Thursday, May 19, 2011

New Ogden City Council Website Feature

Housekeeping Note: Emerald City political wonks who want to stay ahead of land use planning issues will of course want to bookmark the link below

Here's a Weber County Forum Tip O' The Hat to the Ogden City Council for this most excellent online innovation. Here's the key link:
Special thanks to Council Chair Gochnour in re this.

One of our gentle readers was wondering in a lower comments section: "Does anybody know what happened at city council last [Tuesday] night relating to the request for high density slum apartment rezoning for the river district?"

Thanks to Caitlin Gochnour and the rest of the Ogden City Council, we now know that this matter is coming up for public input on May 24, 2011; and that we'll hereafter be able to find out which land use planning issues will be coming up for Council/RDA discussion on specific dates in the future.

It's especially nice to give Caitlin a pat on the back... at least every now and then; and this instance it's certainly well-deserved.

Emerald City political wonks who want to stay ahead of land use planning issues will of course want to bookmark the above link.

Comments, anyone?

Update 5/23/11 10:07 a.m.: Mysteriously, the above-mentioned "high density slum apartment rezoning" public discussion has now been apparently re-set for June 14, 2011.

16 comments:

althepal said...

"It's especially nice to give Caitlin a pat on the back... at least every now and then."

I'm in total agreement. As spineless as Gochnour has been in dealing with Godfrey, it's good to see something positive like this happening in Ogden.

Ozboy said...

It is a bit bizzaro that Rudi and Althepal make such a to do patting Gouchner and the council on the back for doing what any decent city council ought to be doing as a matter of course.

What is really sad is that Ogden has suffered through several lame and ineffectual  city councils that have rolled over and let Godfrey and his circle of sycophants get away with one crime after another and pile a huge hundred million dollar debt on to the backs of the poor tax payers of the town.  With a few exceptions, Wicks, Garcia, Jeske and VanHooser come to mind,  all of these losers ought to be doing time with Bernie and Val.

Dorrene_Jeske said...

Ozboy,
 
It's not clear whom you are saying are losers.  It sounds as though Wicks, Garcia, Jeske and Van Hooser are the losers, but I don't think that's what you meant.

justasking said...

althepal and Ozboy - based on your comments, can we look forward to seeing your names listed as candidates for either a Council seat or better still, as a candidate for Mayor? 

rudizink said...

 Good point.  I hereby nominate Tom Feeny for Mayor!

rudizink said...

 We'll give credit when it's due, Oz.  Fair is fair, after all.

rudizink said...

Howbout Tom Feeny for mayor?

His Great-great grandpappy, Lorin Farr, capably ran this town for nineteen years!

Maybe it's time to get back to the basics in Ogden.

Just a thought.

TL Feeny said...

 LOL! I the memorable words of the imitable William Tecumseh Sherman...

"If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.

Ozboy said...

Well Justasking, I would run but my parole officer won't let me.  Also my parents were married which pretty much leaves me out for the mayor job.  (same reason they wouldn't let me in law school)

And Mz. Jeske, no, I was pointing out that you, Garcia, Wicks and VanHooser were the exception to the other council members who have allowed Godfrey to loot the city treasury.  It is too bad that you and Garcia are not still on the council.  At least the citizens of Ogden would have a majority on that body with some ethics and intelligence.

Ozboy said...

 A great line later stolen by LBJ!

Ozboy said...

A great line later stolen by LBJ! 

justsayin said...

Hell sakes Ozboy we can probably fix it with your patrol officer. As for the second count well, this is Ogden man and it's damn near mandatory to be a lovechild or at least an sob since old  G  lowered the standard for damn near everything.

As for good old Rudi -  give it a go and you could run the blog on the city dime - we've seen worse in the past 12 years for sure. You could name one helluva staff. Ozboy, althepal and of course good ole curm any one of them for Executive Administrator. Dan is probably overqualified and would be too busy keeping you guys in line (snicker).

Come to think of it, "the Bloggers" would make one helluva platform.  Jeez, that has a nice ring to it.

Curmudgeon said...

 "of course good ole curm ....for Executive Administrator."

Hmmmmm. How can I make such appalling suggestions, even tongue in cheek, go away and never return? 

   Ah, I have it!

"I hereby state that I would  be delighted to be named CAO. Why, I have right here in my pocket plans for at least 15 new RDAs [to be subsidized by tax increment financing of course], for which I would ask the Council to approve eminent domain procedings immediately after my appointment."

That should do it.   

Danny said...

I agree that
our city council is going to lengths to be open.  This is laudable and
appreciated.  Moreover, I think being open makes the council members’ jobs
easier.


 


On the other
hand, they DID approve the master plan, tiny, packed in hole that it is.  No word yet on whether they will approve the
developer’s desire to convert owner occupied tiny holes into tiny rental holes,
or indeed, into the super small weewee hole apartment instant slums that the
developer is proposing.


 


And how
about that new name for the River District: 
Ogden Bend.


 


Are you kidding
me?  After 12 years of Godfrey they call
it that?   Yes, Ogden Bend, as in bend over, as in over a
car hood as Godfrey approaches with a smile on his face.  Yes, Ogden 
…. Bend!


 


They should
have had a contest or something.  Ogden
Bend?  Gosh.


 


And they
should make the lots bigger.  More
density always equals squalor.  What are
they thinking?

Danny said...

Sheesh, this new posting system here just doesn't work for me.

Disgusted said...

Noticed in the City Council / RDA members’ packet for this Tuesday night’s meeting the following statement, “Select Legislative Intents – Update”
“Environmental Clean‐Up Funds”.
“It is the intent of the City Council to monitor the amount of City funds
used for the environmental clean‐up on the property planned for the 12th
Street Market Place. The funds not spent or reimbursed from the $1,000,000
previously allocated for the clean‐up will be reallocated to CIP projects
from which they were originally appropriated in FY2008.”
And this is the part that I really like that was mentioned in passing
“The Administration staff has reported that they no longer believe it is
possible to recover all of the funds for environmental cleanup. Attorneys
for both sides are working to negotiate a settlement.”
 
Just for the record, how many of us tried to tell the council members, to no avail, that most if not all of this one million dollars would not be recoverable?
How many of us told these same city council members that the Winco store would most likely cause the Stop and Shop to close down (btw putting one of our city council members, a bagger with the initials of D.S., out of a job) and that the sales tax gains from the Winco store would only marginally offset the sales tax losses from the Stop and Shop closure.
The significance of this revenue short fall of course being that the sales tax difference was what was supposed to offset the dollars spent on the environmental clean-up that the administration is now admitting is can’t collect.
Bottom line the administration buffaloed the city council into thinking they would get significant funds back from the previous land owners and the city suggested that any shortfall would be made up by increased sales  tax revenues that never happened. Our BD department is only exceeded in their incompetence by our city council.
We have to have the most gullible, unqualified, uneducated council members of any city out there. They are an embarrassment to the whole city.

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