Council Gets Steam-rolled Again

By Gentle Reader Sharon

I've just come from the Council meeting! I'm livid.I'd like to know where the rest of you were?We on this blog go on tirelessly about Godfrey and his machinations, and yet the chamber was empty except for me, my husband, Curt Geiger, Rulon Yorgasen and a couple other people not affiliated with Staff.

You can read the agenda online, I suppose. Kudos were given to WSU's Men's Basketball Team...good job...and the Arts Council gave their overview. Vice Chair Wicks let us all know that they WILL hire a water consultant! Kudos.

Then we went on to the ODOR ABATEMENT proposed ordinance. What an assinine bureaucratic jumble that is! The gist is that Patterson admitted this ordinance only addresses the dog food manufacturing plant. Other than the 9th floor, nothing else is stinking up the city. Anyway, the gal who is apparently putting together the ordinance, Merrit Brown[?], didn't really have anything concrete. Mostly, an 'odor officer' or someone would be empowered to place fines on the plant if the smells didn't stop.This is so poorly conceived, I couldn't believe they actually considered this with Ms Brown by asking questions of her. Her answers were not well thought out, and she conceded here and there on points....what a mess. I was the only person to get up to speak.I asked that the Council not approve. This company has been here for decades..and it is revenue producing (HELLOOOO), and since Patterson admitted that the plant rep said they'd install new scrubbers and were doing all they can to minimize and even eliminate the offending odors, that I thought the ordinance was out of line. Why treat this plant so punitively? We are not good neighbors to business by having this over-kill ordinance. It isn't necessary...and their 'odiferous officer' could work with the plant. Then a couple on the council, guess who[?], attempted to say that the ordinance would apply to other smelly businesses. Well, which ones? A bakery? Patterson told us in the beginning that this proposed , unwritten, unwieldy 'ordinance' only applied to the dog food company. Well, the vote was taken..ALL said 'yes', except Garcia. His no vote was because he said he didn't like putting fines on businesses.

Then Montgomery gave a power point infomercial on Mixed Use. If you didn't listen, you would have thoughtt it only applied to the Riverfront Project and a few areas DOWNTOWN. We were assured many times that 'the Council has the authority to approve or disapprove ALL development requests coming before them'....Van Hooser, Wicks, and Stephens asked many questions. It was apparent that Stephens and Van Hooser, especially, were struggling to understand just what the heck Montgomery was telling them. REALLY trying to understand. Their questions were cogent. Amy had good questions too.

GODFREY INTERJECTED HIMSELF INTO THEIR DELIBERATIONS TO GIVE HIS TAKE ON THE ZONING PROCEDURES AND ASSURE THEM THAT 'NOTHING' CAN BE DONE WITHOUT THEIR APPROVAL'. Methinks he doth assure too much. (As we shall see).

Montgomery 'explained' that this needed to be approved by JUNE 4 !!! because there were River projects that must go forward. (Isn't that godfrey's MO...always in a rush? They've had over 4 years to get this thing done...why this push right now? Well, Montgomery's last remarks were that we needed this ordinance passed now becaue 'a developer needs to have it done now'.

A query: "Is it appropriate to ask who this developer is?" Answer by Montgomery; "NO".My turn. "That's the scariest thing I've heard all nite. You have a right to know who the developer is! It is your duty to ask!" I thanked the ones who asked questions for asking and attempting to learn. I implored them to study and ask more questions...the PC had tabled a couple times...since Dec...and I asked the Council to take their time. It was apparent to me by their questions, which I appreciated, that they all didn't understand what was before them...so study it out before voting.Susie agreed and said she'd like to take the time...and made a motion to study, ask questions, ("even on a Saturday"), and her motion was seconded.

Guess what: GODFREY BEGAN TO PUSH THE COUNCIL TO VOTE NOW AND PASS THIS MU ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT WAS NEEDED AND THE COUNCIL STILL RETAINS THE FINAL SAY. I wanted to scream! It was not time for Administration and Staff comments. The Council was still in session deliberating!Godfrey, IMHO, was WAAAY out of line.

He had no business lobbying the Council to change their motion and vote this MU ordinance as presented!I'd like one of you smart people to tell me if what he did was 'illegal' and unethical?Who the *&^#$^&* does he think he is? Never mind...I know who he thinks he is.

Garcia was not about to acquiesce to Godfrey's nefarious whinings. I thought Jesse was pretty tough for awhile. He said the Council was not comfortable with going forward and wanted to take their time and even set a date of July 12 to 'study'.

I'll be darned if, after Stephenson and Safsten chewing on how to change things, they decided to take a vote. Stephens' name was called first. He said, 'what are we voting on now?'

Well, it wasn't Susie's original motion. It was now to extrapolate the part about the River Project and the June 4 deadline! Oh, and of course, they could meet on July 12 to study.

So, after agonizing, Stephens said 'yes'...everyone said 'yes', except Jeske. She said , "I'm not comfortable with this and I vote no". So, Godfrey got his way.How the *&%#@$%^&*& could Stephens, Van Hooser, and Garcia, AFTER wanting to take time, fall in with Godfrey?Susie even said that she didn't like how everything was always a 'rush'.

Yet, when the mayor interjected himself into Council proceedings, WITHOUT INVITATION, and lobbied for them to pass that ordinance, not one of them seemed to think he was out of order! Shouldn't Jesse have banged the gavel? It's so bloody frustrating to watch this council. Just when I think they are really deliberating and serving the people well, they seem to get lost and 'go along' the primrose path. I appreciate their questions...they truly seemed to want answers. They just didn't hold out for common sense. The mayor needs to be put in his place once and for all, and I really thought Jesse was gonna follow through on that.

They should not have voted for a mishmash punitive ordinance against the dog food manufacturing plant. That was wrong.Ah well, that's the way it goes on Tuesday nights. Sure wish Dan, Bill, and all the rest of you who write so eloquently, and otherwise, about the state of affairs in Ogden, had bothered to show up.