June 2024

Mayor's Message | June 2024

In this month's message, Mayor Dave Young honors the 2,177 veterans buried in the Orem City Cemetery and invites us all to honor their legacy and memory by being great community members.

You can read the full message here.

City Council Message

from Councilmember Tom Macdonald

We just wrapped up our 85th annual Oremfest and what a wonderful week it was! We rolled out several new fun activities this year and we hope you got the chance to enjoy the festivities with your friends and loved ones. We love Oremfest because it is a celebration of all the things that make Orem such a wonderful community.

Val Peterson served as our Grand Marshal this year and we are so grateful for his service to our nation, state and community. He is a retired National Guard general, elected state representative, and a key leader at Utah Valley University. It was great to have UVU represented in Oremfest because it is such an important part of our city and contributes so much to making Orem awesome. 

A special thanks to our incredible Oremfest volunteers and city staff who work tirelessly to bring this beloved tradition to life each year. Their dedication and nearly year-round efforts ensure that Oremfest remains one of Utah’s best summer events. The countless hours they invest behind the scenes, planning and executing every detail, are the reason why Oremfest continues to grow and improve.

We also extend our gratitude to the local businesses who sponsor Oremfest. Their generous support lifts much of the financial burden off the city and helps us provide all the fun activities. These partnerships are vital, and their commitment to our community makes it all happen. 

Now that summer has officially started, we hope you take advantage of all that Orem has to offer. Enjoy our beautiful parks, explore the majestic mountains, or cool off at one of our splash pads or pools. Our city is filled with opportunities for fun, relaxation, and adventure, and we encourage you to make the most of them.

We look forward to many more celebrations and community gatherings in the future. Have a safe and wonderful summer!

Councilmember Tom Macdonald

Upcoming City Council Meetings

TUESDAY, JULY 9th

You can join Orem City Council meetings in person or online. Just visit orem.org/meetings to see the agendas and start times for upcoming meetings.

Gold Star Family Monument Project

We're building Utah County's first Gold Star Family Monument to honor those local families that have lost a loved one in armed conflict and we're accepting 100% tax deductible donations to help make it happen.

Donors at the Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels will have their names engraved on a granite wall in the Freedom Plaza. Donations of all amounts are of course welcome as we want these families to know they are not forgotten.

Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made online.

Upcoming Events

Here's the line up for the Timpanogos Bluegrass Folk Festival at City Center Park on June 22nd. We're excited to be partnering on this event to bring awesome folk music to you absolutely FREE!

Hope to see you there!

The Orem Farmers Market is back! Every Wednesday from 5 to 9 PM in City Center Park, come enjoy great food, finds, music, friends, and family. It is a wonderful way to wind down at night and enjoy some of the best produce, crafts, art, and music Orem has to offer.

Check out the full line-up at orem.org/concerts.

We're partnering with Utah Live Concerts to bring you the Come Together Rock Festival on August 16th & 17th. It will be two full days of great live music, food, and so much more. It's an event you don't want to miss!

Chloe Henry Crowned New Miss Orem

Chloe Henry is the new Miss Orem and Kamryn Fenn is the new Miss Orem Teen. We're looking forward to a wonderful year of service with these great young ladies. Congratulations!

Splash Pads

This is a magical time in Orem to be a kid because schools are closed for the Summer but Orem’s three splash pads are open!

We have splash pads at Palisade Park, Hillcrest Park, and the Scera Pool. The splash pads at the parks are free. The Scera Pool one can be enjoyed with a day admission or swim pass.

Splash pad hours in the parks are 10am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday. The splash pad at Scera Pool follows the same hours of the pool: noon to 7pm, Monday to Thursday, noon to 6pm on Friday and Saturday.

We just lost one of our great Orem volunteers. Steve Brown, the chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Orem, passed away at the age of 66. He was a geothermal engineer who dedicated his valuable time and his extensive expertise to help serve his hometown. Both he and his father Russell served in this role and they leave an incredible shared legacy of dedicated community service. Our thoughts are with the Brown Family at this time.

To help our residents prepare for wildfire season Orem fire prevention will be sending our Wildland fire survey this month. This will help homeowners evaluate their risks should we have wildfires in the area this season. It also provides educational information to help homeowners and occupants be better prepared in case of a wildfire. 

Orem Gives you MORE!

School's out and report cards are in and Orem is currently top of the class for overall livability as ranked by areavibes

It's a great report card but we're not taking the Summer off. Our mission is to make Orem the best community in the state. We didn't get straight A's so we'll keep on working and serving to improve.

Orem was named the #2 Best Place to Retire in Utah!



From the article: "Orem features the highest livability score out of any place on our list. It is also home to Utah Valley University, and students from around the state help in creating a diverse and youthful community in the city."

Source: Insider Monkey

NASRO Presents Award To Orem PD

The Orem Police Department received the Model SRO Agency Award for their School Resource Officers demonstrating innovative approaches to school policing. The award was given by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). The department will be presented with the award on July 15th.

Happy 105th Birthday Georgia!

Georgia Presnell, an Orem resident at Treeo, turned 105 this month and did it in style as you can see. FUN FACT: Georgia and the City of Orem are exactly the same age!

Mayor Young attended the birthday party and paid a special tribute to this amazing woman. You may have also seen Georgia in the Oremfest parade.

Georgia has witnessed an almost unbelievable amount of history including the Great Depression, four wars, 19 presidents and the pandemic. She credits a lifelong love of reading to keeping her mind sharp. She's in great health and even got up at the birthday party and ballroom danced, complete with a spin at the end.

Utah County Elections

Primary Election Day June 25th: Polls will be open 7am to 8pm

Orem Is For Artists

David Blackinton - Orem Arts Council

The Orem Arts Council will present it’s 2024 Summer Concert Series starting July 10 through August 14. The performances will be on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm in conjunction with Orem Farmers Market. The concerts will be on the outdoor stage at the east end of the City Center Park, so bring chairs or blankets to sit on. 

Our 6 performing groups for this year will be: 

July 10 Sound Check 

July 17 Lindy and the Hops 

July 24 The Fundamentals 

July 31 Wasatch Show Band 

August 7 BD Howes Band 

August 14 The Tri-Chevys 

As a special addition to these 6 concerts, on July 31 from 5-6pm, (prior to the Wasatch Show Band) we will present groups from the World Folk Fest to share their traditions and heritage from around the world through the art of Dance. 

In partnership with the Orem Arts Council, World Folkfest is coming to Orem for a two-night engagement that will be absolutely FREE for the public. The first performance will be at City Center Park on July 31st at 5pm. The second performance will be at Orem Library Hall at 7pm. We're so excited to have dancers and musicians from various countries come and share their culture with us. Hope to see you there!

AT THE OREM PUBLIC LIBRARY

Accessory Apartments:

An often overlooked aspect of affordable housing is its impact on health and well-being. Access to safe and affordable housing promotes physical and mental health, reduces stress, and fosters stronger communities. Accessory apartments are critical to the housing supply for affordable units. Reach out to planning staff or check out www.orem.org/planning for more information on accessory apartments and housing. 

Affordable Senior Housing: 

As our community grows, housing options must be accessible and affordable for our senior population. There are benefits of affordable senior housing for our community and neighborhoods! One critical option is the Affordable Senior Housing zone which allows for income-restricted units. Let us know at www.orem.org/planning your thoughts about the importance of these units and other affordable senior housing in the city! We are always exploring ideas of how to improve the options for housing for all in our community.