Tuesday Night Council Happenings

City Council Notes 02.06.07
By Gentle Reader Sharon

I attended the very short (one hour) and under attended CC meeeting last night.

Once again we were honored to have the Boy Scouts in attendance. The young men were from Troop 233 and were : James Monson...Citizenship in Community/Nation Merit Badge, Jared Petaine, Personal Fitness, Jacob Petaine, Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge, Dave McComber, Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge and Michael Florence, Communications. If I didn't get their names and spelling right....Councilwoman Jeske can correct me.

It is so refreshing to have the Scouts lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. This is something I've brought up to the Council a few times in the past. So, kudos to the Council and especially Councilwoman Jeske! She's been a Scouter for over 30 years and these fine young men from Troop 233 are from her neghborhood.

After the usual approval of minutes of past CC meetings and some housekeeping that is taken care of in their earlier work meeting, according to Chair Garcia, we were left with two agenda items.

Planning Commission Reports: "Proposed Ordinance 2007=3 amending the zoning map of Ogden City to reclassify as Multiple Family Residential--East Central (R-3EC) property heretofore classified as Cetnral Business District Zone (CBD), generally located along the north side of 24th Street between 578 East and Adams Avenue and the east side of Adams Avenue between 23rd Street and 24th Street."

Mr. Montgomery presented this with a map of the area. This is being rezoned to Residential in order to 'stabilize the area', and as Mr. Stephenson noted to " maintain the character of the neighborhood". Only one person commented. A Mr. Fahid ?...could not catch the last name. He left early. He was concerned that his business which is on the corner of 24th and Adams would be rezoned. He was assured that his business would not be affected and urged to meet with Mr. Montgomery. The gentleman had a rather heavy accent, and unfortunatley I couldn't follow all that he said. Unanimous approval by the Council.

New Business: TREEHOUSE MUSEUM SUPPORT..."Proposed Joint Resoluton 2007=3 expressing support for the Treehouse Museum's request for funding from the UT State Legislature." They've already rec'd $800,000. of the one million they were allotted, and now are asking for the other $200,000. Unanimous approval by the Council.

Chair Garcial opened the floor to comments. Ms. Va. Reyes spoke about the people she represents in the inner city and their concerns that their homes not be rezoned from residential. Chair Garcia responded that he's asked her many times for the list of all the people she says she represents!

Perhaps he thinks there's some redundancy in the representation as HE represents the same people he told her.

A young man, Steven VanWaggenon, who just moved here in Dec. spoke about the "great industries and great buildings in Ogden....they set us apart, we should be taking some serious looks and support our businesses because we're going to have a different caliber of people' coming to Ogden." He then gave a rousing cheer for the gondola! THIS is what is bringing business to Ogden. He said 'let's close escrow on our old buildings..let's restore our old buildings'. He told me after the meeting that he's bot the old Berthana (Dance Hall??)...which is now a strip club according to Mr. VanWaggenon.

Then I spoke. I hadn't intended to bring up the gondola...but....since it was already in the room, so to speak..

I suggested to Mr. W. that he "educate himself. Mr. Peterson's Att'y admitted the gondola is at least 10 to 20 years away!! Also, it's been mighty quiet lately and that makes many of think something is afoot. And here it is. The gondola is back! We have businesses and new residents in Ogden...and there isn't a gondola in sight!"
What I really wanted to address was the lack of lighting downtown. I've brought this up before, and rec'd blank stares.

My husband nearly hit a man on WA Blvd recently...dark night, dark clothes. We were inches from him. The experience left our hearts pounding and we were weak in the knees. I suggested we have OVERHEAD lights on the Blvd, and those 'walking' electronic signs denoting crosswalks.

I urged the Council to "get on with the business of infrastructure, clean water on 23rd East, the welfare of our citizens. Have any of them been in the inner city and asked how many WANT a gondola? Will ride it? (more than once?), How many have $15. to take a one minute ride at the rec center?

Every person I've talked to does NOT want the gondola....and they should get out and actually talk to the folks. Get their heads out of the sky and come back to the ground."

Susan Van Hooser said that she'd had an experience similar to ours..nearly hitting someone. She asked the mayor directly what is being done about lighting? He replied that this is a 'state issue'. Feisty Ms. Van Hooser then asked , 'aren't we meeting with UDOT in March?"...Cook said it was UTA, but UDOT could be invited. Godfrey explained that signage comes from the state....'Well'....Susan pushed..."I think we need a plan to present to THEM on what we need!"

What a gal! Godfrey said, 'we've been talking about this for five years and we've gotten to this point'. HUH? The only point I see is that someone is going to be killed on the Blvd...and there goes another lawsuit against the city!

I wonder if the driver who hits a dark-clothed pedestrian on the unlighted street can also sue the city?

We were the only three speakers. Councilwoman Jeske commented that other cities are buying up their open spaces...and we must protect ours.

Steve Van Wagoner came over to me at the end of the meeting. A very nice young man. He said he's been talking to a lot of businessmen who want the gondola and some of the ski companies are here because of it. (Geiger, he asserted, was not one of them). I urged him to educate himself and get on this blog. Gave him the blog address. I hope he weighs in. Suggested he ask questions of Dan and Tec and the other really smart and informed people on this blog.

Well, that's what happened in our metropolis tonight.

Any misreporting of the facts can be corrected by Dorrene Jeske. Safsten was absent.

Update 2/7/07 10:36 a.m. MT: We link for our gentle readers' attention Ace Reporter Schwebke's Std-Ex story, wherein he reports that the above-referenced Mr. Van Wagoner says he is willing to spend millions of dollars to transform a downtown strip club into a top-flight music venue if an urban gondola project materializes. Why not spend those millions on a classy gentlemen's club -- like this one, we ask? That would certainly be unique! We also suspect this idea would be a big hit with at least one or two employees of the Emerald City Economic Development Department! Heck, the whole "A" Team could use it as an after-hours think tank!

Hey... we're just trying to help.