Utah County State of Emergency
Yesterday, the Utah County Commission officially declared a State of Local Disaster due to flooding damage within Utah County. Following is the media advisory that was released.
PROVO (May 31, 2023) -The Utah County Commission has officially declared a state of local disaster due to flooding damage in Utah County. Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner, Chair of the Commission, signed the declaration on May 30, 2023.
Utah County and some affected cities within Utah County have incurred approximately $10,218,000.00 in flood related damages thus far. Due to the extremely wet year that we have experienced, Utah County has set aside $2,000,000 in their 2023 budget for potential flooding expenses. Declaring a state of emergency allows the county to also apply for additional state and federal funding.
Utah County Emergency Management, Public Works, and local municipalities have been diligently working together to prepare for flooding and mitigate risks of flood damage for the past several months in anticipation of flooding. The state of emergency will remain in effect for the next 30 days unless terminated sooner or extended by the Utah County Commission.
May Interim
The legislature met in our Interim Committees a couple of weeks ago. The Office of legislative Research and General Council (OLRGC) prepares a newsletter that provides summaries of what was discussed in each committee and access links for the reports and presentation. Here is a link to the May Interim Meeting Highlight Report.
In case you are either really interested or need something to help you fall asleep, prior editions of Interim Highlights may be found at https://le.utah.gov/lrgc/interimHighlights.jsp.
Our next Interim meetings will be held June 13th and 14th.
| Be Heard: Take the New Guiding Our Growth Survey |
| Interested in the impacts of population growth in Utah? Want to make sure your voice is part of the conversation about your community’s future? Take the new Guiding Our Growth survey at https://guidingourgrowth.utah.gov/. Preserving Utah’s unique quality of life requires carefully weighing the impacts of potential decisions about housing, open space, water, transportation, and more.This new survey leads participants through zip-code-specific options for dealing with growth challenges. The answers aren’t easy, but the best solutions require collaboration and facing the toughest decisions head-on. Utah leaders statewide invite the public to share their opinions about how to guide Utah’s growth. The survey will extend through the summer. Results will direct the “big ideas” required in the near future to ensure the best Utah possible for future generations. Take the time to be heard. |
| Click here to take the Survey |
| You Can Help Spread the Word! |
| From now until the end of August, Guiding Our Growth will be spreading the word about the survey on their social media accounts. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and help raise awareness for the survey by re-posting, commenting, and tagging your friends and family. |
Looking for Ways to Serve?
Find fun and meaningful ways to spend summer with your family at the Show Up for Summer Service event on June 5th from 4 to 8 pm at Thanksgiving Point! Join First Lady Abby Cox and connect with local non-profits to find the perfect service opportunity and make a difference in your community. You’ll also enjoy some serious summer fun with food trucks, lawn games, and epic giveaways! Admission is FREE, so come make a day of it! Learn more at www.showuputah.org. See you there!
This and That
House staff sent a brief update on some of the things that are going on in the state. Here are a few things from the list that I thought at least some of you might be interested in.
UDOT/UTA Estimate FrontRunner Double Track Project to be Complete in 2029
On May 2, UDOT and UTA provided an update on the FrontRunner strategic double tracking project.
- In the 2023 session, $232M one-time funds were appropriated for the project that will be used for double tracking, purchasing ten additional trains to accommodate more frequent trains and signal improvements.
- The project will double track 50% of the front runner line, an increase from the current 24%, which will allow UTA to decrease the time between each train to15 minutes during peak travel times and 30 minutes during non-peak hours. Currently trains travel every 30 min during peak times and every hour during non-peak times. They didn’t mention it, but it should also allow for Sunday Frontrunner service, something I have repeatedly asked about, but to which I have not gotten a satisfactory response.
- The project is currently in the first phase: environmental study. I was surprised and disappointed to learn that the overall project is projected to be complete in 2029. I thought (and hoped) it would be done sooner.
- Video of the presentation and future updates can be found here.
Utah Substance Abuse and Mental Health Advisory Council Highlights Shortfalls in Mental Health Services
- On April 27, the Office of Professional and Licensing Review (OPLR) Director Jeff Shumway presented initial findings from OPLR’s review of behavioral health practitioner licensing, including the need to improve both access and safety.
- A significant number of Utahns need but are not currently receiving mental and behavioral health treatment. (I am so not surprised by this. You might remember that I sponsored a bill that would provide for researched based, long-term, appropriate care for those with serious mental illness. It passed, but only received $1 million in funding–less than a fifth of the funding I asked for, and far less than the hundreds of millions appropriated for building renovations and construction. Priorities.)
- Unfortunately, data shows that Utah experienced a high incidence of patient complaints against behavioral health providers compared to other states.
- OPLR is currently developing and vetting recommendations, which it will report to the Business and Labor Committee during Interim.
Health Policy Conference Discusses Utah Healthcare Costs and Challenges
On April 26, the State of Reform Health Policy Conferencemet at the Salt Palace and panelists:
- Praised several bills from the 2023 legislative session, including expanded Medicaid family planning, extended postpartum, dental, and autism coverage.
- Discussed measures to control growth in healthcare costs, such as by replacing fee-for-service with outcome-based models and addressing high costs of specialty prescription drugs.
- Highlighted workforce challenges, including shortages in rural Utah, licensure, and recruitment and retention tools, such as efforts to expand availability of in-state residency and clinical programs.
I hope you are enjoying the brief moments of sunshine we have been getting. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Have a great day!