Monthly Newsletter - November 2024 | |
Executive Director's Corner | |
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November is all about gratitude and giving! I'm grateful for all of you who support MAG's many efforts to provide expert resources and enrich the lives of those who live in our member municipalities.
Just like last year, I'll use this Giving Season as an opportunity to highlight and encourage support for our Meals on Wheels program. By donating time, service, and especially money to the Meals on Wheels Summit, Utah & Wasatch non-profit, we can ensure that our beloved senior population in all three counties get the meals and support they need. As Utah continues to grow, so do our numbers of seniors, so we know the demand for meals will continue to increase. While State and Federal funding are crucial to meeting the need, we've identified that private donations will be fundamental to the program's continued success both now and in the years to come.
We believe that food is medicine- and so is companionship. Currently, we have more than 300 people on our Meals on Wheels waiting lists who desperately need both, so your help is needed now. You can learn more about supporting this important program at https://mowsuw.org/. We're also excited to announce that this year you can also donate at Giving Machines located at the University Mall in Orem (City Court near Dillards) from Nov. 25 through Jan. 4.
Thank you for all that you do, and will continue to do, to support Meals on Wheels- together we can END THE WAIT!
-Michelle Carroll, MPA
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As the holidays approach, it’s the perfect time to show appreciation and care for our older adult community. This year, we’re excited to offer three meaningful opportunities for you to get involved and make a lasting impact.
Light the World Giving Machine
Donate meals to homebound seniors through The Giving Machines at the University Place Mall. The Giving Machines are open November 25 - January 4. Join the kick-off event on Monday, November 25, at 7 p.m. with special guests.
Socks for Seniors
Help us spread warmth this holiday season! This year, we are gathering socks for the Meals on Wheels Summit, Utah & Wasatch recipients for Christmas. Socks must be new and warm or non-slip. To donate or host a mini-drive, visit mowsuw.org/socks.
Golden Angel Tree
Give Christmas to an older adult or adult with a disability who does not have any support. Sponsors can pick one to sponsor at Angel Tree locations (Smith’s Market Places or Giving Tree at University Mall) or sign up online. Specify that you would like to sponsor a Golden Angel.
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Thank you to everyone who supported Meals on Wheels in Live PC Give PC on November 15!
Meals on Wheels raised $14,080, providing more than 2,300 meals to our homebound senior neighbors.
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MAG provides unbiased personalized Medicare counseling to anyone who has questions during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period. October 15- December 7 is your chance to change your Medicare health or drug coverage for 2025. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare drug plan or switch to Original Medicare during this Open Enrollment Period each year.
If you need help with the process or want personalized counseling, contact one of our Medicare counselors at magutah.gov/medicare.
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Small Business Loan Fund Grant Received! | |
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In September 2024, the Mountainland Small Business Loan Fund received a grant of $10,000.00 from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. This fund was established in 2010 to provide critical financial support to small businesses in our region, particularly those in underserved communities. This infusion of capital will help create and retain jobs, stimulate local economic activity, and foster an environment of entrepreneurial growth.
The revolving nature of the loan fund means that as loans are repaid, the funds will be reinvested into new loans, creating a sustainable cycle of economic support. We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, which will empower us to continue our mission and make a lasting impact in our community!
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Weatherization Program Update | |
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The Weatherization Assistance Program helps income-qualified individuals and families reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The program offers assistance to homeowners, renters and mobile home owners to improve the energy efficiency and safety of their homes so that they hold heat better in the winter and stay cooler in the summer.
Through this program we:
- Perform heating system safety testing
- Perform combustion appliance safety testing
- Repair/replace vent systems to ensure combustion gas draft safely outside
- Install mechanical ventilation to ensure adequate indoor air quality
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when needed
- Evaluate mold/moisture hazards
- Perform incidental safety repairs when needed
- LEAD base paint testing in homes built before 1978
This year we've weatherized 72 homes! For more information please visit our Weatherization Program website.
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Rural Road Safety Plan- Summit and Wasatch Counties | |
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The second of two Safety Action Plans designed to reduce serious injury and fatal
crashes has been approved by the Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) Rural Planning Organization (RPO), which guides transportation development in Summit and Wasatch counties. The RPO plan follows in the footsteps of the Safety Action Plan for Utah County approved on August 1st of this year.
The plan will be used by MAG, along with city and county transportation planners, to improve roadway safety and guide future transportation project development and funding in Summit and Wasatch counties.
The Safety Action Plan is part of a national Safe Streets for All grant program, awarding $5 billion in funds to communities for projects that help prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. For more information about the grant program and to read the completed Safety Action Plan please visit www.mountainlandsafestreets.org.
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Safe Streets Grant Received! | |
MAG has been chosen to receive a federal grant through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. This grant will go towards supplemental planning efforts in Utah County to enhance the Safety Action Plan adopted by the MPO August 1, 2024. The Safety Action Plan identifies the locations where there have been a disproportionate amount of fatal and serious injury crashes within the last five years and proposes countermeasures intended to reduce the number of those crashes. This supplemental planning grant is for additional analysis of intersections with a large number of traffic signal related crashes. The purpose of this analysis is to provide further recommendations of specific countermeasures that MAG partners can implement without the substantial capital costs of major construction projects. It is anticipated that the activities made possible by this grant will ultimately lead to a timely reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes in Utah County. | |
“I'm pleased to see the Mountainland Association of Governments receive this grant to improve pedestrian safety and reduce fatalities or serious injuries at intersections. This is a significant step towards the goal of "Zero Fatalities" in Utah, making our communities safer for everyone.”
Representative John R. Curtis
U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator-Elect
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MAG MPO Public Engagement Plan | |
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This month, the MAG MPO Board adopted a new Public Engagement Plan (PEP). This plan is a complete update from the previous one, adopted in 2019, and signifies a fresh approach to how the MPO engages with the public. The PEP outlines how MAG will communicate with the public about its transportation plans and activities. The plan is divided into three sections:
- Public Engagement: This section outlines how the MPO will inform the public about its activities, committees, and plans.
- MAG MPO and How to Be Involved: This details the various methods the MPO will use to reach out to and involve the public.
- Procedures for Specific Plans and Programs: This involves how the MPO will engage with the public regarding the development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
The PEP goes beyond merely fulfilling the requirement for public outreach at the end of a project. It is a dynamic blueprint designed to ensure that the public and our partners are engaged and informed and can give feedback throughout the planning process. As a region, we aim to create transportation plans that truly serve the community, and your voice is essential to this process! You can find the updated PEP on our website at magutah.gov/public.
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"It's a Major Award!"
MAG's TAG Program Recognized
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Daniel Wayne and MAG's Technical Assistance to Governments (TAG) Program were recently awarded for their efforts by the Utah Transportation Conference.
Communities large and small across MAG's three county region are working diligently to address growth related challenges, including the supply of housing; traffic and mobility; public health and safety; air quality and environmental health; fiscal sustainability; economic development; and other priorities. Perhaps the greatest challenge that local governments may face, however, is the organizational capacity or resources to more fully understand and consider the impacts of growth- to develop context sensitive solutions and collaboratively build consensus around a clear path forward.
MAG’s TAG Program serves this need by furnishing technical consultant services to local governments for a wide variety of studies and community plans. Awardees benefit greatly from having more "hands-on-deck" and access to critical skills and expertise tailored to their unique challenges and opportunities. TAG-funded projects provide the opportunity and means for local government staff and locally elected officials, interagency partners, community stakeholders, and residents to gather together and plan for the future. The process results in the coming together of voices, the identification of shared desires, outcomes, action plans, and other deliverables. These resources are then shared online as a way to be put to use by others as well.
Great work to Dan and the team!
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TAG Efforts for American Fork | |
MAG Transportation Improvement Plan | |
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MAG, together with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), have identified transportation projects totaling more than $3 billion over the next 5 years to improve mobility within Utah Valley. The MAG Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) were recently adopted by MAG and UDOT, respectively, and received approval from the Federal Highways Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
Projects listed in the 2025 MAG TIP help meet current transportation needs while addressing important future priorities throughout the region. Projects are funded with federal, state, and local resources. Major projects in the TIP are selected from Transplan50. MAG works with transportation agencies and local communities to develop Transplan50 and the TIP using extensive analysis and careful planning to identify and prioritize projects for the coming decades.
Earlier this year, MAG completed its biennial selection process, funding 14 new projects across the region totaling over $120 million. Highlights include widening a bridge over the Jordan River at Pony Express Pkwy, expansion of the new Provo Airport terminal that will include international capabilities and a new regional trail along the Strawberry Highline Canal.
UDOT has also added significant projects to the TIP, including the extension of both the Mountainview Corridor and 2100 North freeways, new flex lanes along Pioneer Crossing, and the Corry Wride freeway, which will be added to the TIP early next year. That constitutes the largest transportation investment in Utah County since the I-15 Core project in 2012.
The 2025 MAG TIP can be found at mountainland.org/tip, and the STIP at https://stip.udot.utah.gov/stip/. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Allen, Senior Transportation Planner and TIP Manager, at rallen@magutah.gov or 801-229-3813.
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Local Warming Center Program Needs Volunteers, Blankets, and Supplies for Upcoming Winter Season
Warming centers for individuals who are homeless and seeking warmth and a place to stay for the night will be open nightly from 9pm to 8am through April 30, 2025, and will be in Provo and incorporated Utah County. Volunteers (18 years and older) are needed to help at the warming centers during the evening, late night, and early morning. Those serving will be assisting experienced staff with set up, clean-up, safety, and security and will be providing our homeless friends with care and fellowship. Training is required. To sign up and/or find out more information, go to https://app.vomo.org/opportunity/warming-center.
The warming centers are also in need of tons of blankets and other supplies. To find out what is needed and for drop off instructions, look online at JustServe Warming Center Needs.
For questions or additional information, please contact Kena Mathews at Community Action Services and Food Bank at kenam@casfb.org. Thank you!
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NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE)
The NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) leadership team is excited to announce that the new Innovation Grant program is now open and accepting project pitches through Friday, December 6, 2024. This funding opportunity is designed to support innovative projects that address critical challenges in sustainability, focusing on solutions in the energy, water, and carbon sectors.
The Innovation Grant is catalyzed by the NSF Innovation Engines program and provides non-dilutive funding ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 to startup companies for projects that have the potential to drive meaningful impact in sustainable technology. Our goal is to empower cutting-edge ideas that not only address key environmental challenges but also strengthen the economic and climate resilience of Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
To Apply: Visit Innovation Grant – Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine to access the application portal and review detailed eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, and additional resources. All project pitches must be submitted by Friday, December 6, 2024, at 11:59 PM (MT).
| | For questions, concerns, or comments contact Johnathon Knapton, MAG Communications Manager, at jknapton@magutah.gov or (801)229-3836 | | | | |
