My Hometown First Anniversary

In April, Provo’s MyHometown Initiative (MHI) will be celebrating its first anniversary.

MHI, a pilot program that was first started in West Valley City, has been operating in the Pioneer Park and South Freedom areas with three areas of focus:

1) Community Resource Center (CRC): During this year of operation, the following classes and activities have been offered: English as a second language (ESL), Financial Skills, Computer Skills, Personal Wellness, Care for Seniors, Basic Coding, Boys Soccer, Art, Community Resource Introduction (Immigration, Start Your Own Business, etc.), Kindergarten Preparation, Toddler Playgroups, Tutoring, Circles, Piano, and 4-H. There have been 664 people attend the CRC with over 200 graduates from the ESL and Computer Skills Courses.

2) Days of Service (DOS): There have been 66 Days of Service projects which included painting, yard clean-up, landscaping, community garden clean-up, tree removal, fence repairs, etc. These service projects are planned and organized by MyHometown Initiative volunteers together with the neighborhood residents, block captains, and Provo City. Residents who can, will pay for the materials for projects on their property. If they are unable to pay, volunteers will rally to help to procure donated materials, equipment and expertise.

3) Social Events: Throughout the year the MHI hosts various social events to help bring neighbors together to get to know each other. These events have included: movie night, block parties, pool parties, barbecues, family fun night at the park, etc. There have been six social activities which have had over 3,700 people participate.

The MyHometown Initiative has been successful because of the dedicated volunteers. As of January 2023, we have over 32,148 hours of service donated for our events, Community Resource Center, and Days of Service.

The MyHometown initiative is not only addressing improvement to the exterior of people’s homes through home repair and beautification projects, but also improving relationships and resiliency inside the homes by offering opportunities for learning and relationship building at the CRC.

To learn more, visit: www.provo.org/community/my-hometown-initiative

Flood Plans for Spring Runoff

While the record-breaking snowpack is helpful for drought conditions, Provo City is actively preparing for potential flooding as a precautionary measure. Our Flood Preparation Committee began meeting weekly in February.

“Since the last major flood 40 years ago, Provo has been improving its storm water system as the city continues to grow and develop. We are currently planning and coordinating with internal and external agencies to prepare for any type of flood emergency, including identifying areas with the biggest flood risk and developing routes to divert water to protect the residents and homes.” - David Decker, Provo City Public Works Director

Our crews are working on flood prevention by cleaning our storm drains and clearing away vegetation or runoff materials that could clog the system. Crews will also clear the Provo River of debris impeding water flow. Residents can help by keeping gutters and storm drains clear of any yard waste and garbage.

We have also secured sandbags to add to our existing inventory. Should flooding occur, the city will notify residents of sand bag pick-up locations. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the State Street flooding, with many comparing the snowpack conditions then and now.

“We are monitoring areas with excessive snowpack to determine water volume and better understand potential flood risks should the warming weather create concerns,” said Decker.

Provo City is prepared for potential flooding. Our expert crews are doing the preparation work necessary to safeguard potential flood areas while being properly supplied with sandbags and equipment to quickly respond.

As we monitor and prepare for potential floods, we ask that residents help by keeping an eye out for flooding. If you notice any blocked storm drains, please contact Provo 311 or the Public Works Storm

Water Division at 801-852-6700. If the likelihood of flooding increases, we will release additional information to help residents know how to prepare and volunteer to help in case of an emergency.

Part of Provo’s water management approach is to take advantage of wet years similar to this one. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) projects allow the city to store excess water in our aquifers, helping replenish declining groundwater levels.

1984 Provo Flooding Facts:

• The sandbag channel in Slate Canyon had over 90,000 sandbags, over 2,625 tons of sand, two vehicular bridges and eight pedestrian bridges.

• It took 1,455 volunteers a total of over 3,770 hours to construct the Slate Canyon channel.

• Additionally, over 3,280 volunteers have contributed a total of 5,190 hours in filling and moving other sandbags to-date

Provo's Spring Cleaning Guide!

Starting Monday, Provo City is providing dumpsters free of charge to help you clear out unwanted items, declutter, spruce up your yard, etc. Take a look at the information below for dumpster locations, transfer station coupons, compost yard hours, and more!

Spring Cleanup Dumpsters

Dispose of trash, yard waste, and metals free of charge using dumpsters located throughout the city March 20 – April 29, Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Dumpsters at the Compost Yard are available during spring cleanup from Monday - Saturday, 7:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Please separate the yard waste and metals from the trash and put them in the appropriate dumpsters. The dumpsters will be closed nightly, and it is unlawful to leave items on the ground.

Dumpster Schedule

• March 20 - March 25 | Pole Yard, 2027 W 820 N

• March 27 - April 1 | Pole Yard, 2027 W 820 N

• April 3 - April 8 | Rock Canyon Park, 2620 N 1200 E

• April 10 - April 15 | Rock Canyon Park, 2620 N 1200 E

• April 17 - April 22 | Peaks Arena, 100 N Seven Peaks Blvd

• April 24 - April 29 | Footprinters Park, 1150 S 1350 W

• March 20 - April 29 | Provo Compost Yard, 1625 S Industrial Pkwy

Unacceptable Items

Items that may NOT be placed in the Clean-Up Dumpsters include:

• Concrete, Blocks, Bricks, Dirt, Rocks, and Sod

• Paints, Solvents, Household Chemicals, Pesticides, Used Oil, and Bulk Liquids

• Auto Parts, Tires, and Batteries

• Refrigerators, Freezers, AC Units, and items containing refrigerants

For information on how to dispose of these items and others, visit www.SUVSWD.org/what-to-do-with

Provo Compost Yard

The City Compost Yard is located at 1625 S Industrial Pkwy in Provo and is open Mon-Sat 7AM-5PM during Spring Cleanup. After the cleanup is over it will only be open Fri-Sat weather dependent.

Depending on availability, organic compost will be on hand for purchase to residents at $3 per yard, and to nonresidents at $6 per yard.

Green waste drop-off is available for residents free of charge during Spring Cleanup, and for a $5 fee per pickup truck or trailer up to 16' for each drop-off after Spring Cleanup dates.

No lumber, building material, sod, stumps, treated wood, logs over 10" in diameter or trash is accepted at the compost yard. No loads from commercial haulers or landscapers will be accepted.

Transfer Station

Provo residents may take trash directly to the South Utah Valley Solid Waste District transfer station (2450 W 400 South, Springville) free of charge using the coupon found in the city newsletter, March 20 – April 29, during normal business hours, Monday – Saturday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Your “Solid Waste Transfer Coupon” is good for one pickup truck or single-axle trailer load. You must show Provo ID (driver's license or utility bill).

All loads MUST be covered and secured (tarp, tie downs) or a $10.00 fee will be applied per 8-foot length. Multiple dump passes cannot be combined to pay for larger loads. No commercial loads, residents only.

Visit https://www.suvswd.org/ for more information.

Yard Waste Recycling

Turn your organic yard waste into plant nourishing compost. Sign up for Green Can Yard Waste Collection by calling (801) 852-6000. Green cans are picked up once a week from February 28 – December 1. Your green yard waste cans will be emptied the same day as your regular garbage pickup. Please have your cans on the side of the road by 6:00 am.

Make sure that you are only putting yard waste in your green cans. We are unable to pick up green cans with unacceptable materials in them.

No rocks, dirt, sod, paper, building materials, stumps, roots or animal waste.

The lid should be able to close – brush/limbs no longer than 3’ or hanging over can.

Unwanted Bicycles

Unwanted bicycles can be donated to Provo Bicycle Collective, a local nonprofit. This organization of bicycle enthusiasts refurbished nearly 500 bicycles last year and sent them back out into the local community. Depending on the quality and condition of your bike, it may be fixed by volunteers and given away to individuals in need, refurbished by professional mechanics and sold to fund the shop, or stripped for parts and recycled.

You can be assured that no bike donation goes to waste here and each bike is fully repaired and safety-inspected before leaving the shop for its new owner. Please see their website for shop location and hours. Tax-deductible receipts will be provided for your donation upon request.