prepare people to run for office? Anyway, I'd like to see a vision statement, goals and objectives about governing and governance.

If others feel the same way, comment!

[dakota]

This vision statement has so much in it to make those of us who live in Provo excited. I do wonder if it would be helpful to have a standing committee for the city that was given the responsibility to try to move all our choices towards sustainability. I hesitate to call it a sustainability committee, yet that is what it is called in many cities. I've heard some people say they hate that word, yet I think most people do want our city to not ruin our resources, whether that be air, land or water. I can see the potential for conflict from our need to provide jobs and grow and at the same time preserve some open spaces, have walking and biking be possible, preserve wetland space for migrating birds, not pollute our land, water or air, etc., and have a beautiful, safe city. So, I come back to my original suggestion for a standing committee that would be a voice for taking into consideration the long range impact on our natural resources of all the city's decisions.

[stevereid]

I have mixed feelings about Vision 2030. On the positive side, much positive work is being done to plan for the future and enhance life in our city. Having reviewed the Vision, I find fault in two ways.

First, the Vision specifically calls for a brand new tax called a RAP tax to fund government-sponsored leisure (Section 3, Objective 8.1).

Second, the Vision lacks a balance between wants/wishes and the boundaries of current tax rates. Our citizens are already taxed higher than our sister city Orem (compare tax rates: www.utahcountyonline.org/apps/WebLink/Dept/TREAS/2010ApprovedTaxRatesallentities.pdf ). The Vision does nothing to commemorate or preserve our low tax heritage, but instead provides a foundation and justification for progressive-minded taxation in covering all of our numerous, collective wants.

[rogerbrown]

Feb 7, 2011 15:56:46 GMT -7 govwatchdog said:

The one big gaping hole I see here is about local governments and governance. It is mentioned in the values statement, but no vision statement about things like transparency, civility, attracting and keeping good govt employees and getting people "off the bus" who need to go. Maybe some stuff about attracting good quality elected officials at all levels. How about some programs that prepare people to run for office? Anyway, I'd like to see a vision statement, goals and objectives about governing and governance.

If others feel the same way, comment!

Amen brother!

Especially with this past state legislative session where "GRAMA got run over by a reindeer, uh i mean, a legislator."

Yes, in the Core Values section it says:

VII. Responsible Government
We value:
• Our transparent and open government entities
• Our commitment to accountable and fiscally sound governance
• Our effective and well-maintained public infrastructure
• Our belief in constitutionally based and limited government
• Our understanding that good government is the product of engaged and principled
citizens

I agree that it would be excellent to have a whole subcommittee about that!

My suggestions?

#1 - Encourage the city council to enact a municipal ordinance saying that they will release their meeting agendas a minimum of 4 days before the meeting, instead of the measly 1 day that is required by state law. With meetings on Tuesdays, 4 days would be the Thursday before the meeting, the last work day of the week.

#2 - Transparency? Make the city's fiscal info all available online:
A. current year's budget
B. next year's budget
C. total city debt and itemized list of debts

[pjk]

This app is confusing, and I don't like the security statement. That said, here are my suggestions:
1. NO BONDS! Bonds mean paying interest, and interest justs costs the taxpayers unnecessary $. Save up and pay cash, in increments, as the job is being finished.
2. This will take technological advances: better, easier communication at any time between residents and City personnel. The Council should accept more input from the people through discussions and debates. More information should be available before decisions are made. Work toward consistent standards and guidelines, e.g., building codes and zoning laws so that developers can clear hurdles before presenting their plans in Council meetings.