This is an email I sent out in August, but forgot to post here until now.
SHOUT OUT TO PROVO CITY EMPLOYEES
Over the past few weeks, six or seven people have reached out to me to verify whether a rumor they had heard about my plans for the city was true. The rumor is that, if elected mayor, I would fire all of Provo City’s department heads. This is not true–the thought has never even crossed my mind.
I look forward to working with our City department directors to create a strategic plan and continue to improve our city, and I believe our city employees are Provo’s government’s greatest resource. Regardless, this rumor keeps resurfacing, and city employees and residents are understandably nervous about it, so I wanted to address it directly.
I have said throughout this campaign that Provo City’s employees, including department heads, are amazing. They work hard, have institutional knowledge, and have been responsive and helpful every time I have reached out. I look forward to working with and learning from them if I am elected mayor. I have always supported public employees and have received recognition at the state level for my work on their behalf.
Please, if you hear something about me or another candidate that doesn’t sound quite right, or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me anytime.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
Happy first week of school for K-12! The middle of August seems a bit too early to me to start school–summer is still going strong–but that’s just my preference. UVU starts next week, and BYU starts the day after Labor Day. This means a lot more families and students on the roads: walking, biking, scootering and driving, which leads me to this week’s issue: traffic safety.
Many residents I speak to are concerned about traffic safety and would like cars to slow down and riders of bikes and scooters–expecially electric ones–to be more aware and safety conscious. FYI, Utah law is more restrictive on motorized bikes and scooters than most people realize.
- You must be at least 14 years old to ride an electric bicycle (15 for an electric scooter) on any public property, highway, path, or sidewalk without the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.
- Children under the age of 8 are not allowed to ride motor assisted bikes or scooters on any public property, highway, path, or sidewalk.
My top priority is that everyone stays safe as we get back to school.
DRIVERS
Instances of drivers speeding and ignoring traffic signals have been increasing in Utah. I have watched several vehicles blatantly running red lights in just the past few weeks. This could be from distracted driving, trying to beat the yellow light, or traffic light timing.
Whichever entity is in charge of a particular road—whether it be a state, county or city—can work to ensure proper light timing (and they should), but drivers are ultimately responsible for obeying traffic laws. On average, 3,000 intersection crashes occur in Utah each year due to drivers disregarding traffic signals, resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths annually.
Speeding is also a major factor in accidents and deaths. Ironically, I have watched vehicles obviously going waaay over the speed limit fly down residential streets as I am standing at the door talking to a resident about traffic safety. If we don’t want taxpayer money going towards speed bumps, curb extensions, or other traffic calming measures, let’s just slow down and be safe.
COLLABORATION WITH SCHOOLS
Utah law requires every public school to create a “Safe Routes to School” plan and review it each year. I was a part of creating these plans when my kids were in school, and they are important for providing a safe route for kids to walk or bike to school. Because our boundaries align, Provo City has a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with Provo School District and support them on creating these routes for students. Schools rely on the city to provide crossing guards, design roads to calm traffic, and enforce traffic safety. By initiating collaboration between Provo City and Provo School District, we can reduce school-related traffic for all residents while increasing school-route safety for families.
Luckily, our Provo City Traffic Manager, Vern Kesslar, is the person in the city who coordinates traffic safety, and he is great to work with. Just yesterday, a resident reached out to me about a dangerous intersection on Grandview Hill, and when I called Vern, he was already aware and was studying the problem to find the best solution.
There are other areas where collaboration and cooperation between Provo School District and Provo City would benefit students, families, residents, and the city. I would love the opportunity as mayor to work closely with Provo School District to decrease costs and create better services where possible.
ELECTION RESULTS
I am excited to announce that I will be advancing to the General Election in November! Thank you to each and every one of you who reads my messages and asks hard questions. You make me a better communicator, researcher, and candidate. The Primary election was on Tuesday and you can find the results for all of Utah County HERE. Scroll down to find Provo.
Mayor Kaufusi and I will be on the ballot for the General Election on November 4th, with ballots expected to be mailed on October 14th. I am looking forward to continuing to speak directly with residents and share my ideas for our city.
Quick fact: Provo has 43,871 registered voters, and 11,738 of these voted in the Primary Election, which is not quite 27% (latest published numbers). Local elections have a direct impact on your daily life and are often won or lost by just a few votes, and I hope we have a great turnout for the General!
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about these or other issues. You can also find out more on my website, marshajudkins.com.