City Council Meetings

Please Note – These minutes have been prepared with a timestamp linking the agenda items to the video discussion. Electronic version of minutes will allow citizens to view discussion held during council meeting. PROVO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Regular Meeting Agenda 5:30 PM, Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Council Chambers Hybrid meeting: 445 W. Center Street, Provo, UT 84601 or https://www.youtube.com/provocitycouncil Roll Call THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION WERE PRESENT: Councilor Becky Bogdin Councilor Craig Christensen Councilor Gary Garrett Councilor George Handley Councilor Travis Hoban Councilor Katrice MacKay Councilor Rachel Whipple Deputy Mayor Isaac Paxman Chief Administrative Officer Scott Henderson City Attorney Brian Jones Council Executive Director Justin Harrison City Recorder Heidi Allman Conducting: Chair Gary Garrett Prayer – Tara Riddle Pledge of Allegiance – Councilor Whipple Presentations, Proclamations, and Awards 1 Provo City Employee of the Month - February 2025 (25-007) 0:07:06 Scott Henderson, Chief Administrative Officer, spoke on behalf of Mayor Kaufusi, conveying her love and respect. He emphasized the privilege of recognizing an exceptional employee whose dedication and professionalism have made a lasting impact on the community. He highlighted the concept of "One Provo," which signifies teamwork but also the significant influence of individual contributions. Mr. Henderson then introduced Chief Beebe, who would present the February 2025 Employee of the Month to an outstanding member of the Police Department. Chief Beebe expressed gratitude to the Council for the opportunity to recognize Officer Medina Dore as an exceptional employee. He highlighted her five years of exemplary service as a police officer and noted her background as a victim advocate before attending the academy to continue serving crime victims. Recently, when the department faced an urgent need for victim advocates, Medina willingly adjusted her schedule to ensure victims remained supported and informed. Chief Beebe praised her dedication, emphasizing her loyalty, duty, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, calling her a true leader. Public Comment Chair Garrett read the public comment preamble and opened the public comment period. Provo City Council Meeting – February 25, 2025 Page 1 of 3  Please Note – These minutes have been prepared with a timestamp linking the agenda items to the video discussion. Electronic version of minutes will allow citizens to view discussion held during council meeting. Anderw Thompson, of Provo, expressed frustration over unresolved ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility issues. He stated that despite these concerns being brought to the Council twice, no proper resolutions have been made. He criticized the prioritization of costly art installations over accessibility improvements and emphasized the need for a full-time ADA coordinator, given the city's size and ongoing accessibility challenges. Mr. Thompson reiterated his previous challenge for Council members to experience navigating the city in a wheelchair, stating that no one had accepted the invitation yet. He urged immediate action to address accessibility concerns. Deneise McGuire, of Provo, spoke on behalf of the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater at the doTERRA campus in Pleasant Grove, commonly known as "The Ruth." As a member of the theater’s community advocacy committee and the liaison for Provo, she emphasized the theater’s commitment to elevating the arts through community connections and collaboration with the Provo Arts Council. She highlighted the theater’s impact since its opening, including the distribution of approximately 6,500 ticket vouchers across the county. The Ruth continues to offer world-class performances and performing arts classes and is developing additional community-focused programs. McGuire invited the mayor, city council, and department heads to attend Jersey Boys and offered vouchers in appreciation of their service. She also mentioned that vouchers for the Fire and Police Departments, as well as city offices, would be available within the month. She encouraged department heads to contact her to arrange a time for voucher distribution and expressed interest in sharing future opportunities that could benefit Provo residents. With no other comments, Chair Garrett closed public comment. Action Agenda 2 An ordinance amending city election code (25-030) 0:17:56 Motion: An implied motion to approve Ordinance 2025-16, as currently constituted, has been made by council rule. Gary Millward, Deputy City Attorney, presented. He provided an overview of proposed updates to Provo’s election code, which primarily aims to align it with Utah State Code. He noted that many of the changes involve correcting subsection references that had become outdated. Mr. Millward highlighted a few significant revisions, including the addition of language in section 2.05.020 specifying a 30-day receipt deadline, which mirrors Utah law. In section 2.05.040, concerning campaign finance statements, adjustments were made to match state requirements while removing additional local requirements that were no longer necessary. He also mentioned the removal of a provision in subsection 3C that previously included a November 30 deadline in the fifth year after an election, as well as the elimination of a reference to an unrelated code section. Mr. Millward concluded by stating that all proposed adjustments are appropriate to ensure Provo’s election code remains consistent with state law. Chair Garrett opened public comment. With none, he invited a council discussion. Councilor Christensen expressed appreciation for the work done on updating the election code. He noted that the previous reporting requirements were costly for the city, did not enhance transparency, and created unnecessary expenses and challenges for both candidates and the city. He thanked those involved for simplifying and improving the ordinance. Chair Garrett called for a vote. Provo City Council Meeting – February 25, 2025 Page 2 of 3  Please Note – These minutes have been prepared with a timestamp linking the agenda items to the video discussion. Electronic version of minutes will allow citizens to view discussion held during council meeting. Vote: The motion was approved 7:0 with Councilors Bogdin, Christensen, Garrett, Handley, Hoban, MacKay, and Whipple in favor. 3 A resolution to place a parcel of ground generally located at 3100 West 240 North on the surplus property list and authorize the mayor to dispose of the property. (25-019) 0:21:43 Motion: An implied motion to approve Resolution 2025-4, as currently constituted, has been made by council rule. Tara Riddle, Property Administrator, presented. She explained that the city was approached by a developer interested in incorporating a small, 14,000-square-foot parcel into their subdivision plan. The property, located near 3100 West and 240 North, was originally acquired in 2005 to provide Public Works access to the Provo River for maintenance. Following a departmental review, it was determined that the property could be sold if access to the river was preserved. The developer agreed to provide this access through a dedicated street and an access area within the subdivision. The property will be sold at its appraised value of $36,000. Ms. Riddle requested approval of the resolution allowing the mayor to dispose of the property and officially designate it as surplus. She also presented a subdivision plat illustrating the planned access road. Chair Garrett opened the floor for public comment. With no comments and no discussion from the council, he proceeded to call for a vote. Vote: The motion was approved 7:0 with Councilors Bogdin, Christensen, Garrett, Handley, Hoban, MacKay, and Whipple in favor. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at approximately 5:50 PM. 11th day of March, 2025 Provo City Council Meeting – February 25, 2025 Page 3 of 3