Another Rec Center Bond Vote Delay

For those who have been sitting on the edges of their seats, eagerly awaiting the Ogden City Council's seemingly-inevitable approval of the new Rec Center bonding, there may be some more bad news.

I got word yesterday from a very reliable source close to City Hall that the city council vote, now set for July 26, will be taken off-calender yet again.

My source informed me that this may be something more problematic than the mere bonding agreement financial details, which had presumedly been the main obstacle holding this matter up. I was told that the bond underwriters are suddenly asking nervous questions about previously prepared "environmental site studies" relevant to the old mall site.

I've since spoken with Mayor Godfrey about this situation; and he confirms that the vote will indeed be delayed -- again. He offers his reassurrence, however, that the existing reports are in order, that the site itself is "clean," and that whatever reservations are now being expressed by the underwriters are merely part of the "cat-and-mouse" game that typically occurs when an underwriter and an RDA are engaged in negotiations. As to the December 31, 2005 "drop-dead date" that I mentioned in this earlier WCF article, Mayor Godfrey advises that whatever delay that occurs will be measured in days, or weeks at worst, but that the Rec Center project is not itself in jeopardy.

There you have it, faithful readers.

And here we'd all assumed it would be a slam-dunk.

Comments, anyone?

Update o7/23/05 8:15 a.m MT: Scott Schwebke updates this story with additional information. It appears that members of the the City Council are growing frustrated.