RDA Board tightens reins on Boss Godfrey; Scott Brown blows a head gasket
By Curmudgeon
The Council meeting began with the Council unanimously passing a resolution recognizing the heroism of Office Kenneth Hammond and his wife, Sarita Hammond, for their actions on the night of the Trolley Square shootings. The Council then unanimously passed a resolution honoring Officer Eric Young for risking his life to enter a burning building in an attempt to save a child within. Both officers received standing ovations by the Council and audience present.
The Council then without dissent approved extending the sunset provision for the Urban Forestry Committee to June, 2009. And it unanimously approved a budget resolution that re-allocated some budget items. The largest involved a $14,000,000 expenditure for capital improvements at BDO. Councilman Stephenson noted that that money must be spent on capital improvements at BDO in accord with the City’s contract with the US Army. All the resolution will do is arrange to have it spent this year, instead of next. Once it is spent, Ogden will have fulfilled its contractual obligations to the army. Important to approve now so construction can take advantage of the building season about to begin. Other elements dealt with parking at the airport to accommodate pending operation of a commuter air service there, some improvements to the railroad center downtown, and other small projects. The motion to approve was passed without objection.
Chairman Garcia then opened the meeting for public comments and things got very interesting very fast...
Read the rest of Curmudgeon's detailed report here, and then return hither with your own gentle comments.
Update 3/7/07 7:50 a.m. MT: Both The Standard-Examiner and the Salt Lake Tribune feature write-ups of last night's Scott Brown public meltdown. Boss Godfrey of course denies he put poor old Scott up to last night's bizarre outburst. In context, this is the second no-holds-barred public rant by a Boss Godfrey sycophant within the past week , and we wonder whether we may be getting an early preview of Boss Godfrey's crazed 2007 campaign strategy. Boss Godfrey's minions seem to have fallen into a siege mentality; and are lashing out like cornered wild animals, we think. Pull up your barca-loungers and grab your popcorn, gentle readers; and watch the Boss Godfrey Administration continue to self-destruct.
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31 comments:
Wethinks Brown, Godfrey, et al. "protesteth too much."
Many of us are still wondering why Boss Godfrey and his lackeys suppressed and concealed Chris Peterson's identity, if everything about the Bootjack deal was A-OK.
Even Safsten and Stephephen seem to "get it."
And Scott Brown will be holding a press conference?
Oh my! If there's any way Rudi can attend and ask a few questions about the Dean Williams "problem," that conference will be a "real hoot."
Too funny.
The wheels are apparently already falling off the Boss Godfrey 2007 campaign Bus.
The short of it, surprising. The long of it, to nauseating to go into right now. The foms were singing praise little Matty to the council, this was preceeded by a fairly obnoxius tirade,sometimes inaudible, directed at the Council by Scott Brown. This included an array of charges hurled at specific Council members, butjust like anyone else, his 3 minutes ran out. Gutta go hurl now, adios.
From the account in today's S-E, it sounded to me like Mr. Brown had a meltdown.
I also noted with interest and dark amusement that our mayor (not "city officials" as claimed in the subhead) called a unanimous vote of the Weber State University Board of Trustees "posturing".
Way to go, Matt. That'll get 'em over to your side in no time.
What they did, Mayor Godfrey, is open up a negotiation. That is, if you and Mr. Peterson care to engage in one. I'm disappointed, but not particularly surprised, that you don't recognize when someone is negotiating for the sale of real property. After all, as RDA Executive Director, we don't expect you to know very much about how real property sales are handled.
hahahaha. can't stop laughing. mr. impropriety attacking the council for ethic violations. first off, who on earth is going to believe him (besides the mayor)? what a nut job. sorry about the cancer, bro', but you need to come back to reality. i enjoyed mr. integrity's (mayor) comments, "i've heard allegations in general," blah blah blah. mr. brown, way to make mr. harmer proud.
K. Moulton has a story in this morning's SL Tribune dealing exclusively with Mr. Brown's intemperate rant. Here's the headline: "Ogden council treated to city officer's tirade
Rant defended man's boss in dust-up over selling of city property" Link
here.
Scott Schwebke's article on Brown's tirade in the SE can be found
here.
HI-larious! Little Matty Godfrey says Brown will not be fired because of a protected speech issue! Gondola Godfrey and Peterson's Squirrel Patrol are beyond desperate: saying WSU is "posturing"; bringing out the few remaining supporters to defend Mr. Integrity's integrity and that of his A-Team; launching an offensive against the council; and continuing to lie:
The Future of Utah: Ogden’s Revitalization Project
Note the use of the word "tramway;" note that the "tramway" gondola will go directly to Snowbasin; note the description of a "large international company" that's here only because of "the plan," which is nonexistent.
Can somebody post the link from today's SE on Gondola Plan In Jeopardy?
Thanks.
We're working on a new article on the subject now, anonymous 8:25, into which we'll link to BOTH of this morning's WSU-rleated articles.
Excellent reporting, Curm! Thank you.
Some of Brown's rant was lost because he nearly swallowed the mike and so much couldn't be deciphered. However, he accused Garcia of calling Jeske, "stupid"...and that 'Garcia asked me to support him in his campaign against the mayor' when Garcia runs for mayor in exchange for Brown's (indecipherable) whatever.
We'll have to listen to the CD...but it probably won't yield much that is helpful.
One of the best retorts the mayor
flung to Mr. Moyal is that the city WANTS to do business with him. Godfrey, of course, denied that he's told Mike Moyal that Godfrey has to look out for businesses and developers....and the other assertions in Moyal's letter in the SE. He accused Moyal of misquoting HIM!
I really liked the part where Godfrey denied that ANY dealings had EVER been done in secret!!!
And, of course, he attempted to slam me too. "If you'd visit St. Anne's....." how does he know if I've visited St Anne's or not? (I have)....but he is so insulting and smarmy in his replies.
The mayor's cheerleaders who spoke after Brown whilst tossing rose petals and blowing kisses at the administration received applause from B Allen, Geigers and others. Remember how Garcia and the mayor have said that is verboten...and in fact had Moyes tossed OUT of the chambers for daring to SIGH????
Finally, after two outbursts of enthusiasm, Garcia said no more applause.
Curm....After Brown's outrageous tirade, Jesse said that he's often met Brown at a local restaurant (by chance) and they'd spoken pleasantly...."But I will never speak to Scott Brown professionally or publically again!"
Woo hoo Jesse!
Godfrey's hyperbole is so non-sensical, disengenuous and outrageously self-serving that he's a buffoon.
We did have a conversation with Dave Harmer while the Council was out. He admitted that not disclosing to the Council that Peterson MAY have been involved with Bootjack, was not the correct thing to do. He said he didn't know for sure just who was involved in Bootjack with him, so did not disclose because of that. I asked if he should have told what he knew and that the council should have tabled
any further action on the Wall Ave properties til he gave them the info? Harmer agreed.
This morning, Bob Lonsberry, of station KNRS, SLC, related the Brown rant. He really blasted Scott and the Mayor "GoodGodfrey"
...and said that Godfrey should fire Scott today! The Council is elected by the people...Brown is only an employee and he was way out of line to go off on Garcia and the Council as he did, and should be fired.
No dissenting votes here.
And, as Bernie walked out of chambers, he leaned over to me and sneered, "that was embarrassing, Sharon...rally embarrassing."
I said....."Well...go drown your embarrassment in a bottle of wine and get over it."
I think Rudi had it right on when he said the mayor protested too loudly.
I’ve attended more city council meetings than I would have cared to because of my concerns lately as to how our city is being run.
I’ve heard people voice their support or opposition for specific projects but never much in the way of support for the administration or the way they conduct business.
In all those meeting I’ve only heard one maybe two people at any given meeting (and usually the same people) try to defend the administration or how the city is run or defend how the city conducts its business.
To have no less than a half dozen show up at the same time and with Mr. Brown (Mr. Ethical himself) leading the charge is no coincidence. This was orchestrated.
Did Godfrey’s nose grow any longer when he said he didn’t know anything about what was up?
If nausea aint cyclical, word is Brandon Stephenson is concidering a run for mayor,yakkkkk,hurl,barf,heave.it's all too much.
Sharon:
As for Mr. Brown's future with the Administration, that's for the Mayor to decide. It is a little ironic, I think, that in the midst of complaining about unprofessional conduct on the Council, Mr. Brown was engaged in a painful and public example of unprofessional conduct himself [the rant. By the end, I was embarrassed for him. In private, I imagine most of us, when angry, have given way to comments about others that we wished, upon sober reflection, we had not uttered. I know I have. But for a city official to do it in public and on the record, well that kind of defines unprofessional conduct.
In the midst of all the hooraw about Mr. Brown's unfortunate emotional tirade, let's not forget that later in the night, the entire Council, by unanimous vote, agreed to alter procedures for RDA property sales in such a way as to ensure that the Council is better informed before it votes on who those wanting to buy RDA property are, and what plans they have for developing the property.
All members of the Council. Every one. And members often supportive of the Administration on the Council spoke of "trust issues" between the Council and Administration, and serious "communications problems."
Several FOMs rose to complain about "discrimination" against Mr. Peterson in the Bootjack matter, and to suggest that the Council's refusing to accede to Mr. Peterson's wishes would be unconstitutional and un-American. That the Council unanimously agreed to alter RDA procedures to insure full disclosure to the members about such sales in the future makes it plain to anyone not blinded by FOM partisanship that there was a problem in how the Administration dealt with the Council regarding the sale, and it was a problem serious enough that the entire Council agreed to change procedures to make sure it didn't happen again.
I'd hate for the significance of that unanimous Council action to be lost in the buzz about Mr. Brown's unfortunate emotional diatribe at the podium.
Maybe some good will become of last nights meeting.
Hopefully now that our City Council has seen to what depths our administration is willing to go, the City Council will take their gloves off when dealing with the administration.
In all seriousness,could last nights fireworks have been a precursor to what may follow tonite? The Planning Commission is going to attempt to tackle a new hybred version of Mr. Ellison's Mu zoning. If you care, BE THERE.
Scott Brown,
Did you note that Godfrey defended your first amendment rights to rip the council?
But what of Dean Martinez' first amendment rights to question Godfrey's hiring practices, or to question your predatory sexual habits and your on the job sex?
You got a pass. Dean got fired.
Does this seem just a teensy bit inconsistent?
You tattled about what people were supposedly saying privately about each other. At the same time, you complained about people betraying confidences. Does that seem inconsistent as well, assuming that anything you said was even true?
Given that you have so little time left to live, one wonders why you would want to spend it being the same kind of sleazebag you’ve always been. Carl Sagan tried death bed repentance. Maybe you should think about it.
You could start by telling us all about the real Matt Godfrey, right here.
According to Curm's reporting from last night "The Mayor then addressed Mr. Moyal directly. He said all the city had been trying to do was convince him that he would not be able to draw a new clientele to the old building because of that poor reputation of the building and business that had operated there before." So, the Mayor is concerned that Mr. Moyal's public plan for what he wants to do with land he's purchasing won't pan out and that's why the city has been reluctant to follow through on the process with him. However, when CP wants to buy land from the city, but has no plan (at least not one that he was willing to share with the RDA or the public) that's no problem at all.
Confused:
While what you say is true, based on the vastly different accounting of the facts that Mr. Moyal has related, we must conclude that either he, or the mayor, is lying.
I find it interesting how many people are in that same position, vis-à-vis the mayor.
I give loud and hearty huzzah's, bravos, and kudos to the Council for this first step in their 'ethics' code!
As I stated earlier, Harmer agreed that he's been wrong in not giving the RDA what info he had at the time about Bootjack and Peterson.
I think the citizens are going to be enlightened about the shenanigans and downright unethical and criminal" behvior of Godfrey and his inner circle.
Sexual harrassment and using the city computer to access porn, as reported in Moulton's articles in the SLTRIB are federal offenses....and in every other city where this egregious behavior has occured, the culprit is summarily CANNED.
The women who were the victims of sexual harrassment need to come forward. Any agreements they were coerced into signing in order to keep their jobs are null and void. To sign a letter to cover up a crime or unethical actions will not hold up in court.
Mr. Martinez was fired for exposing such behaviors. I wish he would encourage the women who were harrassed to come forward. He knows who they are. Exposing the machinations and cover up perpetrated by Godfrey and his lackeys will help tumble this little man from grace.
These offenses are to be 'handled' by the administration, and one will see a cold day in Hades before that happens!
Witness Godfrey's 'defense' of Brown's disgraceful show last nite..."Only defending his friend,(Harmer)".... I'm sorry that Brown has been ill.
Many people suffer grave and catastrophic illnesses....and do not humiliate themselves and others in such a disgraceful way. Many of my acquaintance become kinder and more reflective. Perhaps that will happen with Scott.
I agree with Anon of 8:57 am....this 'show' and the love fest following were orchestrated!
Funny that one who would play part time PI, following a cops wife for driving a truck that clearly was a tool in an exercize of free speach, would mouth that very same privilege in defense of Brown's tirade.
Bill C
Flag burners, potty mouths, hate speech, accessing ownership of a private American citizen's car without cause is always under the guise of "free speech"
where you been, kid?
That is because Godfrey has no integrity (zero, zilch, nada). Nor does his staff. If Brown were saying something bad about Boss Godfrey then you can bet that his head would be on the chopping block.
Boss Godfrey's nose got all bent out of shape because the van had FACTS on it that made him look bad. So he had to do something about that. Like I said NO INTEGRITY. Proven time and again....
Anon, by casting stones could you be conceding all discouse? Is your inevitable end so near? Have you resorted to a scorched earth tactic? According to accounts I've heard,despite the orchestrated attempted love fest even Bernie was embarrased. Backfire!!!!!!!
Did the good ship Godfrey just hit an iceberg? Is the Godfrey orchestra playing on in spite of it? Is the great facade of Godfrey's integrity finally crumbling under the weight of the corruption and lies that are at its foundation?
It is interesting that:
the small handfull of Godfreyites are still trying to spin the bootjack fiasco into a Peterson civil rights issue.
the only people that speak in favor of Godfrey and his circle of losers are people that are directly benefitting from the Godfrey gravy train.
Scott Brown of all people gives out lectures on ethics. If and when the Amercan Can of worms is opened there may be numorous cases of conflict of interest and broken laws with his finger prints all over them. Also if the porn on the city computers and sexual harrasment of female city employees gets publicly exposed his name just might be featured prominently.
the mayor can excuse Brown's tirade against the council as protected free speech, while he put the full weight of the city behind the crusifixion of Matt Jones for his exercising of same.
the flak that did the pimp piece that was linked a few comments back got practically every thing wrong including the price of weed in Ogden! (if true, the only reason it would be cheap is that there are so many dopes around Godfrey)
and finally, if I were Harmer and Godfrey spoke highly of my ethics I would leave town ASAP. That could be the kiss of death coming from the little pursed lips that never lie!
No, Bill C...Bernie was embarrassed by MY remarks about Godfrey hiding the unwashed from the eyes of the touristas. (He's family, after all).
Bernie should be embarrassed for going along with Godfrey's attempts to 'purify' Ogden by ridding our fair city of all undesirables.
Will the new 'campus' be fenced with barbed wire and gun turrets manned by Griener's sharpshooters?
(Betcha he wishes he COULD get away with it).
Someone on here mentioned giving the Shupe Williams property to St Anne's. I mentioned that to Harmer who replied, "And it's right next door!"
That would be so cool...unless the earth is still scorched from that mysterious but fortuitous fire.
in this context of what the mayor said,..it looks as if the mayor may be the nay sayer on this peice of property, and the mayor has a crystal ball to tell how things are going to operate with this motel....(The Mayor then addressed Mr. Moyal directly. He said all the city had been trying to do was convince him that he would not be able to draw a new clientele to the old building because of that poor reputation of the building and business that had operated there before.) Boy oh Boy mayor lets not be nay sayers.
Can you imagine the un-mitigated gall of that arrogant little bastard Godfrey giving any one business advice? Nothing he has ever done has been successfull yet. The only thing he has ever done beside looting the city treasury and running up the city debt to a hundred million dollars is run some slum properties in inner city Ogden. He knows as much about running a business profitably as Scott Brown does about public relations. They are both a couple of zero's and would be hero's. Without access to the public treasury, neither one of these bozo's could put a successful business together.
The ultimate arrogance is for Godfrey to tell this Moyle guy what would be successful on his land and what wouldn't be. Almost as stupid as Brown lecturing the council about ethics!
The mayor does indeed need a lesson in free speech.
I very much doubt that a court would consider Brown's tirade to be protected speech under the First Amendment, or under Utah law. He was speaking not as a private citizen but rather in his specific capacity as Ogden's Business Development Manager. He was complaining about specific actions and statements by other city officials (City Council members), not about general policies or legislation. Protected speech simply doesn't include public and personal attacks on one's coworkers that are potentially disruptive to carrying out one's duties as an employee. Brown might try to claim that his accusations were a form of whistle-blowing, but he didn't provide enough specifics to substantiate the allegations, and it's hardly whistle-blowing when his boss and his boss's boss are basically on his side.
The "Godfrey ticket quota" van, on the other hand, was protected speech because it was an attempt to influence a general policy of the city, with no reference to any specific action by any city official.
Perhaps it's time for the City Attorney to give the mayor a little lesson on these distinctions.
The city attorney does not appear to be impartial. Is he hired and fired by the mayor???
The County Atty eats the same creamed chicken lunches as Godfrey and his A Team, so don't expect redress from him. Look what a wuss he was over Matt Jones.
Godfrey doesn't have the needed anatomical parts to get rid of Brown....only good people like Jones and Martinez.
Dan S, I certainly hope you're not an attorney....
Hey anon, 2 days late. I'm not an attorney but you might wan't to look at the Ogden City employees manual,Section9-6 #7.
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