Unity - A Page from Mayor Curtis' Book

Four years ago, then Mayoral candidate John Curtis called for greater unity in our city as part of his campaign platform.  I believe we’ve made important inroads in this area and I want to continue these efforts.

Campaigns often by their nature can be divisive.  I believe for the most part my opponent and I have each run issues-based campaigns.  We’ve had the occasional skirmish here and there but nothing substantive.  It has been an honor to run WITH Dave. And really, that’s the word – with - I’ve come to use more often than the term “against.” 

I really like our new city slogan; “Welcome Home.”  And just like in a home you have different members of a family with different opinions and desires.  The home has different rooms, features, a front yard, and a back yard. But all of those things make up that home.  I hope that I can be the type of representative that can recognize when certain areas of our home-city are being ignored.  Or that I can be the voice for a minority opinion that happens to be right, but may not be popular. 

In Provo we have many common values, beliefs, and characteristics that bring us together.  I hope that we can continue to build on these foundational pillars.  At the same time Provo is growing.  There is competition for resources, attention, and differences of opinion on the direction we take our city. 

Taken April 3, 2009 after a meeting in John's home.

I hope we can continue to have these discussions about these important issues in a respectable and constructive dialogue.  One of the things I’ve really come to admire about Mayor Curtis is that he really believes a good idea can come from anyone – regardless of party affiliation, area of the city, economic status, student, renter, homeowner, etc. 

I will take a page from the Mayor’s book.

As your next city-wide representative I will work to be more inclusive in giving all residents of our city a voice. 

Ethics in Provo

A number of people have indicated along the campaign trail that they are concerned about elected officials profiting whether financially or personally in some other way from their public service.  I want to share two ideas I would work towards implementing to help ensure the public trust in those we elect locally.

1. A two year “cooling off” period.

I would like to see former council members looking to lobby the city, wait at least two years before representing clients before the city – whether it be the Planning Commission, Council itself, Community Development, or seeking any type of contract with the city.

The idea of former officials turning around and lobbying the very bodies they were once a part of so soon after leaving office is in my opinion inappropriate.  This is what is referred to as the “Revolving Door” of politics.  The relationships and influence among former colleagues is too familiar immediately after leaving office.  This is something I’ve been concerned about at all levels of government for some time.  I wrote a short blog post about this topic over four years ago.  You can see my original post – “The Never Ending Revolving Door” here.

Our state legislature a few years ago passed a similar measure requiring a one year gap. I would like to copy that policy at our city level but I feel that two years is more appropriate given our city’s two year election cycle.


2. A city lobbyist registry.

Provo does not currently maintain a lobbyist registry.  Our State requires a lobbyist to register with the Lt. Governor’s office. I feel we should know who the lobbyists are in our city.  The state has already outlined a fairly reasonable registration and reporting process as a potential template to look to for Provo.

I’m anxious to start this dialogue.  I believe these two measures would likely meet little resistance from the Council and would go a long ways to establishing trust in our local officials.

This isn’t something I’m writing about for political expediency or simply because I’m a candidate.  Ethics in government is something I’ve been watching for some time.   I’ve listed several ethics related blog posts I’ve written over the years below.


Transparency ( 9/30/2009)

Declaring Conflicts of Interest on the Provo City Council (9/23/2010)

Ethics involving anonymous letters (7/13/2010)

My thoughts on offering staff positions to campaign staffers before the election (9/30/2009)
 

Can’t get into Zions or Bryce? Try Provo

Many of us have looked at our at federal government with great frustration and disdain over the last week or so as the Fed’s have shutdown our national parks.  With the federal government owning so much of our land in Utah, this is a big deal.  The surrounding communities near the Parks rely heavily on those tourist dollars to sustain their local economies.  It appears a short term solution from our Governor will temporarily fund the national parks. I’m pleased to see the proactive measures he’s taken.

While people were literally locked out of our great parks I wondered why more people don’t consider visiting Provo?  Provo Canyon’s colors are wonderful right now.  Sundance and Deer Creek Reservoir are just minutes away. The Canyon boasts two beautiful waterfalls – Bridal Veil and the Upper Falls with one of the best river trails in the country.  And let’s face it, if Rock Canyon were anywhere in Southern Utah it would be a state park or a national park by itself – it is that beautiful, and has a number of great hiking trails, and rock climbing features for climbers of all skill levels.

Oh, and did I mention the huge fresh water lake on our western border?  Boating, fishing, and camping are all available. 

In the Economic Development Strategic Plan the hospitality and tourism industry was cited as a potential economic opportunity for Provo to pursue.  With all our wonderful amenities I say why not? 

Provo is blessed with a number of natural treasures.  We may not be Zion’s or Bryce but I invite all those who are disappointed to not be able to see our national parks to spend a few days in the heart of Utah County.  I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Shutdown Solution - Let's get Local

Last night after dropping some campaign door-hangers with my family we went to Macy's for ice-cream (I've found ice-cream is the primary currency with my kids when it comes time for campaign help).  I think I might as well set up my campaign headquarters at the Macy's Deli because I probably bumped into six or seven supporters that stopped to ask me how the campaign was going.

One friend lamented how frustrated she was at the Federal Government shutdown.  Although, I'm running for local office this topic often comes up during my discussions on people's doorsteps.  Having spent some time back in Washington DC, first as a graduate student on the Senate side, and then as a Legislative Analyst on the House side a few years later, I can certainly sympathize with the frustration.

Even working on Capitol Hill I could sense how difficult it was to truly make a difference.  Even a member of Congress was still just one of 535 people clamoring to be heard; let alone the single citizen trying to petition the Federal Government for some sort of change.  That's why I'm excited for the potential opportunity to serve locally.

Speaker Boehner and Nancy Pelosi will never drive our streets. Their children and grandchildren will never go to our schools.  They are so far removed from our daily lives that in many respects it's insulting when they claim they understand what the average family or small business needs or goes through everyday.

While we all feel a sense of helplessness regarding our government at the federal level let's do what we can in our local communities.  We best understand our local challenges and are better equipped to come up with solutions. Heck, I'll take Mayor John Curtis over Harry Reid any
day!

So to Congress, I say - grow-up, get back to work, and try to stay out of our way would you?

Getting to Know Each Other

As I’ve been meeting new people, one of the first questions they ask is about my background.  Really, I think I’m just like many of you.  I’m committed to my family and community, and I have demonstrated that commitment through my civic service and business experience.


Family and Education

Like a lot of us in Provo – my wife Amy and I met at BYU.  We have lived in Provo for over 12 years and we have four (smart and super cute) children.

I studied political science at BYU.  As an undergraduate I had the special opportunity to be an intern at the Utah State Legislature for my dad, Lloyd Frandsen who represented South Jordan.  I guess you could say I really got my start in politics by helping my dad with his campaigns.

Following graduation I worked in the market research industry for a few years before entering business school at the University of New Mexico where I earned an MBA with a concentration in Policy and Planning.


Am I Qualified?

I believe I have a unique mix of professional government and private sector experiences that Provo needs right now. Soon after earning my MBA I took a position at Nu Skin in their marketing research department. I was, along with many others, subject to cost cutting measures while at Nu Skin and was laid off in 2006.   I can empathize with those who have had to drive home and tell their spouses that they have just lost their job. It was an experience I hope to never go through again. I know first hand how critical economic stability is.

Through some fortunate connections I soon found a job working on Congressman Chris Cannon’s re-election campaign.  Following the successful campaign I was hired to work in the Congressional office in Washington DC as a legislative analyst.  It was a thrill and an honor to work with some of the brightest minds in our nation’s capitol.  I assisted the Congressman on issues regarding military affairs, education, social security, and small business.

Following my time in the Congressman’s office I worked as the Chief Operating Officer with Franchise Foundry, a business development firm.  We helped launch a number of start-up franchise systems with numerous units throughout the country.  Currently I help young businesses establish credit lines and secure other sources of funding as the Small Business Funding Director for Prosper Inc. in Provo.


Am I Really Committed to Provo? 

I have served on the Provo City Planning Commission and I am currently a board member of the Provo Foundation. I’ve volunteered and worked on several local campaigns including Mayor Curtis, Laura Cabanilla, Gary Winterton, and Gary Garrett.

Click this link to see my family's recent volunteer efforts with the flood damage clean-up in Lion's Park.


I love to spend time with my family (my campaign schedule has to work around soccer games.) BYU football and basketball, gardening, Downton Abbey and Dancing with the Stars make up my ”just for fun list.” I also have a fondness for chocolate donuts.

The best part about a campaign is meeting people. I hope to meet you soon.  Please visit my events page for upcoming debates and cottage meetings.  If you have specific questions call anytime.

Sincerely,

Ryan
801.369.5790

Cottage Meeting

I had a great time visiting the Riverside Neighborhood last night.  Special thanks to Kim Scoville for hosting and Jeff Rust and Gary Winterton for being the co-hosts.

From left to right: Jeff Rust, Ryan Frandsen, Councilman Gary Winterton.

Coming Together

Me with former Neighborhood Chair Kristi Jensen

Over the weekend my family and I helped clean up some of the flood damage in Lion's Park.  The huge storm Provo experienced several weeks ago left the west-side stair case covered in rocks, mud, and dirt.

It was tough work for sure!  When we arrived at 9am, there were just a handful of volunteers and the task looked daunting.  We were met at the bottom of the hill by a volunteer coordinator from Parks and Recreation.  She directed us to some 5 gallon buckets that people were already starting to fill half full with rocks and dirt that had eroded from the hillside to the bottom of the hill and steps. We then had to carry those buckets up the steps and deposit the dirt and rocks into the different trenches that the water had carved out of the hill.

With just a handful of early arrivals we started carrying the buckets up the hill.  It was heavy and hard work.  My kids together with some other children, would take the buckets that had been carried up the steps, dump them in the trenches then run them back down the hill to be refilled and carried back up the hill.  We did that for about 20 - 30 minutes, until the cavalry arrived.  More and more volunteers started trickling in from the neighborhood and then a large group of BYU students arrived and the machine really got rolling!

With the BYU crew now helping we could form a sort of fire bucket brigade.  The buckets were still heavy but many hands made for quick work.  By the time we left the huge dirt pile at the bottom of the hill was removed and the crews started working up the hill shoveling off the dirt that had piled up further up the steps.

It was great to see so many people from the community come together and help.  Lion's park is a beautiful place. My children have played soccer games there and we've had a number of church and other activities in the pavilion.  It felt wonderful to be able to help with a project so close to home.

Thank you to all the neighbors who helped and thank you to all those BYU student's with the strong backs and shoulders!

Below are few more photos of the the crew in action.

Brent Hall filling buckets

Frandsen kids running buckets back down the hill.

Bucket brigade starting to take shape

The full machine in motion!

Is Provo in Danger of Losing our Billion Dollar Row?

About a month or so ago, the online magazine PandoDaily published an article regarding Provo's "Billion Dollar Row" - the series of businesses (Ancestry.com, Vivint, and Qualitrics) all located in the Riverwoods business complex.  It was exciting for Provo to have these businesses highlighted.  It showed that Provo does have a legitimate big-business community.

In the last week I've spoken to representatives from two of the three businesses mentioned in the article.  Each indicated how difficult it is for them as primarily technology-based companies to attract and retain talent.  One of the three is actively looking to relocate.  As I spoke with them, two common themes emerged:

1) Provo has a perception problem
2) The Riverwoods is a difficult place to get to


The Perception Problem

Even with two major universities churning out new graduates every year, these companies are still looking for talent.  And it's not that BYU and UVU don't generate talent, it's that these companies value and need diversity of experience and ideas in order to develop new products and stay competitive in the global marketplace. To see a recent example see this article on the state of technology companies in Utah County.

Provo is seen as boring, unwelcoming, and lacking in diversity.  This is something that I don't necessarily agree with entirely, but perception is reality.  I don't think Provo can change overnight, but I believe it is happening.  We are starting to see a more diverse downtown with a bustling nightlife starting to take hold.  For the regular family this may not be a big deal, but for a company wanting to recruit experienced workers from throughout the country we need to continue to see these types of things happen.

I remember LDS President Hinckley during the 2002 Olympics welcoming the world to Utah and promising them they could get a drink here.  Now I don't drink, myself, but I agree with President Hinckley's thinking.  We are unique in Provo and that is okay, but folks need to know we really are a welcoming city and they can still have a good time here.

We have a wonderful quality of life here and we need to do a better job selling Provo.  If Rock Canyon were in southern Utah it would be a state park or national monument.  It is a city treasure.  Sundance is 20 minutes away.  Utah Lake makes up our western border, BYU and all it has to offer make Provo truly a destination place if we want it to be.  But for companies looking to attract talent we need to highlight these great amenities and toot our own horn!


The Access Problem

To the second concern; the problem with the Riverwoods (I work there) is that it is in the farthest north east corner of the city.  It is outside our commercial business area and traffic is slow getting there.  It takes me about 20 minutes to drive from 8th North in Provo to the Riverwoods on most days.  Many workers commuting there from other cities, exit I-15 then drive through Orem Center Street or 8th North in Orem to get to work.  They shop in Orem on their way to work and shop in Orem on their way home.  Provo should be capturing those retail sales!

I believe I have a relatively bold idea.  We need to take a serious look at the East Bay/Southern Provo Corridor.  Specifically, we need to consider expanding the Novell campus area for both professional office and retail space.  In my plan that includes developing on the golf course property.  If we want a golf course in the city there are a number of other areas we could look at (such as by the lake near the airport, or in Provo Canyon).  But I believe the current property could be put to better use.

East Bay and the golf course property is near the Frontrunner intermodal hub, I-15, and the Provo Airport.  That location would allow employees easy access via I-15 and bring in additional traffic to help bouy our stores in that part of town - namely the Provo Towne Center which has a number of empty stores right now (we almost lost Sears a year ago!).


Vision

I believe we need this type of vision and forward thinking if our city is to remain relevant economically.  These are strong wonderful companies that create jobs for our local economy and provide opportunites for our local talent to further develop their skills.  New spin off businesses are often generated from companies like these.  We are losing too many good businesses that once started in Provo to Lehi (Property Solutions and Omniture now Adobe are two examples) where they have easy access via I-15 and their employees can live in Salt Lake where the perception is that Salt Lake County has a better quality of life.  Provo can and we must do better. 

Joint School Board and City Council Meeting

Dixon Middle School

The Provo City Council held a joint meeting with the Provo School District several weeks ago week in the City Council conference room.  I was present at the meeting and enjoyed the discussion.  The Council staff posted a summary of the meeting on their blog that you can find here.

A couple of takeaways for me:

1) This needs to happen regularly and with this level of detailed discussion.  I understand these meetings are scheduled on a quarterly basis. The two bodies need to be communicating regularly and in detail.  While each serves a different purpose they still represent the same people - the citizens of Provo.

2) The current safety and condition of our public schools is the most important issue facing Provo as a whole right now (and few people even realize it).  The Council and the Mayor have been diligently working on a solution for road maintenance and construction.  This is clearly in their sphere of responsibility and I believe they are on the right track with the Utility Transportation Fund proposal.  But those dollars pale in comparison to the $132,000,000 need the School District has for school repair and replacement.

That's right over $130,000,000 in need! To put things in perspective the Rec Center bond was for $39,000,000.

Part of me is shocked that we're at this level of need.  But if you've been in several of our city's schools you will know they are in serious disrepair. Just as part of the campaign process I've been in three of our schools that left me bewildered at their condition - Rock Canyon Elementary, Wasatch Elementary, and Dixon Middle School (where my children are likely to attend) are old and in need of serious work.  Our children need a safe environment to learn and safety when it comes to our children is one thing I AM NOT willing to compromise on. 

The District is finalizing their numbers but they believe they need $90m to bring our city's schools up to par.  The gap between the $130m and $90m as I understand it will be made up in money already budgeted for maintenance and partly from money that would be saved by doing the repairs and updates now.

3) This is a game changer for the future of Provo.  If the City's residents approve the $90m bond (it would require a public vote in 2014) that adds a significant burden on us as taxpayers.  The City Council and Administration need to recognize this and that will have a real impact on the City's options for future plans.  Including projects such as rebuilding the fire station on North Canyon Road and future plans for the city center - both projects discussed at this meeting. 

As someone with a young family this is very important to me. I believe this is a classic "need vs wants" situation and this clearly falls within the "need" category.  We all need to start paying attention and get both informed and involved. I've had several conversations with various members of the School Board who are sincere, informed, and passionate about our children's eduction. Seeing the need that the District faces and given the data that's been presented so far I am inclined to support the District's bond efforts.   Certainly, the District will be coming forward with their formal plans and the details need to be discussed, but this is a big deal and we need to start paying attention and getting informed. Visit Provo.edu for the latest information.

A Thank You Zucchini

A prize zucchini and thank you note

One of the best parts of the campaign is meeting so many wonderful people.  I've had a number of people who have been gracious enough throughout the campaign to let me borrow a corner of their yard for a yard sign. 

This afternoon I dropped off a short thank you note to one of those families.  As I approached the housee I happened to catch the wife while she was out watering her garden. As we visited for a little while she said they had had a bit of a bumper crop (my word not hers) when it came to zucchini and she offered me two to take home! 

So not only did I get a great sign location but I walked away with two zucchinis. Zucchini bread here we come!