No Harm; No Foul! Welcome Boyer Company! - Updated

I suppose we can chalk this up as the anti-climactic story of the year. We ALL knew this was going to happen.

The city council (acting as the Ogden RDA board) ratified the Boyer development contract and Phase 1 site lease (with Phase 2 options) last night, by a unanimous 5-0 vote. That's right. There were no dissenting votes. Nor should there have been. All-in-all -- it's a fair and even-handed deal, in my not so humble opinion. What few things that are a little out of whack can be easily fixed by the new city council.

Now I know what some of you are going to say: "Rudi! You've sold out! You're back in Mayor Pee-wee's pocket again. You've sold out to the neoCONs," you'll say.

Well... As President Kennedy used to say, "Let me say this about that:"

I obtained copies of all the relevant documents yesterday, and took a couple of hours to scrutinize them. Having done that, I realized that some of us had unduly gotten "our panties in a bunch" over what seems now to me a "tempest in a teapot" situation.

I've reviewed the operative documents, as I said. They are completely fair and equitable, in my opinion. They reflect give-and-take negotiations. They're exceptionally well-drafted and craftsman-like, from a lawyer-drafter standpoint. There are also no acute NO "red flags" that I can find; (and I've been reviewing documents such as these for decades.) The operative documents protect both Boyer and our Ogden RDA (the Landlord.)

There are fifty-plus pages to these documents, so you can assure yourselves you won't find them all dutifully (and manually) posted here. So forget that. There is a short "Executive Summary," though, which fairly accurately sums up the important details of the Development and Lease agreements that were ratified last night.

I'll say frankly that I feel very sorry for the outgoing councilmembers, who've maintained their "citizen frigidity" for all these years.

Methinks the semi-functional, sometimes drooling, sometimes "nodded out" Fasi Filiaga sums it all up for the outgoing "lame ducks" with this great quote from John Wright's headline "Top of Utah" story:

“This is our decision,” current Councilman Fasi Filiaga said (somehow repressing the urge to tell shark-capturing stories of his Tongan youth,) addressing two council members-elect in the audience. “You have plenty of things to do. ... This is my last night, and I want it done.”

These people "own" the mall site projects, after all. They have the psychological need to feel like they've "done something" during their dismal tenures, as the city hall screen door slaps them on the backside at the end of the year, I think.

It's all about ego, of course, with the outgoing, Godfrey-compliant city council.

My take on the Boyer deal: No harm; no foul.

It could have been a helluva lot worse.

Welcome aboard, Boyer Co. Our fingers are crossed; and we're all counting on you.

Comments, gentle readers?