No Longer Slavish and Dysfunctional - Updated

Last night's Ogden RDA meeting was VERY encouraging.

What was formally on the agenda was what STD-Ex reporter Cub reporter Scott Schwebke said in today's Std-Ex backpage story.

Yeah. They set the "bonding" hearing for 1/24/06. No big deal.

That's the MINOR story.

The BIG story is this. The Ogden City RDA board basically begged Mayor Godfrey all last week, prior to last night's RDA meeting, for basic "qualification" information on Ernest Health, Inc. This happened ALL WEEK.

Godfrey's administration "clammed up," and even had a private meeting with Ernest, Inc. execs early last Tuesday, hours before Tuesday night's RDA Board meeting, and barred council leadership from attending.

Last Friday afternoon, the message was delivered to RDA Board members that emperor Godfrey (who doesn't have even a vote on the RDA Board) hadn't supplied the requested information... and that he didn't intend to supply any requested information to the governing body of the Ogden RDA, the state-delegated governing board.

Matt Godfrey basically told the voting members (the governing body of the Ogden RDA) to "stick it."

Thus they asked the Ernest Health, Inc. rep a few basic questions Tuesday night, during a public meeting. That was their last resort, I believe, given Emporer Godfrey's juvenile and decidedly machiavellian machinations.

And Yes! The new RDA Board voted to set a hearing for new bonding and a loan for 1/24/06.

The beauty of it is that in doing this, the RDA board commanded Mayor Godfrey to produce all the fundamental audited financials on Ernest Health, and resumes of all the Ernest Health Officers and Directors, just as any prudent prospective partner, lessor or lender would do.

Rumors are circulating that Ernest Health has already "pulled the plug," even after agreeing publicly to furnish the information. This is reportedly happening even though The slick Texan in the well-tailored $1500 suit said he was still doing his "Due Diligence" on Ogden City.

If they don't want to produce basic financials...that should tell us all something very important.

I've disagreed a lot at various time with Ogden activist Sharon Beech, and her tactics.

Nevertheless, I agree with her every comment at last night's RDA session, wherein she said she'd be giving a hat-tip to the new council, for asking necessary questions, and restoring active discussion to City Council/RDA sessions.

I'll give lavish credit where it's due: Bingo, Sharon Beech!

Our city council is no longer slavish and dysfunctional. It'll get lots better, I predict, once our new councilpeople "learn the procedural ropes."

Update 1/12/06 11:50 a.m. MT: The Standard-Examiner reports this morning on the Ernest Health brou-ha-ha. Mayor Godfrey is "appalled," Scott Schwebke dutifully reports. He's never seen anything like it. "Maybe the council didn't understand what they were doing," Emperor Godfrey muses.

“I’m very disappointed,” Godfrey said. ‘“We’ve been working for a year on that (hospital) project. To see it go up in smoke in one meeting is sad.”

I'll tell you what's appalling. Our "visionary" can-do Mayor -- and his high-priced "can-do" economic development team -- have apparently been in negotiations with Ernest Health for a year, and yet have failed to obtain information so elementary and fundamental to the transaction as to make a rookie realtor blush. It's beyond dissapointing. It goes well beyond appalling, too.

That the Ogden RDA Board was forced into the position of having to ask all the necessary qualifying questions at the very last minute, in a public forum, demonstrates a degree of administrative incompetence and hubris that's shocking to the conscience.

It raises serious questions about the judgment of the folks who've been minding the Economic Development shop in Ogden for the past few years. How they could have gotten so deeply into this project without obtaining the the most basic and foundational financial statements and insider information simply boggles the mind.

Thank God the voters of Ogden had the good sense to install a new slate of citizen representatives to look after their interests. The current administration and its crew of "experts" obviously need to be closely watched.

And a hint to the Mayor and his well-paid crew: It might be a good idea to intimately involve the new council and RDA Board in the process from now on, since they're the folks who control the votes. Learn to co-operate and and share information with the TRUE decision makers in the future, and nobody will wind up with egg on their face. The gang of six mentality is a thing of the past. Sooner or later you'll have to learn to work with the OTHER branch of city government... the legislative one that resides on the city hall third floor.

Just a helpul hint from yer old pal Rudi...

Update 1/17/06 12:30 p.m. MT: The plot thickens, it seems. The Local Albuquerque, New Mexico press has now picked up on the Ernest Hospitals "jilted suitor" story. Where will it ever end?

Further comments, anyone?