Provo City Council candidates talk housing, transportation and water at candidate forum (2024)

Candidates for Provo City Council participated in a candidate forum Thursday night, touching on issues like housing, road safety and water. Four candidates participated — Craig Christensen, McKay Jensen, Gary Garrett and David Lewis. Three candidates, Becky Bogdin, Travis Hoban and Stan Jensen, were not in attendance.

The forum was hosted by three local activism groups, BikeWalk Provo, Conserve Utah Valley and the Renter Advocacy Network.

Utah’s general election concludes Nov. 21. Hoban is the only incumbent seeking reelection, and he is running unopposed.

Housing and rent prices

Housing and rent prices are a major concern in Provo, where 62% of residents are renters and rent prices have increased by nearly 25% in the last two years.

The candidates generally agreed on increasing housing density to help with housing costs but with some limitations on where and how much the city government would be involved.

McKay Jensen, a candidate for the Citywide II seat, said there needs to be more incentives for smaller lots, townhomes and duplexes and early entry into homeownership.

“University professors with Ph.D.s cannot afford a home in Provo,” Jensen said. “This has gone beyond sort of, ‘Oh, let’s talk about, you know, newly married people.’ This is people mid-career (who) cannot afford a home.”

Craig Christensen, candidate for District 1, also expressed support for incentives to encourage townhomes and duplexes in the city and provide “step-up.”

“We can encourage condominiums, build townhouses for purchase,” Christensen said. “Provo right now is about 60% apartment occupancy to about 40% owner occupancy. It’s upside down. That doesn’t lead to a healthy community.”

Gary Garrett, Citywide II candidate, expressed he would like to see zoning changes to promote the “step-up” housing Christensen discussed and encourage homeownership for young families.

Garrett said the zoning process needs to be simplified, saying there are “too many zones.” He said areas around transit should be zoned for higher density, but in residential zones, neighborhoods should be allowed to choose their zoning.

Christensen said the city should rethink density in areas around transit, BYU and downtown, but he also wants to allow neighborhoods to decide what kind of housing density is allowed.

“Where I have a challenge is where it becomes capricious and the government decides for a neighborhood instead of letting the neighborhood have a say,” he said.

Traffic safety and transportation

For one of the questions, candidates were asked about road safety and if there was a specific spot in the city where they felt safety could be improved.

David Lewis, who’s running for District 3 and could only attend the first 10 minutes of the forum, said he believes Geneva Road has the biggest safety concern and he wants to get sidewalks along the entire road. He added he’s been talking with the Utah Department of Transportation to discuss the road.

Garrett said he thinks there needs to be more traffic-calming measures like raised sidewalks and electric speed signs to help encourage safe driving.

Christensen said he is concerned about electric bikes, the lack of speed enforcement regarding them, and people riding them at night without lights.

“Electric bikes, they sure seem like motorcycles to me,” Christensen said. “We hit the throttle and you’re instantly going at very high speeds.”

Jensen said there needs to be more investment in active transportation, like cycling, to allow people to change their driving habits and get out of their cars more.

In discussing air quality and parking, candidates pointed to the need to encourage and promote public transit and active transportation alternatives to driving.

To improve air quality, Jensen said the city needs to continue to make “valuable investments” in things like bus rapid transit, and there should be a focus on educating residents about public transit.

“We’ve got to continue to educate our population about the advantages of mass transit, public transportation and the things that individuals can do,” he said.

Christensen said there’s a challenge in getting people to change their behavior as Provo has a lack of bus stops and connections, sometimes making it difficult to utilize public transit.

He said some people would like to take the bus and use those alternatives, but “it’s not always convenient.”

Water conservation and the outdoors

In discussing Utah’s drought and water situation, Jensen called for incentives to promote low-water landscapes, adding it is “our responsibility” to preserve the watershed.

Christensen, who expressed support for limited government, said he disagrees with using mandates to lower water usage. Rather, he thinks, the city should use incentives and education to help preserve water.

He said the citizens of Provo are “an amazing group of people,” and he believes that when they understand the impact, they will contribute to water preservation.

Candidates also expressed support for outdoor recreation in Provo, calling for investments in trailheads, parks and other outdoor recreational facilities.

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