Provo School District Superintendent

This information comes from our School Board representative Kristine Manwaring:

As you know, Dr. Randy Merrill resigned as superintendent last week.  Dr. Merrill was an excellent superintendent, leaving the district in much better financial and well as academic shape than when he became superintendent 10 years ago.

The school board as appointed Bob Gentry to be the interim superintendent.  Mr. Gentry was previously the personnel director.

The school board will hire a new superintendent no later than July 1st.  The first meeting to discuss the process of choosing a new superintendent is scheduled for January 24th, 7:30 AM.  The meeting will start in room 1, but if we have lots of people we will move it to the larger room where board meetings are held.  The meeting is open to the public.

As we create a process for selecting a new superintendent we will focus on three things:  creating a large candidate pool of highly qualified candidates, facilitating wide-spread public and employee participation, selecting a leader who is focused on academic gains and uniting our community.

I know attending meetings is hard and so if you can't attend this meeting, please send me any feedback you have concerning a selection process and qualifications we should include in the job posting.  I promise to keep you updated as the process unfolds.

Best wishes,

Kristine Manwaring

Provo School Board

Understanding iProvo

If you are interested in learning more about the fiber optic technology, you may want to attend a presentation at the Provo City Council chambers (351 W. Center Street) tomorrow, Tuesday, October 11th from 7 to 8 PM.  It is being called "IProvo For Dummies".  The speaker will be Jesse Harris of "freeutopia." The meeting is intended to educate the public on the basics of broadband--fiber, speed, hardware, terminology, etc. It's not a debate regarding the future of the network, but a basic education for those who want to participate in that debate.

Downtown Developments

The exciting news about what will become of the fire-damaged Tabernacle is well known by now. You may also be aware that NuSkin has announced that it will build a second tower nearby.
Tonight the City Council will be hearing a request to remove the George Taylor Jr. home from the Historic Landmarks Registry so that it can be demolished and the land used to construct a low income housing project. This may affect the ways that the downtown area changes.
The public meeting by the Landmarks Commission is today. I apologize that I have given no advance notice but I have only just become aware of this.
You may also want to attend the City Council meeting this evening, where public input will be heard. It will provide you with more information about the project and what it will look like.

A Lively Discussion

To attend a lively discussion of the iProvo Debate, you might pop in at the Facebook group called "Our Provo". The conversation can give you some background of the topic of what to do about iProvo and the bond to pay for it.
There is also a "Political Tailgate Party" planned for 5 PM on Tuesday, September 20th, prior to the public meeting on that issue. Look for it at the parking lot and lawn west of the City Center.

The iProvo Question

There will be a public hearing at the Provo Municipal Council meeting on September 20 on how to make the bond payments related to the city's fiber optic network, also known as iProvo.  The meeting will start at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Municipal Council Chambers of the Provo City Center, 351 W. Center St.

The annual bond payment for the network is $3.2 million. For over a year, Provo Mayor John Curtis has discussed in public the need for a more reliable, transparent way to pay that debt, and the possibility of a monthly charge to utility customers. The administration has developed options that it will present to the council, which controls utility rates.

The options include a fixed charge, charging a percentage of each customer's utility bill, and combinations of the two. Under each of the options, the average residential customer would pay up to $7.65 per month. The charge would begin November 1 and would continue until the bond is paid in 15 years.

Since selling the network three years ago, the city has applied the payments from the sale to the bond payments, but payments from the sale ended earlier this year, and surety funds intended to secure the payments will soon be exhausted.

The city is continuing to evaluate its options regarding the future of the network, including reselling it, managing it again, and "going dark," and will seek public input on that later this year. The new utility charge would be required to cover the bond payments under any of those options.

"We have what many cities wish they had--a fully built, city-wide fiber-to-the-home network," stated Curtis. "Many of us were not involved in the decision to build it, but we benefit either directly or indirectly, and more importantly, we have an obligation to pay for it."

Although the meeting starts at 7 p.m., the public hearing is later on the agenda. After a presentation by the administration, the public will be invited to comment.

Crucial Conversations

This message comes from the Mayor's Blog:
Most of us think we're better at communicating but find ourselves saying the wrong thing more often than we'd like.

For that reason, United Way of Utah County and VitalSmarts have invited the public to hear bestselling author Ron McMillan at a special community event called "Crucial Conversations with Kids, Teens, and Significant Others" on Friday, September 16, from 7-9 p.m., at the Provo City Library at Academy Square, 550 N. University Ave.

Learn how to:

• Hold loved ones accountable with love and respect
• Be both 100 percent honest and 100 percent respectful
• Listen and be heard
• Manage escalating emotions when moments become heated

The event is free, although a $5 per person donation is suggested. All proceeds benefit the United Way of Utah County and its partners.

Register here by Monday, September 12 (today). Space is limited, so be sure to register early. If you have questions, contact Tara Jones at 801-724-6342 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              801-724-6342      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or tjones@vitalsmarts.com.

Public Meeting on Water Conservation

The Central Utah Water Conservancy District is holding a public meeting to receive comments on their preliminary recommendations for conserving water.  This is necessary in order to receive federal money for that purpose.
The meeting will be on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 6 PM in the Board Room of CUWCD Headquarters, 355 W University  Parkway, Orem Utah 84058. 
This would be a great time to visit their gardens, if you haven't already done so!
An electronic copy of the preliminary recommendations can be found on the District website, additionally, hard-copy versions are available at the CUWCD office.  Public comment on the recommendations will be accepted for 30 days, from July 21 to August 21, 2011.  Written comments may be sent to the same address anytime during that period.
For more information, contact D. Heath Clark, Project Manager 801-226-7144.