BRIEF STATEMENTS OF MY POSITIONS

Several people have asked me to post a brief statement of my positions and proposals about various important issues. These are the basics...

HOME OWNERSHIP -- Home ownership is the foundation of a healthy city, but Provo’s ratio of owner-occupied homes to rental homes is seriously out of balance, even for a university town. Every reasonable effort should be made to increase owner-occupancy. I support the Council’s recent actions in this effort, and will vote to expand them.

ZONING ENFORCEMENT -- It’s the law. If it no longer meets the needs of the neighborhood, the law should be changed, not ignored or circumvented. Provo needs an amendment to the recent caretaker ordinance that would allow our seniors, widows, and disabled residents to have a legal basement apartment. I will demand that all homes that receive city money be legally occupied.

DEVELOPMENT -- Provo has done much to “raise the bar” to promote good development, including development agreements, the PRO zone, and enforcing parking standards. I agree with those measures. But more needs to be done, especially on the west side. Infrastructure (roads, sewers, storm drains, sidewalks, parks, etc.) needs to be in place for anticipated growth. “Holes in the program”, which cost developers unnecessarily, need to be filled. I will meet with developers to do that. I applaud those developers who have “hit the mark!”

BUDGET -- Policy-making begins with money-allocating. The Council has the responsibility to oversee, thoroughly, the Mayor’s budget, and by watching carefully where we spend our money, we could save more. I have several ideas on how to get the cash for needed programs, WITHOUT raising taxes!

AIRPORT -- Plans are in the works to make Provo’s airport a “regional facility.” The Airport Master Plan demonstrated the need for the expansion. But landowners around the airport have not been treated fairly, and the Council has not been informed completely of airport developments (including the cost of all off-site improvements.) I will seek appointment to the Airport Board.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS -- Why is Provo building streets and waterlines and parks in some areas of the city, and other areas, which are in much greater need, are going without necessary services? I will review the priorities of all of the CIP
Schedules. I believe the price of that infrastructure should be shared by developers, neighborhoods, and the entire community.

ENERGY DEPARTMENT -- We need a Performance Audit of each division within the Energy Department. Since Provo Power is a public utility, we are the stockholders. We need a better accounting of where the money is going.

GROWTH -- Provo’s General Plan is an inspired document. I will follow it. I will seek public discussion for the 2008 General Plan Update hearings about just how big Provo should get, and where it makes sense to put more development.

SUSTAINABILITY -- I will call for a “Sustainability Forecast” to see where Provo stands with regards to air quality, water conservation, traffic control, open space preservation, recycling participation, and watershed protection. The first step towards improvement is assessment. I will start these important discussions.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT -- Business is essential. Government should not compete with private enterprise. The business community needs to organize a “grass-roots” commission that will advise the Council on all Economic Development issues. All members of the administration need to comply with the policies which the Council, the elected policy-making body, has outlined.

BALANCE OF GOVERNMENT -- Provo’s form of government has TWO separate and equal teams, who should check and balance each other, not rubber stamp decisions.

WORKING WITH OTHERS -- People with sound egos can handle conflict. I trust the other Council members and the Administration. And I’m not afraid of a little controversy. But I will not alienate anybody.

EMPOWERING CITIZENS -- Sympathy and a listening ear are not enough. A Council member has to educate residents with problems about where to go, what to do, and how to do it. The more people are involved, the better the outcome. If you call me with a problem, I will get you involved in the solution.