Table of Contents


Mayor's Message

Landlord Licensing Program - Effective July 2020

EveryDay Strong

2020 Census

Orem Recreation

Central Utah Water Conservation District

Utah Valley Job Fair

Property All-Star

RecycleCoach

The City of Orem is Hiring

Calendar of Events

*City Council photo will be updated soon
Message from
Mayor Richard Brunst
"Referendum"

On December 12, 2019, I sat in the Gallery of the Utah State Senate at the Capitol
Building to watch a special session. The session was called to consider adoption of
the Tax Reform Bill.  

The people seated next to me were against the bill. I went out in the hall and the
people there were against the bill. I likewise was not in support of raising taxes on 
food and changing the funding for education as proposed by the bill.  

Then a citizen referendum came along. As it was getting started I went to the Capitol
Building to sign my support of the referendum. When I went there, I noticed very few people attending. I met and got to know some of the people taking signatures. There seemed to be little support that day. They asked if I would help do the work. I declined due to my schedule but said that I would help in other ways if possible.

As I stayed in touch over the holidays it became apparent that they were going to need help to get it done. On Monday afternoon January 6th, as I was talking with one of the members of the group, I suggested that they go to the grocery stores and be where people can come to them. 

They replied that they appreciated the suggestion but that they had already asked a store and were turned down. I then suggested that they try a local grocery store chain such as Harmons.  

On Thursday afternoon, January 10th, Harmons announced that they had agreed to have the referendum volunteers use their stores to gather signatures. Associated Foods joined in with the use of their stores soon thereafter.

In fact Harmon's CEO and CFO both had signed the referendum the week before that time and were thinking of joining the effort. During that week other members of the referendum group had also suggested contacting Harmons and did so, gaining their support. Many people were thinking the same thing at the same time to help get the packets available for people to sign.

As has been published, the referendum was successful in gathering enough signatures and because of it the State Legislature has now repealed the Tax Reform law that was passed just last month.

As the Mayor of Orem, I have been involved with multiple referendums in regards to issues in the city. I personally support the rights of the people and the voices of the people to be heard and used through the referendum process.

No one has all of the answers. I believe that it is important for all of us, public officials and citizens, to weigh in on public policy and work together to craft the best decisions and laws as possible to meet the needs of our community.

I am thankful for all of the citizens who are willing to voice their concerns and opinions to help our communities.  


Mayor Brunst
Rental Licensing & Utility Changes - effective July 2020
In December 2019, the Orem City Council passed an ordinance requiring that the City of Orem utilities (water, sewer, street light, etc.) for all residential properties must be in the name of the property owner, even if said properties are being used as rentals (this does not impact your electric & gas utilities). In addition to the change for utilities, the City will begin requiring all residential properties being used as rentals to have a rental dwelling license. All property owners must be in compliance with these new policies by July 2020. 

The cost of this license will be $50 per year, per property owner (it does not matter how many rental properties you own). At the end of July 2020, a bill for the rental dwelling license will be sent to the utility account holder, which should be the property owner. The bill will be due within 30 days of bill issuance. If the utilities are not in the name of the owner, they will be required to be put in the owner's name before a license will be issued.

If you are a property management company, please do the following:

1) Alert property owners of this change (they should have been sent a copy of this letter, as well)

2) Either have the property owner follow the instructions to the right or make these changes on their behalf (if you are authorized to do so)

3) If your property management company has numerous Orem addresses that are being impacted by this change, and you can prove management of these properties, we can provide you with a spreadsheet that you can fill out on behalf of the properties you manage. Come visit (56 N. State St., Orem, UT) or call our Help Center (801-229-7000) if you would like to utilize this method

4) Watch for a rental dwelling license invoice to be mailed & emailed by the end of July
If you are a property owner, please do the following:

1) Come to the Help Center (56 N. State St., Orem, UT) or call our Help Center (801-229-7000)

2) If you prefer doing it online, Visit orem.org/landlords & click on “Register My Property” to put the utilities in your name. If you already have an Orem utility account, you will be able to log in and begin adding addresses to your account. If you do not currently have an Orem utility account, you will be prompted to register for one. You will then be able to add addresses to your account

3) If applicable, choose your property manager from the drop down menu (or ask your property manager to provide us information)

4) If applicable, enter the information for the tenant who will be responsible for paying the utility bill

5) Watch for a rental dwelling license invoice to be mailed & emailed by the end of July
For more information and to see many of the frequently asked questions, visit:
EveryDay Strong
A New Approach to Anxiety and Depression

To become more educated about—and to better help respond to—the growing amount of anxiety, depression and suicide we’re seeing in the children and youth in our community, the City of Orem has partnered with the United Way of Utah County to become its first “EveryDay Strong City.” The EveryDay Strong program is a community initiative to help youth feel more safe, connected, and confident. The goal of the initiative is to help build more resilient kids and a stronger community.

This important initiative includes specialized training, activities for children, and a question and activity guide for adults. The City would like to encourage residents to complete the one hour, specialized training online here or in person at a upcoming training session at one of the local schools (see calendar for upcoming dates and locations). The Resilience Handbook can be downloaded here.

Click Here for an EveryDay Strong article in the news about helping our struggling children

See below for February's EveryDay Strong Training. English and Spanish trainings provided. Click Here for flyer in Spanish
Orem Recreation
Are Your Kids Looking for a New Hobby?
Why not enroll them in one of Orem's many Rec classes? They could learn to LARP, become Evil Scientists, learn gymnastics, or more! Click HERE for more information, or visit the website below
The Central Utah Water Conservancy District is offering free landscaping classes, as well as classes for children and youth. Landscaping classes cover growing fruits and vegetables, sprinkler classes, planting bed design classes, and much more. Classes are free, but you must register online at cuwcd.com/classes.html

Click Here for a full list of classes
The RecycleCoach App
The City of Orem is Hiring
We are hiring for multiple full-time and part-time positions. To view a list of available job openings and to submit an application, follow the link below.
Calendar of Events
In the City of Orem, there are always plenty of events to keep you and your family busy! Keep up with all Orem City events by following the link below.