https://youtu.be/lnBmOCt6E7g

On a cold and cloudy day last January, the City Council and I met with some of our city staff to brainstorm ways we could uplift, renew, and improve the city. We discussed this for hours, and many different ideas were shared, but the one thing we all kept returning to was the power of service to unify and transform the city.  

 

We had heard great things about a program called myHometown and its success in other early adopting cities like Provo, Ogden, and West Valley. MyHometown is a community-led initiative that focuses on bettering communities one neighborhood at a time through education, connection, and, of course, service. 

 

We had heard stories of myHometown volunteers revitalizing aging neighborhoods, renewing landscapes, and providing educational opportunities through Community Resource Centers. Their mission is to lift the lives of residents and attract individuals and families who want to move in, stay, and contribute to the long-term viability of the community.

 

Every one of your elected officials believed that partnering with myHometown was the right first step in achieving this aim, and I’m happy to report that just nine months after our initial discussion, Orem is now a myHometown city and our first community resource center will open this month in the Geneva Heights neighborhood.

 

Anyone in the city can now sign up for free classes taught every Tuesday and Thursday evening. The current offerings include English as a second language, Spanish as a second language, mental health tools, youth piano lessons, and homework tutoring. To help families with young children, the Community Resource Center also offers on-site childcare so parents can attend the classes.

 

In addition to the free classes, extensive neighborhood service projects will be organized to beautify and revitalize the area. Volunteers from all over the city will come to lend a hand and help people get back on their feet. 

 

As your Mayor, I’ll be the first to tell you that the government doesn’t have all the answers to solve our community’s problems. It will take all of us working and serving together to make Orem what it truly can be. 

 

Learn more, register for a class, or sign up to volunteer at orem.org/mht.  

 

This is just the beginning of what we anticipate will be a revolutionary effort to renew Orem neighborhoods. We’re excited about the future and what the MyHometown initiative will do for our community! 

 

I’ll see you next month!

 

  

Orem is set to welcome the MyHometown Initiative, which is a partnership between the City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other local religious institutions, partnering community organizations, and community members. Over the past several years, this initiative has launched successfully in four other Utah cities (Provo City, Salt Lake City, West Valley City, and Ogden City) and is aimed at improving the lives of and opportunities for residents.

This initiative will officially launch in Orem’s Geneva Heights Neighborhood this fall, beginning with the opening of a Community Resource Center (CRC) at the Latter-day Saint Stake Center located at 546 N 500 W. The CRC will provide free weekday classes and lessons for adults and children, including English as a Second Language, Computer Skills, Beginning Piano, Sewing, and more. Beginning next spring, the initiative will expand with regular Days of Service, which are neighborhood service projects where neighbors and volunteers join together on cleanup and home improvement projects.

The MyHometown organization will provide all of the volunteers to manage and staff the Community Resource Center and the volunteers for the Days of Service projects. The City will provide background checks for volunteers, tools and equipment and dumpsters for Days of Service projects, and staff to manage the Days of Service projects.

Learn More

Each year the Orem Police Department collects hundreds of bicycles throughout the city that are lost or stolen. These bicycles are then booked into our evidence and held for 365 days to allow owners to claim their property.  At the end of this period, several of these bicycles still go unclaimed and end up in our police auction. If you have a gently used, newer model bicycle that you'd like to donate, call 801-229-7026 and they will help you coordinate a time to drop it off. We also accept monetary donations online. Click here to donate and select PUBLIC SAFETY. Follow those steps and add RIDE IT FORWARD as the note on the donation.  

Orem was just named a Utah Healthy Community by Get Healthy Utah and the Utah League of Cities and Towns. This designation recognizes communities across Utah that do an exemplary job of implementing evidence-based strategies to improve community health. Mayor Young, Council members Jenn Gale, Jeff Lambson, Tom Macdonald, David Spencer, LaNae Millett, and City Manager Brenn Bybee received the award on the city's behalf.  From the award write-up: "Orem City is busy doing many things to support health in their community! To support physical activity, the city offers free and low-cost community sports programs for adults and children, addressed active transportation connectivity gaps between key destinations, and adopted an ordinance that requires all new subdivisions to provide sidewalks and lights. To support access to healthy food, Orem established a farmer’s market that accepts SNAP benefits, actively promotes enrollment in SNAP, WIC, and other food access programs for those in need, and implemented a new worksite wellness strategy around healthy eating among city employees. Orem City also prioritizes mental health by training first responders on mental health crises and suicide prevention, hosting senior lunch gatherings, and beautifying several social gathering spaces including its local parks."

State of the City Event Recording

https://youtu.be/Y1B9cjnqA-0

This past year was one for the record books as elected officials, city staff, volunteers, and city residents teamed up to get an unprecedented number of things accomplished. The full list of accomplishments, awards, and goals for the future was compiled into a booklet that is available online.

View the State of the City Booklet

Mayor's State of the City Video

https://youtu.be/33uvzgmo7sU

City Council's State of the City Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwrWHGsy6vc