Here's something interesting for our readers' consumption on yet another otherwise slow Emerald City news day. One of our sharp-eyed readers sent us an electronic copy of Boss Godfrey's April 17, 2009 Administrative Review Meeting Agenda, which would seem to suggest that the administration is at long last getting off its ass, and taking formal action against at least one owner of the firetrap properties within the Ogden River Project:
• Mayor’s Administrative Review Meeting Agenda April 17, 2009We travelled to the parcel search section of the most excellent Weber County website, and gleaned ownership info on the eight "dangerous buildings" which were the subject of Boss Godfrey's April 17 meeting. Here's the information that we found:
030350004 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1915 GRANT AVE
030350003 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1921 GRANT AVE
030350001 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1929 GRANT AVE
030370010 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1935 GRANT AVE
030370008 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1951 GRANT AVE
030370007 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1955 GRANT AVE
030370006 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1957 GRANT AVE
030370005 - OGDEN RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CO LP - 1965 GRANT AVE
And who is the investor/principal who hides behind the Ogden Riverfront Development Co. Ltd, corporate shell?
Boss Godfrey's hand-picked Ogden City River Project savior, of course, the broke-ass Gadi Leshem, naturally.
We've been screaming bloody murder about the city's lack of action in this matter for over a year; and our friends at the Standard-Examiner have been raising holy hell about it too. So far however, the financially prudent voices in our community have been greeted with a giant Godfrey administration yawn.
So at this juncture we'll once again appeal to our gentle and savvy readers to help explain the meaning of all this. Has Boss Godfrey finally finally grown fed up with his erstwhile buddy, Gadi Leshem, who didn't even have the decency to donate anything more than a measly ten grand to Godfrey's 2007 reelection campaign? Or, on the other hand, is Boss Godfrey moving in the direction of giving formal notice to Gadi merely to placate the critics, and to do what Gadi should have done over a year ago (demolish his dilapidated vacant structures) at the taxpayers' expense? We talked to an official in Ogden City Government by the way, who told us the cost to the taxpayers for the city's demolition of these properties would average out at around $10 thousand a pop.
Just for fun on a Saturday afternoon, we'll also reprise and re-display this mood setting WCF Five Star rated Don Porter Video Piece which is embedded in the above-linked Std-Ex editorial:
Chime in people. Ignore the wonderful weather. Please stay indoors and post your comments during this latest episode of what experienced Utahns call "false spring."
9 comments:
I'm still wondering why Don Porter resigned from the Standard-Examiner, after following his journalist career there for 23 years.
Was it a rat leaving a sinking ship?
Or did he finally get fed up as a career journalist, working for a paper who considers news reporting to be a sideline?
What a opportunity! We could spend a mere 100 million dollars to develop the area into a adventure type paintball park and a side exhibit of artistic graffiti on the side of abandoned buildings. Paintball downtown and mountain biking uptown,connected by a urban gondola system.
Well well weel, it looks as though after harrassing the town folks on petty assed code violations, the little prick couldnt look the other way any longer for his criminal little tax evading friend from California.
Shaking down little old ladies because of their brown lawns, and writing up people with a mere violaiton as stated in Porters piece, while letting the other blatant violations slide.
Godfery is a piece o crap, nothing will be done, no fines will be levied, inspectors are commanded to look the other way while enforcing violations in that area, I know that is true, but the inspectors are scared for thier jobs if they do.
If any demolition is performed, the taxpayers will foot the bill, and never be reimbursed, how the hell you gonna get money out of a broke dick crook from California? Ogden is last in line for any monetary compensation from Lesham.
What is it that RJ Svengali says, oh, I (we) Love this town.
Very nice catch by whoever brought it to your attention, Rudi. Be very interesting to see what [if anything] happens with respect to the properties now.
I am not well-informed about municipal liabilities in such circumstances, but it is possible that the risk to the city stemming from not acting on "dangerous" derelict properties finally became too risky to bear, and so at last the Administration got off the dime. I don't know that that's so. Just speculating.
Hope whoever spotted the items on the agenda keeps his or her sharp eye peeled for further developments.
I wonder if the SE will pick up on this.
Just a thought -- did the Council's "Code Enforcement Audit" have anything to do with Godfrey finally taking action after a year or so? If so, kudos to the Council!
As one who responded to the Code Enforcement audit it was brought up many times of special treatment for friends of the mayor. It was apparent that city owned property was in violation and needed to be addressed.
Wants:
Good question, seems to me.
Sadly, no one knows what the determination was, for all we know nothing may happen. The worst case would be that the mayor has deemed gadi's holdings so critical to his riverfront scam that the city will pay for everything. An executive decision.
Exactly right, Bill. In truth, Godfrey will be doing the currently cash-strapped Gadi a big favor if he demolishes these properties at taxpayer expense. The city can simply put a lien on these properties as $10k a pop and settle up later.
Post a Comment