Ogden City Official Blog

Look what we have done in one year!

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:48:00 +0000

One year ago, we stood near the banks of an overgrown, polluted Ogden River, in a groundbreaking ceremony that symbolically began the process of cleanup and restoration for Ogden’s main waterway. We could not have imagined what lay ahead of us.

In some places, the channel had been filled in with rocks, dirt and debris to artificially extend one’s usable property. Garbage, old tires, concrete, scrap metal and wrecked cars had been carelessly dumped into the river in other places. All of these contributed to a narrow, constricted and overgrown waterway, which most people tended to avoid rather than visit.

As plans for redevelopment around the Ogden River area started to emerge and take shape, we realized that this was our single best opportunity to rehabilitate the river and correct decades of neglect and abuse. Ogden City partnered with River Restoration.org and plans were drawn up to open up the river channel and create a healthy riparian habitat for plant, animal and aquatic life alike. Funding for this ambitious project has come from a variety of sources, including contributions from local government agencies, bonds and federal stimulus funds.

As the initial cleanup began, botanists targeted non-native and invasive tree and plant species for removal, while heavy equipment proceeded to remove natural and man-made debris from the river channel. To date, more than 2,400 tons of concrete and scrap metal, 3,800 cubic yards of litter and over 2,000 tires have been removed from the river and its banks.

When completed later this fall, this newly restored section of the Ogden River will be the centerpiece of our renewal efforts in the downtown area, providing scenic view areas, fishing spots, a high-adventure park, and a rebuilt pedestrian walk and bicycle path.

We invite you to come and visit the river, and see the remarkable changes that are taking place! The portion of the river between Washington Boulevard and Wall Avenue is nearly complete, and the river walk is accessible from Washington Boulevard, Grant Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Wall Avenue. Parking is generally permitted along city streets unless otherwise indicated.

Ogden City Finances Managed in an Excellent Manner

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:15:00 +0000

An audit of Ogden City’s financial records and resulting Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) was recently completed and reported to the City Council on December 21, 2010. Audit procedures concluded with a “clean, no material weakness” opinion of the City’s financial activities and reports—the highest mark possible in this kind of an audit.

Financial reporting standards require that the CAFR combine activities of Ogden City, the Ogden City Redevelopment Agency (RDA), and the Ogden City Municipal Building Authority (MBA) in one report. Ogden City’s financial activities were examined by an external, private, Certified Public Accounting firm under professional guidelines for audits of State and local governments. Their audit also included the required examination of the City’s Federal, State and other grants activity for compliance with grant requirements.

Auditors’ comments along with the City’s CAFR are available for public viewing on the City’s Website at www.ogdencity.com/en/government/city_budget.aspx which shows Ogden City’s finances for Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010) were managed by the Administration and City Council in an excellent manner, even during the down economy with revenue shortfalls particularly in sales tax revenue.

State code requires city governments to maintain a balance in their general fund of five percent of the following year’s revenue; this amount cannot be designated in any way to any other purpose. Even with the downturn of the economy, which created a revenue shortfall, Ogden City was able to maintain a fund balance slightly over the five-percent minimum. All departments and activity centers within Ogden City contributed to managing the City’s finances frugally and precisely in order to maintain this balance.

Sections of the CAFR present financial information for three functions of City government:

1. General Governmental Functions: this includes all general city services, administration, police, fire, street maintenance, most youth recreation activities, parks maintenance, city development, planning, code enforcement, RDA programs and activities, and MBA building debt.

2. Enterprise Funds Operations: these are meant to be self-funded by charges for services to include water utility, sewer utility, refuse/solid waste utility, municipal airport, municipal golf courses, city operated parks and museums, and medical services such as ambulance and paramedic functions. Airport and golf operations are considered enterprise funds because fees are charged for their use, however, both receive annual subsidies from general city revenues. With these subsidies, all enterprise funds are in a sound financial position.

3. Internal Service Fund Operations: these funds primarily support other general operations of the city including property management, fleet operations, central stores, electronics support, data processing support, GIS services, communications services (telephone primarily), and risk management control for City departments. These funds are meant to at least break even in their operations each year. This year there were no additional funds necessary to maintain each internal service fund in a positive cash position.

The current economic condition has a material effect on Ogden City’s ability to provide city services. Presently, the economy seems to have leveled out and is occasionally providing a slight improvement. The City is hopeful that this coupled with the fact that a few of the economic development activities within Ogden, mainly new retail and property improvements, will enable the City to continue to meet immediate financial demands and maintain positive operating situations for all City functions. However, if economic conditions continue along the same path of the last couple of years, the City may be forced to make some very tough budgeting decisions.
Citizens have an incredible opportunity to help improve the local economic condition by committing to shop in Ogden. The many existing and new retail shopping options in Ogden today provide the opportunity for citizens to stand by that commitment.

Be Aware of Carbon Monoxide Dangers

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:17:00 +0000

Ogden City Fire Chief Mathieu would like to remind residents of the dangers of carbon monoxide, also known as the “silent killer.”

As cooler weather is upon us, our homes are closed up to keep the warmth in, and
the warmth comes from furnaces and fireplaces which burn fuel and give off carbon monoxide as does the water heater and other appliances in our homes. Unfortunately, carbon monoxide can leak into living areas of homes and cause illness or in some cases even death.

Carbon monoxide, or “CO”, is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas; it is very dangerous because it can go undetected until those exposed to it experience ill symptoms. This is a serious situation that should be given every consideration to prevent. One-third of all CO incidents occur between October and December.
Early symptoms include nausea, headache, fatigue, and cramping; and it can interfere with cognitive functions causing patients to be unaware of what may be happening to them.

Help Ogden Fire Department continue meeting the goal of no more deaths by CO poisoning by following these simple steps:

• Perform regular maintenance on all fuel burning appliances.
• When operating generators, place them where their exhaust cannot enter the home.
• Don’t run vehicles inside garages for significant periods of time.
• Place a carbon monoxide detector near bedroom areas to ensure you are monitoring for the presence of this dangerous gas.

If you do not have a CO detector in your home, please get one. Ogden City ordinance requires carbon monoxide detectors in every home, and the fire department’s goal is to ensure that every Ogden residence has a properly working CO detector.

The City is providing discounted CO detectors to residents for placement in their own homes. Residents may purchase detectors at Ogden City’s Cashier’s office (2549 Washington Blvd, Ste 240) for $10 each which is about half the regular cost—bring proof of residency such as a current utility bill.

Contact the Ogden City Fire Department at 801-629-8074 for more information.

iOgden App

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:24:00 +0000

Last week, we launched Ogden City’s first mobile phone app, iOgden. We are thrilled to provide a simple, easy-to-use tool for finding local businesses, attractions and recreation, local shopping deals, and citizen reporting.

Ogden has many amazing restaurants and retailers, and we hope the iOgden app will help everyone become more familiar with them and where they are located. Just by choosing a restaurant or shopping type you can find Mexican food, clothing stores, antiques, and more. Simply click on the merchant’s name you’ll find business hours, phone numbers, web addresses and even a description of their business.

We are lucky to have so many Ogden attractions, and we’ve tried to capture them all in the iOgden app. You’ll find local museums, art galleries, theaters and much more. We even show you what to do in Ogden by including the calendar of fun and exciting events going on around the city. Additionally, we want everyone to gain access to the abundant recreation opportunities we have to offer. You can find ski resorts, climbing areas, hiking and biking trails, and even use the GPS to get you right to the trailhead.

One of my favorite features is the citizen reporting option. We wanted to make it more convenient for people to alert us about non-emergency issues like street lights that are out and potholes that need repair. Using the “Report an Issue” feature, with just a couple of clicks a problem can be reported to our staff with exact GPS coordinates and a photo. This encourages citizens to become more responsive and empowers everyone to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

We hope everyone enjoys the iOgden app. It is free for download from the iPhone App Store. And although it is only available for iPhone today, we expect to have an Android version available in January 2011.

It Pays to Buy in Ogden

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:24:00 +0000

Sales tax is a major source of revenue for the City of Ogden. Sales tax is earned when items are purchased within the city boundaries, and the funds are used to provide important services for citizens such as police and fire protection, street maintenance, snow plowing, and more. These services are vital to each of our citizens and to those who visit our city regularly.

A few months ago, Governor Herbert stated, “Times were bad a year ago, and times are a little bit better today, and I think that gives us reason for optimism.” We at Ogden City share the governor’s optimism—it is the timing we are unsure of.
A year ago sales tax had declined 11% from the previous year. This year the decline has slowed, but we are still descending. As the holidays approach, we are asking, please purchase your holiday gifts, food, entertainment, home improvement, auto needs, etc. in Ogden. We are not asking you to spend more, just BUY IN OGDEN! This will enable us to continue to keep services like police and fire protection at the current levels.

There are many opportunities to BUY IN OGDEN: The Junction, The Newgate Mall, 25th Street, 12th Street, Washington Blvd., and Harrison Blvd just to name a few.
Keep all of your dollars working for you; BUY IN OGDEN!

River Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0000

For years the vision of the River Project has been plagued by views of vacant homes, trash, weeds, etc. However, that view is quickly changing thanks to Ogden City. Due to the hazardous conditions of these properties, The City allocated $545,000 for the demolition of the 46 homes located between 18th and 20th Street from Washington Blvd. to Childs Ave. This proactive step not only resolves a dangerous situation, but opens the door for the beginnings of a vital mixed-use development in the downtown area. Many avenues were explored to bring the homes down in a cost effective manner, including, having the fire department perform “controlled burn” training exercises. However, upon further research, it was determined the asbestos abatement costs associated with burning the houses and environmental concerns outweighed standard demolition costs. Consequently, only a couple of the houses were burned, while the rest will be razed by standard demolition. The careful coordination among various departments throughout the city has resulted in timely demolition.

If you have visited this area recently, you will quickly notice that 32 of the homes are demolished and are in the process of being removed from the site. The City has also made it a priority to ensure the materials are recycled and reused wherever possible. The large piles of concrete will be crushed and reused as backfill and the metals are being recycled. With the safe removal of these homes, you will begin to see how beneficial this redevelopment will be for Ogden.

So, what are the future plans for the River Project? When completed, the goal is to have a thriving mixed-use development including a high adventure park, single family homes, townhomes, businesses and restaurants. There are many possibilities on how this development might be accomplished. It is important that the City take the time needed to guarantee the success of this development through proper planning and coordination between the City and the developers. The River Project is a critical center piece in the redevelopment of Ogden. With the demolition of these homes almost complete, the vision will continue to take shape.

Water Meter Change Out

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Ogden City Public Utilities is excited to be initiating a city-wide water meter change out program. Old manually read meters will be replaced with new and more efficient Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology. The meter change out program will be completed in several different phases as new meters are purchased and installed.

The new meters will emit an electronic signal that will be captured on a laptop computer inside a vehicle as it drives by. The information will be recorded on the corresponding account automatically, within seconds. With the current meters, approximately 250 to 300 meters are read each day; with the new AMR technology, 300 meters will be read within just a couple of hours.

As well as quicker and more accurate meter reading, the new meters can detect leaks or other problems with the meter or with the service line and report it to the meter reader as they are completing their routes. This capability allows for quicker detection of potential issues which helps to conserve water and could even save homeowners money. If the leak is between the meter and the house, more water than normal will run through the meter resulting in a high water bill.

Animal Shelter Consolidation

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:53:00 +0000

During the first two weeks of November, the Ogden Animal Shelter will undergo a transition that will consolidate their operations with those of the Weber County Animal Shelter. This consolidation of local services also includes the cities of Roy and North Ogden in an effort to provide better customer service to the public and help reduce operational costs and inefficiencies.

Weber County is in the final stages of construction on an expansion to their existing building. When completed, the shelter will provide a healthy ecology for the animals through the use of stae-of-the-art environmental controls for heating, cooling, ventilating and lighting. Areas for each type of animal will be controlled by separate systems decreasing the potential of airborne diseases and also allowing for the individual comfort of each group.

Until the completion of the transition, the Ogden Animal Shelter will continue to be open to the public for animal adoptions. At the end of the process, all remaining animals will be transported to the improved Weber County facility where they will remain available for adoption.

The staff at the Ogden Animal Shelter would like to thank the countless volunteers and donors that have contributed to the shelters success over the many years. For information on adoption or if you have a question relative to the animals here in Ogden please call 801-629-8244.

Ogden Fire Places New Fire Engine In-Service

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:53:00 +0000

The fire department placed in service a new fire engine on Thursday September 30th 2010. The new engine will operate out of fire station #3 located at 330 South Washington Blvd. The 2010 fire engine will replace a 1990 fire engine which will now be moved into reserve status. The oldest reserve unit will be sold.

The new engine has many new operating and safety features that the old unit was not built with. The operating features will enhance firefighter’s abilities to perform their duties more efficiently and effectively. The unit comes equipped with a generator that allows for electrical power needs for lights and other tools on emergency scenes. Added safety features will protect firefighters while traveling to and from emergency scenes. Due to new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements for manufacturers of fire engines, the unit has the ability to monitor seat belt use along with a vehicle data recorded which monitors speed/acceleration/deceleration and other items similar to what is recorded in an airplane that is reviewed after a crash.

Comments received from firefighters at station #3 have been very positive and they are pleased with their new piece of equipment. This engine replacement is in-line with the fire managements’ audit recommendation which was completed in April of 2007. It is the second in recent fire engine replacements that has occurred with the engine at station #2 being replaced with a similar new unit just over one year ago located at 1185 East 21st Street.

Salomon Center - Political Event

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Here are the e-mails that were sent between Council Member Wicks and myself regarding the Salomon Center being used for a political event.

Council Member Wicks -

September 12, 2010

Dear Mayor Godfrey:

According to the attached invitation, County Commission candidate Kerry Gibson will be using the Salomon Center for a political fundraising event this week. The event will apparently include use of the iFly, iRock, and FlowRider facilities. You are listed as a member of the Host Committee for the event, along with Gold’s Gym CEO Gary Nielsen.

As Mr. Gibson’s opponent in the Weber County Commission race, and as an Ogden City taxpayer and as an elected official charged with stewardship of taxpayer dollars, I am writing to express my strongest objection to this illegal and unethical public subsidy of a political campaign.

As you know, the Salomon Center is owned by the Ogden City RDA and was built with taxpayer dollars. The equipment in the building, including the iFly, iRock, and Flowrider, is also publicly owned. The building and equipment are currently being leased to Health & Fitness L.C. (an affiliation of Gold’s Gym and Fat Cats), but at a subsidized rate. Ongoing public subsidies are being provided from tax increment collected from 10 other RDA districts, which is being applied to the bonds used to fund the original construction. An additional subsidy came from the use of Business Depot Ogden revenue to repair the Flowrider facility last year. Obviously we cannot rule out the need for similar one-time subsidies in the future, because the building is still publicly owned and according to the lease, Ogden City is responsible for repairs.

The planned use of this publicly owned facility for political purposes is illegal under both Utah State law and Ogden City ordinance. Please refer to Utah Code Section 10-3-1108(2)(d) and Ogden City Code Section 2-6-13. Even if it were not illegal, I hope you can see that it is unethical for a public servant, charged with stewardship of taxpayer dollars, to allow those dollars to be used for a political fundraising event.

I am aware, of course, that this is not the first time the Salomon Center has been used for political purposes. Proceeds from the Sneak Peek event held in June 2007 went to Envision Ogden, an organization that we later learned was a political action committee. It is my understanding that this PAC later used its funds to help your own mayoral campaign, the campaigns of two city council candidates, and the campaign of a legislative candidate.

At a time when many Utah citizens, and many Americans, are questioning the ethics of their elected officials, I call on you to cancel the planned fundraising event at this publicly owned facility.

Sincerely,

Amy Wicks
1557 29th St
Ogden, UT 84403
ph. 801.510.2409
email amywicks@yahoo.com

cc: Gary Nielsen
Rep. Kerry Gibson
Utah Attorney General’s Office
Weber County Attorney’s Office
Gary Williams
Standard-Examiner
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City Weekly
KSL

My response -

Amy,

Thanks for your email. I'm surprised to see this issue brought up again, since the City Attorney has addressed this with you on multiple occasions. I will do my best to recapture the salient points.

While it's accurate that we are the landlords of the Salomon Center, we have no possessory rights to that building. Those have been conveyed, through a lease, to the entities you discussed below. They have the ability and in fact the responsibility of all operations of the facility. They can use the facility in whatever way they deem appropriate as long as they don’t do anything to violate their lease. There are no lease provisions which restrict "political activity". Your claim that I should not "allow" this activity to move forward is without basis because I don't have any control over what they do with their possessory interest in the Salomon Center.

Your argument that State Law and local ordinances have been broken because a municipal employee or official is attending an event that involves "municipal equipment" goes well beyond the bounds of any definition that I have heard, seen enforced or believe was intended.

Last weekend Sam Granato held a "political event" at a municipal park, which is filled with "municipal equipment". Your definition would have rendered that event as "illegal" if there was any "municipal employee or official" in attendance, which clearly there was.

Several weeks ago Peter Caroon held a "political event" at the Weber County Fair, also an event that was filled with "municipal equipment" as well as "municipal employees or officials" and is an event that is subsidized by taxpayer dollars. Once again, you would deem this as an "illegal and unethical public subsidy" of Mayor Caroon's campaign.

Finally, the Weber County Democrats sometimes hold their annual "Sawbuck Dinner" fundraiser at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center. This is a municipally owned facility with a lot of "municipal equipment" and many "municipal employees or officials". Moreover, this facility has annual operating short-fall that is also subsidized by taxpayers. I don't believe that any of the above examples demonstrate a violation of the law. People and groups have the right to rent public facilities and equipment and use them for private purposes, including political ones. The three examples above are one's in which the municipality still has "possessory interests" where that is not the case in the Salomon Center, which makes your assertions a much more difficult stretch.

In conclusion, I appreciate your desire to keep high ethics for elected officials. Public trust is eroded when the people they entrust to public office mislead them with false information. I would ask that you please use caution when sending this kind of information out in the future as it can negatively affect all of us. One quick call to the City Recorder could have helped correct your assertion that I received funding from Envision Ogden. We could also have helped refresh your memory about this topic that has been brought up many times in the past. There is no violation of the law nor is there an ethical breech. Every one of the examples above was working within common, appropriate guidelines.

I or my staff would be happy to answer any further questions you may have about this or other topics.

Thanks.

Matthew Godfrey

Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Recently there were snake sightings along the Ogden River. As large, slabs of old concrete were being removed during bank restoration efforts, nests of hibernating garter snakes were uncovered. Gartersnakes are widely distributed in Utah and have an important ecological role. They mostly consume snails, worms, amphibians, small rodents and are also sometimes consumed.

Their presence and other wildlife observed along the river are a reminder that the Ogden River, and all its inhabitants, including human beings are part of the Great Salt Lake Basin Watershed, a geographical area that includes four western states.
Because the Ogden River is a main tributary of the Weber River the new storm water enhancements will also improve the quality of the Weber River Watershed, including the Great Salt Lake.

Walt Baker, Director of Utah Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently stated (2009), "…the Water Quality Board set aside $1 million of the Utah stimulus funds because improving the Ogden River will benefit the local ecosystem while helping residents reconnect with nature and provide a sense of stewardship to this valuable, precious resource."

As the Restoration efforts continue to widen the river channel, stabilize the banks, clean up discarded tires, shopping carts and chunks of debris that litter the river bed, remember that Earth Day is celebrated this month; another reminder that while the river flows through Ogden City, all of the rivers in Utah are interconnected with something larger; the global hydrological cycle.

Recent photo of cleared riverbank near Grant Ave.

Work Begins on the Restoration of Ogden River

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:49:00 +0000

With a groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday, January 7, Ogden City officially begins its Ogden River Restoration project.
The effort is a collaboration to remove the debris, development, and invasive plant species that have encroached upon the river over time between Washington Boulevard and Wall Avenue. The goal is to return the Ogden River to its natural state and improve the stream to its historic condition. This will ultimately improve the watershed for not only recreation, fishery, and beauty, but will also facilitate better drinking water, storm water drainage, and the natural flow of the river as it meets up with the Weber River and eventually flows into the Great Salt Lake.
City officials recognize the value of having a bit of nature in the heart of downtown and are working to repair and restore the river before it gets to a point of needing extreme rebuilding typical of urban river restoration projects in bigger cities.
The City is proud of their role in a grassroots effort that has grown from local entities and property owners to include State and Federal agencies. At a time when financial resources are stretched at all levels, Ogden City remains impressed by the many organizations who are rallying behind this project.
The Division of Water Quality authorized $1 million in stimulus funds and the City has received $300,000 from the Central Weber Sewer Improvement District along with an additional $800,000 from storm water improvement bonds. Other vested organizations include Division of Wildlife Resources, US Geological Survey, Army Corp of Engineers, and Department of Natural Resources.

Economic Development formula is working in Ogden

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Ogden is better off financially than many other Utah cities.
According to recent sales tax revenue statistics published by the State of Utah, Ogden’s sales tax revenue comparison from fiscal year 2009 to 2010 is down 11.87%.
Though this is a decline, City officials are optimistic considering that during the same period, many Utah cities saw declines in their own sales tax revenue hovering around 20% and some as high as nearly 50%. In fact, Ogden fared better than the state’s average which shows sales tax revenue down by more than 14%.
“This was not the case after 9-11 when our numbers plummeted more than the state average and we were slower to recover than the rest of the state,” says John Patterson, Ogden City’s Chief Administrative Officer. He is referring to stats from fiscal year 2002 which shows Ogden’s sales tax revenue down (3.5%) by more than double the state’s average (1.67%). It took until fiscal year 2005 for Ogden, at an increase of 8.14%, to climb above the state average again, 7.57% increase.
“What this means is the formula for economic development is working,” Patterson said. “The 7,000 added jobs, the hundreds of millions in new buildings, and scores of new companies within the Junction, along 25th Street, and throughout the downtown area, are all making a difference.”
Though economic fear is present in today’s consumers throughout the state and the nation, Ogden area businesses are surviving and doing better than most.
As its fiscal year 2010 begins to wrap up soon, Ogden City looks forward to further economic growth and development in fiscal year 2011 as a proven formula for profitable success.

Announcing Ogden's First Winter Fest Where "Cold is Cool" February 12-14, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:22:00 +0000

The good life in Ogden does not end just because it is cold outside, in fact it is quite the opposite. This will be a great opportunity to come out and have fun in the snow downtown with family activities, good food, music, and of course fireworks.

It’s Ogden’s first Winter Fest! We are hauling in and making snow to transform downtown into the ultimate winter celebration location. Toboggan parades, block parties, snowmobile street drag races, fireworks, concerts, skiing, snowboard and snowshoe sports demos are all part of the new tradition. This three-day celebration will play host to events like skijoring (skiing behind horses), snow sculpturing, a 5K race, as well as humorous competitions including human snow bowling, human dogsled races, and doggy look alike contests. Come participate or watch. The best part is—it’s free!

Grab your skis, boards, snowshoes, friends, and kids and come play on our ramps, rails, trails and ski hill or battle it out in our friendly competitions. Stroll through the metro with tasty food and drinks while you check out the newest gear, cheer on your favorite contestants, or decide which ice or snow sculpture should take top prize.
Make sure to take a look at the 3 day schedule and pick your favorite event to come and participate in and or watch. Its sure to be a fun exciting and sometimes humorous experience. Ogden’s Winterfest where Cold is Cool.

Check us out at - winterfest.ogdencity.com

The Winter Dew Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Snowbasin has been selected to host The Winter Dew Tour Jan. 15-17, 2010. The Winter Dew Tour showcases top winter athletes from around the world competing in freeskiing (slopestyle and superpipe) and snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe) for both men and women.
All three stops of the Winter Dew Tour will be televised Live on NBC and simulcast around the world on Eurosport 2, Extreme Channel and Fox Sports Australia, with additional coverage on USA Network and MTV2.
The economic impact to the state of Utah is anticipated to be about $6 million in national and international media exposure. Immeasurable are the tourist dollars that will be realized as those who view our spectacular scenery chose to vacation here at a later date.
Ogden will be fortunate to host many of the after parties and events on Historic 25th Street.

Housing at the Junction

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:14:00 +0000

The housing project at the Junction is going very well with many of the units full and the project is ahead of the projected time line.
The neighborhood fabric represents a diverse and mixed demographic. People from all walks of life are enjoying downtown living. The benefit to the downtown is immeasurable; residents help to create a 24 hour buzz and presence in the city. In the past, employees would leave the downtown area at the end of their work day. Now, many are staying for the evening or arriving at their homes in downtown Ogden. This brings patrons to the downtown businesses for dinner and after hour entertainment.
This shows us that there is a demand for downtown living. There are Urban Pioneers among us who like the idea of living in the heart of the city where they work and play. There is a different vibe and energy living downtown that you can not recreate in the suburbs.
The success of this project will help us as we move forward towards providing others with the same opportunity.

Some Ogden City Council refuse to debate

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:30:00 +0000

I have had a lot of questions recently about the Channel 17 debate where three of the eight candidates did not show up. Let me give you an update on what actually happened.

There has been broad agreement that we need to have debates on Channel 17 for city races. One of the greatest frustrations that we hear from the people of Ogden is that they don’t know who they voting for because of the sparse information with these elections. We have talked in public meetings on many occasions about how Channel 17 will be a great forum for getting to know candidates better so people can be better informed for their voting.

After the primaries Channel 17 selected a date for the debate. It was chosen for a week out on September 24^th because that is the night of their monthly show and they have the people and equipment all there ready to go. Because there was a short time frame to notify the candidates, Christy Shaw from our office offered to help make the calls. The following is a written statement from Christy as to what transpired next:

“On September 18^th, in an attempt to assist Bill Francis to schedule a candidate debate to be recorded on 9/24/09 and aired on Channel 17, I contacted the candidates to inform them of the upcoming debate and give them details about the format, schedule and rules. I informed them that this would be an unedited recording. We offered to have the debates filmed here on the 9^th floor because the equipment to film is already set up, and Channel 17 was here to film the Mayor’s call in show that same day. The moderator is a third party, Doug Jardine, who would come up with the questions. Doug does not personally know any of the candidates but is familiar with Ogden issues. I encountered resistance from some of the candidates.

The first scheduled debate was with Susie VanHooser and Mark Hains. I contacted them first. When I phoned Susie she was immediately resistant, saying she didn’t trust the Mayor, and because Bill Francis and Doug Jardine work closely with the Mayor, she doesn’t trust them either. I reminded her that her opponent would get the full ½ hour and she said she realized that, would think about, and let me know. I reiterated that this would be a fair, unbiased debate and encouraged her to participate. She told me she did not believe that. I asked Bill Francis to follow up with her and all the candidates, which he did. Bill informed me on September 23^rd that Susie declined to participate.

I phoned Mark Hains to inform him of the debate. He agreed to re-arrange his schedule to be able to participate.

I then phoned Bart Blair and David Phipps. They both agreed to the debate. A short time after my conversation with Bart, he phoned me back and said he didn’t think he could do the debate because of a scheduling conflict. I reminded him that we would proceed and David would get the full half hour. At the time I suspected that Susie had called Bart. That was later confirmed by another candidate that she in fact had phoned the other candidates to discourage them from participating. Bill Francis followed up with Bart again and offered every solution to Bart’s conflicts and still Bart refused to do the debate.

The next debate was with Jesse Garcia and Neil Garner. Neil agreed to the debate, but Jesse said he would have to think about it. On Tuesday, September 22, Jesse left a message with our receptionist (see attached e-mail) that Jesse would not be able to make the debate. He did say he would be interested in having one, but needs more time to arrange his schedule, would like a neutral venue and he wants the questions before hand.

I phone Doug Stephens regarding the debate and he readily accepted. Patrick Dean was notified by Bill Francis after the provisional ballots were counted and Mr. Dean agreed to do the debate.”

Bill Francis then contacted Bart and Jesse, who said that they had a scheduling conflict and offered to move the debate to a time that worked for them. Bart then said he just didn’t want to debate. Jesse then raised philosophical concerns. He also contacted Susie again, to encourage her to attend the debate. She sent an email to him stating that she too now had a scheduling conflict. Bill offered to accommodate her schedule and she didn’t reply to his offer.

The only editorial I will offer is that I really don’t understand what is meant by Channel 17’s studio “not being neutral ground”. What does that mean? Are they saying that because it’s next to my office it will somehow influence how the candidates respond? Are they concerned that my proximity would make the questions biased? Everyone will hear the questions and would know for themselves if it was biased.

For the record, I didn’t have anything to do with the questions. In fact, I still don’t know what questions were asked because I haven’t seen the debates. The moderator, who is a professional with decades in the business, came up with the questions.

You now know what happened. You can decide what you think is right and wrong about all this.

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:13:00 +0000

The availability of federal funds have created a unique opportunity for Ogden to advance its plan to clean and repair the Ogden River between Washington and Gibson Avenue. Ogden was awarded 1.3 million dollars in federal funds to facilitate this cleanup. The final design for the project should be approved by state officials before the end of September. Because the exact design of the project hasn’t been finalized by the state easements with property owners haven’t established. Once the project is approved the City will be in a position to finalize the easements. Although some property owners have been unwilling to participate the vast majority support the project and recognize the value the cleanup will add to their property. Where property owners will not cooperate we have designed alternatives that will allow us to move ahead with the project.

It is important for Ogden residents to recognize that this is 1.3 million dollars of funding with the potential for more to complete the entire project. Without these funds the city and individual property owners would be required to make these improvements and perform this clean up at their own cost.

Ultimately this project improves most properties by reducing the size of the flood plain, increasing the amount of developable property and improving an incredible natural asset.

2300 Washington Blvd

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:23:00 +0000

A little over a month ago we announced plans for a major renovation to the east side of the 2300 block of Washington. This renovation will include not only the buildings themselves, but also the parking behind those buildings. There is widespread misunderstanding about what the city is doing and who will ultimately benefit from this plan.
These properties have fallen into tremendous disrepair. Current property owners are unable and unwilling at this point to make the significant investment for the required renovations without having tenants who are committed to moving in and doing business. Tenants or retail businesses who would be willing to come into downtown are not visionaries of what the buildings could be, nor can they make the financial investment in redoing a store front. This vicious cycle keeps the market of the downtown area in a failed condition.
Here is where the City can step in and help the market that is unable to be fixed on its own. Using Stimulus money and tax revenues the city will be able to renovate the buildings and parking structure. The current property owners will not receive rent for several years. Once retailers sublet the property the rent will be used to reimburse the city. Under the best case scenario the city will break even and possibly even make a little money. The greatest return however is the value of the property will increase, sales tax revenue will also increase, and we will have a vibrant downtown.
Currently we are working with several companies who have expressed interest in opening store locations in downtown Ogden. We are moving forward with plans to have locations open for business in time for the Christmas Season.

Super Wal-Mart in Ogden

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Our office has taken several calls regarding the status of the new downtown Wal-Mart which will be located on the west side of Wall Ave., just north of 20th Street. I am happy to report that the project is still moving forward. Ogden is fortunate to be one of the few locations where a new Wal-Mart will be built throughout the remainder of this year. This is a very encouraging sign regarding the state of our economy here in Ogden, and the confidence that the private sector has in the current direction of the city.
This Super Wal-Mart will produce estimated tax revenues of a million dollars per year for the city. There may be some decline in revenue from existing stores, however, this will be off set by the additional revenues that come in from the surrounding Wal-Mart’s not currently in the city, but patronized by Ogden residents.
Beyond the revenue benefits is the significant traffic increase brought to the downtown area. Current businesses that are located around Wal-Mart locations flourish. There will be thousands of shoppers in downtown Ogden as a result of the new Super Wal-Mart. The current businesses in downtown are one-of-a-kind, therefore not competing with Wal-Mart sales, therefore this is excellent exposure to them and their products.
Construction is scheduled to commence later on this year with a planed grand opening in the fall of 2010. Ogden’s Super Wal-Mart will help clean up a blighted part of downtown, add significant revenue to the city, and help current small business owners while attracting additional stores to downtown Ogden.

Ogden's Strategic Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Ogden has had some tough times. When the railroad left Ogden, we struggled to transition to another economic model that would provide prosperity to the coming generation. We were in desperate need of high paying jobs, new entertainment and retail, along with a renewal of our neighborhoods.
Community, business and political leaders gathered in 2000 to map out a plan for Ogden. From those meetings emerged the concept of focusing Ogden on outdoor recreation, given the proximity of our downtown to so many resources like the Ogden and Weber Rivers, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, etc.
Five years ago we had a major breakthrough. Descente, led by Curt Geiger, talked to us about moving their company from Denver to Ogden. They were looking to lower their cost of doing business and wanted to be closer to the ski industry. Curt believed that Ogden was not only the right home for Descente, but that we could be “The Hub” of the ski industry. He began to assist us in recruiting other companies here because he realized that the industry needed to develop their own business cluster for their well-being. A cluster allows companies to develop talent pools, share costs and ideas that lead to new products and innovation. Thanks to Curt’s leadership and hard work along with that of AMER President Mike Dowse, Ogden has become “The Hub” of the ski industry and is now making tremendous progress in the outdoor world. The companies that have moved here are better positioned to weather the current economic struggles.
In addition to recruiting companies in the outdoor industry, we have also worked hard to develop venues for what we have coined as “High Adventure” recreation. From expanded trails to kayak parks, we have tried to improve the quality of our recreation as well as make them more accessible. We have also built the Salomon Center with indoor skydiving, surfing and rock climbing, which is a one-of-a-kind building.
We understand that the majority of our citizens don’t engage in these kinds of activities. But developing unique venues focused on high adventure recreation will help us attract more recreation focused companies and will help us attract more tourism. Jobs and tourism does positively affect everyone in Ogden. It brings additional tax revenue, higher paying jobs, increased property values and tourism will help us attract retail to downtown. As we become widely recognized as “The Capital of High Adventure Recreation” we will also attract non-outdoor recreation companies because their employees (engineers, programmers, designers, etc) will want to live in a community where this lifestyle is so accessible.
Ogden owes people like Curt Geiger and Mike Dowse a great debt of gratitude. Their leadership and belief in Ogden has helped pave the way for the next generation of prosperity. We need the community to embrace this new direction, whether you enjoy these activities or not, because it will provide jobs for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. It will also provide additional tax revenue to sustain our schools and parks.
The continued transformation of our economy and redevelopment will not happen on its own. We will need to spend time and money to make it happen. Every city that has gone through tough times like we have has had to make renewal a priority in terms of their time and money. We will be no different. The following are critical steps to our future success:
Provide solutions to Mt. Ogden Golf Course to be self sufficient like El Monte so the $300k per year we’re spending there can be used in areas that will better serve its citizens
Develop more recreation venues that will bring competitions and tourism to Ogden
Continue aggressive recruiting recreation companies
Finish the redevelopment of downtown Ogden following the “high adventure recreation” theme
These steps will allow us to do the following:
Bring more retail stores downtown—Increased traffic and tourism are missing ingredients to more retail downtown
Lower crime—Huge progress has been made here, but we still need funding for more police officers on our streets that this plan will provide.
Higher property values—Higher property values will lead to less homes as rentals, providing more stability in our neighborhoods and schools. It will also lead to lower crime. This plan will create demand for housing in neighborhoods surrounding downtown and will drive up values.
I hope the community will wholeheartedly embrace this direction so we can continue to build a successful downtown, safe neighborhoods and recruit more high paying jobs for the coming generation.

Ogden City's Balance of Power - Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:15:00 +0000

The governance structure in corporate America is very different from government.

The Board of Directors are the ultimate decision makers for the company. They hire the CEO and will approve all major decisions of the company. In government there are three separate branches, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. The executive and legislative branches are both elected by the people. There is not one group that is in charge of or conversely reports to the other. The executive branch has clear areas of responsibility and the legislative has a separate area of responsibility. So, a Board of Directors does not resemble a City Council. There could be some similarities drawn in terms of the responsibility of a Board to do auditing and fiscal oversight, but it should be clear to anyone that a Mayor, in this form of government does not report to the City Council.

The City Council does not have limitless authority in setting policy. If the City Council tomorrow decided to adopt a policy that changed all city parks into parking lots could they do that? No. I would continue to use the budget to maintain them as parks since the Mayor decides how those funds will be administered. There are areas in which they can set policies, but there are absolute confines around that. This is spelled out in State Law and has also been proven in the Courts when Councils have attempted to overstepped their bounds.

So what the Council was attempting to do in their budget process, was to strip me of my responsibilities, in a very significant way, and give themselves that power. It’s clearly illegal to do that. It would be the same as having Congress decide that they would now nominate appointments to the Supreme Court. They could certainly draft and approve such a bill, but it would be unconstitutional. If the President then vetoed that bill and the veto was overridden does the President then have an obligation to comply with that bill? Clearly not. It’s unconstitutional regardless of the voting of the legislative body.

This is precisely what has happened here. The legislative body has attempted to rob me of my ability to administer the city and enter into contracts. This is a duty of my office that is clearly spelled out by state law and the Constitution of the State of Utah. They don’t have the authority to change that. I have an obligation to not comply with illegal laws because I am under oath to obey the laws and abide by the constitution.

What can I do to get involved in the city?

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:34:00 +0000

I am frequently asked this question by people who are interested in being engaged in the city in a meaningful way.
One way is to volunteer to serve on a city committee. These committees consist of volunteers, and city officials working together. Most committees meet monthly to discuss various issues and share their knowledge and passion for Ogden. There are several different committees that cover all interests. The Ogden Housing Authority, Christmas Village, Multicultural Advisory Committee, Forestry, Parks and Recreation, are some of dozens to choose from.
If a monthly commitment does not fit into your schedule there are several opportunities for one time projects. Ogden has a Community Involvement Coordinator who provides support to groups and individuals who want to participate in service projects. Some of the projects these groups have completed are; cleaning the trash along the River Parkway, painting fire hydrants, removing graffiti, cleaning flowerbeds, etc. This is an excellent way to be involved when you have identified a specific need.
Ogden has several great organizations working hard and doing positive things for the city that without volunteers would not be possible. One such organization is The Goal Foundation. Goal staffs several major events each year such as the Ogden Marathon, X-Terra, and World Champion Archery Competition. These events not only have economic impact on the city, but also have brought “Brand Recognition” to Ogden. Goal contributes their success to the volunteers of the Ogden Community.
Finally it is important to make sure your voice is heard on issues that affect the community. Attend City Council meetings, write a letter, or make a phone call to your Council representative and Mayor’s office. We have 82,000 people in our community and often times we only hear from a dozen, many decisions are made by the voice of these few.
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world.
For more information please contact our office at (801)629-8111.

Ogden City's Balance of Power

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:01:00 +0000

In many regards the Mayor’s position is exactly like a CEO of an outside company. In fact, one of the titles for the Mayor’s position is CEO of Ogden City Corporation. Due to the fact that CEO is a term that is often used in the business world, this is a concept that the public accepts and understands and is an easy way to describe the functions of the Mayor. However, there is no direct parallel from the business world that I can give for the City Council.
The role of Administration under this form of government is to expend the monies that are allocated by the Council in the way that the Administration sees most appropriate. The Administration is also over the day-to-day operations in the city such as hiring personnel, entering into contracts, administering contracts, overseeing projects, applying for government funding, building and maintaining infrastructure, providing public safety, etc.
Approving the budget is the biggest contribution the Council makes to the balance of powers. The Administration is allowed to spend money within the departments as allocated by Council. We can not take funds out of departmental allocations without the approval of the City Council. So, Council constrains how we spend money by where it is appropriated. We can not spend more money than they allocate in the budget but we have the ability, in fact, an obligation to spend less than is allocated.
The City Council also establishes law for the city, which are called ordinances. The Administration drafts the majority of those ordinances, and makes recommendations to the Council about how these ordinances fit into the betterment of the city, but it is ultimately the Council who is responsible for passing or not passing those ordinances.
Therein lies the balance of powers. The Council can not make anything in the city happen without the Administration nor can the Administration without the Council. It requires the two bodies to work together in order to accomplish anything of significance for the community.
Ogden City’s form of government was chosen by election by the people of Ogden in 1990 because they viewed it as a way to help effect change. They recognized that Ogden needed to have some dramatic change in order for us to thrive again. This form of government allowed that to happen because it gave a lot of power and authority to the mayor, to be able to consummate change. This form of government is referred to as a “strong mayor” form of government because there is considerable authority that is given to the mayor in order to move the ball down the field.
What has been proposed by the City Council recently is a dramatic violation of the existing balance of powers. Council is attempting to insert what they call a “policy statement” into the budget. It is their legal theory that by putting the word “policy” in front of a sentence or paragraph, they have the authority to direct Administration to do a specific task. The Council passed three such “policy statements.”
The problem with their “policy statement” is several fold. It clearly interferes with the Mayor’s powers. I have, by statute, the power to administer and enter into contracts, but this “policy statement” interferes with the contract we entered into in good faith with OWCAP regarding the Marshall White Center. Once the Council goes down this path, there is no end in sight. They would have complete control to do whatever they wanted. In theory Council could say “it is our policy that this particular store be recruited into Ogden”, “it is our policy that such and such an individual be hired into the city,” “it is our policy that this person receive a raise,” “it is our policy that the park benches are painted this color,” on and on and on. This “policy statement” then becomes subject to the whim of each new Council member that is elected.
If this were to be allowed, the form of government the people have chosen would be eviscerated. The Mayor would be left with no decision making. This would leave Administration doing nothing more than fulfilling the wishes of Council. The city would no longer be a “strong mayor” form of government; it would revert back to the kind of government we had before: a Council – manager form of government. This change would clearly be a breach of the form of government that the people of Ogden elected to have, and is in violation of State law.

Trails—What’s in Store

noreply@blogger.com (Mayor Matthew Godfrey) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

We are currently working on several critical trail extensions. One is the Parkway Trail along the Weber River. We have finally received the approved documents from Union Pacific to begin construction of the underpass that will help connect the existing trails from Ft. Buenaventura to those in Riverdale. This is an exciting milestone that has been worked on for many years: John Patterson and Jay Lowder have been instrumental in pulling this together. We are working hard to get this section completed quickly.

We are also working on trail improvements for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail that extends from 12th Street north. This is a wonderful trail section that, with some work, will be every bit as spectacular as what is enjoyed on the south side. There are also trail extensions that, pending approval from the Forest Service, we hope will move forward quickly. These will connect existing trails together as well as extend some trails that have terminating points. This approval process will result in an even greater number of impressive trails for Ogden to enjoy.