Speaking Personally

Nondiscrimination

2011-12-07T21:59:00.024-07:00

Tonight, after a long absence, I am firing up the blog to address two nondiscrimination ordinances on tomorrow's work session agenda.

The ordinances were previously discussed in a November work session and will be discussed once more tomorrow. On Tuesday night at 7:10, they will become the subject of a public hearing. Later that evening, they will proceed to the council's regular agenda for discussion and action.

The ordinances may be viewed in their entirety at the following links.

Employment

Housing

Many questions have been raised, which I now answer, begging forgiveness from those who prefer short posts.

What are the ordinances in question?

The two ordinances, which mirror those passed in Salt Lake City and endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, make it punishable as a civil matter for businesses with more than fifteen (15) employees or landlords with more than four (4) units to make hiring and firing decisions or deny housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

What do the ordinances do?

They provide a way for someone who feels they have been discriminated against in rent or employment (such as being evicted or fired), because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to submit a complaint to the city. The city arbitrates between the complainant and the landlord or employee. If the complaint is found to be valid, and no resolution is reached, a fine is imposed. The fine would be $500 to $1000, depending on the size of the organization.

Are there exemptions?

Yes. Landlords with fewer than four (4) rentals, employers with fewer than fifteen (15) employees, and religious organizations are exempt. This provides protection to landlords or families who may just rent out part of their house, or small businesses who cannot afford the time and effort of an arbitration process. It allows churches and other expressive associations (for example, the Boy Scouts of America) to make hiring decisions consistent with their values.

What don't the ordinances do?

They do not address the issue of gay marriage. They do not allow for lewd or harassing behavior. They do not create a protected class.

I have been told by the Sutherland Institute that these ordinances do create a protected class, and that they raise other constitutional challenges.

I disagree with the Sutherland Institute. I see no constitutional violations.

To quote from the text of both ordinances: "This chapter does not create a private cause of action, nor does it create any right or remedy that is the same or substantially equivalent to the remedies provided under federal or state law. This chapter does not create any special rights or privileges which would not be available to all of the City's citizens, because every person has a sexual orientation and a gender identity."In other words, this legislation creates no protection that isn't available to all.

Elsewhere, the Sutherland Institute has argued that the ordinances violate the freedom of speech and, by extension, the freedom of association. Again, I disagree, for two reasons. First, religious institutions and expressive associations have been carefully exempted from the ordinances. Second, I look to these ordinances to protect religious freedom by granting two basic human rights to people of all beliefs, even those whose beliefs and practices differ from my own.

Is there a need for this in American Fork? Will these ordinances result in an expensive and burdensome caseload for the City and the taxpayer?

I address these two seemingly unrelated questions together, because their answers seem to contradict each other.

Yes, there is a need in American Fork. Statistics provided by Equality Utah suggest that four percent of the population at large is gay, lesbian, or transgender. This by itself suggests a significant LGBT population in American Fork. I have been lobbied by constituents asking for protection. I have reviewed anecdotes submitted by the gay community of numerous acts of employment and housing discrimination, all taking place within Utah County.

What I have found most personally persuasive are the funerals I have attended -- including one in American Fork -- of gays who have taken their own lives. Yes, there is a need.

However, the need does not translate to a burdensome caseload. In the eleven Utah cities where similar statutes have been adopted, the caseload has averaged one every two years.

Will this create undue hardship for employers and landlords?

Again, with an average caseload of one every two years, this should not create unwieldy or expensive burdens. The terms of the ordinances are quite gentle, favoring conciliation, with prosecution sought only as a measure of last resort.

Most nondiscrimination laws are enacted at the State and Federal levels. Why is American Fork considering this legislation?

The Utah State Legislature made a decision not to address the issue, preferring to leave it in the hands of local governments. The city council is addressing the issue at this time because constituents have requested it.

Don't you see this as out of step with Utah's values?

According to a 2011 poll, 71 percent of Utahns approve of these measures.

The Sutherland Institute gave other reasons to oppose the ordinances.

The Sutherland Institute said, "Policies that give legal protection to such ambiguous, self-defined concepts as 'perceived sexual orientation and gender identity,' without equally strong protections of an individual's sincerely-held religious beliefs, have in practice eroded religious liberty."

A reading of the ordinances shows that the concept is clearly defined and religion is carefully protected.

The Sutherland Institute said, "Creating a legal mandate of non-discrimination singling out 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' for special protection would have unintended consequences for employers like forcing them to choose between getting tagged as 'discriminatory' by the city or being sued by customers, without solving any real social problem."
The ordinance protects proceedings as confidential and, in my view, solves a real social problem, as I have already discussed.

The Sutherland Institute said, "These non-discrimination ordinances will impose substantial costs on business in the city through the threat of litigation, training, fines, etc."

Litigation and fines are listed as a course of last resort. In practice, the caseload in Utah cities has been small, and all have been resolved through conciliation.

Have these ordinances been given adequate time for public discussion?

Yes. As I stated at the onset, these ordinances will have been discussed in two work sessions and one hearing before the council's vote. In American Fork, the usual practice is for an ordinance to be discussed only once in a work session prior to deliberation and vote.

You mentioned the LDS Church. Is that appropriate in a government setting?

First and foremost, I value the separation of church and state. I represent a pluralist constituency, and my record will show that I vote to protect that diversity. As I am elected by the people, I must answer to the people, not to the church.

On the other hand, as we are learning from the media frenzy surrounding Mitt Romney, religious values do shape beliefs, and they can't always be separated from political discussion. I am a devout, conservative Mormon, as are at least half of my constituents. We share a commitment to sexual purity, and the LDS church is one of the last remaining champions of this standard. It is nearly impossible to address this issue without some discussion of the values of those I represent.

Do you think a vote will change the morality of homosexual behavior?

The ordinances in question will not make homosexual behavior moral or immoral. They will determine how the law treats gays who have been discriminated against in matters of employment and housing.

What are your personal views on the subject of nondiscrimination?

I understand that it can be difficult for many to accept or discuss homosexuality. Heterosexuals find it repugnant, and Mormons in particular are committed to a standard of sexual purity. I don't expect these ordinances to change any of this.

However, when I consider how I must treat my homosexual neighbors, I find myself influenced by the example of Jesus when He reached out to the lepers, who were the outcasts of His day. I remember His complete and total forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery.

I therefore find myself in complete agreement with the LDS Church in the statement it made before the Salt Lake city council. The occasion was the passage of the two ordinances on which American Fork's are patterned. The date was November 10, 2009. I quote in part:

In drafting these ordinances, the city has granted common-sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations, for example, in their hiring of people whose lives are in harmony with their tenets, or when providing housing for their university students and others that preserve religious requirements.
The Church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage. They are also entirely consistent with the Church’s prior position on these matters. The Church remains unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman.
I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with respect even when we disagree – in fact, especially when we disagree. The Church’s past statements are on the public record for all to see. In these comments and in our actions, we try to follow what Jesus Christ taught.

I have witnessed first-hand the fear that homosexuals live with when it comes to employment, and I have seen how it interferes with their ability to earn a living wage.

Twenty years ago, I worked as the assistant manager at a bookstore in upstate New York. We had a vacancy to fill, and the manager came to me with a question. He had just interviewed an excellent candidate, but he had only one reservation. The candidate was gay. Knowing my religious background, he asked me: Would I be willing to work with a gay man?

This was the early 1990s, and gays were not "out" in the mainstream to the extent that they are today. I had never confronted the issue before, but I could see no reason why a gay man couldn't sell books. I had myself, as a Mormon, been on the receiving end of discrimination, and couldn't bring myself to join the delivery end. I told the manager to make the hire; I would have no problem.

He was the best hire we ever made. He was honest and hard-working. He was great with the customers. He took a real interest in the books. As for his being gay, he never did or said anything even remotely inappropriate.

I was shocked when he came to me six weeks later and announced he would be leaving. "Please," I said, "Don't go. Why are you leaving?"

I was shocked again when he confided in me that he was gay. "Once the manager finds out I'm gay, I'll be fired," he explained. "And I think he's catching on."

I protested. I tried to explain how the manager was already aware, that it hadn't affected the hiring decision, that we hadn't mentioned it to the other employees, that he was the best worker we had ever had. To no avail. His fear of being fired was palpable, and he couldn't live with it. "Federal anti-discrimination laws protect you as a woman," he said. "They do not protect me."

I watched him, after that, light from job to job in the mall, never staying in one place very long. I have wondered whether his fear of discrimination hurt him more than any actual discrimination. As I have considered this case, and others like it, I have come to believe that the mere existence of a protective law on the books will give people like him a better chance at making a decent living.

Budget 2012

2011-06-07T10:36:00.003-06:00

On June 21, the city council will vote on the budget for the fiscal year ending in 2012. Two public hearings will be conducted, the first on Tuesday, June 14, prior to the regularly scheduled city council meeting, and the second on June 21, prior to the vote. The intervening week will allow time for the council to request adjustments, if necessary, after the first hearing.

Unfortunately, I will be travelling on business the day of the hearing. I am doubly interested, therefore, in any comments you may wish to leave here at the blog or on Facebook. I will also listen to the tape of the hearing before I cast my vote.

Here's a birds-eye view of the proposed budget.

Revenues

The good news is that no property tax increase is proposed. Property tax will actually come in two-tenths of a percent lower than last year, thanks to the mysteries of Utah's Truth in Taxation law, but other revenues will offset the decrease. Overall, the general fund shows an increase of 6.9 percent, owing in part to stabilizing sales tax receipts, but mostly to increased revenue from the Fire and EMS department.

That's the good news. The bad news, from a revenue standpoint, is that growth is still slow and impact fee revenues are correspondingly weak. This threatens the pressurized irrigation bonds, which depend to a significant degree on impact fees for their repayment. I still don't know the extent of the damage, but I have thrown my support behind a water rate study that will help us find the best way to make up the difference.

It goes without saying: So long as the water bill continues high, the City must do all it can to keep other taxes low.

Expenses

The largest increases in the proposed budget are three: a new fire truck, a cost-of-living increase for employees, and the creation -- and funding -- of an Advanced Officer position in the police department.

I view these as necessary, preventive expenses. The fire truck will replace a 1978 model that OSHA cannot certify, a truck that risks break-down on every call it makes. As for the employees, the taxpayers make an investment every time the City hires and trains a specialized employee, and they take a loss every time an employee leaves to make more money in a neighboring city. Nowhere is this problem so evident as in the police department. American Fork cannot continue to absorb the financial cost of training young officers for other departments.

Road maintenance, another significant preventive expense, will be maintained at $500,000 per year, which is the level the council approved when it passed the 2008 property tax increase. American Fork's drivers need no persuasion as to the need. City streets have deteriorated due to extreme weather conditions, a high average age, and street cuts from repair and installation of sewer and water infrastructure. We cannot cut back on road maintenance without incurring higher costs in the future.

Unfunded

Many quality of life projects will go begging this year. Sidewalks will limp along at the rate of $110,000 per year, enough to do full frontage at four or five houses. Library collections (books, primarily) will still receive half the funding accorded the same in Pleasant Grove and Lehi. Cemetery expansion, parking at the fitness center, public restrooms at the parks -- still pipe dreams.

Sadly, these projects must take a back seat to financial realities. The City must be sensitive to the economic hardships of its residents. Unemployment is still at 7.5 percent, even in Utah. Gas is $3.50 per gallon, milk $2.33, and water bills have exceeded $100 per month.

= = = = =

In all, I feel the proposed budget is frugal and balanced, with preventive expenses receiving priority and luxuries taking a back seat. It's a prudent approach and I'm prepared to endorse it, but I'm interested in your thoughts. Please log in and tell me what you think.

American Fork Fire and Rescue

2011-05-27T15:31:00.013-06:00

Memorial Day is a great day to pause and honor the firefighters and emergency workers who risk their lives for us. Especially since they'll be cooking our breakfast.

Here are a few good facts about these good men and women:

Founded in 1910 by 23 concerned citizens in 1910, the department today has one chief, one fire inspector, one administrative assistant, eight captains, and 65 firefighters, most of them volunteers.

In 1910, volunteers responded to the clanging of the bell at City Hall. The department had one piece of equipment. This was a steel fire cart, outfitted with axes, ladders, hose and couplings, a small hand-powered pump and buckets. If there was no hydrant at the scene of the fire, the men used the pump to raise water from an irrigation ditch.

The department today prepares its personnel for firefighting, hazardous materials (haz-mat) clean-up, and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and paramedic services.

The department responds to an average of 450 fires and 2300 EMS calls per year.

AF Fire and Rescue actively encourages fire prevention through its many outreach programs. It visits American Fork's second-grade classes every year, offers fire and gun safety seminars, participates in safety fairs at local businesses, and hosts an annual open house at the fire station. These activities reach over 10,000 citizens each year.

Through a grant made possible by the State of Utah, the department offers free smoke detectors to residents in need, no strings attached, and even offers to help install them.

To top it all off, these dedicated emergeny responders make our Memorial Day breakfast each year. Continuing a tradition that began in the mid-1940s with the Fire Ladies Auxilliary, the department now serves up more than a thousand plates each year. Breakfast is served from 6 until 10 a.m. and costs $5 for adults and $3 for children. The doors to the ambulance bay are thrown open, and residents are invited to mix, mingle, and marvel at the tight ship run by this outstanding department.

I look forward to seeing you there!

* Facts are taken from "American Fork: Celebrating 100 Years of Dedicated Service," a feature article in the January-March 2011 edition of Straight Tip, the magazine of the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy.

Happy Arbor Day!

2011-04-29T13:13:00.022-06:00

It's been an Arbor Day to remember. In fact, in American Fork, it's shaping into a month to remember.

Last Saturday, April 23, members of the Utah Community Forest Council descended on Robinson Park (at the library) for a day of volunteer service. Trees were pruned throughout the park, and a dangerous and decaying tree, a large Siberian elm east of the picnic pavilion, was removed.

Next month, on Saturday, May 21, the Forest Council will return to Robinson Park for -- get this -- a tree climbing contest. Hosted in partnership with the International Society of Arboriculture, this will be the 17th Annual Utah Tree Climbing Championship. Contestants will compete in five events (Work Climb, Aerial Rescue, Belayed Speed Climb, Secured Foot Lock, and Throw Line) for some serious prizes, with the Master Challenge winner receiving $2,000 to attend the International Tree Climb Competition in Sydney, Australia.

Earlier this week, the American Fork City Council, keeping an annual tradition, authorized Mayor Hadfield to sign the Arbor Day Proclamation.

Earlier today, the mayor presided over the planting of ten new trees at Rotary Park, where, due to the age of the tree canopy, reforestation has become a critical need. Trees for this effort were donated by Rocky Mountain Power and Tri-City Nursery, with additional trees purchased by the City's Beautification and Shade Tree Committee.

Rocky Mountain, pursuing its interest in energy efficiency, also placed two deciduous trees near windows at the fitness center. During the hot summer months, the trees will lower cooling costs by providing shade. During the cold winter months, they will lower heating costs by allowing sunlight to filter through the windows.

At noon today, I was pleased to join the mayor, members of the Beautification Committee, and officials from Rocky Mountain Power for the ceremony at Rotary Park. Prior to our arrival, the parks department had removed several dead trees and placed the new trees in their holes. The wind was brisk, but we stayed just long enough to throw a handful of dirt into a hole and listen to the mayor's remarks on the history of Arbor Day.
The mayor's remarks:

On January 4, 1872, J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture a tree-planting holiday to be called "Arbor Day." An Arbor Day Celebration was held on April 10, 1872 with prizes offered to counties and individuals who properly planted the largest number of trees on that day. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.

In 1885, Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska and April 22, Morton's birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. According to accounts from the Nebraska City News, April 1885, the city celebrated Arbor Day with a grand parade and a speech by Mr. Morton. Students of different grades met at their respective school rooms in the morning for the purpose of planting at least one tree. Each tree was labeled with the grade, the time planted, and was to be especially cared for by that grade.

During the 1870s, other states passed legislation to observe Arbor Day, and the tradition began in schools nationwide in 1882. Today the most common date for the state observance is the last Friday in April, and several U.S. presidents have proclaimed National Arbor Day on that date.

Arbor Day was originally a more material celebration than sentimental. In the treeless states of Nebraska and Kansas, the lack of forests was severely felt, both in the scarcity of native timber for building purposes and in the irregularity of rainfall. Trees were needed to conserve and increase material wealth.

In pioneer days, a forest seemed an obstacle to development rather than an aid. Trees were often viewed as enemies to progress and civilization and only seen as firewood. Their beauty was not appreciated until the development of cities and towns and then they were no longer viewed for just material purposes.

Arbor Day takes its place with Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays and other national holidays. One difference with Arbor Day as compared to the other national holidays is that Arbor Day is the only occasion devoted to the future, rather than the past. Its purpose is to accomplish something which, in years to come, will benefit the community at large.

Arbor Day does not just stand for planting trees, although this is one of the primary objectives. It also stands for improving civic conditions, a movement in behalf of more beautiful surroundings, and educates the youth about trees and flowers, and encourages people to take delight in their cultivation.

As a Tree City USA, American Fork City strives hard to plant new trees and to maintain our existing trees in our parks, on City-owned land, and encourages residents to also plant and maintain trees. I am excited to be here today to celebrate Arbor Day and participate in planting new trees that will be enjoyed and appreciated for years to come.

May you enjoy this Arbor Day and become actively engaged in planting and caring for trees and encouraging others to have a deep respect and appreciation for the material and aesthetic values that trees provide our great community.

Thank you, Mayor Hadfield, for supporting Arbor Day in American Fork.

Laps vs. Pages

2011-04-01T15:17:00.008-06:00

Readers of American Fork, unite!

Patrons of the library and patrons of the fitness center are, even now, engaged in mortal conflict. At stake is our personal honor -- and a lot of money.

The library is tallying the number of books checked out between March 28 and April 2.

The fitness center is recording the number of laps run, walked, or swum on those same days.

The winner will receive, for use in its programs, the proceeds from the "Go the Extra Mile" 5K Run/Walk, scheduled for next Saturday, April 9.

Much as I love my agressive, victory-obsessed brothers and sisters at the fitness center (I count myself among them, from time to time), I would be deeply humiliated if, in the contest of brains over brawn, it had to be said that American Fork had more brawn than brain.

Deeply humiliated.

So head on over to the library, my reading friends, and check out a pile of books! The contest continues through tomorrow. What better way to spend Saturday morning than at the library with your family?

P.S. Do also please sign up to run in the 5K by following this link. Registration is $15 through today, $20 hereafter.

Sam White Lane Bridge

2011-03-14T13:36:00.011-06:00

Three hundred fifty-four feet. Two spans. One big night.

UDOT will be moving the 3,827,000-pound Sam White Lane Bridge into place on March 26, and the public is invited to watch.

This is great news for commuters who will have their preferred route to Orem restored.

This is fascinating news for the engineers who will turn out in force to watch. They're already inviting dates and planning what to wear. "It's like watching grass grow or watching the paint dry on the side of the house," said Mayor Hadfield, with genuine enthusiasm. "It's fascinating to calculate the rate of travel and the amount of weight on each wheel."

This will become the longest bridge in the western hemisphere to have been rolled into place using SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters). The bridge's two sections will be positioned literally overnight by a single lucky contractor with a joystick.

UDOT perfected the process in American Fork at the Main Street interchange, building bridges off-site and moving them into place over a night or weekend in order to minimize disruptions to traffic. A process that used to take up to nine months was reduced to hours, and for its innovation, UDOT has been recognized as a national leader in the field.

According to Dal Hawks, I-15 CORE project director, more bridges have been moved this way in the state of Utah than in all other states combined.

The public may watch the move from the parking lot of the Utah Valley Business Park, beginning at 11:00 p.m. Interested viewers, please consult the project page for details and restrictions.

TOP TEN REASONS TO SPEND FRIDAY NIGHTS AT CITY HALL

2011-03-04T13:04:00.013-07:00

10. Great performing arts series in progress now through March 25, 7:00 each night.

9. Take in the grandeur of City Hall's historic restoration.

8. Give your regards to Broadway. (Tonight)

7. Bullfighting gypsies and sultry women are more exciting than standard Tuesday night zoning disputes. (Carmen on March 11)

6. Art songs from "South of the Border." (March 18)

5. Sacred music to usher in the Easter season. (March 25)

4. See Councilmember Rodeback exchange her seat on the dais for a seat on the piano bench, where she keeps better discipline of her mouth.

3. Downtown offers many great spots for ice cream after the show.

2. Mayor Hadfield promised not to sing or dance.

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO SPEND YOUR FRIDAY NIGHTS AT CITY HALL:

1. Because "without music, life would be a mistake." (Nietzsche)

Utah's Tour de Donut

2011-02-21T14:59:00.018-07:00

Utah's Tour de Donut is now registering. If you hurry, you can catch the early bird special.

Tour de what?

The Tour de Donut is one of American Fork's best things. Sponsored by the local Rotary Club and conceived as a spoof on the Tour de France, the race is one of only five like events in the United States. It is at once insane and ingenious. Contestants ride seven miles, eat a lot of donuts, ride seven more miles, eat more donuts, then ride the final seven miles. Winners, of course, are those who complete all twenty-one miles the fastest, but -- and here's the genius of the thing -- riders get to deduct three minutes from their time for each donut they keep down.

Last year's King Donut scarffed 31 donuts.

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Rotary Club's many worthy projects, including Amber Alert ID bracelets, Rotary's Polio International Campaign, and the Huntsman Cancer Center at the American Fork Hospital.

600 riders are anticipated this year, and I hope YOU will be among them. You can register as an adult or a youth, a family or a team, or even as a tandem rider. That's right, there will even be bicycles built for two.

Sponsors are also needed, as are volunteers -- volunteers to set up, check in, clean up, or count donuts. This is a great opportunity for families, Scout troops, and church groups.

The race will start from the parking lot of Provo College on July 16, 2011, with a starting gun at 9:00 a.m. SHARP. Full details are available at the Tour de Donut Web site.

That's less than four months away. It's time to start training. I'm heading for the bakery right now!

A Positive Financial Note

2011-01-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

The city council, earlier this month, was pleased to receive positive financial news in the form of the annual audit.

The audit was performed by the certified public accounting firm of Gilbert and Stewart. Having reviewed the City's funds, financial statements, bank accounts, reporting procedures, etc., etc., etc., the auditors awarded their "unqualified opinion," the best kind possible, stating that the City is in good financial condition and its finances are accurately stated.

I leaned over to fellow council member Dale Gunther and asked his take on this opinion. I've been reading audits for six years now, but Dale's judgment, honed in the financial industry, is without peer.

He was all smiles. "The City is strong," he beamed, "and Cathy is keeping us in good shape." Cathy Jensen is the City's chief financial officer.

The report came with three footnotes of interest.

Note 1. The deficit in the broadband fund is shrinking down to size. Revenues from marketing the City's dark fiber assets are being held in a reserve account. This reserve, together with the funds from the sale of the in-city fiber network, is projected to retire the broadband bond on schedule. The subsidy from the general fund is coming to an end.

Note 2. The City has been frugal in its use of debt. Even after issuing $49 million in PI bonds, the City's debt level remains below fifty percent of its ceiling.

Note 3. Owing to a change in accounting procedures -- namely, that revenues received within 60 days of the close of the fiscal year are now posted to the previous fiscal year -- the City suddenly finds itself with a fund balance in excess of 18 percent. The fund balance is the City's reserve account. By law, it must be kept between 5 and 18 percent. The excess will be funneled into the capital improvement fund and budgeted appropriately next year.

This news leaves me grinning from ear to ear. An 18 percent fund balance is a generous cushion. It protects the City against the unforeseen and also gives the City greater flexibility to apply for grants with matching funds.

In other news, sales tax receipts, for the first year in three, are holding steady. Last year, revenues came in twelve percent below the previous year. The previous year, revenues were eight percent below the year preceding. But this year, though they have not rebounded to pre-recession levels, revenues have held steady with what they were last year.

Thus it seems possible -- just possible -- that careful management may have brought the City through the worst of the recession. There may yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Conversation with an Engineer

2011-01-07T14:52:00.012-07:00

I wanted to talk transportation, so I cornered Andy Spencer, City Engineer. "Andy," I said, "I made a Top-Five list of AF's road funding needs, and I want to see how it compares with your list."

"I can't talk to you," Andy said, looking down at the front of his shirt. It was a spiffy new polo shirt embroidered with the words, "American Fork Public Works." I immediately saw the problem.

"No pocket," I said.

Andy nodded, listlessly.

"No pocket protector," I said.

He nodded again.

"Aha," I said. Engineers do not talk without pointers. Fortunately, the daughter of an engineer, I knew exactly what to do. "Take this," I said, thrusting my ball-point pen into his hand. "You can point with the ink delivery end."

Gratefully, he took the pen and pointed to the map on the wall. As he did so, the words began to flow.

The Top Five hot spots, in Andy's opinion and mine, are these:

1. 900 West, from State Street to 1120 North. Fortunately, we are not alone in our view. Utah County, acknowledging this route into Costco and the Meadows as a road of regional significance, has come through with funding. Look for construction in 2013.

2. 1120 North, including both the extension of the road to 900 West and mitigation measures in front of the junior high. My 1120 North friends will be pleased to note that I have sequenced this priority, as always, behind the improvement of 900 West. The one must be completed before the other.

3. The 300 West underpass at I-15. Already a trouble spot, this will become of great strategic significance when the Front Runner arrives.

4. 300 North from 900 East to 1100 East. While traffic does not stall here, the road is nevertheless a perilous proposition for pedestrians, a threat comparable to that on 50 South before its widening. When the County completes construction on 1100 East and installs the signal at this intersection, the situation will become even worse.

5. 400 West at Pacific Drive, possibly in connection with the opening of 560 West onto Pacific Drive. (Andy and I had a lengthy debate about this, during which I almost took my pen back.)

Andy also added a Number 6, of which I had not been aware: 500 East at Main Street. Apparently, the accident count is high at this intersection.

"So," I said, "tell me how much it would take to fund all of this within a reasonable period of time."

Still gesturing with my Bic, Andy moved over to the white board. Hastily, I replaced the pen with a white-board marker. He drew three pots for me. "Ideally," he said, "we would feed three pots on an on-going basis. One would be for new construction; one would be for on-going maintenance; and the third would be for reconstruction."

"Reconstruction?" I said, scratching my head.

"Reconstruction," he said, pointing to the residential roads between 700 North and the golf course.

"Aha," I said, thinking also of the roller coaster on 220 North between 900 and 1100 East. "How much would it cost to get the City on track within, say, ten years?"

At this, dutiful public employee that he is, Andy intoned several disclaimers, respectfully suggesting that funding is the council's place, not his, but finally delivered a ball-park estimate of $750,000 to one million per year in each pot.

I did some quick mental math of my own. At present, B and C road funds (money allocated to cities from the gas tax) accrue at the rate of about $600 to $700 thousand per year. The city council, two years ago, began an additional, annual accrual of $500,000 per year for road projects. At best, this means we're allocating $1.2 million each year to various, unspecified road needs.

Ideally, we should be funding at least $1 million more, and we should be directing those funds, as Andy says, into three disciplined pots, or line items.

This is food for thought. I will be chewing on it as we head into the budget season. The City made a good start this year, spending about $700,000 out of the roads accrual fund to resurface several major collectors. That's maintenance. Ideally, I would like to see the City create two additional line items, one for new projects and one for reconstruction, gradually increasing funding to all three as economic development picks up.

I do not mean to say that the City does not now recognize these needs. But with the creation of dedicated line items, the funding can be assigned more strategically.

I also see need for pots number four and five. Number four would be for safe sidewalks (now funded at the rate of $110,000 per year) and number five would be for traffic mitigation, or in other words, school crossings. Regular contributions to each pot -- however modest at first -- would eventually put the City in good shape.

My questions answered, I took my pen back.

Andy had nothing more to say.

Note to Andy's loved ones: Make sure you give him shirts with pockets next Christmas.

Volunteer Profile: John Pew

2010-12-29T13:50:00.023-07:00

A city is only as good as its people. Each day, many unsung volunteers labor behind the scenes to make American Fork a better place for all of us. Here is the story of one of them.

Of what value is art? Great value, say the people of American Fork. We display paintings, quilts, and photography at Steel Days. We send our children to historic City Hall to learn watercolor, to sing in the choir, to give speeches. We either march in the band or support its fund raisers. Even as adults, we produce musicals and dramas and we populate choirs, bands and even a symphony orchestra.

Few realize the work that goes in behind the scenes to make these programs possible. Today my blog profiles John Pew, the first and founding chair of the Arts Council’s governing board.

Established in 2007, the governing board is comprised of several good men and women, leaders in the arts and business communities, who labor behind the scenes so that when the curtain goes up and the lights go on, the Arts Council has the necessary legal basis to perform.

In its first three years, the board has rolled up its sleeves and produced policy, policies enabling the various arts council programs to operate—policies as mundane as how accompanists or choreographers are compensated, or as legally vital as how content is selected and copyrights are honored.

I asked John about the board’s work and he likened it to that of a business manager, explaining how “incredibly important” this role is in enabling art, how the non-artistic roles on the board are essential to carrying on the work. The symphony director, for example, has enough on his hands with the work of selecting the music, coaching the musicians, and delivering the magic that connects the symphony with its audience. If he must also print the programs and set up the house, fill out the purchase requisitions and face down the finance committee, he will burn out before the symphony ever sees a second season.

Another important focus of the governing board, therefore, is to support the work of Lori England, Arts Council director, and to work with each of the Arts Council programs to make sure they have functioning by-laws, boards, and program managers. “One of the best things we’ve done,” John said, “is to visit with the program managers, try to make them feel appreciated, to feel that somebody from the City is listening and has their back.”

But the focus which motivates the board more than any other is the quest for an arts center. For years, the Arts Council has sought sovereignty over a permanent home that would alleviate concerns for performance, rehearsal and storage space. There’s the Amphitheater at Quail Cove, but it’s only a fair-weather friend. The Alpine School District has been generous with its space, but the Arts Council must yield scheduling priority to numerous school programs.

There have been defeated bonds, and there was the dubious compromise that built a basketball court in the Fitness Center for symphony performances.

The pursuit of an arts center has figured prominently on the governing board’s every agenda, only to be stymied by the City’s various financial predicaments. “We toured arts centers and we met with architectural firms,” John said, “but we couldn’t ever make that vital next step without stronger City finances.”

Nevertheless, John remains convinced that the arts play a vitally important role in American Fork. “The Arts Council provides an outlet for talents, a place for people to perform,” he says, “a means to express themselves.”

In so saying, John draws on his own background, a background that has uniquely prepared him for this service. A fine musician in his own right, John performed the piano concertos of Grieg and Mendelssohn as a high school student and won a place in the piano studio of the famed Reid Nibley at Brigham Young University before choosing a more pragmatic path. He ultimately graduated with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from San Jose State University and took a job with Ariba, Inc., in Sunnyvale, California. He has kept the job in Sunnyvale, to which he telecommutes from his home here in American Fork, and he has likewise kept music, if not for his vocation, then for his avocation.

In 1998 and 2000, while living in California, John directed the orchestra and chorus for the Oakland (LDS) Temple Pageant. In 2002, he accepted the baton of the (Oakland) Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra, then a struggling organization, and built for it a vibrant reputation that attracted great soloists such as Jenny Oaks Baker. After moving to American Fork in 2005, John kept his position with Temple Hill, scheduling rehearsals to coincide with visits to the work place, and treating his American Fork friends to its thrilling rhapsodies during a stop in our amphitheater on a 2010 tour.

“There’s something meaningful, something about performing that’s personal, almost intimate,” John told me, drawing on this experience. “It’s not just like talking to a friend. It’s deep, it’s moving, and very rewarding.”

Then he glowed, just a little, recalling the musician in his orchestra who said, “I would never have had an opportunity to perform this music without you. It’s like a dream come true.”

As 2010 draws to a close, so does John’s term on the governing board. None of us felt we could challenge him when he said it was time to step out of the wings and back into the lights. With the new year, he will also relinquish his position with Temple Hill and will begin a promising season as the conductor of the newly forming Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra, the newest musical voice in the north county.

If you are interested in performing serious classical music, the music of the masters, John tells me he has a place for you. If you prefer listening, he has a place for you, too, in the audience of the inaugural concerts. These will be held on April 8 and 9 at Timberline Middle School and will feature special guest soloist Dr. Jeffrey Shumway, chair of the piano faculty at Brigham Young University, playing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2.

Further information will be coming soon to www.thetso.org.

On Meters, Impurities, and Water Rates

2010-12-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

In light of recent media interest, I feel to say a word about secondary water rates.

In a November 28 editorial, The Daily Herald likened Pleasant Grove's water rates -- which, like American Fork's, are based on lot size rather than water usage -- unto Obamacare. In this conservative territory, these are fighting words.

The problem with rates based on lot size, says the Herald, is that the cost is the same for any given user whether he waters a lot or a little. This hampers conservation efforts and leads in many cases to inequity. The landowner who puts his entire lot into vegetable gardening pays no more for his daily water usage than his next-door neighbor, with the same lot size, whose yard is entirely paved in concrete.

Moreover, it masks the true cost of water and this, says the Herald, revving up for its tirade against Obamacare, is "how government gums things up by trying to hide real costs."

I follow this logic. I am a card-carrying free-market economist, if there is such a card, and I too believe that price should reflect cost and that secondary water rates, therefore, should be based on metered usage.

So here's the problem. Secondary water comes from impure sources, is not treated, and therefore carries impurities that clog meters. Which means that secondary water can't be metered. Not by ordinary meters, anyway. Special meters do exist, but they can't be read by the City's radio meter-reading technology. Or if they can, they are expensive: $250 per meter. Moreover, the technology is still experimental.

When American Fork bonded for secondary irrigation, that $250 multiplied by 7,000 households city-wide would have meant bonding for an additional $1,750,000 -- money which, given the inherent unreliability of the meters, neither the engineering staff nor the city council could justify.

Thus the rates came to be based on lot size rather than usage.

Nevertheless, the engineering staff has been monitoring the progress of meter technology and does have a few of the expensive meters on hand. Complaining residents whose lots are mostly house, or mostly driveway, have been offered meters to enable them to prove lower usage. They, in exchange, have become the City's guinea pigs.

The meters will see their first full year of use in 2011. After that, the City may choose to re-examine the issue.

But at this point in time, I have to say that fairness is only the lesser of the city council's concerns with respect to water rates. The large, looming concern this year is the possibility that revenues will not be sufficient to meet the payments required on the bonds.

With a good portion of the system's revenue model based on impact fees (fees from new construction), and with construction having come to a near stand-still these past three years, the situation is looking bad. If the situation continues, we, like Pleasant Grove, may be forced to raise revenues through other means -- possibly through increased water rates, property taxes, or through issuing more debt.

This concern is occupying the better part of our attention these days, and the council is doing all it can to minimize the impact. We are working to boost economic development. We have steered away from budget increases and are fighting excessive charges from the sewer district. As long as the water bill continues high, we should be doing all we can to keep the tax bill low.

Volunteer Profile: Paul Strong

2010-11-29T14:11:00.015-07:00

A city is only as good as its people. Each day, many unsung volunteers labor behind the scenes to make American Fork a better place for all of us. Here is the story of one of them.

This is a true story. I moved to American Fork in 1998. I had left the state nine years earlier, and in my absence the orchards on University Parkway, east of I-15, had given way to a bevy of big box retailers. I was sorry for this, and when the clerk in the post office, the day I went to arrange for mail delivery, asked how I found Utah, I said, "I can't believe how many trees have come down in the last decade."

The clerk's head sprang up and his eyes flashed with alarm. "What trees?" he said. "Where?" He was on the verge of leaping over the counter, electric green super suit peeking out from beneath his postal uniform, to defend the fallen trees until I said, "Orem." At this, his reflexes abated and the affable clerk stood once again before me.

This is my first memory of American Fork and my first memory of Paul Strong, champion and defender of American Fork's urban weldt, a premier example of public service, political endurance, and creative vision.

Born and raised in American Fork, Paul has spent all his life here and half of it, 27 years, on the City's Beautification and Shade Tree Committee. For 27 years, he has been a fount of ideas and a quiet but driving force in seeing them through to completion.

For the last four years, he chaired the committee. Earlier this year, he stepped down as chair, though he continues as a member, and on that day I asked him to share highlights from the first 27 years. Here's what I learned.

Asked to name the committee's major accomplishments, he rattled off a long list: Main Street's Pocket Park, an annual Arbor Day observance, the parks upgrade, the attainment of Tree City status, the Yard of the Month program, the creation of a City flag, the Main Street benches and trash receptacles, hundreds of trees planted in the City and thousands more given to school children.

Asked to recall the high points during those years, his eyes lit up as he told about the days of Mary Fox, who preceded him as chair. "She had a way of shaking money out of people," he said, and these people included the City Council. One year she put in a budget request of $40,000 and, to the committee's amazement, received the full amount. This was the money that placed the benches, the trash receptacles, and the Pocket Park in downtown.

Then he shared the low point. He was brand new to the committee, which mercilessly tasked him with the problem of a nuisance property. Next to one of the City's wells, on private property, stood a dead and decaying tree, a threat to public safety. Paul gamely knocked on the door of the owner and met a small, feeble elderly woman. As best he could, he asked whether something could be done about the tree. To his great chagrin, he received news the next day that the woman had passed away. For years after that, the committee teased him relentlessly, saying, "If you want to kill somebody, send Paul."

Perhaps this experience helped to prepare him for the challenges he would face while chairing the committee during what has been called the "Great Recession." Gone was the silver-tongued Mary Fox; gone was the well-oiled City budget. During Paul's tenure, the most he ever saw in his budget was $3,000, and most years even this amount was frozen. Undeterred, he pressed on, using the time and the committee's energy to propose and pass a tree ordinance, to find grants for Arbor Day trees, and to help the City finally achieve Tree City status.

Myself, I would be tempted to call it good after 27 years, but Paul has staying power. I asked what he would like to see the committee accomplish in the next ten years, and when I heard his list, I decided to fall in line behind him.

Here's the current wish list:

-- The return of the Main Street flower pots
-- A solution for the Main Street trees (the committee envisions large planter boxes which can be moved to accommodate the merchants' needs for visibility)
-- Updated Christmas decorations for Main Street
--"Welcome to American Fork" signs at the major entrances to the city
-- Better protection for trees in the City parks.

If you have more ideas and would like to be part of this effort, the Beautification and Shade Tree Committee can use your help. Further information about the committee, its meeting schedule, and its new leadership can be found under the "Boards and Commissions" tab at the City Web site.

You don't have to stay for 27 years, but you're welcome to.

Small Utah Town Seeking Administrator, Experience Good, Sense of Humor a Plus

2010-09-27T14:16:00.011-06:00

American Fork is in the process of hiring a City administrator. Last Thursday night, the city council participated in round three of the selection process, in which five highly qualified finalists (out of a field of 46) were interviewed by the six of us via Skype in council chambers. We were joined in this open meeting by many of the City's department heads as well as by several members of the public who seemed to understand how much depends on this decision. The stakes are high.

The appointment is Mayor Hadfield's to make, but the council will be asked for its advice and consent. The council has not yet held its deliberations, so I cannot say very much about how the decision will be made. I can, however, share with you the questions we asked.

I shared them with my daughter, after the fact, and they made her laugh. Hysterically. Or, more to the point, we made her laugh.

"These questions reflect your personalities to a tee!" she said.

Myself, I didn't think we were all that funny. I thought our questions were insightful and incisive, bordering on the literary. I'm expecting them to figure prominently in David McCullough's forthcoming history of American Fork.

Here, see what you think.

Mayor Hadfield

What do you know about American Fork City? Why would you like to work for our city?
What do you bring to the table that makes you the best candidate for this job?
What would you do to increase economic development and create a business-friendly environment in American Fork?

Dale Gunther

What is your approach to long-range planning?
Tell us about your philosophy of City management.

Heidi Rodeback

Suppose that sales tax receipts have come in weak for the third year in a row. The council is philosophically opposed to a property tax increase. What do you recommend?
How do you work with an under-performing employee?
What importance do you place on quality of life services in municipal government such as the library, parks and recreation, and the arts?

Shirl LeBaron

Do you golf? Do you think municipally-owned golf courses should be privatized? What factors would you consider in your decision?
Can you tell us about a difficult member of the public that you have worked with and how you resolved issues with that resident?
Suppose that the council has given you settlement authority in a dispute with another party and that authority is not to exceed $20,000. It's five o'clock on a Friday and the deadline is just thirty minutes away. The other party just called and offered to settle for $30,000. The council is on retreat in the Uintas and can't be reached. What do you do? What factors do you consider in your decision?

Rick Storrs

What is the City administrator's relationship with the mayor? With the city council? With the department heads? With the public?
Have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee? If so, what were the circumstances and how did you handle it?
What are the most important factors in employee morale?

Sherry Kramer

Do you have experience with grants? If so, what kind of success have you had?
What are your ideas for improving historic Main Street and what funding options would you support?
What experience do you have managing emergency services and what advancements were you instrumental in implementing?

For the why's and wherefores behind the City's decision to hire an administrator, please read Barbara Christiansen's August 4 article in the Provo Daily Herald.

Andres Duany Visits Salt Lake

2010-09-16T22:21:00.011-06:00

My thanks to the taxpayers of American Fork for sending me to the mid-year convention of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. In one of the city council's more short-sighted budget cuts, all training was curtailed last year. This year, the training budget was restored, owing to which I have spent three days in Salt Lake this week boning up on such useful topics as tax diversification, pavement management, emergency preparedness, and land-use planning.

This morning, the keynote speaker was Andres Duany, known also to me as Andres the Great and Duany the Dynamic. In the years before I ran for city council, when I was a neighborhood activist, I slept with his book Suburban Nation under my pillow. I dogeared the pages and scribbled in the margins and underlined whole paragraphs. This was probably not a good thing, given that my copy was on loan from the library. I learned that I could return the book in the morning, then retrieve it off the shelves later that afternoon. I managed, by such devious means, to keep the book under my pillow for months at a time and this is how it is that I can quote entire chapters.

You can imagine my excitement, therefore, to hear Mr. Duany in person. He did not disappoint. The man is pure genius, with a manner of explaining his art that reminded me of a Frank Lloyd Wright or a Leonard Bernstein. Debonair and polished, he spoke with just the slightest accent which, Google tells me, came from time spent in Cuba. His manner is charming, humorous, and a bit eccentric. At one point he told us of his admiration for West Jordan's Daybreak, a classic application of the New Urbanist toolbox. "I could not have designed it better myself," he told us, and then added, with a twinkle in his eye, "and that's a very great compliment." An ego? An eccentric? A little of both, I suppose, but he comes by it honestly.

What he taught us about the great state of Utah this morning turned my thinking upside down, and it will challenge your thinking as well.

First, he said, he has been to Utah several times in his career: ten or twelve. It is remarkable to him that everybody here is so happy with their community. We are a stark contrast to the people of other metropolises, he said, who are all great authorities on what is wrong with the community. Clearly, he said, "Utahns have a very low level of self-critique."

I laughed, but only through tears. When I first moved here in 1998, I was greatly disappointed by the poverty of the parks system, by the paucity of books in the library, and by the poor sidewalks all over town. I, too, marveled that so many could speak so highly of Utah's quality of life. If I had felt satisfied with Utah's quality of life, I would never have done such a thing as run for city council.

Next, he told us about a design project he began for the city of Tooele, Utah. One of the hallmarks of Mr. Duany's New Urbanism is its reliance on narrow streets to enhance pedestrian safety. During the design process, he came head-to-head with a senior city staffer who put his fist down on the table, looked Mr. Duany in the eye, and said, slowly, "Brother Brigham likes wide streets."

"The theological argument was OVER," Mr. Duany told us. The process fell apart from that point forward, and in the end, his firm did not put its name on the plans.

Now, I've always been rather proud of Brother Brigham and his wide streets. I was greatly surprised, therefore, when Mr. Duany proceeded to teach me that there was more to Brigham Young's vision than I had supposed.

During the period of western expansion, we learned, countless cities were platted. Very few of them survived. The west is littered with ghost towns, towns that were built on little more than an agreement with the railroad to place a stop at a given location. When the train stopped, a hundred people got off. Ninety-six of them were male farmers. With no females or families, and no diversity of professions -- nobody even who could build a box in which to ship crops to their intended markets -- these cities quickly dried up.

But Brigham Young platted more than two hundred cities stretching from Utah and parts north all the way to San Diego, and every one of them is today a thriving community. This is a sure sign, Mr. Duany told us, of a visionary planner.

The plat of Zion had two unique characteristics. One was its wide streets with their 132-foot right-of-ways (ROWs), streets wide enough to turn an ox-team. The other was its wide, 660-foot city blocks. (Most cities plan blocks of 220 feet.)

Did Brigham Young foresee a day of six- and eight-lane boulevards with stoplights at every corner and exhaust spewing from every tail pipe? Did he envision city blocks with large shopping malls and half-empty parking lots stretching as far as the eye can see?

This is what most of us Utah Mormons have grown up believing. But Mr. Duany persuaded me this morning that Brigham Young saw far beyond this day.

First he told us of pictures he has seen of Zion in its early days. He told us how the wide ROWs allowed for organic road design. Roads could meander within the ROW, adapting here to a tree, there to a contour, widening in front of a factory or through a downtown, then returning to the countryside and shrinking down to size.

Then he hazarded a few predictions for the twenty-first century. America will have to resign itself to expensive oil, he said, and to less prosperity. His prediction places our level of wealth back where it was in the 1960s -- not a bad time, but not the wild, rollicking prosperity of the late twentieth-century.

In this climate, he said, people will come to rely more on the land -- as witness the present movement toward keeping chickens -- and more on each other. A return to smaller, nuclear, more walkable communities, he says, is inevitable. And this is just the kind of community that a 660-foot block will readily support.

Do I believe Andres Duany to be as great a prophet as Brigham Young? Probably not. (Though, to be sure, I have never slept with the Discourses of Brigham Young under my pillow.) Will Mr. Duany's predictions come true? I have no idea.

But his speculation this morning helped me see and appreciate Brigham Young in a whole new light. As I said, it turned my thinking upside down. It's a rare speaker who engages me so deeply.

At lunch, I was privileged to sit with Mr. Duany's colleagues, who taught "place-making" seminars throughout the day. I asked them the question that has long puzzled me.

The philosophy of New Urbanism, in a nutshell, seeks to restore America to more traditional, sustainable, walkable communities. In my years on the city council, wrestling with land use issues, I have observed that New Urbanism, however ideal it sounds, does not readily adapt itself to our highly suburban state. Where do we begin?

The answer confirmed what I had already been thinking. The answer begins in our downtown.

There is a time and a place for everything, including suburbia. And there is no more suburban mindset than that of the typical American Fork cab-driving mother with her multiple children to be ferried to school, to soccer, to piano.

But there needs to be something for other phases of life also, and if we can restore the heart of our downtown to the kind of vibrant, walkable community that our pioneer forebears once knew, then it will become not only an desirable destination, a destination which contributes the economy rather than putting a drain on it, but also a place of pride that will better accommodate those sectors of our society that are traditionally underserved, especially seniors and students.

New Urbanism isn't for everyone. But it's a movement we must respect for making us think more deeply about what we value in our communities. For that reason alone, I highly recommend Mr. Duany's book, Suburban Nation, to you. Check it out and read about one of the movement's first planned communities, Seaside, Florida, the charming, idealistic town where The Truman Show was filmed. Check it out from the American Fork library . . . no, wait. It's under my pillow.

Pioneer Crossing

2010-08-23T10:27:00.006-06:00

As the sun broke over the American Fork canyon this morning, I joined about a hundred other government officials, engineers, and newspaper reporters to witness the opening of the Pioneer Crossing, a historic occasion and a red letter day.

Aptly named for Utah's pioneer forebears, the new American Fork-Saratoga Springs connector enables today's commuters to travel in just six minutes the six miles from Redwood Road in Saratoga Springs to I-15 in American Fork. This same distance, a UDOT official reminded us this morning, would have been a half-day trip for the pioneers, and also a half-day trip for the luckless commuters of Lehi's Main Street.

With a total project cost of $260 million, the road was hailed as a significant transportation investment. Officials who spoke to us this morning explained the significance of the taxpayers' investment in various ways:

Ken Sumsion, Utah State Representative for District 56, which includes Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and parts of American Fork, explained that transportation is an economic engine, making this an important and timely investment in his district. His district, with its population of 90,000, is the largest legislative district in the state; it is projected to grow to 300,000 by the year 2030; and even in the recession it has generated some 200 building permits per year. Clearly, funding this transportation corridor at this time was a far-sighted move on the part of the state and county legislatures.

Congressman Jim Matheson, of Utah's 2nd Congressional District, similarly explained the importance of investment in transportation, saying that it creates jobs in the short term and, in the long term, creates a tangible asset of infrastructure.

From Governor Gary Herbert, we learned that the state legislature has increased transportation funding by 500 percent since 2005, when the state invested a mere $50 million per year. Weighed against $260 million for just six miles at Pioneer Crossing, that earlier figure seems woefully inadequate for a state that grows at twice the national rate. He was proud to remind us that Utah, in large part because of these investments, was recently rated the top state for business, both in terms of its quality of life and the health of its business climate.

Governor Herbert also praised UDOT for its leadership and innovation, pointing out that the bridge farm -- the process of constructing bridges off-site and rolling them into place overnight -- was a UDOT innovation, pioneered right here in American Fork, and now being copied in other states. Techniques such as this, he said, are stretching the taxpayers' dollars as far as possible.

The new diverging diamond interchange at Main Street is itself a significant innovation, only the second of its kind in the United States, and it is now open.

Truly, this is a red letter day.

For all the skinny on the Pioneer Crossing, including a virtual "test-drive" of the bewildering diamond, please visit the UDOT project page here.

Buy Local

2010-08-07T10:19:00.011-06:00

Now for a commercial message from all the wonderful folks here in American Fork City.

Please, buy local!

There are many good reasons to buy locally. Dollars spent locally support endeavors run by our own friends and neighbors and are more likely to stay in the community. Studies have shown that 96 percent of dollars spent at national retailers go back to the corporate headquarters, while 75 percent of dollars spent at local retailers stay local.

From a strictly American Fork point of view, however, the reason to buy local is that the sales tax receipts stay here in the City, providing core services such as public safety, parks, library books, and road maintenance.

Of course, there are also good reasons to take our money elsewhere, especially when shopping for the typical middle-class, cash-strapped household. For one thing, we live in a free market economy, and we want our money to support the most competitive, most efficient, and therefore cheapest retailers. For another, some things are just hard to find in American Fork, things such as books, steak houses, and furniture.

Appreciating this, the late City Council member Jimmie Cates said it best: "First, find the best deals, then choose the one that's local."

(I miss Jimmie Cates!)

Living as I do with constant City budget anxiety -- knowing that sales tax revenues are dropping to the point where we will soon have to raise property taxes in order to provide core services -- I set myself a goal this summer to buy in American Fork wherever humanly possible.

This was a significant commitment for me to make at this time, as I have been moving my family into a new home and spending down savings accumulated over many years. I knew this would be a challenge because American Fork's biggest retail gap is in home furnishings. But I also knew this would be my greatest opportunity to make a personal impact on the budget that keeps me awake nights.

As I kept this commitment, I made a few findings which I now share with you.

For groceries, I still went out of town to Maceys and Smiths for door-busters and loss leaders, but I also found many competitive deals at Fresh Market and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, I learned, will price-match many of those out-of-town deals. For everything I had to buy at regular price, I chose Wal-Mart or Fresh Market.

For sundry home repair and maintenance, I always went first to Home Depot, then to Wal-Mart, only going to Lowe's when I struck out in American Fork. I really like Lowe's, actually, but Lowe's is in Lehi. Let Lehi support Lowe's!

I bought gas in American Fork even though the federal government distributes B and C road funds by population rather than point of sale. I have seen too many gas stations go out of business here in town, and I reasoned that if I could do my part to keep them open, revenues from convenience purchases made at those establishments would continue to flow into American Fork coffers. (Heaven forbid I myself should buy at convenience prices! But enough other people do that it makes a difference.)

I made and continue to make my clothing purchases at yard sales and at the American Fork DI. This does absolutely nothing for American Fork sales tax receipts, but it does free up more of my other dollars to be spent in American Fork.

Home furnishings -- linens, kitchen items, and home decoration -- these things are easy to find in American Fork. Kohl's, Roberts, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Wal-Mart, Target, Big Lots, and, of course, DI -- all compete well with quality merchandise in the latest styles at good prices.

Now, furniture was the big surprise. I worked hardest to locate these purchases in AF because they were my big ticket items. This posed a real challenge because American Fork has no national furniture chains and no budget furniture retailers such as IKEA or the RC Willey clearance outlet. Nevertheless, I did surprisingly well. I ordered my appliances through Home Depot. I found lovely, affordable furniture pieces and catalogs at the Star Mill, at Blackhurst Carpet and Furniture on 1100 East, at Big Lots, and at my two new favorite stores, Finders Keepers and Mona Lisa's Consignments on Main Street.

Why am I sharing this with you? At this point I must say that this blog does not represent the official viewpoint of American Fork City and is not intended as a commercial endorsement of one retailer over another. In fact, if there are local retailers I have slighted or omitted, please let them comment and I will gladly post.

My hope today is simply this: I want you, dear reader, to think whether there are more ways you can shop locally and support the City's sales tax base. The City has cut and deferred for as many years as it possibly can, and if sales tax revenues do not pick up next year, there will be no choice but to raise property taxes.

After some three months of effort, I sat down with the City budget officer and looked up the latest sales tax receipts. To my great disappointment, my effort didn't make the slightest upward blip in the numbers. The lesson? I can't do it alone. Please, buy local, and join me in supporting our local economy.

American Fork Heritage and History Pageant

2010-07-25T21:18:00.004-06:00

Do you have plans this weekend? Drop them! It's time once again for the annual Heritage and History Pageant at the cemetery, truly one of American Fork's best things.

My out-of-town readers, both of them, will not understand why the event of the year takes place at the cemetery. That's because their cemeteries are not as nice as ours.

Our cemetery itself is a work of art, with its depression-era stone wall, its many fitting memorials, its shady trees and panoramic vistas. This makes it the loveliest of places to pass a summertime evening. The evening is much less a pageant than a social, with many small vignettes staged here and there throughout the cemetery, often staged near the graves of those whom they portray. Guests spend the evening wandering from story to story, pausing now and then to watch craftsmen at work, sample some local ice cream or watermelon, even take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

Written and produced by our own friends and neighbors, who often portray their own ancestors, the vignettes will educate, entertain, and astonish you with their ability to bring history to life.

Truly, this is one of American Fork's best things. You only get three chances to see it this year, so mark your calendars now for July 31, August 2 or 3. The evening starts at 6 pm and continues until sundown. Bring the whole family!

American Fork Cemetery
26 West 600 North

Web page here: American Fork Cemetery
Sneak preview here: Don't Forget to Check Out My Hat!

The Steele Days Are Here!

2010-07-09T16:41:00.003-06:00

July is a fine time to live in American Fork. Everybody loves Steel Days -- unless, of course, you're Mark Steele, and then you prefer Steele Days.

Mark likes many other things about American Fork, too. Today I'm reprinting his "bucket list" which he posted on Facebook. Thanks to Mark for reminding us about all there is to love in American Fork!

1. On Memorial Day, place flowers on a relative, friend, or veteran's grave in the AF cemetery.
2. Have onion rings from Parkers and a shake from JCW's.
3. Attend a field day at Shelley or another elementary school.
4. Attend an AF High School marching band performance.
5. Wander through the antiques at the Star Mill.
6. Run or walk the Halloween 5k.
7. Watch a movie at the sticky shoe. (Towne Cinema, not so sticky anymore.)
8. Try your hand at the funky diamond exchange at Main Street and I-15.
9. Attend a City Council meeting.
10. Attend a summer concert at the amphitheater.
11. Watch the Steele Days parade in July.
12. Go to the freaky carnival during Steele Days.
13. Do at least one other Steele Days event.
14. Attend a community youth sporting event and watch the parents and kids. Soccer, baseball, Hilltop Aquatic Club, flag football.
15. Take some laps on the Rec Center track and in the lazy river.
16. Hike up to Timpanogos Caves, in American Fork Canyon.
17. Ride in or behind a boat out of the American Fork Harbor at Utah Lake.
18. Ring the bell in the Old City Hall. (assuming that's legal...)
19. Check out a book from the AF Library.
20. Attend the historical vignettes in late July in the cemetery.
21. Camp out in American Fork Canyon.
22. Attend your precinct caucus meeting.
23. Attend any meeting in the Alpine Tabernacle and in the Presbyterian Church.
24. Shop Wal-mart at midnight.
25. Attend an open house at M.L. Bigelow & Co. Organ Builders.
26. Attend a community theater event.
27. Bring gifts and a smile to residents at the Heritage Care Center AND The Developmental Center.
28. Tour Twin Labs.
29. Walk the grounds of the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple at sunrise.
30. Play a round of golf at Fox Hollow.
31. Get a copy of Historical Buildings in AF and visit all of the venues.
32. Attend an AF Symphony production.
33. Volunteer at the AF Hospital.
34. Walk the new AF River Trail and Art Dye trails
35. Walk both sides of Downtown Main street.

*Council Member Shirl LeBaron also contributed to this list. Thanks, Shirl!

Sewer Rate Increase: Year Two

2010-06-24T11:52:00.006-06:00

It's bad news, folks.

Sewer rates are going up yet again, meaning still higher utility bills for American Fork residents.

We knew this was coming. Last year, the Timpanogos Special Service District (TSSD) raised rates by 26 percent and the City had no choice but to pass along the increase to residents. The district warned us, at the time, that it would be making another increase this year, which it did. Once again, the City has no choice but to pass the increase along to the users.

Please know that the City Council is grumbling about this louder than anybody. We have no control over these rates. We do not set them. We only collect them and turn them in. The City does this as a courtesy to the TSSD and receives no compensation for its billing expenses.

Yet the complaints will be addressed to us in City Council meetings, not to the TSSD at its board meetings.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Fellow grumblers, you can see that your complaints do some good by directing them to the TSSD. Its meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the board room at the sewer plant, 6400 North 5050 West, Utah County, 84003. Written concerns may be sent to that same address in care of Tracy Wallace, Chairman of the Board.

I blogged about sewer rates last summer from a different angle; you can read that post here.

But before you complain too loudly, bear one thing in mind. These rate increases will go a long way toward mitigating the odor that has been so deleterious to economic development in American Fork and Pleasant Grove. The TSSD has bonded for new technology slated to be implemented next year, and payments on the bond are coming due.

It would appear that the TSSD can't really win with American Fork. Either it does nothing, and we complain about the odor; or it does something, and we complain about the cost.

That's politics.

Computer Access at the AF Library

2010-06-15T16:55:00.006-06:00

How important are the library's computers to American Fork's residents? Do the residents support the use of public funds for this purpose?

These and other questions were answered in a recent study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, conducted by the University of Washington and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This is the first large-scale study of who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the ways library patrons use this free technology service, and how it affects their lives.

Below are excerpts from the AF library's report of its own participation in the study.

= = = = = = = = = =

Nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older -- roughly 77 million people -- used a public library computer or wireless network to connect to the Internet in the past year. Forty percent of these users were seeking help with career or employment needs, 42 percent used the computers to further their educational goals, and 37 percent sought assistance for their health and wellness needs.

The American Fork Library began offering public access computers in 2000 and, thanks to funding from Friends of the American Fork Library, the Gates Foundation, state and federal funding sources, has 12 computers available for public use. The American Fork Library also provides one-on-one help and training classes. Last year patrons logged 14,824 sessions at the library's computers.

One of these users recently shared how he appreciated the opportunity to use the American Fork Library computer system. He said there are usually computers available to use, the staff is pleasant to work with and helpful, the computer room is clean and comfortable, and he can usually utilize the system for as long as he needs.

In American Fork, the report showed that 58 percent of the respondents were seeking help with career or employment needs, 50 percent used the computers to further their educational goals, and 46 percent sought assistance for their health and wellness needs. 83 percent of the respondents said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their library and access to public computing services.

Respondents were also given an opportunity to write in suggestions for improving library computing services and resources. The most frequent recommendations for improvement were: upgrade computers, improve computer security, don't filter computers, enforce noise and behavior standards, more staff, more library hours.

Survey respondents were asked how they access library resources available through the library Web site. About 83 percent of respondents used the computers in the library to access online resources such as the catalog, placing holds, or to access the library's subscription databases. Over 28 percent of respondents accessed library resources remotely through the library's Web site from the outside the library (e.g. from home, school, or work).

All respondents were asked about the importance of free computer access for themselves and their community. Seventy-two percent of respondents reported that public computing resources are important or very important to themselves, personally; however, even more (83 percent) felt that these resources are important or very important to have available for others in the community.

Budget 2011

2010-06-09T08:06:00.006-06:00

American Fork's fiscal year begins on July 1 and the city council will soon vote on the budget. The public hearing took place last Tuesday. The vote will take place next Tuesday, June 15, at 7 pm in City Hall.

Presenting the budget to the public, Mayor Hadfield characterized it as "a bare bones budget" riddled with drastic cuts. The economy continues poor, with sales tax down ten percent over last year (American Fork is currently down $750,000 in receipts) and costs, especially medical premiums, still climbing. Sensitive to the economy and the needs of all who struggle with it, the City has made a concerted effort not to raise property taxes. This has been accomplished by using reserves, making cuts in operations, and putting off capital expenses.

The total $41 million budget is almost $5 million lower than last year's.

The city's residents, who don their taxpayer hats in June for the the budget vote and again in November when the taxes come due, will applaud this effort. But we council members will bear the brunt of their complaints during the rest of the year, when the residents trade their taxpayer hats for their consumer hats.

Road maintenance will continue to be underfunded.
Library collections will continue to lag below the basic level.
Parks maintenance will suffer as maintenance funds have been slashed and properties to maintain have been increased. (The City has new trails and will soon begin to maintain two new freeway interchanges.)
Sidewalks will continue in poor condition, in many places forcing pedestrians into the streets.
The Steel Days celebration has been scaled down.
The purchase of new cemetery land will be postponed indefinitely.
Police wages in particular remain low and employees city-wide will see no cost of living increase.

Please give us your patience with these cuts as we make this effort to keep your property taxes low.

There are, however, a few bright spots in the budget. A fire truck lease was paid off this year, and the funds which supported that payment will be diverted to the purchase of two new ambulances. The library's operating hours will be restored. And, through the strategic use of reserves, the RDA bond for public infrastructure at the Meadows year was retired a year early this year, freeing up future sales tax revenue for the general fund.

Gentle readers, please ask yourselves what you can do to improve the City's financial condition, and then listen to the answer Council Member Dale Gunther gave at council meeting: "If you would recognize that when you buy in American Fork, especially the big ticket items, that increases the sales tax revenue in American Fork and that's a big help to our budget."

In other words, buy local.

For more information on the budget, follow this link to read about Mayor Hadfield's interview with the Daily Herald.

Concerts in the Park and NEW! Arts Market

2010-06-02T10:17:00.008-06:00

It gives me great pleasure to announce the 2010 line-up for Concerts in the Park. Please join us on Monday nights for fun, free family entertainment in the American Fork Amphitheater at Quail Cove, 851 East 700 North. All concerts begin at 7 p.m.

June 7: Timpanogos Chorale
June 14: Joshua Creek
June 21: Utah Premiere Brass
June 28: Wasatch Winds and the AFHS Band
July 5: Little Big Band
July 7: American Fork Symphony (special Wednesday performance)
July 12: Prairie Dogs
July 19: Temple Hill Symphony
July 26: Broadway Nights
August 2: Cold Creek
August 9: Utah Valley Skyline Chorus
August 16: Dyer Highway
August 23: American Irish Duo
August 30: Sam Payne

In a new twist this year, families can browse through the Arts Market just prior to the concerts on the amphitheater grounds. Featuring good food and the work of fine local artisans and craftsmen, the market will run from 5 until 7 pm on Monday evenings. Food, music, fun, and a chance to support the work of local artists -- truly, this is one of American Fork's best things.

Special thanks to the Arts Council's many fine volunteer organizers and to Doug Smith Autoplex, sponsor, for making the series possible.

Related news: When you visit the grounds, please take note of two recently completed upgrades to the amphitheater. The first is the light and sound booth, which was completed in time for last year's concert season, and allows the Arts Council to program events after dark. Finished in rock that closely matches that of the existing construction, the building blends (almost) seamlessly into the amphitheater's beautiful 1930s architecture. Second is a pair of signs to help visitors find the amphitheater. These, too, were built of complementary stone, and, we hope, will make the amphitheater more easily accessible by out-of-town artists, visitors, and wedding guests. Built out of the last of the RDA funds that funded the skate park, the leisure pool, and the City Hall remodel, these upgrades are helping the amphitheater achieve a grand status as a summer-time arts center.

I-15 Expansion

2010-05-21T17:36:00.006-06:00

If you drive a car in Utah County, you don't need me to tell you that UDOT has launched its Utah County I-15 corridor expansion.

One of the largest roadway projects in the state's history, the expansion will add two new travel lanes in each direction, from Lehi to Spanish Fork. In those 24 miles, 10 freeway interchanges will be rebuilt or improved and 55 bridges will be replaced or restored. The rebuild is expected to meet or exceed travel demands through the year 2030, and, according to the project literature, " is an important investment to restore aging infrastructure, address long-term transportation needs and improve the movement of goods and services throughout the state."

With construction already underway, the UDOT public involvement team has been making the rounds, making sure that businesses and residents have the best information available in order to minimize inconvenience. The team visited a recent City Council meeting and offered information specific to American Fork. Did you know:

The Sam White bridge will be reconstructed early in the project, with supports being built during summer 2010, and bridge farm work beginning in fall 2010.
The 500 East interchange will see a smaller version of the diverging diamond, very similar to the diamond which is nearing completion at Main Street.
The Lehi-Pleasant Grove stretch is the first section of the project to be constructed, with completion slated for June 2012.
We on the Lehi-Pleasant Grove stretch have our very own public involvement coordinator to whom we may address concerns and complaints. Her name is Amalia Deslis, and she can be reached through the contact link at the project Web site.

The tight, 2.5-year construction schedule has been called "ambitious" and "very aggressive," but those are the last words we will be thinking during rush hours over the next couple years. Delays are expected to run 30 to 60 minutes during rush hour and one to two hours during holiday weekends.

Because of this, I am issuing two personal pleas here at the blog.

First, turn off the ignition! Not while you're "parked" in freeway gridlock, but at other times. Gridlock means idling cars, which in turn means poor air quality. We can mitigate this problem, at least in part, by turning off the ignition when we're, say, talking to the bank teller or waiting in the pick-up lane at school.

Second, reduce that carbon footprint by carpooling, combining trips, and, if you're an employer, offering alternative work schedules. Faced with similar challenges in Seattle, Washington, Boeing Aerospace adopted staggered work schedules at its various plants, and freeway congestion was relieved considerably.

American Fork's commuters can access a wealth of project and construction information by visiting the project Web site, www.udot.utah.gov/i15core. The Web site offers up-to-the-minute traffic information, regular email updates, and text message alerts. It also sends out updates via Twitter and Facebook. It provides all the latest news. It features an interactive map to teach about project design. For employers, commuters, and students, it offers TravelWise, a program to support carpooling, telecommuting, alternative work schedules, and greater use of public transportation.

I encourage you to visit the site soon. The more time you spend there, the less you'll spend in traffic.

Wild in the Park

2010-05-14T15:20:00.000-06:00

I am rather a sedate sort of person -- turning the pages of a book is my idea of aerobic exercise -- but even I was excited to hear about last weekend's Wild in The Park. The event was sponsored by Volcom, Inc., the national retailer of skateboarding clothing, and hosted here in American Fork at Greenwood Skate Park.

The first stop on a nationwide tour, the event drew more than 200 competitors, with 300 more coming just to watch. Volcom says this is the largest Wild in the Park they've had outside of the championships. There were no injuries, no incidents, just a great, fun day, and two of the three division winners were American Fork's own Chandler Seipert and Brodie Penrod. They will join the other winners at the national finals in Arizona this September.

Why, you ask, did I interrupt the riveting book I was reading to share this with you?

Two reasons:

1. Because I think the Greenwood Skate Park -- something I agitated for way back when -- has done a terrific job of providing AF's kids with fun, free entertainment, and because it beautifies our city by keeping their plywood skateboard-jumping-contraptions off our sidewalks.

2. Because this is a great example of cultural tourism -- or in this case, countercultural tourism -- bringing good money to American Fork. I don't have any actual figures to share, but if just twenty percent of Saturday's crowd bought a hamburger while they were here, or filled up the gas tank, then that was a significant boost to the City's job base and tax revenues.

For full details and some great pictures, follow this link and feel the energy.

Now, back to my book . . .

Arbor Day 2010

2010-05-11T11:46:00.005-06:00

If Spring can be late this year, then so can my post about Arbor Day.

On Friday, April 30, I was pleased to gather at Rotary Park with the mayor, members of the Beautification and Shade Tree Committee, Miss American Fork, and three fourth-grade classes from Greenwood Elementary. Our objective: to plant trees in observance of Arbor Day.

The Beautification Committee has made one of its focuses the reforestation of Rotary Park, and Arbor Day is the ideal vehicle to make this happen. An annual Arbor Day observance is one of the requirements the City must meet in order to continue its status as a Tree City USA. Reforestation is important at Rotary Park because most of its trees are the same variety and the same age. A tree-specific disease or parasite could wipe out all its trees at one time.

Budgets being tight this year, the City was grateful to accept donated trees from Tri-City Nursery and Home Depot: two London plane sycamore and one pin oak. After the mayor and Miss American Fork targeted a few well chosen remarks at their fourth-grade audience, the children were invited to help plant the trees, and American Fork became a little bit better.

Did you know that urban trees provide significant social benefits? The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champain reports the following findings based on recent studies:

The symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children are relieved after contact with nature. Specifically, ADHD kids are better able to concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions after playing in natural settings. The greener the setting, the greater the relief.

Higher self-discipline in at-risk girls can be achieved through increased exposure to nature. The higher a girl's self-discipline, the better able she is to pursue a healthy, more successful life.

Green spaces inhibit crime in urban areas. Vegetation has been shown to alleviate mental fatigue, one of the precursors to violent behavior. And because green spaces are used more, there's a sense that there are more eyes on the street, which may deter would-be criminals from committing crimes where they think they are being watched. Greenery also promotes a greater sense of community -- even in poorer, inner-city neighborhoods -- leading residents to feel safer and to behave more civilly toward one another.

For more information, visit the Web site of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To ponder the many other economic, environmental, and psychological benefits of trees, please take a minute to read the Arbor Day Proclamation, which Mayor Hadfield signed, by following this link.

Volunteer Week Proclamation

2010-05-05T12:55:00.004-06:00

On April 13, the City Council authorized Mayor Hadfield to sign the following proclamation:

AMERICAN FORK VOLUNTEER WEEK PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, the entire community can inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world; and

WHEREAS, a sense of caring and a desire to share have motivated hundreds of men and women and boys and girls to volunteer their time and services to the needs of others in the community by helping the sick, the elderly, or by enriching the lives of all through the arts, recreation and cultural activities, or by serving on boards and committees; and

WHEREAS, volunteers are increasingly recognized as important partners with government and industry in providing services to citizens; and

WHEREAS, individuals and communities are at the center of social change, discovering their power to make a difference; and

WHEREAS, during this week all over the nation, service projects will be performed and volunteers recognized for their service; and

WHEREAS, the giving of oneself in service to another empowers the giver and the recipient; and

WHERAS, our country's volunteer force of over 61 million is a great treasure; and

WHEREAS, volunteers are vital to our future as a caring and productive nation; and

WHEREAS, volunteering efforts offer everyone, young and old, the opportunity to participate in the life of their community and to link their talents and resources to address some of the major issues facing our communities; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting for all American Fork residents to join in this celebration of our rich volunteer heritage and to give special recognition to the dedicated volunteers and volunteer programs which contribute immeasurably to our city;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, James H. Hadfield, Mayor of American Fork City do hereby proclaim April 19-24, 2010, as

AMERICAN FORK VOLUNTEER WEEK

and urge my fellow citizens to volunteer in our community and to participate in American Fork City's Volunteer Week activities and to pay tribute to those who serve.

Volunteerism in American Fork

2010-05-05T11:48:00.006-06:00

Today my blog pays tribute to the many acts of service, large and small, performed in American Fork not only during last April's Volunteer Week, but year in and year out.

Volunteerism not only makes the world a better place; it also makes us better people, keeps taxes low and gives us a way to take ownership of our community.

Now in its second year, Volunteer Week is the brainchild of last year's Miss American Fork Kaitlin Hale. The tradition has been carried forward with the help of this year's Miss American Fork, Hailee Childs. Among other things, volunteers this year pitched in to clean Art Dye Park, donate blood, wash windows, pick up litter, and raise money for the library.

At the Wednesday evening volunteer fair, speaker Leslie Dalton addressed the many benefits of volunteering, and her remarks energized us all. Recipient of the Bennion Center Continuous Community Service Award and one of American Fork's most persistent volunteers, Ms. Dalton taught us that volunteer service should help someone else, but it should change you.

She reminded us that service doesn't have to be big to mean something, and urged us to let our children see us serve. "Our children often don't see our regular, scheduled service for what it is," she said. "Occasionally they need to see us putting ourselves out, jumping up to meet an immediate need, or reorganizing our time to be able to do something for someone else.

"Service to your family," she said, "should be something you foster first--then take that philosophy or ethic out into the community."

In that spirit, the City was pleased to honor several community volunteers at the Thank You Concert, the culminating event of the week:

Gerry & Janet Laycock -- Human Services Award, in recognition of thoughtful humanitarian service to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood, community and worldwide.
Steve Soderquist -- Youth Services Award, in recognition of efforts to improve the lives of youth at the American Fork Library and Learning Center
Sharon Kettle -- Rising Star Award, in recognition of volunteer spirit to the community through contributions made to the Meals-on-Wheels program
Charles Funke -- Good Neighbor Award, in recognition for quietly volunteering to make his neighborhood a beautiful place to live
Cindy Holindrake -- Outstanding Board Volunteer Award, In recognition of exemplary volunteerism to the community through service on the American Fork Arts Council and Cemetery Committee
Beth Bigelow -- Arts and Culture Award, in recognition of selfless volunteerism to neighborhood and community to preserve our culture and history through small acts of kindness.

To these and to all American Fork's volunteers, I add my own thanks here at the blog. Whether you participate on one of the City's many volunteer committees, speak your mind at City Council meetings, or watch out for your neighbor's needs, you're making American Fork a better place. You're making this the kind of city we all want to live in.

Snapshot of American Fork's Library

2010-04-16T16:15:00.005-06:00

On April 12, in honor of library week, the American Fork library participated in Snapshot 2010, an effort to chronicle a day in the life of Utah libraries. Library staff collected stories, photographs, and statistics to show the great value that libraries consistently provide to the community.

Librarians also solicited short testimonials from patrons who dropped in that day. Here follow just a few of the love letters American Fork's people wrote to their library.

"It is an escape for my son and I. We participate in the Mom and Me classes and get new books each week. He looks forward to it each week and even though he is only two, I feel the library has helped to encourage his love of reading."

"My family loves the library. We come every week and check out our limit of 40 books. We read every day. It saves us money because we don't have to buy the books we read for book group or the whole series of Boxcar Children. My daughter has decided to read all 115 books."

"The library expands my children's knowledge by providing experiences as they interact in library programs and learn about the world around them and read books they would otherwise not have access to. This library also benefits our family dynamics by providing opportunities for families to participate together in various community programs."

"I love coming to the library! They do so many activities to involve families in reading. My kids love the different parties, classes, and story times. My children love to read and we have lots to choose from, although more would be better. You can never have too many books!"

"We can check out books and not have to purchase them."

"Encourages reading! It is a great place for my children to use books, discover reading, and increase imagination."

"I come to read books and for a fast Internet connection."

"The library is where my family and I can come to learn and enjoy time together."

"We love the library and all it provides for our family. I love the story time -- and the summer programs. I love the variety of books. Thank you and keep up the good work."

"I have been a patron of this library for 30 years. It helps me keep abreast of current events and review the history of our community, state, and nation."

"Libraries are an important resource for any community. They provide cheap entertainment, knowledge of all kinds, and help when you need it for many of life's transitions. I have been a library patron since I was little and passed on my love of books and the library to my family. They are an important component of free society."

AF Library Tenth Anniversary Celebration!

2010-04-16T15:31:00.007-06:00

It was ten whole years ago, in April 2000, that my family joined in the book brigade wherein hundreds of helpful library patrons passed books hand-to-hand from the library's temporary warehouse on Pacific Drive to its present and beautiful location in Robinson Park. Library lovers won't want to miss the fun anniversary events planned this month:

Candyland Late Night, Friday, April 16 (tonight!), 7:00 p.m. -- Children of all ages will love the opportunity to be in the library after hours, enjoying a late night Candyland activity including treats and games. Admission is a gift from the library wish list -- donate when you pre-register at the circulation desk. Gifts will be opened during the evening. Registration is limited to 100 children, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Unfortunately, this event is already SOLD OUT -- but if you want to take your chances, I heard there may be a few slots still available tonight for those who come bearing gifts.

Bibliophile Treasure Night, Wednesday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. -- Bring a book that you treasure to share with other book lovers. The book can be old, interestingly bound, or beautifully illustrated. These are not necessarily books you recommend for others to read, but books from your personal library you'd like to tell about. Please bring no more than three books. You may also bring new or gently used books to swap. Organizers are asking for adults only at this event. Mayor Hadfield tells me he'll be bringing his favorite Clive Custler titles.

"Go the Extra Mile" 5K Run/Walk Fundraiser for the Library -- This is the second annual Volunteer Week 5K Run/Walk, and this year the proceeds will benefit programs and supplies at the library. All ages and abilities are invited to participate. Registration is $20 and may be completed in person at the library or online by following this link. The event takes place at the NEW! and EXCITING! Art Dye Trail.

Ice Cream Social, Monday, April 26, 7:00 p.m. -- Come one, come all, and celebrate with a giant ice cream sundae. Purchase $1 paper scoops at the library any time during the month of April, and help us build a dessert of mammoth proportions. Proceeds will benefit the library's collections. On the evening of the 26th, join us to redeem your scoops for actual ice cream. Enjoy your treat while you take a walk down memory lane, perusing the art tiles in the children's library. Then look forward to the future by participating in a time capsule activity. We'll include letters from children detailing what they think libraries and reading will be like in years to come, as well as items of significance to be discovered by library users of the future.

All events (excepting the 5K) will take place at the American Fork Library at 64 South 100 East. Call the library with any questions at (801) 763-3070.

Happy Library Week!

2010-04-09T11:44:00.006-06:00

National Library Week begins next week on April 11. In honor of the occasion, my blog today quotes Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, on the subject of creativity and culture. See if this doesn't make you grateful for our library!

There is an experiment I'd love to conduct. I'd like to survey a cross-section of Americans and ask them how many active NBA players, Major League Baseball players, and American Idol finalists they can name.
Then I'd ask them how many living American poets, playwrights, painters, sculptors, architects, classical musicians, conductors, and composers they can name.
I'd even like to ask how many living American scientists or social thinkers they can name.
Fifty years ago, I suspect that along with Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Sandy Koufax, most Americans could have named, at the very least, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Arthur Miller, Thornton Wilder, Georgia O'Keeffe, Leonard Bernstein, Leontyne Price, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Not to mention scientists and thinkers like Linus Pauling, Jonas Salk, Rachel Carson, Margaret Mead, and especially Dr. Alfred Kinsey.
I grew up mostly among immigrants, many of whom never learned to speak English. But at night watching TV variety programs like the Ed Sullivan Show or the Perry Como Music Hall, I saw—along with comedians, popular singers, and movie stars—classical musicians like Jascha Heifetz and Arthur Rubinstein, opera singers like Robert Merrill and Anna Moffo, and jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong captivate an audience of millions with their art.
The same was even true of literature. I first encountered Robert Frost, John Steinbeck, Lillian Hellman, and James Baldwin on general interest TV shows. All of these people were famous to the average American—because the culture considered them important.
Today no working-class or immigrant kid would encounter that range of arts and ideas in the popular culture. Almost everything in our national culture, even the news, has been reduced to entertainment, or altogether eliminated.
The loss of recognition for artists, thinkers, and scientists has impoverished our culture in innumerable ways, but let me mention one. When virtually all of a culture's celebrated figures are in sports or entertainment, how few possible role models we offer the young.
Everything now is entertainment. And the purpose of this omnipresent commercial entertainment is to sell us something. American culture has mostly become one vast infomercial.
Don't get me wrong. I love entertainment, and I love the free market. I have a Stanford MBA and spent 15 years in the food industry. I adore my big-screen TV. The productivity and efficiency of the free market is beyond dispute. It has created a society of unprecedented prosperity.
But we must remember that the marketplace does only one thing—it puts a price on everything.
The role of culture, however, must go beyond economics. It is not focused on the price of things, but on their value. And, above all, culture should tell us what is beyond price, including what does not belong in the marketplace. A culture should also provide some cogent view of the good life beyond mass accumulation. In this respect, our culture is failing us. . . .
If you don't believe me, you should read the statistical studies that are now coming out about American civic participation. Our country is dividing into two distinct behavioral groups. One group spends most of its free time sitting at home as passive consumers of electronic entertainment. Even family communication is breaking down as members increasingly spend their time alone, staring at their individual screens.
The other group also uses and enjoys the new technology, but these individuals balance it with a broader range of activities. They go out—to exercise, play sports, volunteer and do charity work at about three times the level of the first group. By every measure they are vastly more active and socially engaged than the first group.
What is the defining difference between passive and active citizens? Curiously, it isn't income, geography, or even education. It depends on whether or not they read for pleasure and participate in the arts. These cultural activities seem to awaken a heightened sense of individual awareness and social responsibility. . . .
Don't forget what the arts provide.
Art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world—equal to but distinct from scientific and conceptual methods. Art addresses us in the fullness of our being—simultaneously speaking to our intellect, emotions, intuition, imagination, memory, and physical senses. There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images.
Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions. And it remembers. As Robert Frost once said about poetry, "It is a way of remembering that which it would impoverish us to forget." Art awakens, enlarges, refines, and restores our humanity. You don't outgrow art. The same work can mean something different at each stage of your life. A good book changes as you change. . . .

Excerpted from a commencement address delivered at Stanford University on June 17, 2007. Read the full text here, then head on over to the library and pick out a good book. I'll see you there!

American Fork's New Landscape Ordinance

2010-04-03T21:55:00.005-06:00

Living downtown has made me sensitive to the landscaping and design elements of the business district. It's easy to see a correlation between good design and stable business. Conversely, poor design seems to be a good predictor of blight. Blight usually leads to crime and disinvestment -- the last thing I want for my neighborhood.

This is why I was so greatly pleased when, after two years of deliberation with staff, the City Council enacted a landscaping ordinance last November.

Many thanks are due to Council Member Sherry Kramer, an outspoken advocate for City beautification, who guided the ordinance through its own development and approval process. I joined the cause after visiting with a local landscape architect who opened my eyes to the problems of operating without a landscaping ordinance.

Developers are more than happy to comply with such regulation, he said, showing me the three-inch binder in which he keeps our surrounding cities' landscape ordinances. Developers understand that landscaping adds value to their projects. Some install healthy landscaping without the requirement of law, but most install exactly what the law requires, nothing more, nothing less.

The advantage to having an ordinance on the books, he said, is that developers are given to understand up front what requirements will be asked of them BEFORE they go to the expense of design or the even greater expense of redesign.

Without the ordinance, City process becomes somewhat arbitrary and, I dare say, even capricious, with landscaping approval left up to the subjective judgment of planning commissioners and city council members.

The ordinance now sets forth, in predictable detail, exactly what manner of landscaping will be required. It does so through a mathematical system of ratios, with notes such as this:

Twenty-five percent (25%) of the required shrubs may be converted to turf based on one (1) 5-gallon shrub per fifty (50) square feet of turf.

Or this:

Species diversity: The percent of any one (1) type of tree that can be planted in a development shall be as follows:

a. 0-5 trees: No limitation
b. 6-21 trees: No more than 50% of one (1) species
c. 21 or more trees: No more than 20% of one species

Such requirements ensure that the necessary landscaping will in fact be installed, that it will be attractive and well planned, and that the landscaping will be sustainable in the long term.

The ordinance governs commercial development and large-scale subdivisions. It does NOT apply to single family dwellings or existing development.

During deliberations, the concern was raised that governments ought not to make such requirements of businesses. Each additional requirement adds more cost to business and grants more powers to government.

This is a fair point. It is the kind of argument the council considers very carefully, especially during time of economic recession. In reality, this ordinance imposes no new requirements on developers, and no more than other cities require. This ordinance simply puts into code what was already enforced in practice. Given the requirements up front, developers can easily incorporate them into their planning without fear of being put through costly revisions.

Landscaping standards, I feel, are a necessary and worthy addition to the City code. Landscaping enhances, conserves, and stabilizes property values by:

reducing heat and glare,
facilitating movement of traffic within parking areas,
shading cars and parking surfaces, reducing local and ambient temperatures,
buffering potentially incompatible uses from one another, and
improving air quality.

These purposes fall squarely within that list of concerns used to justify planning, development, and zoning powers -- namely the health, safety, morals, welfare, convenience, order and prosperity of the City.

Heidi Rodeback 2.0

2010-04-02T23:27:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the second edition of my blog. If you are a returning reader, welcome back, and thank you for your patience in my absence. Sometimes a blogger needs a break.

If you are a new reader, welcome! This is the blog in which I chronicle my daring exploits, fabulous feats, and secret ambitions as a second-term City Council member in American Fork.

There are a few ground rules we follow here at the blog. Please do me the kindness to review them before we proceed further:

1. This blog does not represent the official position of American Fork City or of the City Council -- hence the title, "Speaking Personally." Readers will find here my own positions and opinions, but they must go to http://www.afcity.org/ for official City policy.

2. This blog is biased. I do my best to be fair, impartial, and open-minded. I am always willing to listen to both sides of an issue, and I do my best to represent both sides here at the blog. Nevertheless, a single author always holds a single point of view. Those holding opposing views will always find bias in my accounts. This cannot be helped. Readers are well advised to consult multiple sources of reporting as they weigh the issues.

3. This blog is clean and respectful. I ask this standard both of myself and of those who log in to comment. All comments will be posted, regardless of whether I agree or disagree, so long as they are clean, respectful, and on topic.

4. This blog is confined to matters of American Fork City government. It does not treat school board, county, state or national issues except as they relate directly to the City.

5. I reserve the right to make mistakes. When I catch my mistakes, I will post corrections and apologies as appropriate.

My purposes here at the blog are many. This blog is about accountability. I feel it is important to account for my votes and my time as your representative. It's also about empowerment. I hope by writing to engage more of us in our government, because after all, American Fork is our home. Finally, this blog is personal. If nothing else, it gives me a journal of my experiences as I take my turn in this government by the people.

For the record, my first-term blog has been archived. It can now be found at a new URL, http://www.heidirodeback1.blogspot.com/. I have also linked to it in my blog roll.

Thank you for reading!