City Recorder Annette Spendlove presented the final North Ogden City November 2015 election results, wherein voter turnout was “3,450 of 8,671 registered voters or 39.8 percent.” This was in contrast to the last voter turnout “during which only City Council members were elected was approximately 1,600” for a 115% increase. This may have been due to the new mail-in ballot process. Alas, by only 48 votes, Christian George (20%) lost to former Councilman Carl Turner (21%) who returns in January, along with current Council member Cheryl Stoker with 30% and Councilman Phillip Swanson with 28% as three of the 2016 five-member North Ogden City Council.
After receiving citizen’s requests to allow more backyard chickens in certain residential- zoned areas, the City Council has amended the Chicken Ordinance to include the Residential City Center Zone (RCC) within single family residences, with the same standards. Councilman James Urry asked, “How is it possible to ensure chickens stay in their yard?” He noted that his neighbor has “18 chickens who are constantly out of their yard. He does not care, but others might and wondered how that issue could be addressed?” Mayor Brent Taylor responded that, Those types of issues are addressed by Code Enforcement once a complaint is lodged with the City.” Councilman Urry commented that his neighbors are “wonderful” and “the type of people that fall into the category of not understanding all that is required of them by City government.” The mayor recognized the implied issue and stated it “is part of a larger discussion regarding the difference between “before the fact” enforcement and “after the fact” enforcement.” Councilman Urry agreed and lamented, “the more ordinances the City has, the more lawbreakers there will be.”
During his review of the proposed Transportation Mater Plan (TMP) the mayor touched on North Ogden’s current impact fees that include water, sewer, storm drain and parks. He stated, The total of all impact fees charged in North Ogden is $8,810, while the average for the State of Utah is $8,208; and the average in the nearby area is $7,200. The average for entities of similar size is $8,232.” This means North Ogden has the highest average impact fees in the entire state of Utah and 22% higher than our neighbor cities! In addition to these impact fees, the City can look forward to a new transportation impact fee that, according to the mayor, “Has not yet been determined and will be based upon a certain level of service and programmed projects… to help cover the cost of new, growth-related road costs.” He continued, “It is also necessary to prioritize road projects, and determine which projects we intend to complete within the next 10 years. The City will determine the share in these projects that each new project will need to pay as its “impact. The total estimated cost was $124 million to complete these projects by 2040.” The mayor stated, “It is projected that North Ogden will need to come up with approximately one-third of these funds: $41 million between now and 2040.” He summarized grant opportunities by emphasizing “over the last few years the City has received almost $5 million in grants… and committed approximately $300,000 in matching funds which means for every $1 from City funds, we are receiving approximately $16 in grant funding. In reference to widening Washington Boulevard from 2600 N to 3300 N it is estimated at $12 million. North Ogden currently has “available for the project $1.8 million and the rest may need to be funded though grant funding.” Mr. Grant, step forward please!
