By Dan Schroeder
Amid all the discussion of its possible displacement of St. Anne's, the big news about the Godfrey administration's proposed velodrome was almost overlooked: The administration asked for $2 million in RAMP funds (over four years) for the velodrome, and the RAMP committee said no.
The nice thing about the RAMP process is that it's public. So whenever the Godfrey administration applies for RAMP money, we have a rare opportunity to see their plans laid out in black and white, in their grant application. Unable to resist, I contacted the RAMP administrator a few days ago and got myself a copy of the rejected application for the velodrome.
The application includes two pages of itemized construction costs totaling $15 million. Then comes a page listing the proposed sources of revenue:
a. Ogden City - Capital Improvement Program: $2 million
b. RAMP: $2 million (over four years)
c. Easton Sports Development Foundation Corporation: $2 million
d. Weber State University and Tennis Community: $3.5 million
e. USA Cycling Association and Cycling Community: $3.5 million
f. Ogden Velodrome Naming Sponsor: $2 million
You may recall that the administration originally stated that the city's contribution would be "more than $100,000", then asked the city council for $1 million in January. But so far the council hasn't allocated any money to the project.
The application includes three supporting letters, pertaining to items c through e:
1. A letter from the WSU tennis coach, enthusiastically describing how useful the velodrome's indoor tennis courts will be--but with no mention of any contribution toward construction costs.
2. A letter from USA Cycling, expressing that organization's serious commitment to using the velodrome's cycling track--but with no mention of any contribution toward construction costs.
3. A letter from Easton Sports Development Foundation, offering between $1.5 million and $2 million toward construction of an archery center--on the condition that ESDF would then own the building.
In other words, all six revenue sources consist of nothing more than wishful thinking at this time.
The RAMP application states that WSU, USA Cycling, and ESDF would enter into long-term lease agreements with the city, to operate their respective portions of the building. But the details are vague, and it's impossible to tell what the city's annual cost would be for operations and maintenance.
Fortunately, the RAMP program is run by adults who have learned to tell the difference between a serious proposal and a make-believe fantasy.
The RAMP administrator also informed me that from now on, RAMP funding for major projects will be handled on a reimbursement basis rather than given up-front. So even if the velodrome application had been approved, we wouldn't have had another ice tower fiasco where the city starts spending the RAMP money before raising any of the matching funds.
In conclusion, Weber County RAMP seems to be in good hands, and the county is benefiting from the program's sound decisions. Meanwhile, Ogden City is ending up with far less than its fair share of RAMP funds, thanks to the incompetence on the ninth floor.
For your reference, I've attached the Godfrey administration's rejected RAMP grant application, together with other supporting documents below:
• RAMP Grant Application (pdf - 1.54 MB)Reader comments are invited, as always.
• Velodrome Drawings (pdf - 1.31 MB)
