tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28376906634476188402024-03-13T05:48:07.163-06:00Speaking PersonallyHeidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-8746185985826714892013-12-20T18:43:00.001-07:002013-12-20T21:09:11.127-07:0087 Ways You Can Make a DifferenceOn Tuesday, December 10, I attended my last council meeting as an elected official and made a shocking disclosure.<br />
<br />
<div>
On Monday, December 16, I made that same shocking statement online at the <i>American Fork Citizen,</i> calling on American Fork's homemakers to make this a better place for our families. Read the <a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/afcitizen/rodeback-i-attended-my-last-council-meeting-as-an-elected/article_8005868c-666c-11e3-8606-001a4bcf887a.html">full story</a> here.<br />
<br />
I am truly grateful for the response to that call. Many of American Fork's homemakers are recognizing the need for change -- and I include in that title not just those who discharge the important duties of managing households and families, but all, male and female, young and old, native and transplant, who recognize that American Fork is our home, and we are its homemakers.<br />
<br />
The best and most promising response came in the form of a question: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[gmcn].[1][3][1]{comment599918193379047_5777632}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]">How does a homemaker get involved in politics? I wouldn't mind being involved; I just have no idea how to go about it.</span></blockquote>
I'm so glad you asked! Just for you, I've compiled a list of 87 things to choose from. Not every item on this list is for everybody, but if everybody chose just one new thing to do this year, we'd see a tremendous surge of community involvement.<br />
<br />
I have done all but five of the items on this list. But I didn't start big. I started small, by attending my first committee meeting.<br />
<br />
Before that, I began by watching the example of my own mother.<br />
<br />
My mother is an example for us all. Though she never held office or attended a public meeting, she was a thoroughly informed voter. She subscribed to the local newspaper and could speak intelligently on every local issue, candidate, and ballot proposition. She knew who the movers and shakers were in the neighborhood and visited with them to inform her opinions.<br />
<br />
When she took us, her children, to the park, the library, or the city celebration, she usually had a story to share about their creation, funding, and controversies -- stories she had read in the newspaper.<br />
<br />
Perhaps most importantly, I saw her come to the polling place at my elementary school and vote. She knew the price that had been paid for her to have the vote, and she voted in every election.<br />
<br />
Thus, for the homemakers among us and for our children, I offer the following list. Think it over as you form your New Year's resolutions.<br />
<br />
I look forward to seeing you around town!<br />
<br />
<hr />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The List</span></h3>
Meet your neighbors.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Take walks around the neighborhood and stop to
talk with people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Host a block party and include the neighbors you
don’t know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Go online.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Browse the City code.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Browse the City Web site.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Subscribe to meeting notices at the Utah State
<a href="http://www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html">public meeting notice Web site</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Follow the news media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read the <i>Provo
Daily Herald</i>, online or in print.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read the <i>American
Fork Citizen.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Learn about our history – visit the historical
records room in the AF library to read newspapers from past decades.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read local stories in any newspaper, about any
city, to learn more about less-understood issues: zoning, redevelopment
agencies, regional planning, taxing districts, and the like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Participate in social media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Follow or friend the mayor and city council
members.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Like or follow the various City Facebook pages:
planning, Fitness Center, library, American Fork Symphony, Timpanogos Chorale.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Like or follow the major newspapers on Facebook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Share relevant articles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Prevent crime.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->14.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Learn your neighbors’ habits and learn to
recognize activity that doesn’t look right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->15.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Be prepared to report suspicious activity by
programming the non-emergency numbers into your phone. American Fork Police: 801-763-3020.
After-hours dispatch: 801-794-3970.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->16.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Keep porch lights on all night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->17.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Keep homes locked at all times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->18.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Keep cars locked at all times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->19.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Thank a police officer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Improve the neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->20.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Take litter walks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->21.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read the nuisance code and bring your home into
compliance.</div>
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22. If shrubs or
trees make walking on the sidewalk along your property difficult, trim
them.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">23. Keep sidewalks
clean and safe in the winter. Help neighbors with theirs.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">24.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Take advantage of the City’s standing offer to
pay half the cost of sidewalk improvements in front of your home.</span></div>
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25. Don’t leave your
garbage or recycling cans on the street longer than necessary.</div>
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26. Don’t park on
the street during a snow storm.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">27.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Concerned about other nuisance properties in
your neighborhood? Often it’s because a family is struggling. Join with
neighbors to provide service.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Attend meetings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->28.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Sit in on city council meetings now and then,
even just to be a fly on the wall. Meetings are held on the second and fourth
Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at historic City
Hall, 31 North Church Street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->29.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Follow planning commission notices and attend
when an agenda item affects your neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->30.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Missed a meeting? Read the meeting minutes later
at <a href="http://afcity.org/">afcity.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->31.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Bring your Scout groups to city council meetings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->32.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Bring your young women groups to city council
meetings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->33.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend meetings of a volunteer committee that
interests you: the Library Board, the Beautification committee, the
Neighborhood Preservation committee, the Arts Council, the Steel Days
committee, the Historic Preservation committee, the Cemetery committee, or the
Parks and Recreation committee. All meetings are open to the public, and all
welcome public comment. Learn more at <a href="http://afcity.org/">afcity.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->34.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Volunteer to serve on a committee.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->35.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Encourage your teens to serve on the American
Fork City Youth Council.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>During my eight
years in office, I only saw a young women’s group once, but there were Scouts
present at every council meeting.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Get to know your elected officials.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->36.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend council meetings and speak in the public
comment period. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->37.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Outraged by something you read in the
newspaper? Call or email a council
member and ask for a first-hand perspective. (There are two sides to every
story.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->38.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Questions? Opinions? Shoot us an email. Dumb
questions and short emails are just fine. Smart questions and lengthy emails
work, too. For best results, include the words, “Thank you for your service.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>As American as
apple pie, complaints are essential to a well-functioning democracy. Bear in
mind, however, that complaints can be expressed civilly, and that positive
feedback is important, too.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Become an informed voter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->39.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend meet-the-candidates events.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->40.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Host meet-the-candidates events. (We don’t call
them “coffees” in American Fork, but they have the same grass-roots impact.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->41.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Ask your neighbors how they’re voting and discuss the issues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->42.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Vote, even in the off-year, local elections.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>It’s been said that
there is no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the garbage, which explains
why local races are non-partisan. Local
issues aren’t nearly as divisive as partisan politics, so don’t be afraid to
talk with your neighbors.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Use the form at <a href="http://afcity.org/">afcity.org</a> to report problems such as—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->43.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Potholes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->44.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Maintenance issues in City parks (vandalism,
dangerous tree limbs, broken sprinkler heads).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->45.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Malfunctioning sensors at traffic lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Use the “Citizen’s
Request for Services” button at the left of the home page, or use <a href="http://www.iworq.net/iworq/Web/Request.asp?cityid=119&fid=700">this link</a>.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Support the library.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->46.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Check out lots of books – this proves demand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->47.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Pay library fines cheerfully – they help the
bottom line.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->48.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Enroll your children in story time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->49.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Make a monthly habit of taking children to the
library. Make a daily habit of reading with them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->50.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend the monthly adult education offerings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->51.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Support the library’s fundraisers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->52.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Take advantage of the services offered in the computer
lab.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->53.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->See what the Bryan McKay Eddington Learning
Center can offer your children.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->54.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Send your honor students to volunteer at the
Bryan McKay Eddington Learning Center.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->55.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Check out the bulletin board for posters and
flyers on community offerings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->56.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Donate gently used books to the library.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->57.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If the library doesn’t have the book you need,
request it – the library is often able to respond to patron requests which
strengthen the library’s collections.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->58.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If the library can’t accommodate your request,
consider buying the book, reading it, and then donating it to the library.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->59.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Ask about the library’s wish list and consider
making a donation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Get to know City resources.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->60.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Visit your neighborhood park.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->61.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Visit a park on the opposite end of town.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->62.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Visit the fitness center.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->63.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Walk the trails.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->64.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Walk your child to school. How are the
sidewalks?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->65.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend annual open houses at the fire department.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Try out the City’s quality of life programs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->66.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend an Arts Council performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->67.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Enroll in a class taught by the Arts Council or at the fitness
center.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->68.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Use the fitness center.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->69.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Play on a team.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->70.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Coach a team.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->71.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend a Steel Days event.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->72.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Volunteer to help with the Steel Days parade.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->73.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Have breakfast at the fire station on Memorial
Day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->74.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend the Memorial Day program.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->75.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend the Veterans Day program.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->76.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Attend the Heritage and History Pageant at the
cemetery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->77.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Volunteer at the Heritage and History Pageant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Shop local.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->78.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Support small businesses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->79.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Try a local business before going out of town or
making an on-line purchase.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->80.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Take your children trick-or-treating at the Main
Street Halloween event; get to know the businesses there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->81.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Buy gas in town – a portion of your gas taxes
comes back to the City based on the point of sale, and is used for road
maintenance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Understand your utility bill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->82.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read your monthly statement and make a note of which
service charges are billed, including culinary water, pressurized irrigation, sewer,
storm drain, garbage, and recycling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->83.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read the <a href="http://afcity.org/Portals/0/AF%20Water%20Rate%20Study.May%202012.pdf">water rate study</a> to learn what the water rates must cover, including operation and maintenance,
depreciation, and land leases.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Understand your property taxes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->84.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Read your property tax bill. Take note of the
different taxing entities, and notice how much goes to each. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->85.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Understand what your City property taxes pay for:
road maintenance and snow removal; police, fire, and ambulance protection;
planning, zoning, and building permitting; parks and recreation; library; and
many other services.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->86.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Pause to think that this is the only tax you pay
that is levied by people you know – people you can complain to when you see
them in the grocery store – and that is spent directly on you in your very own
neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
And finally—<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->87.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Support the Community Action Food Bank.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-8805168822454823582013-11-04T13:33:00.001-07:002013-11-04T20:42:44.199-07:00The Turning Point: Why I Voted to Place the Bond on the BallotLast May, I blogged about <a href="http://heidirodeback.blogspot.com/2013/05/to-bond-or-not-to-bond-please-weigh-in.html">road funding</a>, explaining that the council was "torn between the horns of the dilemma" of bonding vs. incremental tax increases. At the time of the blog post, I was leaning toward the tax increases.<br />
<br />
Six months have passed, and tomorrow is election day. Voters will decide on a $20 million bond to reconstruct the first $20 million of failing roads, a bond that will increase property taxes at the average American Fork home, valued at $191,000, by $80 per year, or $7 per month.<br />
<br />
What happened to change my mind, and why did I join in a unanimous vote to place the bond on the ballot?<br />
<br />
The answer stems from what I articulated in that post:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.796875px;">Even as American Fork’s roads deteriorate, maintenance costs continue to escalate. This leaves us facing a situation perilously close to what we saw with pressurized irrigation, where costs originally estimated at $8 million had risen to $48 million by the time the system was approved.</span></blockquote>
The turning point came when, seeking better information, I consulted with former American Fork planning commissioner Scott Okelberry, who works in road construction bidding large-scale road projects for W. W. Clyde & Co. He sent me an email articulating four points which I shared with the council. This email marked the turning point in the debate.<br />
<br />
With his permission, I now quote from that email:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. The points you make about construction costs and inflation are valid. I personally think they may be conservative. I say this from the perspective of bidding on road construction projects every week (generally we don't do local city work, but more of the large highway and freeway work). I believe that construction prices are currently at least five percent lower than a "normal market," meaning that as the industry continues to emerge from the recession and more work load becomes available, that prices will continue to increase at least five percent. I think this is<u> in addition to</u> inflationary increases, which you cite at three percent and CPI at seven percent. I recently had a conversation with a UDOT official who also estimated that construction costs will rise at a rate several percent higher than overall market inflation. I also agree that oil prices can be very volatile, and can be the largest component of the overall cost of city road maintenance.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. My own observation is that the city is significantly "behind" on regular maintenance. You already know this. One of the biggest factors in road degradation is water getting into and under the pavement. Currently our roads have significant cracking (there are several "categories" of cracking, and we have them all in various parts of the city). I also observe that everywhere the irrigation was installed has cracks at the joints where the pavement was replaced. These are all letting water into the pavement structure. My point here is that we need to "catch up," and this may take a larger investment in the near-term than the inflationary tax increase may be able to fund.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. You may already have seen this, but just in case. . . . UDOT has a blog post which summarizes a principle of road maintenance they try to follow. It's called "good roads cost less." Here's a link: <a href="https://webmail.afcity.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=089cd1c9ec054a6c87c6821641726143&URL=http%3a%2f%2fblog.udot.utah.gov%2f2011%2f05%2fgood-roads-cost-less%2f" target="_blank">http://blog.udot.utah.gov/2011/05/good-roads-cost-less/</a> It makes the point that initial construction (or reconstruction) requires a large investment up front, but that investment must be maintained to get the most out of it. When roads get too bad, they require complete reconstruction rather than simple maintenance solutions. I believe that if we don't catch up on the road maintenance that is needed, we will face exponentially higher costs in the not-so-distant future.</span></blockquote>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. I agree with Mayor Curtis that ongoing needs cannot be effectively addressed with "one-time" funding solutions. UDOT generally follows this model by funding the capacity improvement and reconstruction projects (I-15 Core, Pioneer Crossing, Geneva Road, etc.) with State funds (bond funds), and almost entirely funds their pavement preservation and maintenance with ongoing funding from the federal government.</span></blockquote>
Framed in this light, the decision becomes clear: <b>bond today and approve a modest tax increase</b>, or procrastinate and watch City streets end up in the same train wreck as pressurized irrigation.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
The decision is in your hands. Please take time to research the facts presented at the <a href="http://www.afcity.org/">City Web site</a> or at my husband's blog, <a href="http://www.localcommentary.com/">LocalCommentary</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
If you find you still have questions, I'm happy to help! You can reach me through the comment section here at the blog, by commenting at my Facebook page, or sending me a personal email at heidi@rodeback.com. If you leave me a phone number, I'll be happy to give you a call.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Then, please VOTE! I'll see you at the polls.</div>
Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-34995845150981088102013-05-17T11:59:00.001-06:002013-12-15T17:14:41.711-07:00Announcing My Decision Not to Seek Re-electionFrom earliest childhood, I have harbored grand ambitions, but none
of them are political.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one was more astonished than I to learn there was a place for me in politics. Ten years ago, I was as frustrated as I have ever been,
home-bound with a handful of young children, too busy and too poor to pursue my
dreams and stuck, as I felt at the time, in a community where I couldn’t even
provide for my children’s needs. There was no playground to take them to, no park
to which they could ride on their bikes, not even a safe sidewalk for a walk. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One day a kindly neighbor suggested I would be happier if I
joined efforts to make a difference. I accepted his invitation to attend
American Fork Neighbors in Action, and one thing led to another. We formed the
Greenwood Neighbors Initiative, I got involved in the parks upgrade, joined
the board of Downtown American Fork, Inc., and now, unbelievably, I find myself
looking back on two terms of service on the city council.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The work has been extremely rewarding. I’ve seen the
community improve and I’ve worked with caring, committed people. In eight
years, with the help of dozens of volunteers and a hard-working city staff,
I’ve accomplished everything I set out to do. I’ve grown personally and
professionally, and now it’s time to move on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the next six months, when I’m not working on the
final issues of my term, I’ll be launching my own business as a freelance commercial
writer. I also plan to continue working as a pianist, teaching and
accompanying, and I envision a more modest role for myself in public service.
In particular, I will continue volunteering with the Timpanogos Symphony
Orchestra and, if God is gracious, I will work to bring about a county library
system.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there’s a common thread in these plans, it’s arts and
letters. This is where my true ambition lies. As I am now staring down
mid-life, I’ve decided it’s time to get to work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
= = = = =<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With three weeks remaining before the filing deadline (the
window is June 3-7), I wish to make a special plea to American Fork’s leaders,
any and all of them, to consider a bid for office.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I will make a special pitch to women. There are three
reasons why I hope a few good women will take a look at the city council.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Women Have Important
Perspective<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first ran for office, I would have been offended by
any suggestion that I deserved the vote because I was a woman. I had a resume!
And qualifications! However, the longer I serve, the more I appreciate that women
are essential to the mix of representative government.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In saying so, I mean no disrespect to my male colleagues,
who have always listened when I have led on issues pertinent to children and
families. But the mere fact of our population base underscores the need for
full and diverse representation. According to the 2009 census, 40 percent of
American Fork’s residents are under the age of 19. The business of raising
families and building homes is our community’s highest endeavor. We need mothers’
voices on our city council.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Community Service is
Compatible with Motherhood</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first time I ran, I faced the decision with great
trepidation. My youngest was a babe in arms, and I worried that I would miss
his childhood. I resisted until the last possible minute, when I realized I would
be giving up an opportunity to learn from the likes of Heber Thompson and Dale
Gunther. Fifteen minutes before the deadline, I threw the baby in his car seat
and raced to the recorder’s office, dragging my husband along to block any
escape route.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My fears were unfounded.
City council work is highly flexible and most of it is done from the
computer in the comfort of the home.
Each month, there are two required evening meetings and two required
afternoon meetings. In a typical week, I attend two or three additional
meetings, and the bulk of these can be calendared to fit my schedule, with the
result that my piano-practicing, chore-doing, home-working children see far
more of me than they wish to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Public Service Will
Bless the Family<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a family, we have learned that support is a two-way
street. My husband has been a constant and reliable support, and my kids see
this. They also see that, even as Mom supports the kids in all they do, they,
in turn, must support Mom. My children have achieved greater development by
taking on additional responsibilities, including cooking the occasional evening
meal, babysitting each other, and giving homework help when I’m not home. This
has been beautiful to watch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My public service has also opened up meaningful opportunities
for my children. I hoped they would learn through my example not only to value
community service, but also to look for opportunities and persist through challenges.
It was extremely gratifying to watch my daughter choose to serve first on the
youth city council, then as youth mayor, and to watch my son volunteer with the
American Fork Police Department, cleaning up nuisance violations under the
authority of a law I helped to pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the most meaningful blessing is the ability to see that,
working together with my colleagues and my many good neighbors, I have indeed
made American Fork a better place for my children. It’s not just the parks, or
the sidewalks, or the books in the library. It’s also the financial security
that comes from enacting long-range plans and the peace of mind that comes from
seeing the City, its public works, its administration, and its public safety held
securely in good hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-1068802402078910832013-05-10T14:17:00.000-06:002013-05-10T21:42:15.114-06:00To Bond or Not to Bond: Please Weigh InAmerican Fork’s administration has proposed a budget for 2014
which addresses, at a cost of $350,000, the mandate of bringing public safety
staffing into compliance with the Affordable Care Act. To do so, it must
neglect five of my top priorities:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ol>
<li>Two narcotics detectives</li>
<li>A $30,000 increase
to library collections (half that amount was awarded)</li>
<li>Ongoing tree planting and pruning funds (deficient by
$14,000)</li>
<li>A full-time economic development director</li>
<li>Road maintenance</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Road maintenance is the lion’s share of the problem. Now funded
at $500,000 per year, the roads accrual account is an eighth to a half of what
it should be (depending on the estimate) to keep pace with needs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even as American Fork’s roads deteriorate, maintenance costs
continue to escalate. This leaves us facing a situation perilously close to what
we saw with pressurized irrigation, where costs originally estimated at $8
million had risen to $48 million by the time the system was approved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At work session yesterday, I learned that I am not alone in
my concerns. But while the council agrees with most of my priorities, the difficulty
is in finding the funding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We debated two options and are torn between the horns of the
dilemma. I’m interested to know how my
constituents feel about the choice, so I’ll summarize the two options here. If
you have insight for me, please weigh in!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Option 1: Road bond </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Used appropriately, a municipal bond is a powerful financial
tool. In this case, $20 million borrowed
would enable American Fork to jump-start road maintenance at interest rates of 2
percent or better. With inflation rising at a minimum of 3 percent, the
consumer price index rising at 7 percent, and oil rising steadily and
unpredictably, a bond would be a great bargain.
Setting the bond at $20 million would not solve the entire problem, but
would have the added advantage of leaving funds in the budget for ongoing
maintenance. (One mistake communities often make is to sink the entire fund
into debt service, preventing ongoing work from taking place until the bonds
are retired.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
American Fork’s credit rating is the best possible and, even
including the PI bonds, the City’s debt load is below half of its debt limit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If approved by the voters on the November ballot, this bond
would raise property taxes by 18 percent. But it would do nothing for other
priorities: narcotics detectives, libraries, or parks and trees.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Option 2: Incremental,
inflationary property tax adjustments</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Utah’s system of Truth in Taxation is a base, rather than a
rate system, meaning that the City collects the same, flat amount in property
taxes each year. If property values increase, the county decreases the
certified tax rate correspondingly; but if property values decrease, the county
raises the rate. The result is that, unless the City adopts a program of
regular, inflationary adjustments to the property tax rate, the City’s revenue
remains flat. Adjusted for inflation, American Fork’s property taxes today have
the same buying power they did in 1989, but prices have gone up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the time I took office in 2006, I have advocated a
discipline of incremental property tax increases to offset this loss, but I have
not yet prevailed. Sometimes the City feels it’s too difficult to go through
the process of Truth in Taxation, but other times there is bigger game afoot,
and the council has favored either a large tax increase or a bond.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nevertheless, others have been well served by the
incremental approach. Provo has vowed not
to borrow money to pay for roads, opting instead to find funding from a variety
of sources, including cuts to other budgets and regular property tax increases. Provo’s philosophy, as Mayor Curtis told us when he visited American Fork last winter,
is that bonding makes use of one-time money for an ongoing problem. An ongoing
stream of money, he said, is the only real solution to road maintenance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If American Fork were to begin, this year, a course of regular 3 percent property tax increases, families could budget more comfortably than they could on a diet of 20 to 30 percent
increases every five or ten years. Over time,
the deficiency in the road maintenance fund would be cured, and the financial discipline
enabled by this approach could pay big dividends in years to come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Using this approach, the council could also respond better
to other needs such as narcotics detectives, library funding, and parks and trees. But we would continue,
for many years, to take complaints about the slow pace of road maintenance in
American Fork.</div>
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That’s the state of the debate. Gentle readers, I’m curious to know how you
would call it. Given the necessity of better funding, would you support a large
bond with an 18 percent tax increase, or a regular diet of small tax increases
set against the risk of a punishing inflationary environment?</div>
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Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-23322327950138332482011-12-07T21:59:00.024-07:002011-12-08T08:12:11.482-07:00NondiscriminationTonight, after a long absence, I am firing up the blog to address two nondiscrimination ordinances on tomorrow's work session agenda.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The ordinances may be viewed in their entirety at the following links.<br /><br /><a href="http://afcity.org/Portals/0/Employment%20Non-discrimination%20Ordinance%2012-6-11.pdf">Employment</a><br /><br /><a href="http://afcity.org/Portals/0/Housing%20Non-discrimination%2012-6-11.pdf">Housing</a><br /><br />Many questions have been raised, which I now answer, begging forgiveness from those who prefer short posts.<br /><br /><strong>What are the ordinances in question?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>What do the ordinances do?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Are there exemptions?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>What <em>don't</em> the ordinances do?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>I have been told by the Sutherland Institute that these ordinances <em>do</em> create a protected class, and that they raise other constitutional challenges.</strong><br /><br />I disagree with the Sutherland Institute. I see no constitutional violations.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Is there a need for this in American Fork? </strong><strong>Will these ordinances result in an expensive and burdensome caseload for the City and the taxpayer?</strong><br /><br />I address these two seemingly unrelated questions together, because their answers seem to contradict each other.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Will this create undue hardship for employers and landlords?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Most nondiscrimination laws are enacted at the State and Federal levels. Why is American Fork considering this legislation?</strong><br /><br />The Utah State Legislature made a decision <em>not</em> 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.<br /><br /><strong>Don't you see this as out of step with Utah's values?</strong><br /><br />According to a <a href="http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-poll-shows-utahns-support-statewide-anti-discrimination-ordinances,0,7638801.story">2011 poll</a>, 71 percent of Utahns approve of these measures.<br /><br /><strong>The Sutherland Institute gave other reasons to oppose the ordinances.</strong><br /><br />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."<br /><br />A reading of the ordinances shows that the concept is clearly defined and religion is carefully protected.<br /><br />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."<br />The ordinance protects proceedings as confidential and, in my view, solves a real social problem, as I have already discussed.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Have these ordinances been given adequate time for public discussion?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>You mentioned the LDS Church. Is that appropriate in a government setting?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Do you think a vote will change the morality of homosexual behavior?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>What are your personal views on the subject of nondiscrimination?</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I therefore find myself in complete agreement with the LDS Church in the <a href="http://newsroom.lds.org/article/statement-given-to-salt-lake-city-council-on-nondiscrimination-ordinances">statement</a> 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:<br /><blockquote><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p></blockquote>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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?"<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-13486585410803574652011-06-07T10:36:00.003-06:002011-06-07T16:32:15.185-06:00Budget 2012On 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here's a birds-eye view of the proposed budget.<br /><br /><em>Revenues</em><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />It goes without saying: So long as the water bill continues high, the City must do all it can to keep other taxes low.<br /><br /><em>Expenses</em><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><em>Unfunded</em><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />= = = = =<br /><br />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.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-23307309037340861012011-05-27T15:31:00.013-06:002011-05-28T22:03:26.631-06:00American Fork Fire and RescueMemorial 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.<br /><br />Here are a few good facts about these good men and women:<br /><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>The department today prepares its personnel for firefighting, hazardous materials (haz-mat) clean-up, and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and paramedic services.</li><br /><li>The department responds to an average of 450 fires and 2300 EMS calls per year.</li><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>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.</li><br />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.<br /><br />I look forward to seeing you there!<br /><br /><p>* Facts are taken from "American Fork: Celebrating 100 Years of Dedicated Service," a feature article in the January-March 2011 edition of <em>Straight Tip</em>, the magazine of the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy.</p>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-18972883203246897842011-04-29T13:13:00.022-06:002011-05-27T17:41:36.822-06:00Happy Arbor Day!<p>It's been an Arbor Day to remember. In fact, in American Fork, it's shaping into a month to remember.</p><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>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 <a href="http://www.utahurbanforest.org/2011_Tree_Climb_Registration.pdf">17th Annual Utah Tree Climbing Championship</a>. 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.<br /></li><br /><li>Earlier this week, the American Fork City Council, keeping an annual tradition, authorized Mayor Hadfield to sign the <a href="http://www.arborday.org/arborday/graphics/proclamation.pdf">Arbor Day Proclamation</a>. </li><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>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. </li><br /><li>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.<br />The mayor's remarks:<br /><blockquote>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.<br /><br />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 <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Nebraska City News</span>, 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</blockquote><br />Thank you, Mayor Hadfield, for supporting Arbor Day in American Fork.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-14043400406157947092011-04-01T15:17:00.008-06:002011-04-02T15:50:59.084-06:00Laps vs. PagesReaders of American Fork, unite! <br><br />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.<br> <br>The library is tallying the number of books checked out between March 28 and April 2.<br><br /> The fitness center is recording the number of laps run, walked, or swum on those same days.<br><br /> 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.<br><br /> 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.<br><br /> Deeply humiliated.<br><br /> 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?<br><br /> P.S. Do also please sign up to run in the 5K by following <a href="http://www.activityreg.com/clientmainpage.asp?cid=AFREC">this link</a>. Registration is $15 through today, $20 hereafter.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-51348844687061917662011-03-14T13:36:00.011-06:002011-03-15T10:06:27.399-06:00Sam White Lane BridgeThree hundred fifty-four feet. Two spans. One big night.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />This is great news for commuters who will have their preferred route to Orem restored.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://i15core.utah.gov/bridge/">project page</a> for details and restrictions.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-53056496059967380052011-03-04T13:04:00.013-07:002011-03-04T14:10:31.436-07:00TOP TEN REASONS TO SPEND FRIDAY NIGHTS AT CITY HALL10. Great performing arts series in progress now through March 25, 7:00 each night.<br /><br />9. Take in the grandeur of City Hall's historic restoration.<br /><br />8. Give your regards to Broadway. (Tonight)<br /><br />7. Bullfighting gypsies and sultry women are more exciting than standard Tuesday night zoning disputes. (Carmen on March 11)<br /><br />6. Art songs from "South of the Border." (March 18)<br /><br />5. Sacred music to usher in the Easter season. (March 25)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />3. Downtown offers many great spots for ice cream after the show.<br /><br />2. Mayor Hadfield promised not to sing or dance.<br /><br />AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO SPEND YOUR FRIDAY NIGHTS AT CITY HALL:<br /><br />1. Because "without music, life would be a mistake." (Nietzsche)Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-21950395846029731072011-02-21T14:59:00.018-07:002011-03-15T09:44:41.660-06:00Utah's Tour de DonutUtah's Tour de Donut is now registering. If you hurry, you can catch the early bird special.<br /><div><p>Tour de what?</p><p>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.</p><p>Last year's King Donut scarffed 31 donuts.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>Sponsors are also needed, as are volunteers -- volunteers to set up, check in, clean u<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GvEOkLnWGgk/TWlztw1KlHI/AAAAAAAAAG4/HTxQCl9E7PQ/s1600/tour%2Bde%2Bdonut.bmp"></a>p, or count donuts. This is a great opportunity for families, Scout troops, and church groups.</p><p>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 <a href="http://www.utahtourdedonut.org/">Tour de Donut</a> Web site. </p><p>That's less than four months away. It's time to start training. I'm heading for the bakery right now!</p></div>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-80896974600702297392011-01-24T14:03:00.001-07:002011-01-24T21:00:51.020-07:00A Positive Financial NoteThe city council, earlier this month, was pleased to receive positive financial news in the form of the annual audit.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The report came with three footnotes of interest.<br /><br /><u>Note 1</u>. 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.<br /><br /><u>Note 2</u>. 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.<br /><br /><u>Note 3</u>. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-56767489982519433132011-01-07T14:52:00.012-07:002011-01-07T21:25:01.831-07:00Conversation with an EngineerI 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."<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"No pocket," I said.<br /><br />Andy nodded, listlessly.<br /><br />"No pocket protector," I said.<br /><br />He nodded again.<br /><br />"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."<br /><br />Gratefully, he took the pen and pointed to the map on the wall. As he did so, the words began to flow.<br /><br />The Top Five hot spots, in Andy's opinion and mine, are these:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. 900 West, from State Street to 1120 North</span>. 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. 1120 North</span>, 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. The 300 West underpass at I-15. </span><span>Already a trouble spot, this will become of great strategic significance when the Front Runner arrives.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. 300 North from 900 East to 1100 East. </span>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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. 400 West at Pacific Drive</span>, 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.)<br /><br />Andy also added a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Number 6</span>, of which I had not been aware: <span style="font-weight: bold;">500 East at Main Street</span>. Apparently, the accident count is high at this intersection.<br /><br />"So," I said, "tell me how much it would take to fund all of this within a reasonable period of time."<br /><br />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."<br /><br />"Reconstruction?" I said, scratching my head.<br /><br />"Reconstruction," he said, pointing to the residential roads between 700 North and the golf course.<br /><br />"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?"<br /><br />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 <span style="font-style: italic;">in each pot.</span><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />My questions answered, I took my pen back.<br /><br />Andy had nothing more to say.<br /><br />Note to Andy's loved ones: Make sure you give him shirts with pockets next Christmas.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-30201516099835016732010-12-29T13:50:00.023-07:002010-12-31T09:37:59.045-07:00Volunteer Profile: John Pew<span style="font-style: italic;">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.</span><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />There have been defeated bonds, and there was the dubious compromise that built a basketball court in the Fitness Center for symphony performances.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />“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.”<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Further information will be coming soon to www.thetso.org.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-50391391151927626012010-12-15T10:57:00.000-07:002010-12-15T10:58:05.102-07:00On Meters, Impurities, and Water RatesIn light of recent media interest, I feel to say a word about secondary water rates.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_645ad610-089a-5925-ba33-3018ab978465.html">November 28 editorial</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Herald</span> 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.<br /><br />The problem with rates based on lot size, says the <span style="font-style: italic;">Herald</span>, 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.<br /><br />Moreover, it masks the true cost of water and this, says the <span style="font-style: italic;">Herald</span>, revving up for its tirade against Obamacare, is "how government gums things up by trying to hide real costs."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Thus the rates came to be based on lot size rather than usage.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The meters will see their first full year of use in 2011. After that, the City may choose to re-examine the issue.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-57109290460087323802010-11-29T14:11:00.015-07:002010-11-30T23:40:08.032-07:00Volunteer Profile: Paul Strong<div> <span style="font-style: italic;">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.</span><br /><br />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."<br /></div><br /><div>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.<br /></div><br /><div>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.<br /></div><br /><div>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.<br /><br />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. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Here's what I learned.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /></div><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here's the current wish list:<br /><br />-- The return of the Main Street flower pots<br />-- A solution for the Main Street trees (the committee envisions large planter boxes which can be moved to accommodate the merchants' needs for visibility)<br />-- Updated Christmas decorations for Main Street<br />--"Welcome to American Fork" signs at the major entrances to the city<br />-- Better protection for trees in the City parks.<br /><br /><div> </div>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 <a href="http://www.afcity.org/BoardsCommissions/BeautificationCommittee/tabid/174/Default.aspx">City Web site</a>.<br /><br />You don't have to stay for 27 years, but you're welcome to.<br /><div> </div>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-87485985775485964682010-09-27T14:16:00.011-06:002010-09-27T22:11:39.167-06:00Small Utah Town Seeking Administrator, Experience Good, Sense of Humor a PlusAmerican 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I shared them with my daughter, after the fact, and they made her laugh. Hysterically. Or, more to the point, <em>we</em> made her laugh.<br /><br />"These questions reflect your personalities to a tee!" she said.<br /><br />Myself, I didn't think we were <em>all</em> 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.<br /><br />Here, see what you think.<br /><br /><strong>Mayor Hadfield</strong><br /><ul><li>What do you know about American Fork City? Why would you like to work for our city?</li><li>What do you bring to the table that makes you the best candidate for this job?</li><li>What would you do to increase economic development and create a business-friendly environment in American Fork?</li></ul><strong>Dale Gunther</strong><br /><ul><li>What is your approach to long-range planning?</li><li>Tell us about your philosophy of City management.</li></ul><p><strong>Heidi Rodeback</strong></p><ul><li>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?</li><li>How do you work with an under-performing employee?</li><li>What importance do you place on quality of life services in municipal government such as the library, parks and recreation, and the arts?</li></ul><p><strong>Shirl LeBaron</strong></p><ul><li>Do you golf? Do you think municipally-owned golf courses should be privatized? What factors would you consider in your decision?</li><li>Can you tell us about a difficult member of the public that you have worked with and how you resolved issues with that resident?</li><li>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?</li></ul><strong>Rick Storrs</strong><br /><ul><li>What is the City administrator's relationship with the mayor? With the city council? With the department heads? With the public?</li><li>Have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee? If so, what were the circumstances and how did you handle it?</li><li>What are the most important factors in employee morale?</li></ul><strong>Sherry Kramer</strong><br /><ul><li>Do you have experience with grants? If so, what kind of success have you had?</li><li>What are your ideas for improving historic Main Street and what funding options would you support?</li><li>What experience do you have managing emergency services and what advancements were you instrumental in implementing?</li></ul>For the why's and wherefores behind the City's decision to hire an administrator, please read Barbara Christiansen's <a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/american-fork/article_53d04b5d-5f1c-594c-bbb5-59e788800553.html?utm_source=news+alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news+alerts&cid=11">August 4 article</a> in the Provo Daily Herald.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-74958745997256437192010-09-16T22:21:00.011-06:002010-09-27T22:10:04.848-06:00Andres Duany Visits Salt LakeMy 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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Nation-10th-Anniversary-American/dp/0865477507/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284703478&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Suburban Nation</span></a> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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 <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>never have done such a thing as run for city council.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.)<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />The answer confirmed what I had already been thinking. The answer begins in our downtown.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Nation-10th-Anniversary-American/dp/0865477507/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284703478&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Suburban Nation</span></a>, to you. Check it out and read about one of the movement's first planned communities, Seaside, Florida, the charming, idealistic town where <span style="font-style: italic;">The Truman Show</span> was filmed. Check it out from the American Fork library . . . no, wait. It's under my pillow.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-28187983602685626332010-08-23T10:27:00.006-06:002010-08-23T23:38:03.882-06:00Pioneer CrossingAs 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ken Sumsion</span>, 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Congressman Jim Matheson</span>, 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.<br /><br />From <span style="font-weight: bold;">Governor Gary Herbert</span>, 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Governor Herbert</span> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Truly, this is a red letter day.<br /><br />For all the skinny on the Pioneer Crossing, including a virtual "test-drive" of the bewildering diamond, please visit the UDOT project page <a href="http://www.udot.utah.gov/pioneer/">here</a>.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-91621737199038073062010-08-07T10:19:00.011-06:002010-08-07T20:11:42.603-06:00Buy LocalNow for a commercial message from all the wonderful folks here in American Fork City.<br /><br />Please, buy local!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Appreciating this, the late City Council member Jimmie Cates said it best: "First, find the best deals, then choose the one that's local."<br /><br />(I miss Jimmie Cates!)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />As I kept this commitment, I made a few findings which I now share with you.<br /><br />For <span style="font-weight: bold;">groceries</span>, 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.<br /><br />For sundry <span style="font-weight: bold;">home repair</span> 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!<br /><br />I bought <span style="font-weight: bold;">gas</span> 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.)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>I made and continue to make my <span style="font-weight: bold;">clothing</span> 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Home furnishings </span>-- 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.<br /><br />Now, <span style="font-weight: bold;">furniture </span>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-59929015450378334102010-07-25T21:18:00.004-06:002010-07-27T01:01:15.281-06:00American Fork Heritage and History PageantDo 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />American Fork Cemetery<br />26 West 600 North<br /><br />Web page here: <a href="http://www.afcity.org/Departments/Cemetery/SpecialCemeteryEvents/tabid/370/Default.aspx">American Fork Cemetery</a><br />Sneak preview here: <a href="http://daltongirl.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-dont-forget-to-check-out-my-hat.html">Don't Forget to Check Out My Hat!</a>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-7760144546308966432010-07-09T16:41:00.003-06:002010-07-09T16:54:07.402-06:00The Steele Days Are Here!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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />1. On Memorial Day, place flowers on a relative, friend, or veteran's grave in the AF cemetery.<br />2. Have onion rings from Parkers and a shake from JCW's.<br />3. Attend a field day at Shelley or another elementary school.<br />4. Attend an AF High School marching band performance.<br />5. Wander through the antiques at the Star Mill.<br />6. Run or walk the Halloween 5k.<br />7. Watch a movie at the sticky shoe. (Towne Cinema, not so sticky anymore.)<br />8. Try your hand at the funky diamond exchange at Main Street and I-15.<br />9. Attend a City Council meeting.<br />10. Attend a summer concert at the amphitheater.<br />11. Watch the Steele Days parade in July.<br />12. Go to the freaky carnival during Steele Days.<br />13. Do at least one other Steele Days event.<br />14. Attend a community youth sporting event and watch the parents and kids. Soccer, baseball, Hilltop Aquatic Club, flag football.<br />15. Take some laps on the Rec Center track and in the lazy river.<br />16. Hike up to Timpanogos Caves, in American Fork Canyon.<br />17. Ride in or behind a boat out of the American Fork Harbor at Utah Lake.<br />18. Ring the bell in the Old City Hall. (assuming that's legal...)<br />19. Check out a book from the AF Library.<br />20. Attend the historical vignettes in late July in the cemetery.<br />21. Camp out in American Fork Canyon.<br />22. Attend your precinct caucus meeting.<br />23. Attend any meeting in the Alpine Tabernacle and in the Presbyterian Church.<br />24. Shop Wal-mart at midnight.<br />25. Attend an open house at M.L. Bigelow & Co. Organ Builders.<br />26. Attend a community theater event.<br />27. Bring gifts and a smile to residents at the Heritage Care Center AND The Developmental Center.<br />28. Tour Twin Labs.<br />29. Walk the grounds of the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple at sunrise.<br />30. Play a round of golf at Fox Hollow.<br />31. <span class="text_exposed_show">Get a copy of Historical Buildings in AF and visit all of the venues.<br />32. Attend an AF Symphony production.<br />33. Volunteer at the AF Hospital.<br />34. Walk the new AF River Trail and Art Dye trails<br />35. Walk both sides of Downtown Main street.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Council Member Shirl LeBaron also contributed to this list. Thanks, Shirl!</span>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-22777770795698468932010-06-24T11:52:00.006-06:002010-06-24T16:28:30.480-06:00Sewer Rate Increase: Year TwoIt's bad news, folks.<br /><br />Sewer rates are going up yet again, meaning still higher utility bills for American Fork residents.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Yet the complaints will be addressed to us in City Council meetings, not to the TSSD at its board meetings.<br /><br />Grumble, grumble, grumble.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I blogged about sewer rates last summer from a different angle; you can read that post <a href="http://heidirodeback1.blogspot.com/2009/07/sewer-rate-increase.html">here</a>.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />That's politics.Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2837690663447618840.post-65157883095090940002010-06-15T16:55:00.006-06:002010-06-18T08:22:31.932-06:00Computer Access at the AF LibraryHow important are the library's computers to American Fork's residents? Do the residents support the use of public funds for this purpose?<br /><br />These and other questions were answered in a recent study, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries</span>, 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.<br /><br />Below are excerpts from the AF library's report of its own participation in the study.<br /><br />= = = = = = = = = =<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />All respondents were asked about the importance of free computer access for themselves and their community. <span style="font-weight: bold;">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.</span>Heidi Rodebackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04307667856052644106noreply@blogger.com0