Ogden Mayoral Debate Set For September 13

Will this be a fair debate? We'll see.

Attention all Ogden City voters and residents!  There a big debate coming up next week. We're swiping a Facebook graphic to provide the space/time coordinates.

Here's the skinny:

SEPTEMBER 13 - MARQUARDT PARK: - 7:30PM - 320 Taylor Avenue, Ogden, Utah 84403

Mayoral candidates Angel Castillo and Mike Caldwell will debate outdoors in Marquardt Park. Dustin Chapman of Ogden Education will moderate. You may send questions you'd like to be asked to the moderator via TEXT to: (801) 648-9883. Ten questions will be taken from the audience. Refreshments will be available, and this is a kid-friendly event.Please contact Sebastián Benitez at (801) 814-1001 if you are interested in volunteering to help with the event. Don't miss this pivotal event, Ogden Voters!

And who is this debate "moderator" Dustin Chapman? Check it out:

• http://wcforum.blogspot.com/search?q=Dustin+Chapman  

Will this be a fair debate? We'll see.

Ogden Election Primary Post-mortem: Ya Gotta Love Dan Schroeder

Here's a great pre-primary analysis, via  Dan Schroeder, a semi-regular WCF contributor over the years, Let's just call this our Ogden City Primary Election post-mortem:

Ogden voters: Primary Election Day is Tuesday the 13th, and we have four candidates for mayor. Following the money, I've downloaded their campaign finance disclosure reports from the city's web site (https://ogdencity.com/208/Election-Information). Here are some details that I found notable. 

Incumbent Mike Caldwell began with nearly $20k left over from previous campaigns, and has raised an additional $15k. His largest contributors this year are the Northern Utah Realtors Association, R&O Construction, Robert Bolar, The McEntee Group, Jeanne Hall, and Kevin Garn. Contributions made through business entities are business-as-usual here in Utah but they raise ethical concerns: Are the donors committing tax fraud by writing off their political contributions as business expenses? And what favors do they expect from the mayor in return? Garn, meanwhile, is the confessed pedophile and disgraced ex-legislator from Davis County who developed Ogden’s Hilton Garden Inn (under a deal made with former mayor Godfrey), sub-contracting the concrete work to FLDS child abusers; what favors he may be seeking from the current mayor are anyone’s guess.

Challenger Angel Castillo has raised a little over $13k for her campaign. Of this, $4k came from Ogden restaurant owner Bec Sato, and another $2.7k came from 2015 mayoral candidate Sebastian Benitez, through his business (Intermountain Property Cleaning Service). The remainder came from a long list of smaller donors, some local but most from out of state--especially from Los Angeles, where Castillo herself lived until a year and a half ago. Perhaps the most interesting of her contributions was $100 from Chris Peterson, who set off the Ogden Gondola War of 2006 by proposing to acquire foothill property from the city and WSU, and to build a resort in Malan’s Basin. The address that Peterson provided is of a rented private mailbox in Evanston, Wyoming.

Challenger Daniel Tabish has been the biggest campaign spender so far: nearly $14k. But his $16k in contributions have come from only nine different individuals. More than $11k came from John, Johnny, and Dalton Gullo (all using the same address in Wyoming), obviously divided among the three of them to evade the $5000 individual contribution limit. John Gullo is a former Burger King franchise owner with a long history of local philanthropic activity, but apparently had a falling out with the current administration a few years ago. Tabish also received $2k from major gondola proponent Curt Geiger, and $1k each from David Stevenson and Dan Musgrave. Stevenson’s address is illegally omitted from Tabish’s disclosure form but he is probably the David Stevenson who practices law with former Ogden School District Superintendent Brad Smith. Musgrave is the former head of Downtown Ogden Inc. (the contractor that used to run downtown events for the city), and also owns a downtown reception center and a local Subway franchise. Perhaps I should also mention that Tabish has been endorsed by the notorious John Patterson, who served several years as Mayor Godfrey’s unscrupulous chief administrative officer.

Perennial candidate John Thompson has received no campaign contributions at all, but has spent $400 of his own money on advertising in the Standard-Examiner.

Pretty good eh?

Standard-Examiner: Caldwell, Castillo Come Away with the Most Votes in Ogden's Mayoral Primary

Keep your eyes on this space, Gentle Readers. 

Well... we've cleared the 2019 Ogden City primary, Ogden peeps, and the Standard-Examiner has the full story:  Read up, folks!

OGDEN — The race for mayor in Ogden was likely whittled to two candidates Tuesday night. Incumbent Mike Caldwell and challenger Angel Castillo took home and 44.7% and 28.34% of the vote respectively, according to unofficial results from the Weber County Elections Office. Tuesday night's results are still considered preliminary. The county says a results update will be posted Aug. 16 and official results will be presented by cities during their respective board of canvass meetings.If the results hold, candidates Daniel Tabish and John Thompson are out of the contest, after receiving 22.16% and 4.79% of the total votes, respectively. As of Tuesday night, 7,364 votes were cast in the mayor's race. Read the full story, peeps:

• Caldwell, Castillo come away with the most votes in Ogden's mayoral primary

Keep your eyes on this space, Gentle Readers.  We'll be closely following this exciting race into November of course.

Big Ogden City Mayoral Primary Debate

OK folks.  Seems we have another Ogden City Municipal Election coming up. In that connection, we're delighted to shine the spotlight on this important  upcoming Ogden City Election event:

Let's face it folks. Under Mayor Mike Caldwell's mayoral administration, Ogden City politics has been, in recent years, a bit of a  "snooze" In that connection, it seems that there are a few political newcomers, Angel Castillo,  for instance, who seems tbe well prepared candidate to "shake things up"

2015 Ogden Municipal Election Night Special - Election Night Vote Tallies - Updated

The ballots have been processed; the votes have been tallied; and here are tonight's unofficial election results, Weber County Forum political wonks:

Ogden City Mayor
Total
Number of Precincts 45
Precincts Reporting 45 100.0 %
Times Counted 8104/22533 36.0 %
Total Votes 8025
Caldwell, Mike 6394 79.68%
Benitez, Sebastian 1631 20.32%
Ogden City Council - Municipal Ward 2
Total
Number of Precincts 11
Precincts Reporting 11 100.0 %
Times Counted 1785/5743 31.1 %
Total Votes 1533
Hyer, Richard 1533 100.00%
Ogden City Council - Municipal Ward 4
Total
Number of Precincts 15
Precincts Reporting 15 100.0 %
Times Counted 3558/7849 45.3 %
Total Votes 3486
Nadolski, Ben 2047 58.72%
Gladwell, Daniel 1439 41.28%
Ogden City Council - At Large Seat C
Total
Number of Precincts 45
Precincts Reporting 45 100.0 %
Times Counted 8104/22533 36.0 %
Total Votes 7906
Lopez, Luis 4082 51.63%
Ogden, John 3824 48.37%

Thanks to all candidates who participated in this year's Ogden Municipal Election, and hearty congratulations to tonight's big winners.

Update 11/4/15 7:45 a.m.: The Standard-Examiner carries the Added Bonus late story:

• Caldwell secures second term, Lopez and Nadolski nab council seats

Well... 'doh!.

Standard-Examiner: Ogden Mayoral, Council Candidates Square Off in Thursday Debate

Just like clockwork, our prospective 2015 Ogden City Elective Candidates got together on Thursday night as planned, and engaged in typically Ogden-like gentlemanly debate.  Ms. McKitrick of the Standard kindly provides the post-event writeup. Here's the lede:

OGDEN — Candidates seeking two city council seats and Ogden’s mayoral slot faced off Thursday in a public forum sponsored by the Ogden Trolley District, a nonprofit organization that represents the densely populated 80 blocks that make up east-central Ogden.

Held in a restored mansion at 2604 Jefferson Ave., the gathering gave the audience of about 70 attendees a glimpse of how these six individuals might govern if elected. [Link Added]. 

Of the six contenders, Mayor Mike Caldwell was the only incumbent present. When asked what he would do differently if elected to a second term, Caldwell touted his track record and said he would continue in the same vein — only faster.... 

Of course you'll all be tempted to read Ms McKittrick's full yeoman-like SE contribution, Peeps, YES? Please do so here:

• Ogden mayoral, council candidates square off in Thursday debate

The world-wide blogosphere eagerly awaits your ever-savvy comments, Ogden Peeps!

Standard-Examiner: Ogden District 4 Candidates Talk Taxes, Schools, Chickens

As an added bounus, Ms. McKitrick sets forth the list of future Debates/Meet the Candidates events scheduled prior to Election Day

Unbeknownst to us, "Ogden City Council Candidates Ben Nadolski and Daniel Gladwell faced off on several hot topics Friday" in  what we deem to have been a poorly-publicized  Weber State University debate.  Happily however, Standard-Examiner reporter Cathy McKitrick provides the story after the fact. Here's the lede:

OGDEN — The issues debated by Ogden’s District 4 council candidates reflected the city’s diverse needs, running the gamut from police pay to backyard chickens, graduation rates, multiculturalism, vacant storefronts, homelessness, and roads and sidewalks in disrepair.
But candidates Daniel Gladwell and Ben Nadolski did not shy away from any question during the forum hosted Friday by the American Democracy Project at Weber State University.

Check out Ms. McKitrick's full writeup here:

• Ogden District 4 candidates talk taxes, schools, chickens

As an added bounus, Ms. McKitrick sets forth the list of future Debates/Meet the Candidates events scheduled prior to Election Day (11/3/15):

While Ogden voters received their mail-in ballots last week, they still have a few more opportunities to hear from the candidates running for mayor and two council seats.

• On Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m., the Ogden Trolley District is hosting a Meet the Candidates town hall forum at 2604 Jefferson Ave.

• On Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., Ogden’s two mayoral candidates — incumbent Mike Caldwell and challenger Sebastian Benitez — will face off in the Garden Room of Weber State University’s Alumni Center, 1235 E. 4100 South.

• On Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. Ogden’s mayoral and council candidates will debate at Ogden High School, 2828 Harrison Blvd.

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Ogden Meet the Candidates Night - Thursday, October 15, 2015

A Weber County Forum Tip of the Hat to The Ogden Trolley District Community Council for sponsoring this event

Attention Weber County Forum political wonks who are following 2015 Ogden City Municipal Election developments. As a followup to our earlier article,wherein we announced the scheduling of two Mayoral debates  for October 19 and 28, we're delighted to inform our readers of a soon-upcoming political event, wherein Ogden City voters will have a chance to take a pre-election look at Ogden City's 2015 council candidates.

In that connection we'll refer our readers to this afternoon's Facebook based public notice, whereby The Ogden Trolley District Community Council announces a Thursday evening "Meet the Candidates" night.

Here's the nitty-gritty folks:

Hello friends! It's election season and the Trolley District Community Council wants to make it easy for you to stay informed and get involved in your local process.
Thursday October 15th, we're hosting a 'Meet the Candidates' night. Ogden City Council candidates will be there to meet, greet, and answer your burning questions. Come meet some good people and munch on some refreshments!
• Daniel Gladwell - Municipal Ward 4
• Ben Nadolski - Municipal Ward 4
• Luis Lopez - Seat C At Large
• John Ogden - Seat C At Large
• Sebastian Benitez - Mayor
• Mike Caldwell - Mayor
We look forward to seeing you all there!

Here are a few more words about the planned event format:

"There will be a town hall-style question and answer session and an opportunity to meet and speak with the candidates directly."

Be sure to mark your calenders, Ogden City voters.

A Weber County Forum Tip of the Hat to The Ogden Trolley District Community Council for sponsoring this event.

2015 Ogden Municipal Election: Financial Disclosure Statements First Set

Here's hoping that the below information will be helpful to WCF political wonks who haven't alreaded submitted their mail-in ballots

With a little under five days running until the 2015 Ogden City Primary Election, we're delighted to provide the below linked financial disclosure statements, which were timely filed with the Ogden City election office on or about the below-indicated dates

Council Municipal Ward 4
Daniel Gladwell 08/04/15
Dori Mosher 08/04/15
Ben Nadolski 08/03/15
JH Thompson 08/03/15

Council At-Large Seat “C”
Eric Holmes 08/04/15
Vance Jay Jackson 08/04/15
Luis Lopez 08/03/15
John Ogden 08/03/15
Virginia Hernandez Reza 08/04/15

Please make note that the other candidates, Richard Hyer, Mike Caldwell, and Sebastian Benitez, do not have a primary race; therefore, they are not required to submit financial reports until August 31, 2015

Here's hoping that the above information will be helpful to WCF political wonks who haven't alreaded submitted their mail-in ballots.

We've already added these documents to our 2015 Candidate Roster, of course.

Standard-Examiner: Ogden Mayor's Race Starts to Take Shape

"No guts; no glory," we guess

With the 2015 Ogden City Elections looming in a short four months, we'll cast the spotlight on yesterday's Standard-Examiner story, which delves into the issues surrounding the Ogden mayoral race.  With her usual reportorial zeal, veteran SE reporter Cathy McKitrick has interviewed both candidates, incumbent Mike Caldwell, and challenger Sebastian Benitez, and has produced a robust writeup, concerning the issues which separate these two mayoral office-seekers.

Read up, folks:

Ogden Mayor's race starts to take shape

We gotta hand it to M. Benitez, we'll  observe.  It takes a lotta guts for an Ogden City employee/contractor/underling to step up and challenge a sitting mayor (his boss) for his job, don'tcha think?

"No guts; no glory," we guess.

Standard-Examiner: Ogden's Mayoral Race Heats Up With New Contender

Reached Tuesday by phone, Mayor Caldwell said he welcomes the competition

Sebasian Benitez, Mayoral Challenger

As our 2015 Ogden City municipal election cycle enters the mid-point of its first week, we'll highlight this morning's Cathy McKitrick story, providing an informative thumbnail profile of Sebastian Benitez, who's challenging incumbent Mike Caldwell, for the Ogden City Mayoral seat:  Here's Ms. McKitrick's lede:

OGDEN — A contender has come forward to challenge Mayor Mike Caldwell, a popular incumbent who is seeking a second term this November.
While Caldwell has managed to advance the city with such an even-handed consistency and forward-looking vision that most offer up praise rather than criticism, this political newcomer said he can offer a whole new perspective.
Sebastian Benitez, a 52-year-old immigrant from Paraguay who speaks five languages and owns his own business, said he respects and admires Caldwell but after significant prayer felt compelled to join the race.
“I want to give Ogden residents a different option,” Benitez said Monday evening.

Read up, Peeps:

• Ogden's mayoral race heats up with new contender

There's more...

Reached Tuesday by phone, Caldwell said he welcomes the competition. “I look forward to the dialogue and debate. Its always healthier when you have a free exchange of ideas,” Caldwell said, adding that he “celebrates anyone who is willing to engage in the public process.”

Even though he's playing the Mormon card, Mr. Benitez has his work cut out for him, wethinks.

2015 Ogden City Municipal Election Special

The Race is on!.

We're happy this morning to provide, via the Ogden City Election website, the full list of Ogden City candidate hopefuls who've declared their candidacies for the 2015 Ogden City Municipal election races. Three of four open seats will be contested, and only one cansidate will walk onto the Ogden City Council by default. Even Mayor Mike will face a challenger:

Council Member – Municipal Ward 2
Richard Hyer - Unopposed
984 East 950 North
Ogden, UT 84404
801‐782‐2865 rich@hyerfamily.net

Council Member – Municipal Ward 4
Dori Stauffer Mosher
2459 Tyler Avenue
Ogden, UT 84401
801‐725‐4185 Dori4ogden@gmail.com

Ben Nadolski
3211 Taylor Avenue
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐643‐4953 ben4ogden@gmail.com

John H. Thompson
1506 24th Street
Ogden, UT 84401‐2906
801‐621‐1809 johnhthompson@aol.com

Daniel Gladwell
1330 Boughton Street
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐644‐7396 Daniel.gladwell@gmail.com

Council Member– At Large Seat C
Eric Holmes
2916 Brinker Avenue
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐540‐0079 ebholmesy@yahoo.com

Vance Jay Jackson
678 31st Street
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐989‐6309 vance.j.jackson@gmail.com

Luis Lopez
1110 Suncrest Drive
Ogden, UT 84404
801‐686‐5685 luislopezforcitycouncil@gmail.com

Virginia Hernandez Reza
2427 Jefferson Avenue
Ogden, UT 84401
801‐686‐4077 ogdenites2005@hotmail.com

John Ogden
4155 Edgehill Drive
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐458‐3948 john.ogden@dla.mil

Mayor
Mike Caldwell
1664 Cherokee Circle
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐689‐2675 mikecaldwell@hotmail.com

Sebastian Benitez
3310 Taylor Avenue
Ogden, UT 84403
801‐334‐0492 Sebasalicia@msn.com

Primary Election to be held August 11, 2015

General Election to be held November 3, 2015

Candidates listed in order according to the Master Ballot Position List as established by the Lt.Governor

Keep your eyes on Weber County Forum as the campaign season has now been launched. As per usual, we're fully resolved to provide the most robust 2015 Municipal Election coverage in the whole danged webosphere.

For more detailed information on these candidates, check out our "enhanced" 2015 Ogden Municipal Election Roster, which is also embedded in our right blog sidebar.Special thanks to Ogden City Recorder Tracy Hansen, for furnishing each candidate's Declaration of Candidacy, which documents are linked within this election sidebar feature.

Standard-Examiner: Cities Gear Up For Candidate Filing Period Next Week

Needless to say, Weber County Forum is champing at the bit to get rolling with our 2015 Ogden Municipal Election coverage, with the same highly detailed reporting which we've provided over the past ten years

Lo and behold folks,  We're delighted to shine the spotlight on this morning's Cathy McKitrick story, heralding the beginning of the 2015 municipal election season.  Ms. McKitrick provides a robust writeup in this morning's Standard-Examiner, providing a preview of a few of the races lining up for November's Ogden City Elections, among other things. Here's the lede, peeps:

OGDEN — In odd-numbered years, residents get the chance to either run for municipal office or cast votes to determine who will occupy some of their city council seats.
And in two Utah cities — Salt Lake City and Ogden — mayors come up for re-election this year as well. In January, Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell announced that he would seek a second term... With municipal primaries scheduled for Aug. 11, Top of Utah municipal candidates have from Monday, June 1 to the following Monday, June 8 to file for office with their respective cities.

Check out the full story, Weber County Forum readers:

• Cities gear up for candidate filing period next week

Sadly, veteran At Large Seat C's Councilwoman Amy Wicks will be stepping down:

“I think 12 years is as long as somebody should serve in that position,” Wicks told the Standard-Examiner. “I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, and that maybe it’s time for some new blood. We don’t have term limits but I’m going to impose those on myself.”
During those dozen years, Wicks said that several pieces came together to improve economic opportunities in Ogden, make it safer and expand amenities that draw people in and enhance quality of life in the city.
“I’ve enjoyed serving Ogden, and getting to know a lot of great people who are doing great things for the community,” Wicks said.
One task Wicks views as a loose thread is the inability to search minutes on the city’s website.
“I’ve been bringing that up for a couple of years now, and have been told it’s part of the website revamp,” Wicks said.
But in her book, that’s not acceptable.
“I hope that whoever fills my shoes will work in the spirit of transparency and inclusion of all members in the community,” Wicks said.

 Ward 4's Councilwoman Caitlin Gochnour will not be running again either:

Caitlin Gochnour, who is finishing her second term representing Ogden’s Ward 4, told the Standard-Examiner Thursday that she would not run for re-election.
“It was a really hard decision, and it will be difficult to step away from so many projects that I care so much about,” Gochnour said. “But I personally believe in term limits, self-imposed in my case.”
Gochnour said she now has a heightened appreciation for the democratic process: “It’s an opportunity for regular citizens like me to participate.”

Ward 2's Councilman Richard Hyer will be looking for a second term:

Ogden City Council Chairman Richard Hyer said Thursday that he intends to file next week for a second term. Before getting elected to the Ward 2 council seat in 2011, Hyer served 16 years on Ogden’s Planning Commission.
“I do enjoy serving the citizens of Ward 2,” Hyer said, “and I think I’m helping to make sure the city services get equally balanced throughout the whole community, and that the north end is getting some recognition.”

Ms. Mckitrick also puts the focus on newcomer Council hopeful, Luis Lopez:

Luis Lopez, director of the Community Education Center at Weber State University, will likely be among the first to file for Ogden’s at-large council seat being vacated by Amy Wicks, who is finishing her third term this year. Lopez is hosting his first campaign event on Saturday (May 30) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sonora Grill, 2310 Kiesel Ave., Ogden. There, he intends to unveil his website, luislopezforcitycouncil.org, and candidate Facebook page, Luis Lopez for City Council.

Ogden City residents who might be interested in throwing in their own hats for available elected Ogden City seats can find the information they need for candidate filings via the Ogden City website:

• Ogden City 2015 Municipal Election Information

Added bonus via Utah Politico Hub:

• Small Town Politics: Should I Run For Office?

Needless to say, Weber County Forum is champing at the bit to get rolling with our 2015 Ogden Municipal Election coverage, with the same highly detailed level of reporting which we've provided over the past ten years.

Standard-Examiner: Ogden City Cites Children's Box Fort As Junk Violation - Updated

The quirkiest local story since 2012, when "Goat Man" was spotted roaming the hillsides above North Ogden

In the interest of provoking a wee bit of  ever-friendly Weber County Forum discussion, we'll shine the spotlight on a Sunday Standard-Examiner story which is developing a whole robust online life of it's own.

Here's the lead, folks:

OGDEN — Jeremy Trentelman wasn’t thinking about violating any municipal codes when he helped his 3-year-old build a major box fort in their front yard last weekend, but apparently someone else did.
When Trentelman got home from work Wednesday he had a notification on his door that he was in violation of Ogden City’s code 12-4-2: Waste Materials or Junk; prohibited on premises. The prohibition covers junk or salvage material, litter and/or any abandoned or inoperable vehicle. In the notification Trentelman was told he had 15 days to get the boxes off his lawn or he could be charged $125 with the first violation (after the 15 days) with fees and legal actions proceeding from there.Code enforcement officer Gordon Sant issued the notification. “I’m going to send him a letter, but I haven’t been able to get myself calmed down enough about it to do it,” Trentelman said.

Read Rachel Trotter's full SE writeup, peeps:

• Ogden City cites children's box fort as junk violation

Since the original SE story appeared, Utah media have jumped on it (with both feet):

• City calls family's front yard castle 'junk', tells them to remove it KUTV News
• Ogden tells dad to take down his kids’ cardboard castle because it’s ‘junk’
• - SLTrib
• Cardboard box fort in Ogden neighborhood in violation of city code, officials say - Fox 13

And just like so many other stories emphasising abject Utah "silliness," the story's drawn it's fair share of national attention too:

• City Code Enforcement Cites Utah Family’s Cardboard Fort As “Junk”, Orders Removal - Ben Swan
• Dad In Hot Water for Building Cool Fort for Kids - Yahoo News
• City Forcing Family To Destroy ‘Completely Awesome’ Cardboard Fort -Countercurrent News
• ‘Completely Awesome’ Cardboard Fort Is the Hit of the Neighborhood. But City Code Enforcement Isn’t in the Mood to Play - The Blaze

Here's the specific language of the above-cited ordinance:

12-4-2: WASTE MATERIALS OR JUNK; PROHIBITED ON PREMISES:
A. Prohibition: It is unlawful for any owner, occupant, agent or lessee of real property within the city, to allow, cause or permit the following material or objects to be in or upon any yard, garden, lawn, or outdoor premises of such property:
1. Junk or salvage material;
2. Litter;
3. Any abandoned vehicle or inoperable vehicle.

Our take? What we're dealing with here is cleverly and lovingly  crafted "folk-art," at the very least; and this above-pictured "kids' play fort" thus does not reasonably fit any of the conditions prohibited by this particular Ogden City ordinance. These distinctions are merely academic, of course, inasmuch as Mr. Trentelman indicates he'll be compliantly removing this clever edifice "within fourteen days."

So what do you think, folks?  Tempest in a teapot; or yet another obnoxious example of perfunctory regulatory overreach by a cold-hearted Ogden City government?

One thing's for sure:  This has to be the quirkiest local story since 2012, when "Goat Man" was spotted roaming the hillsides above North Ogden, yes?

Update 4/8/15 8:30 a.m.:  Strong editorial from the Standard-Examiner keeps this story rollin':

• Our View: Keep the fort standing

Jeremy Trentelman chimes in with his own 2¢:

• The box fort in Ogden

Update 4/8/15 8:35 a.m.: There's more grist for the discusion mill with this morning's hot-off-the-press SE story:

Mayor Mike Caldwell: “I remember building forts with my friends as a kid. It’s healthy for a child’s imagination to get away from their electronic devices for a while and use their imagination to create something. I’m glad to see that kids still want to play with the cardboard box.” 

Greg Scothern, Building Manager for Ogden City: “I don’t think our code enforcement officer would have issued the warning if the box fort was complete. At the time he visited the property it looked like a bunch of boxes.”

Read up:

• Following cardboard box fort attention, Ogden city responds

High time to formally rescind the City's heavy-handed demand letter, wethinks...

Standard-Examiner: Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell Will Seek a Second Term

Granted, "he's not Godfrey" sets a pretty low standard for approving another term. But still, given a choice between Mayor Log and Mayor Stork, we'd prefer the former

Mayor Mike on His Mountain Bike

Interesting story this morning on the local Ogden City news front, as the Standard's Cathy McKittrick announces the first news development pertaining to the upcoming 2015 Ogden City Municipal election:

• Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell will seek a second term

Our view? It makes perfect sense that Mayor Mike would throw his hat into the ring for a second go-round, inasmuch as recent City Council actions seem to be leaning toward making elected Ogden City offices even more pecuniarily attractive than now.

As for the prospect of Mike Caldwell serving a second Mayoral term of office, we're going to go along with Gentle Reader Bob Becker on this:

So, the question before this body is: does Mayor Mike "Ten Speed" Caldwell deserve another term? He claims in the interview accomplishments that are not his (e.g. the LDS temple redo and open house tours, etc.) But all politicians do that. No harm no foul. And as Ozboy notes, it's been a calm and quiet Caldwell administration compared to his predecessor's. Ten Speed has not, thank whatever gods may be, gone about playing Junior G Man, following the wives of police officers around the mean streets of Ogden to see if their husbands are political opponents. And he has not proposed selling Mt. Ogden Park to real estate developers to build a flatland public money pit gondola to WSU --- again, thanks whatever gods may be.
Granted, "he's not Godfrey" sets a pretty low standard for approving another term. But still, given a choice between Mayor Log and Mayor Stork, I'd prefer the former. [...]

We'll file this story as the first entry within the Weber County Forum topic heading, 2015 Municipal Elections.

Let the games begin!

And what say you, O Gentle Ones?

Ogden Canyon Transportation Use Study

Whatever you do today, please don't hesitate to throw in your own 2¢

Via Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell, who sez, "Very important opportunity to have your voice heard":

• Ogden Canyon Transportation Use Study

Please take this survey and support a safe Ogden Canyon path for pedestrians and cyclists!

Whatever else you do today, please don't hesitate to throw in your own 2¢.

Salt Lake Tribune: Ogden Mayor Pledges to Stick to Two Wheels for Daily Commute - Updated

Mayor Mike say's he's "far more afraid of automobiles and people distracted driving than anything the weather  will throw" his way

Interesting local story from the Salt Lake Tribune. Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell (affectionately known around these parts as "Mayor ten-speed") loves bicycling, as everybody knows. This year however he's truly putting his money where his mouth is, bicycle-wise. Here's the lede:

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell says he’s going to ride his bike to work every day this year come rain, snow, shine or anything the Wasatch Front weather can throw at him.
Caldwell made the commitment in an effort to encourage others to commute on bikes and embrace an active lifestyle. It is also a way to celebrate the nearly $100,000 grant the city received to implement active transportation corridors.
The mayor said by riding his bike to work he is letting his actions speak louder than his words.

Mayor Mike, Riding His Bike!

Read up, folks... perfect story for a wintry Ogden slow news day like today, wethinks:

• Ogden mayor pledges to stick to two wheels for daily commute 

"I think with some good, careful planning and some other things I should be able to make it work in just about any weather condition that confronts us," Calwell told SLTrib reporter Topher Webb. "I’m far more afraid of automobiles and people distracted driving than anything the weather will throw at me."

We'll see... won't we?

Update 1/10/13 4:45 p.m.: Well, looky here who picked up on our morning story... The Standard's Mitch Shaw, of all people:

• Ogden mayor sticks to plan, bikes to work come sun, snow or slush

Better late than never, we suppose.

Check out the extremely cool SE video!



P.S: Mayor Mike readily "admits" he's "crazy," as if we needed his additional testimonial evidence of that obvious fact. [wink].

Weber County Officials: Marriages Will Be Performed Today

Just a little something for our "outcast" Weber County-situated WCF LGBT friends who might want to BE legally binded" in their relationships over the weekend

Take this for what it's worth, since we haven't been able to independently verify any of this:

On the heels of yesterday's monumental U.S. Federal Court ruling , and in the wake of this morning's magnificent Cathy McKitrick story, we learn from several sources that our local Weber/Ogden government public agencies will be open during a short time window to issue marriage licences today, and to allow "non-traditional" couples to be promptly "hitched":

Via Weber County Forum's good friend, James Humphreys:

"Rudi: this is James Humphreys calling I was wondering if you could put something out for me today.. [Ogden Mayor Mike] Caldwell will be available to perform wedding ceremony today for those who would like to do so and the Weber County clerks office will be open for a few hours this afternoon to help those who would like to receive marriage licenses. take(?) given there's a short week next week for Christmas and the staff is already gonna be inundated with requests on Monday. This could be the pressure valve for them so if you wouldn't mind passing that word along I would be very very grateful Sir. Thank you.

Via Equality Utah:

Weber County Clerk's office: They will open from 1 to 2 pm, anyone in line at 2pm will be served. The front doors will not be open, so you have to park in the garage, and go in the entrance from the garage. The address is 2380 Washington BLVD. The garage entrance to the Weber Center is off of 24th street.

Just a little something for our heretofor "outcast" WCF LGBT friends who might want to legally "bind" their relationships over the weekend.

Yeah.  The timeline is a mite fuzzy.  Might be worth the extra effort, though, for "non traditional" couples  to "press" to receive the legal benefits of their mutual commitment and love, we believe.

Update 12/21/13 6:43 p.m.:  Well... we gotta say this totally sucks:

• 300 gay couples turned away at Weber County office

Of course, nobody ever believed that achieving a level playing field for equal rights in Utah would be easy, did we?

Hang in people. Ultimately, "We" Shall Overcome, right?

Standard-Examiner: Two Ogden City Council Candidates Disqualified

Councilman Bart Blair: The "luckiest man in Ogden City politics"

For the sake of Ogden City political wonks who haven't yet heard the disturbing news, we'll kickstart today's discussion with a short report on yesterday's blockbuster development, which has tipped Tuesday's 2013 Ogden Municipal election on its ear. In a City election race which had so far been uncharacteristically quiet, wherein the only palpable issue dividing council candidates seemed to revolve around whether Ogden residents ought to be permitted to raise chickens in their back yards, the Standard-Examiner suddenly upset the apple-cart early yesterday afternoon, with this blockbuster breaking story, which is sure to send the tongues of Ogden lumpencitizens wagging for the remaining three days remaining prior to Tuesday's election, and probably far beyond:

• Two Ogden city council candidates disqualified

That's right, folks. Muncipal Ward 1 council candidate Pamela Shupe Stevens and At-large Seat "B" candidate Courtney Jon White have been disqualified from their respective races, due to their failures to file their third set of financial disclosures with the Ogden City Recorders Office by the required October 29, 2013 5:00 p.m. deadline. Barring last-minute legal action by either of these candidates (and Mr. White informed your blogmeister yesterday afternoon that he planned to take no such action),  each of these candidates will have their names removed from your Tuesday ballots, and any votes that have been already cast either by early voting, or via absentee ballots, will remain uncounted.

As a result,  Muncipal Ward1 incumbent Neil K. Garner and At-large "B" incumbent Bart Blair will cruise to easy Tuesday victories by default, thanks to an Ogden City administrative decision to enforce the applicable requirements of Utah statutory and "controlling" case law, which, read together, require strict adherence to the financial disclosure reporting deadlines provided under the Utah Municipal Code:

• Title 10 Chapter 3 Section 208 - Campaign finance disclosure in municipal election
• PUGH v. DRAPER CITY - Utah Suprem Court (2005)

This outcome makes incumbent Bart Blair the "luckiest man in Ogden City politics," of course, as he follows up his 2009 "default" council race victory over the bumbling David Phipps, with a 2013 default victory over this year's nominee for the title "unluckiet man in Ogden politics," i.e., Courtney White.

And this outcome does not bode well for our Ogden City Council for the upcoming 2014-16 Council wethinks, as these two council incumbents again effortlessly accede to the council dais, whilst owing their very offices to the Mike Caldwell administration, the same administration who'll be seeking their support for the next two years or more.  Whether the Caldwell administration had any actual legal discretion in enforcing the applicable rules we won't speculate, although we will conjecture that this current unfortunate situation will not enhance the trust of the Ogden lumpencitizens for a council which is suspected by some disgruntled Ogden citizens of already being overly deferential (shall we say?) to the Mayor's Office.

That's the story as it stands this morning, O Gentle Ones.

Special thanks to WCF readers Dan S. and  Actuary321 for helping us round up the above-linked Utah  statutory and court citations.

So who'll be the first to offer their thoughts on "the meaning of all this?"

Standard-Examiner: Mansions May Be Coming to Ogden's Riverside

Mayor Caldwell and the Ogden RDA: Clearly "on mission" with the primary Ogden RDA raison d'etre

Eye-opening morning story from the Standard-Examiner concerning the latest Mike Caldwell Administration/ Ogden Redevelopment Agency "tweak" to the still-struggling Ogden River Project:

OGDEN — Large mansion homes along the Ogden River? They could be coming, and the city says they would help clean up what has been one of the city’s rougher areas.
The city council last week approved a city real estate purchase of 4.16 acres at 1810 Gibson Ave. The Ogden City Redevelopment Agency bought the land from Richard L. Christiansen and paid $425,000 for it.
The parcel of land could be the starting point for a large residential development of about 10 acres along the northwestern end of the Ogden River.
As of now, the city is calling the development “Gibson Grove,” and it would feature town homes, condos and several “mansion homes” that would be tucked away at the end of a private road with immediate connection to the Ogden River Parkway.
The plan currently calls for 48 condos, 39 town homes and five mansions.

Read up, folks:

• Mansions may be coming to Ogden's riverside

And here's the kicker:

On the very site of what could eventually be Gibson Grove sits an abandoned building that provides shelter to transients. Ogden Police Officer Kevin Mann said he finds transients illegally camping out in the building on a weekly basis.
Brandon Cooper, deputy manager for Ogden’s economic development department, said the city is currently exploring options to raze the building.

"An abandoned building that provides shelter to transients?"  S-E reporter Mitch Shaw said a "real mouthful" there, wethinks.  In this connection, check out this illuminating video from and earlier S-E story on this Gibson Avenue topic:


Added Bonus:  From last week's RDA packet, we've gleaned this image, which preasumably provides a preview of what these proposed Gibson Grove "mansions" will look like, within walking distance of the newly remodeled Ogden LDS Temple:

While we suppose we could all quibble about the architectural aesthetics, we believe we can all agree that it's a heckuva lot better than the structure which is presently in place, right?
  

The primary raison d'etre for the Ogden Redevelopment Agency is to "encourage private investment in blighted areas of the community;" and Mayor Caldwell and the Ogden RDA are thus clearly "on mission" with this project, we believe. In contrast with certain other misguided Ogden RDA projects which have been clearly "off mission," Weber County Forum is delighted to give this project a giant "thumbs-up."

So what about it, O Gentle Ones? Is there anyone among our collection of Ogden political wonks who will argue that Ogden City ought not pursue this project at full throttle?