Since the beginning of my term, I stated my goal of aligning the interests of the City Council, city employees and our community. In our meeting, the entire City Council and Executive Staff adopted this as a primary area of focus. We are all on “Team Orem” and will work together to move our team forward.

Family City USA will continue to be the benchmark on which we base our decisions, and we will continue to expand its branding. At the end of the day, we are one giant Orem family!

Another area of focus is “Safe, Livable, Connected, and Engaged Neighborhoods.” Again, we see opportunities to improve communications, engagement and education outreach. Expect to see a lot happening in this area.

Working toward a thriving and balanced business environment includes a renewed focus on commercial, retail and service businesses. This year, the Council also plans to further define the future of State Street to make sure it aligns with what Orem residents want.

In the area of dependable infrastructure, we have our hands full. Usually, we have one major infrastructure project each year. However, this year we have four significant projects coming together at once. Our new City Center, Hillcrest Park, the new Heritage Park with its deep well, ten million gallon water storage tank and, finally, our new water reuse facility to boost conservation.

In addition, to improve safety, we are fast-tracking the installation of a traffic signal at 400 South and 400 West. We are also working on an update of the Transportation Master Plan and evaluating our best path forward for a significant overhaul and upgrade of our wastewater treatment plant.

Focused and effective government is an area of focus that I am passionate about. We are embarking on a study of the forms of municipal government to see which is the best fit for Orem. Our current Council-Manager format may be the best, but we will start the process of evaluating the three other types to ensure Orem has the best. Orem residents should watch for their opportunity to get involved in this process. In addition, we will continue to update and improve our Transparency Portal to ensure the public is fully informed.

Finally, our focus is on a skilled and talented workforce. The city of Orem has terrific employees, and we want to ensure we retain them and provide the best possible work environment so they can best serve YOU, our Orem family.