Candidates vie for Ogden seat

By John Wright
Standard-Examiner staff
jwright@standard.net

OGDEN -- Incumbent City Councilman Kent Jorgenson sees progress and momentum when it comes to economic development in Ogden, but challenger Bill Glasmann is not impressed.

Jorgenson, 44, faces Glasmann, 61, for At-Large Seat A in the Nov. 8 general election. Jorgenson was the leading vote-getter among six candidates in the Oct. 4 primary, capturing 1,329, or 41 percent, with Glasmann second at 1,099, or 34 percent.

Glasmann, a political newcomer who said he decided to run after being asked by friends, critcised the city's involvement in things such as the redevelopment of the downtown mall site and a recent proposed Wal-Mart project. He accused Jorgenson of too frequently being in the council majority that approves the administration's proposals.

"I'm not thrilled with the way things have gone for the last four or five years," Glasmann said. "It's a checks and balances system, and it's out of whack."

Jorgenson, meanwhile, said there have been numerous occasions on which he and the council members have "pushed back" against the administration over the last four years. But, he said, the majority of the administration's proposals have been good ones.

"This administration has been very productive, and as a result, I think we're seeing more progress than we have in quite a few years," he said. "We have good momentum, and I think we can continue that momentum."

Glasmann accused Jorgenson of making a campaign promise to vote against tearing down the old mall during the campaign four years ago, then breaking it.

"They shouldn't have bought it in the first place," Glasmann said of the mall site.

But Jorgenson claims he merely said he did not think it was a good idea to tear down the mall. He said he changed his mind because he did not want a "makeshift development in the heart of the city," after an appraisal determined the land was more valuable than the structure itself.

"Opinions change and, with information, I think I've been a council member that's been open-minded enough to look at both sides of issues," he said.

Glasmann also criticized the city's plans for the mall site, which involve financing construction of an $18.5 million rec center to be leased to Gold's Gym and Fat Cats.

"It shouldn't be in the development business competing with private enterprise," Glasmann said of the city.

According to Jorgenson, though, there is little choice.

"History shows that developers aren't beating our doors down to come into our city," he said.

"It's not develop at all costs, but we need to be a catalyst in getting that started."

Glasmann said the city was "heavy-handed" in threatening to condemn the property of those who refused to sell for a Wal-Mart Supercenter downtown.

"You're talking about a very fundamental constitutional right of an individual," Glasmann said.

But Jorgenson argued the project actually gave property owners the hope of being able to sell and receive fair market value in a decaying area.

"It's steadily gone downhill for 50-plus years, and if we don't do something in that area, it will continue to look the same in 50 years," he said.

Both candidates said they are open to the idea of a gondola system between downtown and Malan's Basin.

"If it's going to be an economic boon, like they say, and done right, it sure ought to be looked at," Glasmann said.

Jorgenson said he would support the gondola on certain conditions.

"I have to see kind of a risk benefit analysis to determine whether the benefits outweigh what will be required of the city," he said.