Standard-Examiner: Paris Cafe on 32nd St. Alive with Music on Weekends

"All's well that ends well;" right, folks?

Belated congratulations to Ogden entrepreneur Earnie McKown, who, "after [six] months of battling it out with Ogden city over whether live music should be allowed at his Paris Cafe social hall," has now succeeded in obtaining all "necessary" permits and licenses, and is now packing the house with live music acts each weekend, according to yesterday's encouraging Standard-Examiner story:

• Paris Cafe on 32nd St. alive with music on weekends

 “It’s been quite the process, but we’ve finally got live acts coming in here consistently,”  sez Mr. McKown, with a possibly audible sigh of relief, we'll suppose.

"Quite the process?"  Mr. McKown is a true a master of under-statement, wethinks, as we look back on his six-month Ogden City "Bout with Bureaucracy," which should serve as a lesson in entrepreneurial persistence, to say the very least:

• WCF Paris Cafe Article Collection

“I always wanted a place like this, but it never really existed.” “It brings people in (to Ogden) from other places. I live in Kaysville, but I’ll drive up here to see my friends play. It’s a really cool and positive environment.” “A lot of teenagers aren’t the sporty type; so kids can go to the cafe and learn guitar, enjoy the live music, do some painting — just do something different,” say a pair of  happy, random Paris Cafe patrons.

We're thus delighted to close this particular chapter in the "Business-Friendly" Ogden Economic Development Saga by invoking the "old ax":

"All's well that ends well;" right, folks?

March 26 Ogden City Council Meeting: Part Deux

Bonus video: A most interesting Council session from start to finish

In the interest of wrapping up our discussion of  last Tuesday's Ogden City Council meeting, wherein the council considered, among other things,  the Paris Cafe Zoning/Conditional Use Permit matter and the un-calendered "Not Going Away! Group Talk-in," we're delighted to discover that the full council video has now popped up on the City Council website, providing a particularly interesting glimpse into the Council's treatment of these and other matters. It's an interesting video from start to finish, wethinks, kicking off with a heart-warming ceremony at 01:08 in which Councilwoman Wicks read a special Council resolution honoring Ogden Homeboy and Mountain Climbing World Legend Jeff Lowe, and Mayor Mike awarded your blogmeister's old high school chum a much-coveted and richly-deserved key to Ogden City.

Following this and a prolonged discussion of amendments to the City's Capital Improvement Plan, the video gets down to the WCF-topical nitty gritty at 1:14:24, with the Paris Cafe discussion, where, following another laborious "background" presentation and discussion, the Council finally gets around to approving Mr. McKown's subject "social hall definition amendment" by a 6-1 vote, where a very curmudgeonly Councilman Stephens can be observed to be visibly scowling,  whilst casting the single Council "nay" vote over in the right corner of the video player screen.

From there, interested readers can skip the intervening "Infill Project" discussion and fast forward to 1:47:45, which commences what you've all been waiting for, i.e., the "Not Going Away! Group Talk-in," wherein no fewer than sixteen steely-eyed, concerned citizens bent the Council's ear for over forty minutes about the growing evils of police militarization, door-busting warrant service tactics, police violence in general and a law enforcement-fearful citizenry in particular.  It works out to be a pretty effective presentation, we believe, inasmuch as not only Mayor Mike but also Councilmembers Garner,  Hyer, Stephens and Van Hooser practically leap out of their chairs to thank the "Not Going Away! Group" upon the end of their extended and inspirational presentation, but also to further attempt to reassure these dedicated citizen activists to the effect that they're "taking their issues seriously," and working quietly (but feverishly) behind the scenes to solve these obvious problems.

We got the impression that the Council were quite favorably impressed by the NGA! group's ad seriatim, mostly highly-articulate and touching presentation.  But why take our word for that, when you can view the video evidence yourselves:


So what say you, O Gentle Ones?

• Does it appear that Paris Cafe proprietor Mr. Mckown is finally making progress; or is it evident that he's merely getting the usual City Council "Big Government" runaround even now? 
• Did the "Not Going Away! Group" "get through" to the Ogden City Council to a degree sufficient to precipitate any actual action to solve the all-to-obvious and troubling "Ogden police violence" problem? 
• Was it overly "tacky" for Councilman Garner to recite the text of the Ogden Council's "Standards of Civility" prior to opening the floor for the "Not Going Away!" group's public comments?
• Wasn't it great to see Jeff Lowe get some public recognition beyond his earlier and unfortunate association with Boss Godfrey's failed Ice Climbing Tower, (otherwise "affectionately" known around these parts as the "The Fortress of Mayoral Ego")?

 Let's hear your ever-savvy analysis and commentary, folks!

City Council Heads-up: Big Doin's at Tonight's "Not So Regular" Ogden City Council Session - Updated

We encourage all you couch potatoes out there to mosey on down to the council chamber tonight, to join in on all the fun!

For those Weber County Forum readers who might be interested in tonight's Ogden City Council happenings, we've scoured tonight's Council meeting agenda and packet, along with other online sources, and find at least two 3/26/13 Council items which neatly fit our own WCF topical discussion agenda which we'd like to bring to our Gentle Readers' attention, concerning tonight's Regular Council Session:

1) Paris Cafe Permit/Zoning Matter.  First, the Paris Cafe special use permit & zoning matter, which we've been eagerly following since our first WCF story on this topic on March 9, once again rises to the surface as item 7a on tonight's agenda. WCF readers will remember of course that during the last council go-round it appeared that Mr. Earnie McKown's carefully-engineered zoning amendment redefinitions and conditional use permit might might have scored an easy Council slam-dunk, but for Councilwoman Gochnour's last-minute obsession about ignoring the Ogden Planning Commissions own recommendation, and instead micromanaging the precise hours during which Mr. McKown may be allowed to keep his business open and feature the "live music" events which permission he has requested.  Now that the Council has had the additional two weeks to stew over these trivial details, we'll be looking forward to the council's "waking up" as the Standard-Examiner suggests, thus providing Mr. McKown a much needed thumbs up to operate his business in a manner which will not only breathe new life into the dilapidated Harrison Plaza shopping center, but also allow his very economic survival.

Here's a link to tonight's Council packet, for those readers who'd like to dig a little bit deeper:

• 03/26 City Council - Regular Session Packet

2) "Not Going Away! "Group" Talk-in".  Here's another interesting item which unfortunately is not technically included in tonight's agenda, but which we can reasonably expect to dominate the council's attention once the agenda turns to item 9, Public Comments, nonetheless.  By way of background, the Standard offered a slightly tangential preview story on this subject last week, wherein it reported that "[Matthew] Stewart’s family and friends are lobbying the Ogden City Council on issues from the [Stewrt] case," among other things:

• Stewart backers pushing Ogden council, police for information

Upon a little more internet digging, we find that tonight's planned appearance falls a little more broadly than the Matthew Stewart matter alone however, and that members of the activist "Not Going Away!" group's council chamber assembled-membership actually plans to lobby the council tonight, and additionally address a full range of "police militarization" issues similar to those embraced both in Tim Gurrister's most informative March 24 S-E front-page story and those also set forth in our own WCF on March 7 writeup, in which we described the ACLU's recently announced  nationwide police militarization investigation.  For our readers' convenience, and to provide a little "background," we link accordingly each of these articles below:

• Why more SWAT-style raids? A 'militarized' world
• Breaking: ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation

And here's a link to the "Not Going Away!" group's Facebook page, for those readers who'd like to learn a little more about the objectives of this recently emerged citizen activist group, which plans to address the Council tonight:

• Not Going Away! - Facebook

We've learned privately, by the way, that this group's had resistance in getting this matter formally calendered for tonight's session, so they're adopting an alternative tactic of stepping up to the council mik and getting their message across, ad seriatim, during the council's regularly-allotted three-minute segments instead. We've coined in the headline the term "talk-in," which is our term and not theirs, although we do believe it captures the "gist" of tonight's "group" political action tactic.

Needless to say, tonight's Council Session stands to be informative and possibly quite lively.  Perhaps tonight might prove to be the kind of event you won't want to miss; so we encourage all you couch potatoes out there to heed our advice and mosey on down to the council chamber this evening, to join in on all the fun!

Big Meetin' Tonight!

Update 3/27/13 5:15 a.m.: The Standard carries a Mitch Shaw post-meeting story this morning, reporting that the Council finally got around to approving the zoning ordinance amendments which Mr. McKown has been ever so patiently awaiting, although now he faces further city red tape. There's a "catch," Mr Shaw reports, inasmuch as Mr. McKown will now be compelled to trot right back back over to the Planning Commission, to apply for a conditional use permit to get the city’s approval for live music, thus beginning another Big Government process which could conceivably chew up at least another couple of weeks:

• Ogden council votes to amend code on ‘social hall’ for live music purposes

Something to carefully ponder, wethinks, the next time one of the local print media rolls out one of those infernal puff pieces touting Ogden City as a "great place to do business," No?

Strangely enough however, there's not even a peep from the Standard concerning last night's Not Going Away! Talk-in, although we do learn from the group's Facebook page that there were apparently "many good comments and statements" and a "pretty good turn out." Elsewhere on Facebook, one rally attendee also hinted that the Mayor and Council gave the group's presentation what we'd characterize as a "cool reception," for what that's worth. So we suppose we'll have to wait for the release of last night's council video, which should provide a glimpse of  the group's public comment segment, in order to wrap up last night's Council session story and determine how it all worked out.

Standard-Examiner Editorial: Our View: Get Music at Ogden Cafe

Added bonus video:  A prime example of true self-absorbed, hand-wringing, business-unfriendly bureaucracy in action

Tiptop editorial in the Standard-Examiner this morning, embracing most of the arguments we've mustered  over the past several weeks on Weber County Forum in favor of the granting to Paris Cafe owner Earnie McKown the zoning amendment redefinitions and conditional use permit he's been slaving to squeeze out of Ogden City bureaucrats since at least October of 2012. The Standard scores an editorial bull's-eye concerning the extended bureaucratic "drama" to which Mr. McKown has been subjected in his efforts to add live music to his east Ogden business repertoire, and strongly urges our Ogden City Council to get moving on action which ought to have been completed months ago. Here's the brief and straight-to-the-point lead paragraph excerpt:

The Ogden City Council needs to end a several-months-long drama and allow live music and dancing at an Ogden cafe. The city’s planning commission has already OK’d a proposal that would allow the Paris Cafe, located in the Harrison Plaza shopping center, 3155 Harrison Blvd., to be classified as a social hall with live music.
On Tuesday, the council tabled a vote on the approval until March 26. At that time, it is the responsibility of Ogden’s council to approve a conditional use permit allowing live music at the cafe, as well as to apply several conditions, which include determining exactly what time the business will close and making sure a ban on alcohol is in place.
Frankly, this should have been done some time ago. In January, the planning commission approved changes that would allow the Paris Cafe to have live music. Any further delays beyond March 26 are inexcusable, in our opinion. [Link added].

Check out the Standard's entire and spot-on editorial via this link:

• Our View: Get music at Ogden cafe

As an added bonus, and for an eye-opening glimpse of a City Council tediously and unnecessarily laboring over an issue which should have been resolved with a quick up/down vote, feast your eyes on the below-embedded 3/12/13 council video, where you'll see a prime example of true self-absorbed, hand-wringing, business-unfriendly bureaucracy in action, as some folks on our esteemed Ogden City Council essentially ignore not only the entirely positive "testimony" of the parade of lumpencitizens who spoke in favor of  Mr. McKown's requested code amendments, but also the carefully crafted recommendations of Ogden City's own planning commission.  The most-illuminating Paris Cafe discussion "kicks in" at 8:17, folks:  


The solution to this unnecessarily complicated issue is what we'd call a no-brainer, folks. Instead of "inexcusably" obsessing over available code enforcement mechanisms and "exactly what time Mr. McKown business will close," the Council should simply adopt the planning commission's recommendation, and do so without further delay, as the Standard-Examiner editorial board strongly urges.  If Ogden City wishes to portray itself as an up-and-coming business friendly town, we need a level-headed City Council who will "act the part," and not a preening troupe of "zoning code drama queens," or so it seems to us.

City Council Notes: Paris Cafe Teen Social Club Zoning Ordinance Amendments Calendered for Tonight - Updated

Given our Ogden City Council's predilection to offer a "helping hand" to dang near any ambitious Ogden entrepreneur who "shows up on the Council doorstep," they wouldn't deny Mr. McKown's relatively innocuous rezoning request, would they?

As a followup to Saturday's Weber County Forum story, we're delighted to report that Ogden entrepreneur Earnie McKown's efforts to engineer a zoning "use" ordinance amendment consistent with his plan to host live band performances at his Harrison Plaza Shopping Center-situated  Paris Cafe are already bearing preliminary fruit.

Mr. McKown's zoning amendment matter is now set for tonight's Ogden City Council "Special Session" agenda, in which connection we link this evening's council packet (see, 4a. CSR - Amendments to Lodge and Social Hall Definitions) :

• 03/12 City Council Special Session

The new proposed ordinance provides new definitions to the terms “Lodge” and “Social Hall” and "provides conditions for the approval of the Social Hall use in the C-1, C-2, and C-3 zones," as is more particulrly set forth in the link below.

• PROPOSED DEFINITIONS AND CONDITIONS FOR LODGE AND SOCIAL HALL  USES

Paris Cafe - C-2 Zoning

By our own quick glance at the above-linked checklist it appears that Mr. McKown's proposed use will neatly conform to all rules governing his two-day-per-week "live music social club" venue, including the requirement of  C-2 zoning, which already exists.

While we're reticent to prematurely to call it a Council "slam dunk," we're highly encouraged by Mr. McKown's prospective legal posture as he prepares for tonight's council discussion and vote.  Given our Ogden City Council's predilection to offer a "helping hand"  to dang near any ambitious Ogden entrepreneur who "shows up on the Council doorstep," they wouldn't deny Mr. McKown's relatively innocuous rezoning request, would they? Mr. McKown's proposed amendment already enjoys the blessings of both Planning Directer Greg Montgomery and the City Planning Commission, after all.

You can attend tonight's Council session to night to find out. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. Otherwise check back with us in the morning.

Update 3/13/13 4:50 a.m.: This morning's Standard-Examiner reports that the Council,  in what we'd describe to be a remarkable but all-too-typical display of bureaucratic micro-management and over-caution, has put this matter over for another two weeks for additional "discussion," to include further nit-picking on the question of "what time is suitable for the cafe to close at night." Significantly, (and without any reported corresponding opposition,) "[s]everal Ogden residents, nearby business owners and Paris Cafe patrons stood before the council Thursday night, voicing their support for live music." That "testimony," along with Greg Montgomery's and the City Planning Commission's above-mentioned favorable recommendations, ought to have been sufficient to get Mr. McKown's revised business plan back on track, or so it seems to us.

• Ogden waiting to decide definitions, conditions for Paris Cafe

Beneath this morning's story one liberty-loving S-E reader hits the nail squarely on the head regarding the Council's inexcusable dawdling on this matter, a sentiment which we'll also cheerfully adopt as our own:  

"Come on Ogden city; enough is enough with all the damn rules! Let the man have music and make money. So much for freedom huh? I'm pretty sure it won't bother anyone living around that area." -enoughwithrules

Salt Lake Tribune: Ogden Man Claims His Business Will Die Without Live Performers

One man’s vision of creating a vibrant alcohol-free hangout for teens and live performers hinges on approval of a new social hall definition by the "usual" Ogden City bureaucrats

Just to get some discussion going this morning, we'll put the spotlight on an enlightening March 8 "local" story from the Salt Lake Tribune, reporting about one Ogden City entrepreneur's effort to rev up his start-up business, and breathe some life into the sorely dilapidated shopping center at Ogden's 31st and Harrison, amidst the ever-present backdrop of Ogden City mindless bureaucracy and time-and-energy-consuming red tape (although there does seem to be some "hope at the end of the tunnel"):

•  Ogden man claims his business will die without live performers 

Boiling down Cathy McKitrick's 3/8/13 Trib writeup, we present for our Weber County Forum readers what we deem to be the essential facts:  

Harrison Plaza Shopping Center

Last fall, Earnie McKown began renovating a large building he leases in the old Harrison Plaza Shopping Center, where he performed building renovations and commenced operating an "alcohol-free hangout for teens" called  Paris Cafe.  Finding his initial format, involving "DJs, pool, 'specials' and a 'canned' music" wasn't cutting it financially, he cleverly modified his business model to feature "live" band performances, a tactic that immediately "took off." "Within three weeks," according to Mr. McKown,"my business doubled and I could start paying rent."

The "fly in the ointment" however, as the ever-competent Ms. McKitrick reports -- "Under current zoning, McKown can operate as a 'social hall' but is not allowed to host live entertainment."

After "a mystery somebody" "dropped the dime" on him,  resulting in an Ogden City code violation citation,  Mr. McKown then bravely, and in the highest entrepreneurial spirit, thereafter set forth on a battle with the Ogden City bureaucratic big shots, an effort which was at least temporarily frustrated when in October of 2012, "the Ogden Planning Commission voted 6-1 to deny his [request an amendment] of Ogden City' zoning ordinance, and a few weeks later the City Council unanimously concurred with that recommendation."

On a decidedly positive note for Mr. McKown however, the City Council did "leave the door open to revisit the vague social hall definition" at a subsequent time, and in accordance with this opportunity, Mr. McKown has thus feverishly set to work again, in cooperation with the city "planning" bureaucracy, to fashion a new Paris Cafe-friendly zoning ordinance, an effort which was most recently rewarded by a January 4-2 "favorable" Planning Commision vote. It's therefor all up to the council now to decide whether the eyesore Harrison Plaza Shopping Center property will experience a bright new revival, or revert to being essentially "boarded up," inasmuch as Mr. McKown has made it known that absent his new requested zoning code modification, he's fully prepared to pull up stakes and call it quits.

Needless to say, we'll be closely following this story as it develops; and we're keeping our fingers that this story will have an ultimate "happy ending."

But before closing this article out, we'll note that there's one interesting subplot to this story, O Gentle Readers, in connection with this aspect of the Trib facts which we've lifted from Ms. McKitrick's text:

Ron Atencio, owner of Mojos — a[nother] thriving all-ages live music venue in downtown Ogden that opened in 2004 — serves on the city’s planning commission and was among the six voting against McKown’s initial petition.

When, we ask, will our decision-making public servants (such as "ethically-conflicted" Planning Commissioner Attencio) ever learn that those in such positions who adhere to the highest ethical standards recuse themselves and don't vote on issues from which they, as potential business competitors, might derive clear financial benefit?

That's it folks. So who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢?