Friends and Neighbors,

Tremonton isn’t just a place on a map. The vision laid out in the Tremonton City playbook is to build a true “City of Connections.” That means ensuring every neighborhood, every park, and every resident is linked together. But a connection only works if communication flows both ways. That is why a major effort is underway to make sure the community’s voice is heard loud and clear.

Right now, a completely redesigned city website is in the testing phase. The target is to roll it out around mid May- early June, but the main focus is getting the bugs worked out and getting it right before it goes live.

 When it does launch, it won’t just be a fresh coat of paint. The new site will feature a tool called “Citizens Voice.” This app allows anyone to submit a comment or concern and actually track it through the city’s workflow from start to finish. The goal is simple: no voice should be left unheard, and community input shouldn’t just disappear into a black hole. Once a ticket is completed, residents will have the opportunity to evaluate how the city staff handled the issue using the Dignity scale. Accountability is a two-way street, and this tool puts the tracking right in your hands.

That same focus on listening is changing how city business gets handled behind the scenes. The workflow is being rewired to put information in front of the public well before it ever comes to the City Council for a vote. The standard playbook moving forward is to get details out a couple of weeks before a decision is made whenever possible. Often, it will be much longer than that. For example, the current discussion on the Interlocal Agreement was put out in mid-January and will be open for a couple of months before a final decision.

There shouldn’t be any surprises. Putting the facts on the table early gives everyone the time needed to look at the details, reach out to a City Councilor, and talk through concerns or positive ideas. To back that up, the new website will feature a place to sign up for public comment ahead of time for the night meetings. Plus, a new option is built directly into the strategic business portion of the City Council agendas. For the first time, there is a dedicated space for citizens to openly discuss specific topics right there in the meeting. It’s about bringing the conversation out into the open and making sure the community has a real seat at the table.

The Recreation Department is already out there living this vision. They’re looking at every single park in Tremonton to figure out how to turn those spaces into better hubs for connection. To get this right, there’s an open house on March 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Box Elder Fairgrounds. This is an open invitation to the entire community to come help shape the future of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. It’s a chance to help define exactly what each park should be doing. Please plan to show up and be part of the process.

Building a connected city takes all of us. Let’s keep the lines of communication wide open and keep moving forward together.

Mayor Bret Rohde