Three items in recent Emerald City news
Although it's a slow visitor-traffic mid-weekend, the red-meat news just keeps on flowing. Thus there are three items we feel compelled to throw out for discussion this evening:
The first is this morning's Standard-Examiner story, in which Scott Schwebke reports the scheduling of a candidate debate, in which mayoral candidates Van Hooser and Godfrey are calendered to lock horns at WSU on October 12, 2007. What make this is re-meat story, however, is Mr. Schwebke's odd reporting of this event. Rather than merely telling the folks that the two candidates had agreed to a firm date, time, venue and format for an event that is actually happening, Mr. Schwebke found it somehow appropriate to lead his article by reporting on a venue that fizzled, i.e., a proposed venue in the Boss Godfrey den of lions, Godfreyite Dave Hardman's Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce.
Failed debate venues are common in politics. The ones that are never agreed upon nor scheduled far outnumber the ones that actually "come off." Why Ace Reporter Schwebke saw fit to publicise one of the events that didn't work out we do not know; but we do have our suspicions. Scott Schwebke's story was plainly designed to by the Standard-Examiner to provide Boss Godfrey favorable ink we think, and to embarrass the challenger Van Hooser.
As to the question of scheduling additional future debate venues, we're going to offer a suggestion to Susie and her campaign crew:
The political upside to scheduling further face-to-face "debates" between a challenger with significant momentum is slight, when compared with the downside of giving the "troubled" political loser any more time on the public stage than he deserves, especially in an environment where our so-called "home town newspaper" is plainly in Boss Godfrey's corner.
Another item worthy of discussion this evening is a tepid press release issued by the City Council yesterday, an item that was mentioned tangentially during the comments in the lower article, but didn't spark much reader discussion. Despite the report in Thursday's Scott Schwebke story, which cheerfully (but incorrectly) reported that the city council is participating in the discussion regarding the $247 thousand secret gondola study fund -- that's plainly not the truth, judging from the above-linked City council press release.
We've spoken with four of the seven council members, including council leaders Garcia and Wicks. The story we're getting from these nicy-nice folks is that mayor-council relations are now at an all time low, although that mood certainly isn'r reflected in the press report. Every member of the council now reportedly believes (privately of course) that Boss Godfrey maneuvered deceptively behind their backs in reaching a unilateral agreement with the UTA. The council as a body believes they've been entirely cut out, in violation of Godfrey's worthless promises to work "co-operatively." We've also had a private conversation with the UTA's Mick Crandall, who also told us some very revealing things.
Except for the above, we're going to keep mum about all we've found out for now. This is Scott Schwebke's story, and for now we're going to stand back, out of professional courtesy, and let him dig in and report the truth. Failing that, we'll go ahead and report the sordid details, in the event that his editors hold him back.
Regardless of where Ace Reporter Schwebke takes this, however, this is a story we'll keep hammering until November. It's all here in one package, gentle readers. If there's one single story within the past four years that neatly encapsulates everthing wrong with Boss Godfrey, this is it. Within this single story we find the deception, cronyism, dishonorable conduct, lies, arrogance, disregard for his City Council co-equal government branch, and everything else that disqualifies Boss Godfrey from further "service" at the helm of our Ogden City government.
Last but not least we're going to highlight this morning's letter to the editor, from State Representative Neil Hansen. Gracious and gentlemanly in his unsuccessful mayoral campaign, he's magnanimous and gracious in his defeat. Neil Hansen is truly a "class act," and remains a tremendous local resource in our State Legislature. We thank Neil Hansen for his participation in our municipal primary campaign, and hope that he and Ms. Van Hooser will soon be joining together and pooling their resources. We're a hair's breadth from showing Boss Godfrey the stage door exit in November, and hope to hear soon that political warhorses Van Hooser and Hansen will pulling in tandem, as we move toward the upcoming general election.
Time to go watch our Utah Utes, and find out whether last week's UCLA blowout was a fluke!
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scott Schwebke. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scott Schwebke. Sort by date Show all posts
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Breaking News From the Ogden City Council Chambers - Updated
Mr. Schwebke reports that Gochnour and Garner will serve respectively as Council Chair and Vice Chair
Breaking news from the Ogden City Council Chambers, where the selection of our new Ogden City Council leadership is on the agenda. Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke has been reporting live via Twitter. Check out Mr. Schwebke's tweets here:
A WCF Tip of the Hat to council members Van Hooser and Wicks, for their highly ethical refusal to participate in the citizen-unfriendly "Straw Poll" process.
As for the other five... looks like the old Gang of Five Council is reborn.
Update 1/5/10 7:18 a.m.: Following up on last evening's Twitter tweets, Scott Schwebke reports in this morning's SE hard-copy edition concerning the "secret, anonymous, written straw poll" election of Gochnour and Garner to their respective 2011 Council leadership posts :
Update 1/10/10 8:00 a.m.: View the full Council video, via the Ogden City website:
Breaking news from the Ogden City Council Chambers, where the selection of our new Ogden City Council leadership is on the agenda. Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke has been reporting live via Twitter. Check out Mr. Schwebke's tweets here:
• TheNinthFloor (Scott Schwebke)Bottom line: Gochour will repeat as Council Chair; Councilman Garner will serve as the new Vice Chair.
A WCF Tip of the Hat to council members Van Hooser and Wicks, for their highly ethical refusal to participate in the citizen-unfriendly "Straw Poll" process.
As for the other five... looks like the old Gang of Five Council is reborn.
Update 1/5/10 7:18 a.m.: Following up on last evening's Twitter tweets, Scott Schwebke reports in this morning's SE hard-copy edition concerning the "secret, anonymous, written straw poll" election of Gochnour and Garner to their respective 2011 Council leadership posts :
• Gochnour, Garner chosen by Ogden councilIn a very real sense, Mr. Schwebke seems to have genuinely "scooped" himself.
Update 1/10/10 8:00 a.m.: View the full Council video, via the Ogden City website:
Friday, August 29, 2008
Ace Reporter Schwebke Reports From Denver
Our very most-favorite Std-Ex reporter puts national politics on the Weber County Forum discussion front-burner
It was something of a disappointment for us early this morning, as we dashed out to the front porch to fetch this morning's hard copy edition of the Standard-Examiner. Hoping to find the latest installment of Scott Schwebke revelations, concerning Boss Godfrey's secret Mount Ogden Golf Course Committee, we unfortunately came up dry.
Our Ace Reporter did provide a worthy front page story this morning, however. It seems that Mr. Schwebke has now received a higher Std-Ex calling. Mr. Schwebke has apparently been dispatched to Denver, to report on the final day of the Democratic Party National Convention. For those readers like your blogmeister, who hang on Scott Schwebke's every word, be sure to read this morning's Scott Schwebke story, together with the accompanying news wire companion piece:
• "Davis Dems: Obama's oration courageous"
• "Democrats get lift from convention; now it’s Republicans’ turn to soar"
Each of these above articles refer to Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama's rousing acceptance speech of last night. It was one danged fine speech indeed. For those who missed it, be sure to check out the Huffington Post website, for a triple-threat combo including the full video, the written text, and some useful editorial/reader analyisis:
• "Barack Obama Democratic Convention Speech"
And while we're on the topic of national politics, there's also news from the Republican camp. Mitt Romney is out, as a possible John McCain V.P. pick:
• "McCain picks Palin as running mate"
We can hear the sound of champagne corks popping in Democratic Party campaign offices all across the State of Utah.
Let's hear it from our gentle readers.
What did you think of Obama's speech? Will it give the Democrats a big bump in the polls? Was last night's Democratic party extravaganza evidence of true reconciliation between the Obama and Hillary factions? Does McCain's V.P. pick signal a GOP abandonment of the "center" of the American electorate, and a capitulation to "social conservatives" (and various other GOP wing-nut extremists?) Will the selection of a female GOP V.P. candidate soak up the votes of a substantial number of still disaffected Hillaryites? Did John McCain play it smart by picking a female running mate... or is McCain just plain nuts?
So many questions... so few answers...
It was something of a disappointment for us early this morning, as we dashed out to the front porch to fetch this morning's hard copy edition of the Standard-Examiner. Hoping to find the latest installment of Scott Schwebke revelations, concerning Boss Godfrey's secret Mount Ogden Golf Course Committee, we unfortunately came up dry.
Our Ace Reporter did provide a worthy front page story this morning, however. It seems that Mr. Schwebke has now received a higher Std-Ex calling. Mr. Schwebke has apparently been dispatched to Denver, to report on the final day of the Democratic Party National Convention. For those readers like your blogmeister, who hang on Scott Schwebke's every word, be sure to read this morning's Scott Schwebke story, together with the accompanying news wire companion piece:
• "Davis Dems: Obama's oration courageous"
• "Democrats get lift from convention; now it’s Republicans’ turn to soar"
Each of these above articles refer to Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama's rousing acceptance speech of last night. It was one danged fine speech indeed. For those who missed it, be sure to check out the Huffington Post website, for a triple-threat combo including the full video, the written text, and some useful editorial/reader analyisis:
• "Barack Obama Democratic Convention Speech"
And while we're on the topic of national politics, there's also news from the Republican camp. Mitt Romney is out, as a possible John McCain V.P. pick:
• "McCain picks Palin as running mate"
We can hear the sound of champagne corks popping in Democratic Party campaign offices all across the State of Utah.
Let's hear it from our gentle readers.
What did you think of Obama's speech? Will it give the Democrats a big bump in the polls? Was last night's Democratic party extravaganza evidence of true reconciliation between the Obama and Hillary factions? Does McCain's V.P. pick signal a GOP abandonment of the "center" of the American electorate, and a capitulation to "social conservatives" (and various other GOP wing-nut extremists?) Will the selection of a female GOP V.P. candidate soak up the votes of a substantial number of still disaffected Hillaryites? Did John McCain play it smart by picking a female running mate... or is McCain just plain nuts?
So many questions... so few answers...
Monday, September 18, 2006
Gondola Wonderfulness Part Two -- A Silver-Bullet for an Idaho Silver-mining Hamlet
After some annoying technical spinning of the wheels this morning (don't ask,) we've finally found a way to locate and link the second article in Ace Reporter Schwebke's gondola promotional series, "Kellogg, Idaho's Gondola -- A Wonderful & Exciting Economic Silver Bullet Which Makes Mind-numbed Emerald City Gondola Zombies Swoon."
Kellogg, Idaho, of course, was one of the stops on Boss Godfrey's Flying Amen Circus Tour last month, and INbedded Ace Reporter Scott Schwebke offers his usual probing reporting and analysis of that little Idaho hamlet's now-fulfilled gondola "vision," in this morning's second series installment.
Reporter Schwebke does his usual bang-up job, and doesn't disappoint in providing his typically-cogent journalistic insight this morning, including this marvellous quote from Gondola Cheerleader Dave Hardman, whose already-hot gondola love affair was ratcheted-up even a few more notches, merely upon casting teary eyes toward the Kellogg gondola, which the voters of that little once-dying Idaho mining town reportedly approved by a tidy 80% majority vote:
Even Ace Reporter Schwebke isn't perfect though; and there is one question we'd like to ask parenthetically:
Are we the only readers who are becoming increasingly annoyed at Mr. Schwebke's constant reference to Chris Peterson as a "Developer?" Shouldn't that label be reserved for people who've actually (and successfully) done at least one development project in the past? (OK... two questions. "Just asking..." you know... rhetorically.)
Have at it, gentle readers. Today's Ace Reporter Schwebke masterpiece has the look of a low & slow pitch, delivered over the outside corner of the plate.
Batter up!
Kellogg, Idaho, of course, was one of the stops on Boss Godfrey's Flying Amen Circus Tour last month, and INbedded Ace Reporter Scott Schwebke offers his usual probing reporting and analysis of that little Idaho hamlet's now-fulfilled gondola "vision," in this morning's second series installment.
Reporter Schwebke does his usual bang-up job, and doesn't disappoint in providing his typically-cogent journalistic insight this morning, including this marvellous quote from Gondola Cheerleader Dave Hardman, whose already-hot gondola love affair was ratcheted-up even a few more notches, merely upon casting teary eyes toward the Kellogg gondola, which the voters of that little once-dying Idaho mining town reportedly approved by a tidy 80% majority vote:
Dave Hardman, executive director of the Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce and one of those who made the trip, said visiting Kellogg and Telluride gave him insight into how gondolas can drive tourism and provide effective mass transit.Ace reporter Schwebke's second installment is another milestone achievement in his Standard-Examiner career, we think. Be sure to read Reporter Schwebke's entire story here. It's near-perfect, and certainly destined to win some kind of award in the near future. Perhaps Boss Godfrey will arrange to get him one of those important resume-building awards himself. (Scott Schwebke: "2006 Utah Mother of the Year," maybe?)
"I gained the idea that gondolas were the catalyst to get people to come to the community and created a transportation system that didn’t disrupt other traffic," he said.
The Kellogg gondola is particularly impressive because it virtually saved the town’s economy when silver-, lead- and zinc-mining operations went belly up, Hardman said.
"Even though the magnitude is much smaller than what is planned for Ogden, the gondola was a catalyst for economic opportunity," he said.
Even Ace Reporter Schwebke isn't perfect though; and there is one question we'd like to ask parenthetically:
Are we the only readers who are becoming increasingly annoyed at Mr. Schwebke's constant reference to Chris Peterson as a "Developer?" Shouldn't that label be reserved for people who've actually (and successfully) done at least one development project in the past? (OK... two questions. "Just asking..." you know... rhetorically.)
Have at it, gentle readers. Today's Ace Reporter Schwebke masterpiece has the look of a low & slow pitch, delivered over the outside corner of the plate.
Batter up!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Envision Ogden: The Standard-Examiner is Lured Down A Money Laundering Scandal Blind Alley
Hopefully Mr. Schwebke will soon get back on track... Follow, the money, Scott!
To kick off the morning discussion, we'll shine our Weber County Forum spotlight on a remarkable Scott Schwebke story in this morning's Standard-Examiner. It's remarkable, we believe, because it misses the two main issues of the Envision Ogden/FNURE money laundering scandal, which has been the subject of at least four Std-Ex articles and stories over the past few weeks.
Somewhere along the way, Mr. Schwebke has allowed himself to be distracted by the always highly vocal Godfreyite Mr. Geiger, and has let his reporting be led down an insignificant blind alley.
First, both Mr. Schwebke and Mr. Geieger seem to be entirely missing the main point of the campaign finance ordinances of Ogden City, which are intended to provide a transparent money trail for the lumpencitizens to objectively determine sources and expenditures of campaign donations, and NOT to provide campaign donors some fail-safe protection for their donative campaign contribution expectation interests, like those of Mr. Gullo. Gentle reader Dan S. does a nice job of explaining this issue in a comment under this morning's Std-Ex article:
Utah Code Section 10-3-1108, which specifically provides that "a municipal officer or employee may not use municipal equipment while engaged in political activity," would suggest that this action may have been a violation of Utah law. Such a violation, of course would be subject to relatively harsh penalties (given the large dollar amount in question), pursuant to the provisions of Utah Code section 10-3-1013.
We find it disappointing to stand by and observe as the Standard-Examiner "takes the bait," and allows its reporting to be diverted to what we deem to be a minor wrinkle in this story at most, as it has done with this morning's Scott Schwebke writeup. Hopefully Mr. Schwebke will soon get back on track.
Follow the money, Scott!
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
To kick off the morning discussion, we'll shine our Weber County Forum spotlight on a remarkable Scott Schwebke story in this morning's Standard-Examiner. It's remarkable, we believe, because it misses the two main issues of the Envision Ogden/FNURE money laundering scandal, which has been the subject of at least four Std-Ex articles and stories over the past few weeks.
Somewhere along the way, Mr. Schwebke has allowed himself to be distracted by the always highly vocal Godfreyite Mr. Geiger, and has let his reporting be led down an insignificant blind alley.
First, both Mr. Schwebke and Mr. Geieger seem to be entirely missing the main point of the campaign finance ordinances of Ogden City, which are intended to provide a transparent money trail for the lumpencitizens to objectively determine sources and expenditures of campaign donations, and NOT to provide campaign donors some fail-safe protection for their donative campaign contribution expectation interests, like those of Mr. Gullo. Gentle reader Dan S. does a nice job of explaining this issue in a comment under this morning's Std-Ex article:
This article fails to mention the most important difference between Youngberg's contributions and FNURE's:Secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, the Standard has entirely neglected, and the various individuals who've commented on this story have for the most part failed or refused to address what ought to have developed to be the main issue of this story, namely whether it was ethically proper and/or lawful for Boss Godfrey to have "loaned out" the Salomon Center to one political cohort (the Envision Ogden PAC) for what turned out to be a political fundraiser which provided $20 thousand in campaign funds to two other Godfrey cohorts (Eccles and Johnson.)
Youngberg's contributions were completely open and transparent. They were reported on his disclosure statements in a timely manner, and everyone had access to these statements well before the November election.
FNURE was created for the sole purpose of concealing Envision Ogden as the principal source of campaign funds for Johnson and Eccles. It never filed a disclosure statement with anyone, and we still don't know who controlled this "organization". Envision Ogden eventually did file a disclosure statement with the IRS, but that happened several months late, well after the election.
The whole point of campaign finance disclosure laws is to let the voters know who is paying for campaigns. Johnson, Eccles, FNURE, and Envision Ogden apparently consider these laws an annoyance, rather than a legitimate part of a democracy.
Utah Code Section 10-3-1108, which specifically provides that "a municipal officer or employee may not use municipal equipment while engaged in political activity," would suggest that this action may have been a violation of Utah law. Such a violation, of course would be subject to relatively harsh penalties (given the large dollar amount in question), pursuant to the provisions of Utah Code section 10-3-1013.
We find it disappointing to stand by and observe as the Standard-Examiner "takes the bait," and allows its reporting to be diverted to what we deem to be a minor wrinkle in this story at most, as it has done with this morning's Scott Schwebke writeup. Hopefully Mr. Schwebke will soon get back on track.
Follow the money, Scott!
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Important Ogden City Council Work Session Tonight
A heads-up on an ideal opportunity for the lumpencitizens to help nip another hare-brained multi-million dollar Godfrey scheme in the bud
Here's a quick reminder of tonight's council work session, wherein the council will discuss a proposed amendment to the City’s Capital Improvement Plan regarding water tanks proposed on the Southeast Bench around the 36th Street area. For more information, please refer to our August 15, 2009 article, where we examine the matter in more detail. Additional information is also available within the council's August 15, 2009 press release. Here are tonight's time/location coordinates:
Date: Tonight, August 20, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Ogden City Council Chambers
In a morning comment under an earlier article, Dan S. admonishes that the ultimate outcome regarding the water tank installation will likely have broad implications, including possible increased impact on our open space. Dan's not just whistling Dixie here, by the way. It's not just our trails system which is in jeopardy here. What's clear at this point is that Mayor Godfrey's proposed 36th street tank installation is geared toward providing the foundational infrastructure for his harebrained $146 million top of 36th street Mount Ogden Golf Course Redevelopment Proposal, which would include condos, hotels, a possible gondola station, along with numerous other high impact bells and whistles.
The city council is bending over backwards to obtain robust citizen input on this issue. Citizens have been invited to express their ideas and views with comments being limited to five minutes. Comment cards will also be available at the meeting and any comments may also be e-mailed to citycouncil@ogdencity.com.
Hopefully tonight's meeting will generate a robust turnout by Ogden City residents who'll be willing to offer their uninhibited input. A 36th street water tank installation would constitute an irreversible step toward another multimillion dollar taxpayer-borne Godfrey boondoggle; and tonight's council work session presents an ideal opportunity for the lumpencitizens to nip this hare-brained Godfrey scheme in the bud.
We'll now open this topic for immediate discussion. Later reports from those WCF readers who attend tonight's meeting are also warmly invited, of course.
Take it away O Gentle Ones.
Update 8/20/09 1:13 p.m. MT: We just got this seemingly good news in our email about tonight's work session from somebody who posts under the psuedonym "Film At Eleven":
Sad, very sad indeed!
Update 8/20/09 5:21 p.m. MT: For what it's worth, it's our understanding that Scott Schwebke will be tweeting live from tonight's work meeting. Here's the Std-Ex Twitter link:
Hello, Mr. Schwebke. are you there? Over!
Update 8/20/09 5:38 p.m. MT: We now learn that Dan S. is also inside the council chambers, and will be doing his own live blogging tonight, on behalf of Weber County Forum:
Update 8/21/09 7:53 a.m. MT: The Std-Ex provides a post-work session writeup on its Live! website this morning. Read Scott Schwebke's online story here:
Here's a quick reminder of tonight's council work session, wherein the council will discuss a proposed amendment to the City’s Capital Improvement Plan regarding water tanks proposed on the Southeast Bench around the 36th Street area. For more information, please refer to our August 15, 2009 article, where we examine the matter in more detail. Additional information is also available within the council's August 15, 2009 press release. Here are tonight's time/location coordinates:
Date: Tonight, August 20, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Ogden City Council Chambers
In a morning comment under an earlier article, Dan S. admonishes that the ultimate outcome regarding the water tank installation will likely have broad implications, including possible increased impact on our open space. Dan's not just whistling Dixie here, by the way. It's not just our trails system which is in jeopardy here. What's clear at this point is that Mayor Godfrey's proposed 36th street tank installation is geared toward providing the foundational infrastructure for his harebrained $146 million top of 36th street Mount Ogden Golf Course Redevelopment Proposal, which would include condos, hotels, a possible gondola station, along with numerous other high impact bells and whistles.
The city council is bending over backwards to obtain robust citizen input on this issue. Citizens have been invited to express their ideas and views with comments being limited to five minutes. Comment cards will also be available at the meeting and any comments may also be e-mailed to citycouncil@ogdencity.com.
Hopefully tonight's meeting will generate a robust turnout by Ogden City residents who'll be willing to offer their uninhibited input. A 36th street water tank installation would constitute an irreversible step toward another multimillion dollar taxpayer-borne Godfrey boondoggle; and tonight's council work session presents an ideal opportunity for the lumpencitizens to nip this hare-brained Godfrey scheme in the bud.
We'll now open this topic for immediate discussion. Later reports from those WCF readers who attend tonight's meeting are also warmly invited, of course.
Take it away O Gentle Ones.
Update 8/20/09 1:13 p.m. MT: We just got this seemingly good news in our email about tonight's work session from somebody who posts under the psuedonym "Film At Eleven":
This just in in. Standard-Ex will be tweeting tonight live from city city council work session:Poor ole Scott Schwebke. For some reason he can't bring hmself to post with his own name on Weber County Forum. How sad it is that even now he refuses to come off his "high horse," and to directly relate to the the Emerald City Lumpencitizens.
Sad, very sad indeed!
Update 8/20/09 5:21 p.m. MT: For what it's worth, it's our understanding that Scott Schwebke will be tweeting live from tonight's work meeting. Here's the Std-Ex Twitter link:
• Ace Reporter Schwebke's live Twitter tweetsWhat the hell, we'll take whatever we can get.
Hello, Mr. Schwebke. are you there? Over!
Update 8/20/09 5:38 p.m. MT: We now learn that Dan S. is also inside the council chambers, and will be doing his own live blogging tonight, on behalf of Weber County Forum:
I'm here at the council work session, ready to live-blog what I can! All council members are present except Mr. Johnson. Mr. Franke is giving the council an overview of the process, -Dan S.Check out Dan's live posts, by opening, viewing and periodically refreshing our lower comments page.
Update 8/21/09 7:53 a.m. MT: The Std-Ex provides a post-work session writeup on its Live! website this morning. Read Scott Schwebke's online story here:
• Ogden residents don’t want water tank atop 36th
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Godfrey's Twisted Gondola Obsession Arises Again
The sociopathic monster from Boss Godfrey's id again lurches to the forefront and into this morning's news
Like the Hollywood "B" grade horror-movie monster that never has "the stake" quite driven cleanly through its evil heart until the end of the last reel, Boss Godfrey's strange gondola obsession arises once again as headline news this morning, with this Scott Schwebke story, reporting that the Godfrey administration and the Utah Transit Authority have reached agreement for disposition of the $247 thousand in Federal Transportation Administration grant funds that have been languishing on the UTA books for over a year.
Yes, gentle readers, the secret gondola study is once again back on the WCF discussion front burner, right back where it belongs, with a municipal election approaching in a mere 46 days.
As is the usual circumstance in anything involving Boss Godfrey obsessions, opinions differ about the operative facts. Whereas Boss Godfrey contends that the expenditure of these funds will be for the benefit of the UTA, rational spokesmen for the Utah Transit Authority have previously expressed a drastically differing opinion on the subject:
Among the details nailed down in the UTA/Godfrey agreement are these, according to this morning's Ace Reporter Schwebke story:
"After UTA pays Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham, the balance of the funds available through the contract won’t likely be expended, unless Peterson finds a way to fund the urban gondola, said John Patterson, the city’s chief administrative officer."
We're not sure what the above language means, although it might suggest that UTA will not be required to disburse any funds under express terms of the agreement, until Chris Peterson comes up with a viable mechanism to fund the whole crackpot scheme.
Is the production of a viable financing plan a condition precedent to the implementation of this UTA/Godfrey agreement under its own written terms? Will the UTA be legally required to hold off on wasting these grant monies, until the gondolists produce a plan on paper that passes the "sniff test" -- or is Mr. Patterson merely suggesting that this probably won't happen as a practical matter? There remains a large hanging question in the possible interpretation of Patterson's above statement.
Frankly we do not know. Unfortunately Ace reporter Schwebke apparently didn't ask the obvious followup question. This, buy the way is not intended as a slam on Scott Schwebke, who played perhaps the key role in publicly exposing the Godfrey administration's earlier devious misbehavior in connection with this matter, and whose article today is otherwise very revealing.
We'll attempt to reach a UTA spokesman this morning. If we can get some clarification on this, we'll put it up by way of an article update.
And what say our gentle readers about all this?
Update 9/20/07 11:45 a.m. MT: One of our gentle readers has kindly forwarded to us a full text pdf version of the above-mentioned 8/29/07 UTA/Godfrey Administration agreement, which we've uploaded to our storage site and now make available for our readers' inspection here.
Update 9/21/07 9:05 a.m. MT: Scott Schwebke provides a followup story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, fleshing out yesterday's story with the added information that UTA officials are also dealing directly with the city council and its legal representatives, regarding the ultimate disposition of the Federal Transportation Administration funds.
Like the Hollywood "B" grade horror-movie monster that never has "the stake" quite driven cleanly through its evil heart until the end of the last reel, Boss Godfrey's strange gondola obsession arises once again as headline news this morning, with this Scott Schwebke story, reporting that the Godfrey administration and the Utah Transit Authority have reached agreement for disposition of the $247 thousand in Federal Transportation Administration grant funds that have been languishing on the UTA books for over a year.Yes, gentle readers, the secret gondola study is once again back on the WCF discussion front burner, right back where it belongs, with a municipal election approaching in a mere 46 days.
As is the usual circumstance in anything involving Boss Godfrey obsessions, opinions differ about the operative facts. Whereas Boss Godfrey contends that the expenditure of these funds will be for the benefit of the UTA, rational spokesmen for the Utah Transit Authority have previously expressed a drastically differing opinion on the subject:
Godfrey said transportation information from studies funded through the contract will benefit UTA, not Ogden, because the city wouldn’t own, operate or maintain the urban gondola.Boss Godfrey of course resides in his own private gondolist universe, and is no stranger to drastic differences of opinion, especially among rational, non-sociopathic people.
“They (UTA) requested the contract,” he said. “They need to find out if it (the urban gondola) is viable to get people from point A to point B.”
However, a July 20, 2006, letter from Mick Crandall, UTA’s deputy chief for planning and programming, to John Arrington, the city’s finance manager, indicates at the time the municipality was interested in using the $247,500 allocation to further study the gondola proposal.
“Ogden city has determined that its preferred use of the funds would be to refine the proposal for the aerial cableway which the city is pursuing as part of a public-private cooperative endeavor,” the letter says.
Among the details nailed down in the UTA/Godfrey agreement are these, according to this morning's Ace Reporter Schwebke story:
"UTA will allocate a portion of the funds to pay Salt Lake City-based Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham $16,250 for a gondola fiscal impact study completed in November 2006...And there's also one additional element of the story that we find curious:
"With the exception of the Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham bill, UTA will be responsible for all contracts financed in connection with the agreement...
In addition, the city and UTA will jointly develop a “scope of work” for gondola studies that maximizes “benefits to the constituents” of both entities, the agreement says...
The city and UTA will also designate an equal number of representatives to a committee that will review gondola-related study proposals, according to the agreement...
In addition, UTA will review all invoices submitted by each consultant to determine eligibility for payment.
"After UTA pays Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham, the balance of the funds available through the contract won’t likely be expended, unless Peterson finds a way to fund the urban gondola, said John Patterson, the city’s chief administrative officer."
We're not sure what the above language means, although it might suggest that UTA will not be required to disburse any funds under express terms of the agreement, until Chris Peterson comes up with a viable mechanism to fund the whole crackpot scheme.
Is the production of a viable financing plan a condition precedent to the implementation of this UTA/Godfrey agreement under its own written terms? Will the UTA be legally required to hold off on wasting these grant monies, until the gondolists produce a plan on paper that passes the "sniff test" -- or is Mr. Patterson merely suggesting that this probably won't happen as a practical matter? There remains a large hanging question in the possible interpretation of Patterson's above statement.
Frankly we do not know. Unfortunately Ace reporter Schwebke apparently didn't ask the obvious followup question. This, buy the way is not intended as a slam on Scott Schwebke, who played perhaps the key role in publicly exposing the Godfrey administration's earlier devious misbehavior in connection with this matter, and whose article today is otherwise very revealing.
We'll attempt to reach a UTA spokesman this morning. If we can get some clarification on this, we'll put it up by way of an article update.
And what say our gentle readers about all this?
Update 9/20/07 11:45 a.m. MT: One of our gentle readers has kindly forwarded to us a full text pdf version of the above-mentioned 8/29/07 UTA/Godfrey Administration agreement, which we've uploaded to our storage site and now make available for our readers' inspection here.
Update 9/21/07 9:05 a.m. MT: Scott Schwebke provides a followup story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, fleshing out yesterday's story with the added information that UTA officials are also dealing directly with the city council and its legal representatives, regarding the ultimate disposition of the Federal Transportation Administration funds.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Council To Consider Veto Override Tonight - Updated
A rare opportunity for the Council to clarify and redefine the nature of Administration/Council relations
Thumbnail update: Boss Godfrey's veto is overridden, 5-2
This morning's Standard-Examiner edition affords another opportunity to again remind our readers of tonight's city council meeting, wherein the council will consider overriding Mayor Godfrey's veto of the policy statements contained in the Ogden City 2010 fiscal year budget. Scott Schwebke does a good job of framing the issues in his morning writeup:
Item #10 on tonight's council agenda provides the Ogden City council the opportunity to reassert itself as the policy making body of Ogden City, a legislatively designated role which the council has sadly abdicated and neglected over the years. If the council fails to assert itself as the body of municipal government which will henceforth set broad overall city policy regarding the operation of city amenities such as the MWC, Lorin Farr Park and the Mount Ogden Golf Course, for example, the council will be destined to travel a very rough and rocky road over the next 2-1/2 years indeed.
In this connection, we'll once again provide our WCF council contact link, in the expectation our readers won't be shy in politely expressing to their elected council representatives their recommendations concerning tonight's proposed veto override :
And if you can't attend tonight's council session, be sure to check back here after the council session starts. We do anticipate that we'll have live realtime updates available, one way or another.
In the meantime, we invite your reader comments. There's much to discuss in re this topic this morning, we believe.
Update 8/4/09 5:24 p.m. MT: Having heard nothing from any of our WCF regulars about providing our own independent blog updates from the council chambers, and having promised to provide at least something in the nature of a live realtime council meeting play-by-play, we'll adopt and incorporate the "tweets" of The Standard's Ace Reporter Schwebke here. Mr. Schwebke is already apparently situated inside the council chambers, ready to report. If all goes according to plan, our readers can follow Mr. Schwebke's live reporting, by opening and periodically "refreshing" the Twitter page linked here:
Update 8/4/09 6:13 p,m. MT: Wonder of wonders, it seems that WCF Regulars Jim Hutchins and Dan Schroeder are also both stationed inside the council chambers, posting their own live updates in our comments section. Dang. This is gonna be REALLY good, wethinks!
P.S.: In view of the above, and considering the proven capability of these two fellas, we have the sneaking suspicion that Mr. Schwebke will be seriously out-gunned in tonight's realtime reporting free-for-all.
Update 8/4/09 7:25 p.m. MT: The veto is overridden, 5-2. For further details, check out our lower comments section.
Thumbnail update: Boss Godfrey's veto is overridden, 5-2
This morning's Standard-Examiner edition affords another opportunity to again remind our readers of tonight's city council meeting, wherein the council will consider overriding Mayor Godfrey's veto of the policy statements contained in the Ogden City 2010 fiscal year budget. Scott Schwebke does a good job of framing the issues in his morning writeup:
• Council to review Godfrey veto itemsAs Ogden City political wonks are well aware, the ultimate outcome of tonight's council confrontation is of crucial importance to the citizens of Ogden City, inasmuch as it will not only determine the mode of operations of the Marshall White Center during the 2010 fiscal year, but also define the nature of administration/council political relations for the remaining balance of Mayor Godfrey's current mayoral term... and well beyond.
Item #10 on tonight's council agenda provides the Ogden City council the opportunity to reassert itself as the policy making body of Ogden City, a legislatively designated role which the council has sadly abdicated and neglected over the years. If the council fails to assert itself as the body of municipal government which will henceforth set broad overall city policy regarding the operation of city amenities such as the MWC, Lorin Farr Park and the Mount Ogden Golf Course, for example, the council will be destined to travel a very rough and rocky road over the next 2-1/2 years indeed.
In this connection, we'll once again provide our WCF council contact link, in the expectation our readers won't be shy in politely expressing to their elected council representatives their recommendations concerning tonight's proposed veto override :
• Contact Local Officials - Ogden CityAs for tonight's council session, we'll advise everyone to get themselves to the council chambers early, as we have reason to believe it'll be a packed house of steely-eyed lumpencitzens in attendance, torches and pitchforks in hand.
And if you can't attend tonight's council session, be sure to check back here after the council session starts. We do anticipate that we'll have live realtime updates available, one way or another.
In the meantime, we invite your reader comments. There's much to discuss in re this topic this morning, we believe.
Update 8/4/09 5:24 p.m. MT: Having heard nothing from any of our WCF regulars about providing our own independent blog updates from the council chambers, and having promised to provide at least something in the nature of a live realtime council meeting play-by-play, we'll adopt and incorporate the "tweets" of The Standard's Ace Reporter Schwebke here. Mr. Schwebke is already apparently situated inside the council chambers, ready to report. If all goes according to plan, our readers can follow Mr. Schwebke's live reporting, by opening and periodically "refreshing" the Twitter page linked here:
• Reporter Scott Schwebke tweets tonight from Ogden City Council meetingStand by, gentle readers. This is bound to be most interesting.
Update 8/4/09 6:13 p,m. MT: Wonder of wonders, it seems that WCF Regulars Jim Hutchins and Dan Schroeder are also both stationed inside the council chambers, posting their own live updates in our comments section. Dang. This is gonna be REALLY good, wethinks!
P.S.: In view of the above, and considering the proven capability of these two fellas, we have the sneaking suspicion that Mr. Schwebke will be seriously out-gunned in tonight's realtime reporting free-for-all.
Update 8/4/09 7:25 p.m. MT: The veto is overridden, 5-2. For further details, check out our lower comments section.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Ace Reporter Schwebke Catches UTA and Godfrey Administration Officials with Their Pants Down
A sad testimony to the lack of candor of state and city government officials
The Standard-Examiner's Ace Reporter Scott Schwebke has done a yeoman's job these past few weeks, doggedly digging up the truth regarding what we've been referring to on these pages as Boss Godfrey's Secret Gondola Study. As our readers will recall, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) officials have steadfastly denied making any legal commitment for the funding of further gondola studies. Similarly, Emerald City administrative officials have also denied knowing much of anything about such a study (or studies,) notwithstanding the administration's voluntary production of this Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham Inc. study (they call it a "fiscal analysis,") commissioned by an un-named "somebody" in May of 2006, and delivered (and billed) to Boss Godfrey's administration in November of that year. For those readers who'd like to review the body of Mr. Schwebke's reporting to date, we have assembled (in reverse chronological order) our previous Secret Gondola Study articles in this special WCF collection, within which each of Mr. Schwebke's articles is thoroughly discussed and dissected.
This morning however, Ace Reporter Schwebke breaks entirely new investigative ground, revealing in this morning's front-page headline article that a $247 thousand federal grant was actually funded to the UTA last year, not merely to pay for a gondola study, but rather to fund a gondola plan. We duly incorporate Mr. Schwebke's lead paragraphs here:
Likewise the administration had fairly consistently taken the position, preposterous as it is, that it had been basically "in the dark" about the entire matter. (The ever-truthful Boss Godfrey should be reminded, by the way, that his administration is legally-chargeable with any knowledge that his Washington lobbyist/agent possessed regarding this federal grant.)
Now that this new information is out in full public view, it will be interesting to hear the explanations of UTA and Godfrey administration officials about the earmarked federal grant that both governmental entities "forgot" to mention.
Another Weber County Forum Tip O' the Hat to Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke this morning. He deserves his community's hearty thanks for his recent great work on this story. This new information ought to have been readily and voluntarily provided to him upon initial inquiry. It's truly shameful that he had to pry it loose via a GRAMA request.
Update 6/25/07 11:45 a.m. MT: For the benefit of our North Ogden City readers, who are being called upon to vote on the North Ogden $2.5 million "swimming tax" bonding proposal TOMORROW, we link this excellent Reach Upward Blog article, providing what we think to be an intelligent analysis of the issues at stake for the citizens of our neighboring city, along with a gentle reminder to be sure to get out to the polls tomorrow.
The Standard-Examiner's Ace Reporter Scott Schwebke has done a yeoman's job these past few weeks, doggedly digging up the truth regarding what we've been referring to on these pages as Boss Godfrey's Secret Gondola Study. As our readers will recall, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) officials have steadfastly denied making any legal commitment for the funding of further gondola studies. Similarly, Emerald City administrative officials have also denied knowing much of anything about such a study (or studies,) notwithstanding the administration's voluntary production of this Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham Inc. study (they call it a "fiscal analysis,") commissioned by an un-named "somebody" in May of 2006, and delivered (and billed) to Boss Godfrey's administration in November of that year. For those readers who'd like to review the body of Mr. Schwebke's reporting to date, we have assembled (in reverse chronological order) our previous Secret Gondola Study articles in this special WCF collection, within which each of Mr. Schwebke's articles is thoroughly discussed and dissected.
This morning however, Ace Reporter Schwebke breaks entirely new investigative ground, revealing in this morning's front-page headline article that a $247 thousand federal grant was actually funded to the UTA last year, not merely to pay for a gondola study, but rather to fund a gondola plan. We duly incorporate Mr. Schwebke's lead paragraphs here:
OGDEN — An unanticipated $247,500 federal grant to the Utah Transit Authority obtained by a lobbyist for Ogden will allow the agency to fund a gondola plan for the city.In view of these most recently revealed facts, it becomes painfully clear that both UTA officials and Boss Godfrey henchmen have played it very cagily in their press responses re this story until now. UTA had consistently taken the position that it had never agreed to expend, nor had it actually expended any of its own funds on further gondola study projects. Nevertheless, we now learn that UTA officials plainly knew very well about the substantial chunk of federal cash which was rattling around in a UTA account -- earmarked for a gondola plan -- but they inexplicably elected to keep mum about it.
UTA has money set aside for the plan but has not disbursed any because it hasn’t reached an agreement with the city, UTA spokesman Chad Saley said. UTA sent a draft management agreement in December to Ogden’s Chief Administrative Officer John Patterson, but hasn’t received a written response, Saley said.
The city is working on a response to the draft agreement, Patterson said.
The money for the finance-and implementation plan for a gondola system would be provided to the city in exchange for a $247,500 Federal Transit Administration allocation awarded to UTA last year, according to a July 20, 2006, letter from Mick Crandall, UTA’s deputy chief for planning and programming, to John Arrington, the city’s finance manager.
"Ogden city has determined that its preferred use of the funds would be to refine the proposal for the aerial cableway which the city is pursuing as part of a public-private cooperative endeavor," the letter says.
Crandall could not be reached for comment regarding the letter, obtained by the Standard-Examiner from the city through a public records request.
In 2006, unbeknownst to UTA, the city secured the Federal Transit Administration funds which were approved as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s annual appropriations budget, Saley said.
Ken Lee, the city’s Washington, D.C., lobbyist, sought the federal funds on his own without direction from Ogden’s administration, Patterson said.
"He seeks funds when he sees that they are available," Patterson said.
Mayor Matthew Godfrey said he is unsure what led to the Federal Transit Administration allocation. “I don’t know how it came around,” he said.
The funds were allocated to UTA, which applied the money toward the purchase of a new bus already on order for the Ogden area, Saley said.
As a result of the federal allocation, UTA has been able to free up $247,500 from its general fund budget for the gondola plan, he said.
Likewise the administration had fairly consistently taken the position, preposterous as it is, that it had been basically "in the dark" about the entire matter. (The ever-truthful Boss Godfrey should be reminded, by the way, that his administration is legally-chargeable with any knowledge that his Washington lobbyist/agent possessed regarding this federal grant.)
Now that this new information is out in full public view, it will be interesting to hear the explanations of UTA and Godfrey administration officials about the earmarked federal grant that both governmental entities "forgot" to mention.
Another Weber County Forum Tip O' the Hat to Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke this morning. He deserves his community's hearty thanks for his recent great work on this story. This new information ought to have been readily and voluntarily provided to him upon initial inquiry. It's truly shameful that he had to pry it loose via a GRAMA request.
Update 6/25/07 11:45 a.m. MT: For the benefit of our North Ogden City readers, who are being called upon to vote on the North Ogden $2.5 million "swimming tax" bonding proposal TOMORROW, we link this excellent Reach Upward Blog article, providing what we think to be an intelligent analysis of the issues at stake for the citizens of our neighboring city, along with a gentle reminder to be sure to get out to the polls tomorrow.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Ace Reporter Schwebke Again Hits 'Em Where It Hurts
Boss Godfrey Henchman clarifies low-ball property value assumption
The Boss Godfrey administration continues to respond to the relentless investigation of Standard-Examiner Ace Reporter Schwebke, who continues to hound administration officials day and night for more more information about the Secret Gondola Study, covertly prepared by the Salt Lake City venture capitalist firm Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham, back in November, 2006.
This morning's Std-Ex showcases yet another article in investigative reporter Scott Schwebke's tour de force expose' series, this time addressing the $2 million sales price assumed in the LYR&B report.
Mr. Schwebke succeeds in setting Administration CAO John Patterson into back-pedaling mode, forcing him to admit that the Boss Godfrey never really intended to sell our cherished Mt. Ogden Parklands "crown jewel" for a mere 5% of fair market value. The Godfrey henchmen just pulled the $2 million low-ball figure out of their... er... hat at the time, Patterson admits. "We didn't want to be accused of padding the numbers," John Patterson said. Like every other assumption in this study, we just "made it up." With luck, adds Mr. Patterson, the city might squeeze as much as $7 million from real estate developer wannabe Chris Peterson, if administration officials play their cards right, [wink-wink.]
Now our regular long-time gentle readers will recall that we've had numerous discussions about the Mt. Ogden Parklands acreage over the past year or so; and we thus confess we also find even the $7 million figure to be pathetically low.
The most useful calculations we've seen to date spring from a reader-suggested comparative analysis of the recently-completed Golf City land transaction, wherein 20 acres of prime South Ogden residentially-zoned property sold for a cool $6 million. Applying the Golf City dollar-per-acre numbers to calculations of the Mt. Ogden Parkland property's 150 or so acres, we come up with a value of approximately $45 million.
So what Mr. Patterson seems to be telling us is that a proposed sale of prime Emerald City foothill property to Peterson at a hair over 15% of calculated fair market value (assuming highest use) would be a good deal for the lumpencitizens of Emerald City.
It's people like Mr. Patterson, supposed guardians of the public pocket-book, who make us eagerly look forward to the upcoming November elections. And remember -- John Patterson is part of Boss Godfrey's A-Team.
Hoo-Boy! We can't wait to check out the B-Team.
We've already seen the G-Team, by the way, and were not favorably impressed.
And before we get the inevitable chain of godfreyite comments chiding us for indulging in an apples-to-oranges comparison, we'll concede that the Golf City property was sold for residential development, whereas at least some portion of the anicipated Peterson landgrab "proposal" would supposedly remain devoted to open space.
With that in mind we'll suggest the true fair market value of the Mt. Ogden Parklands property probably falls somewhere between the figure quoted by Mr. Patterson, and the figure derived from our own calculations, based on a recent comparable sale, valued according to its highest use (residential.)
Notably, Mr. Patterson's comparables consist of two flatland non-residential golfcourses, whereas the Peterson "proposal" (so-called) is predicated quite substantially upon dense residential use.
Equally notably, Mr. Patterson frankly admits that the city has not bothered to order an appraisal. A competent appraiser could of course fashion a property-specific appraisal, calculating estimated value by factoring in proportionate residential and open-space use.
Before we start falling all over ourselves trying to arrive at a proper formula for calculating the true fair market value of the Mt. Ogden property however, the issue of whether we should even consider selling the property at all remains an open question.
And in that connection we'd like to highlight a fine Standard-Examiner article which appeared in yesterday's paper, in which Peter Metcalf, a local outdoor sports company executive, makes a strong case for leaving our Mt. Ogden Parklands property alone.
And before we close this morning's article, we'd once again like to thank Scott Schwebke for his valiant work in getting to the bottom of Boss Godfrey Secret Gondola Study document. And in that connection we offer a gentle reminder:
We still don't know who, if anybody, paid for the study. Any help that you can provide in this regard would be appreciated.
And one more thing. We loved this paragraph, Scott: "A sale price for Mount Ogden Golf Course hasn’t been formally presented to Peterson, who is spearheading the gondola project, Patterson said. Peterson could not be reached for comment." Pure genius! If the eight months missing-in-action Chris Peterson is currently "spearheading" this "project," we'd love to see his performance if he suddenly decided to start "sand-bagging."
Take it away, gentle readers.
The Boss Godfrey administration continues to respond to the relentless investigation of Standard-Examiner Ace Reporter Schwebke, who continues to hound administration officials day and night for more more information about the Secret Gondola Study, covertly prepared by the Salt Lake City venture capitalist firm Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham, back in November, 2006.
This morning's Std-Ex showcases yet another article in investigative reporter Scott Schwebke's tour de force expose' series, this time addressing the $2 million sales price assumed in the LYR&B report.
Mr. Schwebke succeeds in setting Administration CAO John Patterson into back-pedaling mode, forcing him to admit that the Boss Godfrey never really intended to sell our cherished Mt. Ogden Parklands "crown jewel" for a mere 5% of fair market value. The Godfrey henchmen just pulled the $2 million low-ball figure out of their... er... hat at the time, Patterson admits. "We didn't want to be accused of padding the numbers," John Patterson said. Like every other assumption in this study, we just "made it up." With luck, adds Mr. Patterson, the city might squeeze as much as $7 million from real estate developer wannabe Chris Peterson, if administration officials play their cards right, [wink-wink.]
Now our regular long-time gentle readers will recall that we've had numerous discussions about the Mt. Ogden Parklands acreage over the past year or so; and we thus confess we also find even the $7 million figure to be pathetically low.
The most useful calculations we've seen to date spring from a reader-suggested comparative analysis of the recently-completed Golf City land transaction, wherein 20 acres of prime South Ogden residentially-zoned property sold for a cool $6 million. Applying the Golf City dollar-per-acre numbers to calculations of the Mt. Ogden Parkland property's 150 or so acres, we come up with a value of approximately $45 million.
So what Mr. Patterson seems to be telling us is that a proposed sale of prime Emerald City foothill property to Peterson at a hair over 15% of calculated fair market value (assuming highest use) would be a good deal for the lumpencitizens of Emerald City.
It's people like Mr. Patterson, supposed guardians of the public pocket-book, who make us eagerly look forward to the upcoming November elections. And remember -- John Patterson is part of Boss Godfrey's A-Team.
Hoo-Boy! We can't wait to check out the B-Team.
We've already seen the G-Team, by the way, and were not favorably impressed.
And before we get the inevitable chain of godfreyite comments chiding us for indulging in an apples-to-oranges comparison, we'll concede that the Golf City property was sold for residential development, whereas at least some portion of the anicipated Peterson landgrab "proposal" would supposedly remain devoted to open space.
With that in mind we'll suggest the true fair market value of the Mt. Ogden Parklands property probably falls somewhere between the figure quoted by Mr. Patterson, and the figure derived from our own calculations, based on a recent comparable sale, valued according to its highest use (residential.)
Notably, Mr. Patterson's comparables consist of two flatland non-residential golfcourses, whereas the Peterson "proposal" (so-called) is predicated quite substantially upon dense residential use.
Equally notably, Mr. Patterson frankly admits that the city has not bothered to order an appraisal. A competent appraiser could of course fashion a property-specific appraisal, calculating estimated value by factoring in proportionate residential and open-space use.
Before we start falling all over ourselves trying to arrive at a proper formula for calculating the true fair market value of the Mt. Ogden property however, the issue of whether we should even consider selling the property at all remains an open question.
And in that connection we'd like to highlight a fine Standard-Examiner article which appeared in yesterday's paper, in which Peter Metcalf, a local outdoor sports company executive, makes a strong case for leaving our Mt. Ogden Parklands property alone.
And before we close this morning's article, we'd once again like to thank Scott Schwebke for his valiant work in getting to the bottom of Boss Godfrey Secret Gondola Study document. And in that connection we offer a gentle reminder:
We still don't know who, if anybody, paid for the study. Any help that you can provide in this regard would be appreciated.
And one more thing. We loved this paragraph, Scott: "A sale price for Mount Ogden Golf Course hasn’t been formally presented to Peterson, who is spearheading the gondola project, Patterson said. Peterson could not be reached for comment." Pure genius! If the eight months missing-in-action Chris Peterson is currently "spearheading" this "project," we'd love to see his performance if he suddenly decided to start "sand-bagging."
Take it away, gentle readers.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Gates, Golf, Gondolas & Greed
Well, the rumor's out in the open now, thanks to reporters at the Salt Lake Tribune and Standard-Examiner. A plan is indeed afoot to build a gated luxury residential "community," champion golf course, and gondola terminal, at the present site of the Mt. Ogden golf course. We are pressed for time this morning, so we won't indulge in our usual narcissistic micro-analysis. You can read the Kristen Moulton story here. We'll post the Scott Schwebke story, if the Standard-Examiner EVER gets its website's act together. For now, you'll have to refer to your-hard-copy edition, if you're interested in ace reporter Schwebke's latest magnum opus.
We'll open up the floor for discussion of these stories. Alternatively, feel free to treat this space as an open thread.
Update 3/11/06 9:55 a.m. MT: We at Weber County Forum are proud to offer yesterday's News Today! The Standard-Ex never got around to making yesterday's Scott Schwebke article on this topic available in downloadable form on its website, so we've finally found the time to key it in, the old-fashioned way. You can feast your eyes on ace reporter Schwebke's Friday investigative journalism master-work right here.
As an added bonus, Mr. Schwebke fleshes out the story a little more, with today's headline front page article.
And a final, final tidbit: Kip Van Dyke, the Mt. Ogden Golf Course "Pro" has suddenly resigned, the Std-Ex reports this morning. And Ogden City isn't planning to hire a replacement. Is this strangely-timed development merely a coincidence, or a subtle indication that certain Ogden City insiders aleady privately consider the Mt. Ogden Golf Course "privatization" to be "a done deal?"
Comments, anyone?
Don't let the cat get your tongues.
We'll open up the floor for discussion of these stories. Alternatively, feel free to treat this space as an open thread.
Update 3/11/06 9:55 a.m. MT: We at Weber County Forum are proud to offer yesterday's News Today! The Standard-Ex never got around to making yesterday's Scott Schwebke article on this topic available in downloadable form on its website, so we've finally found the time to key it in, the old-fashioned way. You can feast your eyes on ace reporter Schwebke's Friday investigative journalism master-work right here.
As an added bonus, Mr. Schwebke fleshes out the story a little more, with today's headline front page article.
And a final, final tidbit: Kip Van Dyke, the Mt. Ogden Golf Course "Pro" has suddenly resigned, the Std-Ex reports this morning. And Ogden City isn't planning to hire a replacement. Is this strangely-timed development merely a coincidence, or a subtle indication that certain Ogden City insiders aleady privately consider the Mt. Ogden Golf Course "privatization" to be "a done deal?"
Comments, anyone?
Don't let the cat get your tongues.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Another Gang Murder in Fair Emerald City
And Ace Reporter Schwebke Misses a Golden Reportorial Opportunity to Mightily Expound on Boss Godfrey's Continuing Misdeeds
We'll shine some daylight on two items in this morning's news, both from our home-town newspaper.
1) Today's Standard-Examiner breaks the news to the general public about something Weber County Forum readers have known about since Friday. There's been another gang-related murder in Ogden. We incorporate below the lead paragraphs from this morning's story:
We got the straight story from OPD Sgt. Troy Arrowsmith in midsummer of 2006, when he informed us, right there on the Std-Ex editorial pages, about Boss Godfrey's twisted, upside-down law enforcement priorities:
"...Mayor Godfrey has chosen to address the crime issue in Ogden by adding more officers to the Traffic Division (officers whose primary mission is to write citations). The mayor effectively doubled the size of the Traffic Division. No addition in personnel has been made to the Patrol Division (those officers who handle your calls and proactively prevent crime), to the Narcotic Unit, Gang Unit or the Detective Division. This is an obvious plan to use the police department as revenue generators and raise money from you, the citizens, to pay for who knows what project....
"Are your elected city officials representing your views on this? Is this fair to you? Why are they trying to raise funds in such an underhanded way? Your elected officials are using the police department as a revenue generating machine instead of the job we were sworn to do: public safety. "
Godfrey's obsession with feeding his Justice Court "Cash Cow," at the expense of real law enforcement, has left the citizens of Ogden in a terribly tight spot. We're now reaping the fruits of Boss Godfrey's revenue generation obsession, and it's costing human lives. And at the rate things are going in Emerald City, it's only a matter of time before an entirely innocent citizen catches a stray bullet.
And the next time Boss Godfrey tells you he's reduced crime 23% during his tenure as mayor, flash this morning's Std-Ex headline under his nose, or better yet, ask him to respond honestly to this.
2) In yesterday's article we linked to our city council's 9/21/07 press report, in which our city council tried to set the record straight, and to alert the general public that, contrary to some published reports, our city council had been cut out of the loop, and was NOT involved in the UTA/Godfrey administration's August 29 written agreement, intended to dispose of the $247 thousand in federal funds that's been sitting in a UTA account for over fourteen months.
Believing this story to be Scott Schwebke's "baby," we deferred to our favorite Ace Reporter, awaiting another blockbuster revelation in this morning's Standard-Examiner, laying out in detail how the city council got royally screwed over. And we got a tiny bit of that, at least at the start of this morning's article, which bore the headline, "Council denies involvement," and the even more accurate sub-headline, "Godfrey, they say, signed UTA-gondola agreement on his own."
And in all fairness to Mr. Schwebke, his article did adopt verbatim a few of the council's press-release paragraphs.
From there, however Mr. Schwebke's article spirals downward toward the mundane. And we just loved this couple of short (and carefully crafted) Schwebke paragraphs:
As one of our readers has already commented in a lower thread:
Let us all know what you think. Do it now, or after you get back from church.
We'll shine some daylight on two items in this morning's news, both from our home-town newspaper.
1) Today's Standard-Examiner breaks the news to the general public about something Weber County Forum readers have known about since Friday. There's been another gang-related murder in Ogden. We incorporate below the lead paragraphs from this morning's story:
OGDEN — A 22-year-old man is dead and a 15-year-old boy has been arrested and accused of killing him, while a community is left reeling over the latest gang-related violent incident as police continue their investigation.100 youths milling around a downtown parking lot late on a Friday night, (an accident waiting to happen), and not a single Ogden Police Department patrol unit in sight? What happened to proactive policing, we ask. And no, we're NOT putting the knock on our sorely understaffed men and women of Ogden's Finest. We know where the responsibility really lies:
The fatal shooting occurred at 11:30 p.m. Friday at the Phillips Kicks 66 gas station and convenience store at 30th Street and Washington Boulevard.
“I always get nervous around this part of town, just for that reason. You could just be an innocent bystander … and you could get shot,” said Joe Bauer, 52, of South Ogden, as he filled his car at the station Saturday.
This is Ogden’s third fatal gang shooting for 2007, according to police reports.
Friday night, when the shooting occurred, about 100 youths were milling around their cars and motorcycles in the parking lot, according to witnesses. The convenience store is a popular stop for people cruising the boulevard, police said.
We got the straight story from OPD Sgt. Troy Arrowsmith in midsummer of 2006, when he informed us, right there on the Std-Ex editorial pages, about Boss Godfrey's twisted, upside-down law enforcement priorities:
"...Mayor Godfrey has chosen to address the crime issue in Ogden by adding more officers to the Traffic Division (officers whose primary mission is to write citations). The mayor effectively doubled the size of the Traffic Division. No addition in personnel has been made to the Patrol Division (those officers who handle your calls and proactively prevent crime), to the Narcotic Unit, Gang Unit or the Detective Division. This is an obvious plan to use the police department as revenue generators and raise money from you, the citizens, to pay for who knows what project....
"Are your elected city officials representing your views on this? Is this fair to you? Why are they trying to raise funds in such an underhanded way? Your elected officials are using the police department as a revenue generating machine instead of the job we were sworn to do: public safety. "
Godfrey's obsession with feeding his Justice Court "Cash Cow," at the expense of real law enforcement, has left the citizens of Ogden in a terribly tight spot. We're now reaping the fruits of Boss Godfrey's revenue generation obsession, and it's costing human lives. And at the rate things are going in Emerald City, it's only a matter of time before an entirely innocent citizen catches a stray bullet.
And the next time Boss Godfrey tells you he's reduced crime 23% during his tenure as mayor, flash this morning's Std-Ex headline under his nose, or better yet, ask him to respond honestly to this.
2) In yesterday's article we linked to our city council's 9/21/07 press report, in which our city council tried to set the record straight, and to alert the general public that, contrary to some published reports, our city council had been cut out of the loop, and was NOT involved in the UTA/Godfrey administration's August 29 written agreement, intended to dispose of the $247 thousand in federal funds that's been sitting in a UTA account for over fourteen months.
Believing this story to be Scott Schwebke's "baby," we deferred to our favorite Ace Reporter, awaiting another blockbuster revelation in this morning's Standard-Examiner, laying out in detail how the city council got royally screwed over. And we got a tiny bit of that, at least at the start of this morning's article, which bore the headline, "Council denies involvement," and the even more accurate sub-headline, "Godfrey, they say, signed UTA-gondola agreement on his own."
And in all fairness to Mr. Schwebke, his article did adopt verbatim a few of the council's press-release paragraphs.
From there, however Mr. Schwebke's article spirals downward toward the mundane. And we just loved this couple of short (and carefully crafted) Schwebke paragraphs:
The urban leg of the gondola project remains in doubt because Godfrey has refused to sell city-owned Mount Ogden Golf Course to developer Chris Peterson, the driving force behind the proposal.We've seen Ace Reporter at his best; and he's certainly nowhere near that level this morning.
The city had initially planned to use proceeds from the golf course sale to help fund an urban leg of the gondola extending from downtown to Weber State University. It was estimated to cost about $20 million, [Emphasis added.]
As one of our readers has already commented in a lower thread:
What's with Scott Schwebke this morning?Take it away, gentle readers.
"Godfrey has refused to sell city-owned Mount Ogden Golf Course"
Makes it sound like Godrey's the man to protect us from those crazy gondolistas!
Let us all know what you think. Do it now, or after you get back from church.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Standard-Examiner: A Brief Summary of City and County Downtown Ogden Plots and Schemes
Added bonus: a snazzy interactive map of proposed future improvements of downtown Ogden
The Standard-Examiner carries two Ogden economic development stories this morning which are likely fodder for morning discussion.
First, there's this Scott Schwebke story, which briefly encapsulates all of the various pet projects which Boss Godfrey more or less has on the front burner, including Boss Godfrey's Grant Avenue-straddling "Field House/Wonder Dome":
Secondly, this morning's Standard also carries this Scott Schwebke companion piece, which reports that even our normally frugal Weber County Government is considering getting into the Big Spending downtown economic development act. Unlike the above-linked SE story however, this latter Scott Schwebke writeup does include much new detail about proposed funding for this project, a skywalk, new clubs, restaurants for the Berthana Building, etc.:
The Standard-Examiner carries two Ogden economic development stories this morning which are likely fodder for morning discussion.
First, there's this Scott Schwebke story, which briefly encapsulates all of the various pet projects which Boss Godfrey more or less has on the front burner, including Boss Godfrey's Grant Avenue-straddling "Field House/Wonder Dome":
• What's next for Ogden?As Dan S. noted last night, this story is "a bit of a disappointment: mostly a summary of what we already knew about a whole list of projects, with only tidbits of new information about each. Still, it's a useful summary for the vast majority of readers who don't keep careful track of such things." "Regarding the Wonder Dome, it says Godfrey is promising to solicit private donations, but no potential private donors are named. He claims WSU and Weber County "have expressed interest in partnering", but no attempt was made to contact spokespersons for either of these potential partners. There's no mention of the school districts."
Secondly, this morning's Standard also carries this Scott Schwebke companion piece, which reports that even our normally frugal Weber County Government is considering getting into the Big Spending downtown economic development act. Unlike the above-linked SE story however, this latter Scott Schwebke writeup does include much new detail about proposed funding for this project, a skywalk, new clubs, restaurants for the Berthana Building, etc.:
• Weber County looking at Eccles Conference Center skywalkAnd for those readers who'd like to see a visual representation of all the downtown plots and schemes our city and county governments have on the drawing board, here's something you're not going to want to miss: a snazzy Standard-Examiner interactive map of proposed future improvements for downtown Ogden, complete with a little trolley, zipping around Boss Godfrey's proposed Downtown Trolley Loop:
• Flash Player interactive downtown Ogden mapDon't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Standard-Examiner: Ogden Preps For $500K Shortfall
The Boss Godfrey solution? Tap into the public safety budget, of course
As the effects of our basket case economy continue to strain our Emerald City budget, Scott Schwebke reports that Boss Godfrey has found a way to compensate for a projected $500K fiscal year 2011 revenue shortfall. Here's the setup:
And just to get the ball rolling, we'll incorporate the text of SE reader Neal Cassidy's thoughtful query in the comments section beneath the above-linked SE story:
Update 10/13/10 3:50 p.m.: Just to add a little perspective to this story, we'll link here Ace Reporter Schwbebke's council meeting Twitter tweets, which he issued during last night's City Council Session:
As the effects of our basket case economy continue to strain our Emerald City budget, Scott Schwebke reports that Boss Godfrey has found a way to compensate for a projected $500K fiscal year 2011 revenue shortfall. Here's the setup:
OGDEN -- The city council adopted an ordinance Tuesday night that adjusts Ogden's budget to reflect a possible $500,000 shortfall in sales tax revenue for fiscal 2011.And Boss Godfrey's solution? Tap into the public safety budget, of course:
The projected revenue reduction is based on figures for June and July, which show a $116,000 decrease in sales tax compared to that collected during the same months in fiscal 2010, said Janene Eller-Smith, a city council policy analyst.
A downturn in the national economy has trickled down to Ogden and is keeping people from purchasing big-ticket items that drive sales tax revenue, said John Arrington, the city's business manager.
The ordinance adopted by the council compensates for the anticipated $500,000 sales tax shortfall by reducing a budget line item for that same amount that was to be used to fill seven vacant police officer positions, said Arrington.Read this morning's full Scott Schwebke story here:
• Ogden preps for $500K shortfallMaybe it's just is, but we're wondering whether the Administration's priorities might be just a mite messed up. So how about it gentle readers? Who'd like to suggest other budget cutting alternatives which wouldn't jeopardize public safety and result in the continued under-staffing of Ogden's Finest?
And just to get the ball rolling, we'll incorporate the text of SE reader Neal Cassidy's thoughtful query in the comments section beneath the above-linked SE story:
Isn't 500K$ the same amount of money Ogden City will lose if Jon Greiner remains as Ogden Police Chief? Is Greiner such a good Chief that he is worth 7 additional police officers?Have at it, O Gentle Ones. Just because its a slow news day, that doesn't mean our WCF readers can't have a little interactive fun.
Update 10/13/10 3:50 p.m.: Just to add a little perspective to this story, we'll link here Ace Reporter Schwbebke's council meeting Twitter tweets, which he issued during last night's City Council Session:
• Scott Schwebke 10/12/10 City Council Meeting Twitter TweetsJust another glimpse into the work of an incurious and disinterested SE reporter who's possibly in the wrong business, wethinks.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Envision Ogden Head Honcho Abe Shreve Speaks Out Yet Again
More Abe Shreve "blabber" from this morning's Scott Schwebke story
What a difference a couple of days make. After literally years of stony silence, Abe Shreve, the founder of the shadowy political action committee Envision Ogden, has come out from whatever rock he was hiding under, and "gone public" in the Standard-Examiner for the second day in a row. WCF of course had the opportunity to discuss Mr. Shreve's earlier written statement yesterday. In the same connection, our readers certainly won't want to miss this morning's Scott Schwebke story, which apparently reveals the fruits of Mr. Schwebke's further interview(s) with the heretofore elusive Mr. Shreve:
1) Shreve frankly admits that "...it was always the organization’s intent to support political candidates who share its mission of making the city an outdoor sports mecca." This surprisingly candid admission would seem to confirm that Envision Ogden was intended to play the role of a political action committee from the beginning, and would support the inference that the June 2007 Salomon Center "Sneak Preview," was indeed originally intended to serve as a "stealth" campaign fundraising event, as many of us have long suspected. The implications of this ought to be particularly troubling for the Godfrey administration, which apparently "loaned out" the "rec center" to EO for the night, and then stood back in silence as revenue raised from this event was evidently diverted from Ogden City's coffers and "laundered" by EO through FNURE into the campaigns of "pro-Godfrey" council candidates Eccles and Johnson shortly thereafter.
2) Significantly, despite his outspoken statements, Mr. Shreve wilfully "declines" to identify any members of the even more shadowy campaign funds middleman, FNURE. In this connection we'll once again refer to Ogden City Municipal Code Section 1-8-3 (B), which sets forth the following prohibitions:
3) Last but not least, we'll highlight the remarks of City Council Chair Amy Wicks, who was "ruled out" by Mr. Shreve as a prospective recipient of EO campaign funds during the 2007 municipal election, mainly due to her 2005 "nay" vote on Boss Godfrey's reckless "Junction" bonding:
And one more thing: Nice work, Mr. Schwebke!
As far as today's discussion goes, we've barely scratched the surface with our above observations and editorial comments. WCF readers are now invited to chime in with their own ever-savvy observations and remarks.
What a difference a couple of days make. After literally years of stony silence, Abe Shreve, the founder of the shadowy political action committee Envision Ogden, has come out from whatever rock he was hiding under, and "gone public" in the Standard-Examiner for the second day in a row. WCF of course had the opportunity to discuss Mr. Shreve's earlier written statement yesterday. In the same connection, our readers certainly won't want to miss this morning's Scott Schwebke story, which apparently reveals the fruits of Mr. Schwebke's further interview(s) with the heretofore elusive Mr. Shreve:
• 'Envision' head speaks up / Shreve defends political contributions as means to 'promote Ogden's outdoor vibe'It's blockbuster material which Mr. Schwebke delivers to his readers this morning. Just to kick off our morning discussion, we'll carve out a few of the story tidbits which we found to be particularly interesting:
1) Shreve frankly admits that "...it was always the organization’s intent to support political candidates who share its mission of making the city an outdoor sports mecca." This surprisingly candid admission would seem to confirm that Envision Ogden was intended to play the role of a political action committee from the beginning, and would support the inference that the June 2007 Salomon Center "Sneak Preview," was indeed originally intended to serve as a "stealth" campaign fundraising event, as many of us have long suspected. The implications of this ought to be particularly troubling for the Godfrey administration, which apparently "loaned out" the "rec center" to EO for the night, and then stood back in silence as revenue raised from this event was evidently diverted from Ogden City's coffers and "laundered" by EO through FNURE into the campaigns of "pro-Godfrey" council candidates Eccles and Johnson shortly thereafter.
2) Significantly, despite his outspoken statements, Mr. Shreve wilfully "declines" to identify any members of the even more shadowy campaign funds middleman, FNURE. In this connection we'll once again refer to Ogden City Municipal Code Section 1-8-3 (B), which sets forth the following prohibitions:
B. Anonymous: The acceptance of anonymous contributions is prohibited. Any anonymous contributions received by a candidate or personal campaign committee shall be transmitted to the City Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund.While it may be true that FNURE may not have been technically required to file disclosure statements with the Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office as a political action committee under provisions of the Utah Code, we are in agreement with Jim Hutchins. Even in the absence of controlling provisions within Utah statutes, the anonymous donors behind FNURE are nevertheless not relieved from compliance with the obligations of the above Ogden City campaign disclosure ordinance. The undisclosed FNURE "members" are anonymous donors plain and simple, within the plain meaning of the ordinance; and the acceptance of such anonymously donated funds arguably constituted violations of Section 1-8-3 (B) and (C) by 2007 candidates Eccles and Johnson. Somehow, we don't believe Mr. Shreve's own silence on the subject helps out his favored 2009 council candidate, Blain Johnson, very much at all.
C. In Name Of Another: No person shall make a contribution in the name of another person or make a contribution with another person's funds in his or her own name, and no candidate, member of a personal campaign committee, or political campaign committee shall knowingly accept a contribution made by one person in the name of another person or made by one person with the funds of another person.
3) Last but not least, we'll highlight the remarks of City Council Chair Amy Wicks, who was "ruled out" by Mr. Shreve as a prospective recipient of EO campaign funds during the 2007 municipal election, mainly due to her 2005 "nay" vote on Boss Godfrey's reckless "Junction" bonding:
Wicks said in an e-mail to the Standard-Examiner she disagrees with Shreve's claim that she doesn't support local high-adventure recreation.Thank goodness for elected officials like Amy Wicks. It's great to have at least a few fiscally responsible grownups like Wicks occupying seats on the Ogden City Council; and we're delighted that Mr. Schwebke included her comments within today's story. Hopefully in the upcoming election, the voters of Ogden will have the wisdom to elect a full slate of city council candidates of similarly prudent philosophy. It goes without saying that this is something to seriously consider as we move forward into the 2009 municipal election season, during the worst economic recession since the great depression.
"I don't know if Mr. Shreve even knows my stance on high-adventure recreation," she said. "If he would have asked, or talked to anyone who really knows me, he would have found out that, at the time of the 2007 election, I was the only council member who regularly uses the Ogden area trails for hiking and biking, enjoys whitewater kayaking and uses the Ogden Kayak Park and area rivers for this purpose." [...]
Wicks stands by her vote on the Salomon Center.
"I did not vote to support using taxpayer funds to build the Salomon Center," she said.
"I still don't agree with using funds from operating revenue from Business Depot Ogden as a guarantee for the bond payments and to make up any shortfalls on payments for the recreation center/mall debt each year.
"If public funds are to be used for large, expensive facilities like recreation centers, there should be a decision by the public to spend the taxpayer funds on a project of that magnitude and they should have a say in what the facility offers."
And one more thing: Nice work, Mr. Schwebke!
As far as today's discussion goes, we've barely scratched the surface with our above observations and editorial comments. WCF readers are now invited to chime in with their own ever-savvy observations and remarks.
Monday, September 07, 2009
The Standard-Examiner Reports on Boss Godfrey's Central City Fixer-Upper Project
Does Ogden City's most prominent "real estate flipper" rightfully deserve to place his Central City Fixer-Upper Project in the "win" column?
Tantalizing front page article in this morning's Standard-Examiner, focusing on the heretofore mainly unheralded efforts of the the Godfrey administration to revitalize the Ogden Central City area, by purchasing, refurbishing, razing and/or rebuilding dilapidated residential properties, and then putting them back on the local real estate market:
At the time the administration negotiated this HUD agreement, we recall significant grousing from members of the Ogden real estate community, inasmuch as this insider deal would squeeze private investor "flippers" out of the HUD repo market. Moreover, we heard complaints that these properties, once placed into Ogden City ownership, would erode the local tax base, inasmuch as city-owned real estate is exempt from the property tax rolls.
Disregarding for the moment the above two objections, we'll say that from the point of view of central city aesthetics at least, the photos accompanying Mr. Schwebke's morning article do convey a suggestion that Godfrey's inner city real estate may actually be a success. A couple of "before and after"pictures tell a couple of thousand words:
We gotta say we loved these particular before and after pics. And we do confess we did ask ourselves whether a hypothetical private investor/flipper would have devoted the necessary capital to removing that grotesque "Faux Greco-roman Revival" facade... and to expending the extra dough which was obviously required for the highly-detailed "Victorian Style" restoration and remodeling.
We'll admit our curiosity was piqued by this morning's Schwebke story. Unfortunately, Mr. Schwebke left us hanging. What's missing from Mr. Schwebke's story is the financial bottom line. Is Godfrey's Central City Fixer-Upper Project operating at a profit, or even a break-even? Or is this project running in the red, like most other administration projects?
Ace Reporter Schwebke had the opportunity to deliver a blockbuster story this morning; but he instead delivered another puff piece, we think.
Financial figures, Mr. Schwebke! That's what thoughtful Emerald City lumpencitizens want to see.
Before closing, we'll also add that we're not unaware of the intangibles here. Aside from increasing the property values of neighboring properties, in what other ways do the projects which Mr. Schwebke touts benefit the taxpayers? The value of removing "problem" apartment conversions from the Central City area is something to which nobody can readily attach a dollar figure. Does Boss Godfrey rightfully deserve to place his Central City Fixer-Upper Project in the column labeled "successful?" Should those fiscally-conservative lumpencitizens among us make an exception to the general rule, i.e., that local governments should not be directly involved as "principals" in real estate development?
Even though it's a holiday, we're sure that there are more than a few WCF readers who'll check in here today. Hopefully today's article will provide fodder for at least some new WCF discussion.
Take it away, WCF readers.
Tantalizing front page article in this morning's Standard-Examiner, focusing on the heretofore mainly unheralded efforts of the the Godfrey administration to revitalize the Ogden Central City area, by purchasing, refurbishing, razing and/or rebuilding dilapidated residential properties, and then putting them back on the local real estate market:
• Renewal a home at a timeLong-time Emerald City political wonks will remember when the Godfrey administration negotiated an exclusive agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to purchase foreclosed or otherwise repo'd HUD properties, fix them up, and then "flip" them for a profit. Well, according to this morning's Scott Schwebke story, it would appear that the administration has become quite deeply (and possibly successfully) involved in that. As a matter of fact, it would appear that Boss Godfrey may have simply ditched the original plan (to refurbish and sell these properties to low-income residents) and instead put together an in-house operation which might arguably be the biggest "real estate flipper" in Ogden City.
At the time the administration negotiated this HUD agreement, we recall significant grousing from members of the Ogden real estate community, inasmuch as this insider deal would squeeze private investor "flippers" out of the HUD repo market. Moreover, we heard complaints that these properties, once placed into Ogden City ownership, would erode the local tax base, inasmuch as city-owned real estate is exempt from the property tax rolls.
Disregarding for the moment the above two objections, we'll say that from the point of view of central city aesthetics at least, the photos accompanying Mr. Schwebke's morning article do convey a suggestion that Godfrey's inner city real estate may actually be a success. A couple of "before and after"pictures tell a couple of thousand words:
We gotta say we loved these particular before and after pics. And we do confess we did ask ourselves whether a hypothetical private investor/flipper would have devoted the necessary capital to removing that grotesque "Faux Greco-roman Revival" facade... and to expending the extra dough which was obviously required for the highly-detailed "Victorian Style" restoration and remodeling.
We'll admit our curiosity was piqued by this morning's Schwebke story. Unfortunately, Mr. Schwebke left us hanging. What's missing from Mr. Schwebke's story is the financial bottom line. Is Godfrey's Central City Fixer-Upper Project operating at a profit, or even a break-even? Or is this project running in the red, like most other administration projects?
Ace Reporter Schwebke had the opportunity to deliver a blockbuster story this morning; but he instead delivered another puff piece, we think.
Financial figures, Mr. Schwebke! That's what thoughtful Emerald City lumpencitizens want to see.
Before closing, we'll also add that we're not unaware of the intangibles here. Aside from increasing the property values of neighboring properties, in what other ways do the projects which Mr. Schwebke touts benefit the taxpayers? The value of removing "problem" apartment conversions from the Central City area is something to which nobody can readily attach a dollar figure. Does Boss Godfrey rightfully deserve to place his Central City Fixer-Upper Project in the column labeled "successful?" Should those fiscally-conservative lumpencitizens among us make an exception to the general rule, i.e., that local governments should not be directly involved as "principals" in real estate development?
Even though it's a holiday, we're sure that there are more than a few WCF readers who'll check in here today. Hopefully today's article will provide fodder for at least some new WCF discussion.
Take it away, WCF readers.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Ace Reporter Schwebke Reports on the Malan's Basin/Strongs Canyon Clearcuts
The reclusive property owner "clams up"
You asked for it... you got it. After much reader discussion on Weber County Forum over the past couple of weeks, the Standard-Examiner has finally latched onto the Chris Peterson Clearcuts story.
In this morning's Standard-Examiner report, Ace Reporter Schwebke demonstrates that he's made a noble yeoman's attempt to find out what's transpiring on Chris Peterson's mountainside Malan's Basin property, which borders Emerald City to the east. Mr. Schwebke reports that he's contacted every individual and government agency who could conceivably have an interest in the frenzied vegetation-obliterative activity which as been recently occurring in the Malan's Basin/Strong's Canyon area. Despite his efforts, Mr. Schwebke was able to dredge up very little information beyond that which our gentle readers were able to ferret out and deduce during two weeks of robust reader discussion. Nevertheless he earns an "A" for the effort, we think. Unfortunate readers who do not have a hard-copy edition of this morning's Std-Ex readily on hand can read this morning's Scott Schwebke story here:
Mr. Peterson's feeling a mite underappreciated these days, we suppose; and we guess its understandable that he's now "clammed up."
So what say our gentle readers about all this?
You asked for it... you got it. After much reader discussion on Weber County Forum over the past couple of weeks, the Standard-Examiner has finally latched onto the Chris Peterson Clearcuts story.
In this morning's Standard-Examiner report, Ace Reporter Schwebke demonstrates that he's made a noble yeoman's attempt to find out what's transpiring on Chris Peterson's mountainside Malan's Basin property, which borders Emerald City to the east. Mr. Schwebke reports that he's contacted every individual and government agency who could conceivably have an interest in the frenzied vegetation-obliterative activity which as been recently occurring in the Malan's Basin/Strong's Canyon area. Despite his efforts, Mr. Schwebke was able to dredge up very little information beyond that which our gentle readers were able to ferret out and deduce during two weeks of robust reader discussion. Nevertheless he earns an "A" for the effort, we think. Unfortunate readers who do not have a hard-copy edition of this morning's Std-Ex readily on hand can read this morning's Scott Schwebke story here:
• Trees, brush cleared near Malan’s BasinMr. Schwebke would have made greater headway with this story, of course, if Mr. Peterson had been more forthcoming in his telephone interview with the diligent Std-Ex reporter. Yes, Mr. Schwebke was successful in reaching Mr. Peterson; and this is what the very tight-lipped Son-in-Law of a Billionaire said:
Peterson, in a brief phone conversation with the Standard-Examiner, declined to disclose the purpose of the clearing and wouldn’t say if the aim is to make way for a road leading to a Malan’s Basin resort.While we suppose its possible that Mr. Peterson may regard Mr. Schwebke and the lumpencitizens of Emerald City as merely "nosy neighbors," we nevertheless can't resist observing the vast difference between Mr. Peterson's stingy present public utterances, and those heady proclamations of the year 2005, when he and Blessed Boss Godfrey were running their non-stop Emerald City Gondola/Malan's Basin Ski Resort Public Dog & Pony Show.
“I don’t have any comment on that,” he said.
Mr. Peterson's feeling a mite underappreciated these days, we suppose; and we guess its understandable that he's now "clammed up."
So what say our gentle readers about all this?
Friday, July 17, 2009
2009 Ogden Municipal Elections Update: Scott Schwebke Provides a Followup
Our Council Candidate Roster also receives a major update
Scott Schwebke is apparently back from vacation and provides a 2009 Ogden City Council candidate story this morning, following up on the Trent Toone writeup which we discussed on Weber County Forum yesterday. Read Mr. Schwbke's full story here:
We'll also again draw our readers' attention to our 2009 Council Candidate Roster, which is embedded in our right sidebar. While Mr. Schwebke was presumably busy interviewing local political pundits, we spent a good part of yesterday afternoon assembling the useful candidate information which was submitted by some of our alert readers under yesterday's WCF article. Thanks to to the assistance of our gentle readers (special thanks to Googleboy), our Council Roster has received a major update. At this point we now have basic contact information available for all 17 candidates, together with an early smattering of additional supplementary information to boot. There's still plenty of additional compilation to be done, of course. Consider this a work in progress.
So keep that info rolling in, gentle readers. We'd be especially interested in gathering candidate email contact information too. Individual candidates are of course invited to provide their own links and other data as well. With the help of all the citizens of Ogden City, it's our goal to be the most information-rich Ogden City 2009 municipal election source on the web... just as we've been in the past.
That's it for now, gentle readers.
Who will be the first to comment?
Scott Schwebke is apparently back from vacation and provides a 2009 Ogden City Council candidate story this morning, following up on the Trent Toone writeup which we discussed on Weber County Forum yesterday. Read Mr. Schwbke's full story here:
• Ogden council election draws 17Although it's partly a rehash of old news, Mr. Schwebke does cover some new ground, with some interesting speculation obtained from interviews with several Ogden political insiders, as to the possible reasons that 17 hopeful candidates have queued up to fill a mere 4 vacant council slots in the 2009 municipal election. At risk of oversimplification, here are the various theories in a nutshell:
Brandon Stephenson: The crowd of city council candidates in the upcoming election may be due to Ogden's burgeoning reputation as high-adventure mecca and progress under way at The Junction, a retail, residential and entertainment complex downtown, Stephenson said.Regardless of their rationales however, what's obvious is that these 17 candidates have set the stage for what ought to be an extremely interesting and lively municipal primary election run-up. Grab that popcorn and pull up your Barca-loungers, folks. It'll be exciting to watch the fur fly over the next two months, as these 17 candidates jockey for position in advance of the September 15, 2009 primary election.
"Lots of folks (running for office) want to see Ogden move forward," he said.
Jesse Garcia: "There could be some dissatisfaction," Garcia said. "Maybe they don't like what the administration is doing. Maybe they don't like what the council is doing."
Some of the candidates are veterans of municipal committees and may consider election to the city council as the next logical step in providing public service, Garcia speculated.
Cindi Mansell: City Recorder Cindi Mansell said the large number of candidates may be due to the decisions of city council members Dorrene Jeske and Blain Johnson not to seek re-election.
"People see those two seats as completely available," she said. "When an incumbent files, people may think because of name recognition that incumbents are apt to be re-elected, which may discourage some potential candidates."
We'll also again draw our readers' attention to our 2009 Council Candidate Roster, which is embedded in our right sidebar. While Mr. Schwebke was presumably busy interviewing local political pundits, we spent a good part of yesterday afternoon assembling the useful candidate information which was submitted by some of our alert readers under yesterday's WCF article. Thanks to to the assistance of our gentle readers (special thanks to Googleboy), our Council Roster has received a major update. At this point we now have basic contact information available for all 17 candidates, together with an early smattering of additional supplementary information to boot. There's still plenty of additional compilation to be done, of course. Consider this a work in progress.
So keep that info rolling in, gentle readers. We'd be especially interested in gathering candidate email contact information too. Individual candidates are of course invited to provide their own links and other data as well. With the help of all the citizens of Ogden City, it's our goal to be the most information-rich Ogden City 2009 municipal election source on the web... just as we've been in the past.
That's it for now, gentle readers.
Who will be the first to comment?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Rep. Hansen Apologizes to Phipps
Let's not over-focus on the technicalities surrounding Mr. Phipps's residency
Fascinating story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, wherein Scott Schwebke reports that House District 9 Representative Neil Hansen has graciously issued an unsolicited apology to Ogden City Council Seat "B" Candidate David Phipps, for his perceived overreaction to information he received from the Salt Lake County Elections Office on or about October 14. This information of course launched a Weber County Forum article on the subject the following day, and provoked a most robust discussion in our lower comments section. Read this morning's full Scott Schwebke story here:
Rep. Hansen has plenty of political juice in Ogden, and we congratulate him for recognizing that drawing ultimate conclusions about Mr. Phipps's honesty or lack thereof is not his proper role, and that the opinion of a politically-influential state legislator, if left un-retracted, could carry undue weight. The role of determining ultimate legal culpability is reserved for the proper legal authorities of course, as Rep. Hansen remarks in today's SE story:
And in that connection we do believe questions regarding Mr. Phipps's residency are crying out to be resolved. And we do believe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Phipps's November 4, 2008 Salt Lake County vote reflect on Mr. Phipps's character and fitness for office. The citizens of Ogden are certainly entitled to weigh the facts on their own, without resorting to the the opinions of any State Legislator, although we'd also view it as advisable to avoid drawing any firm conclusions until all the evidence is in.
Having said that, we'll issue a caveat: Let's not go overboard on this. The issues regarding Mr. Phipps's residency will ultimately be resolved. As Mr. Schwebke reports in this morning's story, third-place seat "B" candidate Jennifer Neil has already filed a complaint in this matter; and during the course of the proceedings which will result from this procedural step, we recommend that we all stand back... and let the wheels of justice grind on. The residency issues will all get sorted out, one way or the other, we believe.
And in the same connection we'll refer to a Dan Schroeder comment lodged under the above-linked Oct 19 2009 SE story. Remember, there are plenty of other troubling issues surrounding Mr. Phipps's candidacy:
For the time being at least, let's not over-focus on the technicalities surrounding Mr. Phipps's residency.
There are plenty of other fish to fry, no?
Fascinating story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, wherein Scott Schwebke reports that House District 9 Representative Neil Hansen has graciously issued an unsolicited apology to Ogden City Council Seat "B" Candidate David Phipps, for his perceived overreaction to information he received from the Salt Lake County Elections Office on or about October 14. This information of course launched a Weber County Forum article on the subject the following day, and provoked a most robust discussion in our lower comments section. Read this morning's full Scott Schwebke story here:
• Ogden lawmaker apologizes for accusations about candidateWe applaud Representative Hansen for taking the ethical high road on this, and for recognising and correcting his own mistake. While we believe Rep. Hansen's action in obtaining and releasing the information that Mr. Phipps had voted in his old Sugarhouse precinct in 2008, (even while claiming simultaneous residency in Ogden) was entirely proper, we also agree that Rep. Hansen is right, and that he may have at least slightly overstepped the bounds of political civility in offering this quote in Mr. Schwebke's Oct 19 2009 Standard-Examiner story:
"There is some dishonesty about his residency and there needs to be some accountability," Hansen said, adding he obtained the records on behalf of a constituent whom he declined to identify."And just to set the record straight, it's the above statement which Rep. Hansen appears to be apologizing about... and we believe that's the only statement he needs to apologize about.
Rep. Hansen has plenty of political juice in Ogden, and we congratulate him for recognizing that drawing ultimate conclusions about Mr. Phipps's honesty or lack thereof is not his proper role, and that the opinion of a politically-influential state legislator, if left un-retracted, could carry undue weight. The role of determining ultimate legal culpability is reserved for the proper legal authorities of course, as Rep. Hansen remarks in today's SE story:
Hansen said in a phone interview Monday it isn't his place to judge whether Phipps is an eligible candidate and hopes an investigation will be launched promptly to sort out his residency.What Rep. Hansen neglects to mention however is the court of public opinion, another legitimate venue to weigh conflicting claims on the eve of a municipal election. While we congratulate Rep. Hansen for his magnanimous gesture in apologising to Mr. Phipps for comments which were arguably excessive, we also doubt that Rep. Hansen would criticise Ogden voters for themselves weighing the facts which Rep. Hansen initially laid out.
"That's between him and the legal system," he said.Hansen said one issue that needs to be sorted out is if Phipps, as he claims, was a resident of Ogden at the time of the 2008 election, was it legal for him to vote in Salt Lake City?Conversely, Hansen said, if Phipps was a legal resident of Salt Lake City, did he meet residency requirements to file for city council?.
And in that connection we do believe questions regarding Mr. Phipps's residency are crying out to be resolved. And we do believe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Phipps's November 4, 2008 Salt Lake County vote reflect on Mr. Phipps's character and fitness for office. The citizens of Ogden are certainly entitled to weigh the facts on their own, without resorting to the the opinions of any State Legislator, although we'd also view it as advisable to avoid drawing any firm conclusions until all the evidence is in.
Having said that, we'll issue a caveat: Let's not go overboard on this. The issues regarding Mr. Phipps's residency will ultimately be resolved. As Mr. Schwebke reports in this morning's story, third-place seat "B" candidate Jennifer Neil has already filed a complaint in this matter; and during the course of the proceedings which will result from this procedural step, we recommend that we all stand back... and let the wheels of justice grind on. The residency issues will all get sorted out, one way or the other, we believe.
And in the same connection we'll refer to a Dan Schroeder comment lodged under the above-linked Oct 19 2009 SE story. Remember, there are plenty of other troubling issues surrounding Mr. Phipps's candidacy:
For the time being at least, let's not over-focus on the technicalities surrounding Mr. Phipps's residency.
There are plenty of other fish to fry, no?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Conflict of Interest? You Bet!
Has Boss Godfrey's "Ogden Retail Challenge Contest" been rigged?
Interesting story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, focusing on one of our favorite topics: ethics in government. Regular readers of the Standard-Examiner will remember the August 5, 2008 story, wherein Ace Reporter Schwebke announced Ogden City's Ogden "Retail Challenge Contest," which offers a $20 thousand dollar purse (and other goodies,) to be split between the three contest entrants judged to have the best schemes for establishment of a new retail business to be located in central Ogden.
According to this morning's Scott Schwebke story, the contest has developed a glitch. One of the six contest finalist selections is burdened with multiple potential conflicts of interest. We'll incorporate Mr. Schwebke's pertinent paragraphs to provide the gist:
Brad Geiger of course takes the preposterous position that there's no actual conflict here. His mom isn't judging the contest, after all. What he doesn't bother to mention, either, is his familial connection with his father and brother, two highly influential members of the Godfrey (gondolist) brain-trust.
Interesting offhand comment from contest judge Janith Wright:
And we believe Mssrs. Socwell and Mitchell got it exactly right:
Mr. Geiger's selection raises questions about conflicts both apparent and potential. If Brad Geiger walks out of this contest with the top jackpot, we believe the Emerald City lumpencitizens will perceive this contest for what it appears to be... rigged.
If Mr. Geiger had a lick of sense, he'd withdraw his entry from the contest, thus sheltering family members, the Retail Advisory Board and our ethically-challenged mayor from further political heat down the road.
That's our opinion; and we're sticking to it.
Great reporting by Scott Schwebke this morning, we'll add.
And what say our gentle readers about all this?
Interesting story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, focusing on one of our favorite topics: ethics in government. Regular readers of the Standard-Examiner will remember the August 5, 2008 story, wherein Ace Reporter Schwebke announced Ogden City's Ogden "Retail Challenge Contest," which offers a $20 thousand dollar purse (and other goodies,) to be split between the three contest entrants judged to have the best schemes for establishment of a new retail business to be located in central Ogden.
According to this morning's Scott Schwebke story, the contest has developed a glitch. One of the six contest finalist selections is burdened with multiple potential conflicts of interest. We'll incorporate Mr. Schwebke's pertinent paragraphs to provide the gist:
OGDEN — Some unsuccessful contestants in a city sponsored retail revitalization contest are questioning the selection of a finalist whose mother works for the municipality and is coordinating the competition.And there's more:
Brad Geiger, who is proposing to open a retail snowsports shop and indoor snowless terrain park dubbed The Jibyard, is among six finalists in the Ogden Retail Challenge.
He is the son of Kamie Geiger, a senior project coordinator for the city who is also coordinating the contest that will pay as much as $20,000 for the three best business plans leading to the opening of new and unique retail establishments downtown.
Brad Geiger is also the son of Curt Geiger and the brother of Bob Geiger, executives with Descente North America.So factually, Brad Geiger turns out to be the son of the city employee who is running the contest, and a son and sibling of two of the most prominent members of Boss Godfrey's "kitchen cabinet".
Brad Geiger of course takes the preposterous position that there's no actual conflict here. His mom isn't judging the contest, after all. What he doesn't bother to mention, either, is his familial connection with his father and brother, two highly influential members of the Godfrey (gondolist) brain-trust.
Interesting offhand comment from contest judge Janith Wright:
Wright said the committee fretted over choosing Brad Geiger as a finalist because of his relationship to Kamie Geiger, but she considers his business plan the top entry.On that point we believe Ms. Wright and the other contest judges ought to have trusted their gut instincts. Rather than "wishing and hoping," Ms. Wright and the others ought to have simply taken the ethical high road and stricken Mr. Geiger's name from the list. The selection of Brad Geiger as a contest finalist stinks to high heaven, in our never-humble opinion.
“We wished the relationship wasn’t there, but his (proposal) was the best one,” she said.
And we believe Mssrs. Socwell and Mitchell got it exactly right:
Jeff Socwell, an unsuccessful contestant in the challenge who hoped to receive funds to expand The Wine Cellar, a nightclub at 2550 Washington Blvd., said the relationship between Brad and Kamie Geiger in connection with the competition is troubling.Whether there exists an actual conflict of interest in this circumstance we do not know. One thing is blatantly apparent in this situation however. Brad Geiger's selection fails to conform even to the most minimal ethical standards:
“I definitely think there can be bias,” Socwell said Wednesday.
Usually, employees and family members of organizations sponsoring a contest are prohibited from competing, said Walter Mitchell, who is Socwell’s partner.
Mr. Geiger's selection raises questions about conflicts both apparent and potential. If Brad Geiger walks out of this contest with the top jackpot, we believe the Emerald City lumpencitizens will perceive this contest for what it appears to be... rigged.
If Mr. Geiger had a lick of sense, he'd withdraw his entry from the contest, thus sheltering family members, the Retail Advisory Board and our ethically-challenged mayor from further political heat down the road.
That's our opinion; and we're sticking to it.
Great reporting by Scott Schwebke this morning, we'll add.
And what say our gentle readers about all this?
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