City Council

Minutes of Regular Meeting of Council of Ogden City, Utah, January 20, 2015 Page Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Ogden City Council held on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers on the third floor of the Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Boulevard, Ogden City, Weber County, Utah. Present: Chair Richard A. Hyer Vice Chair Marcia L. White Council members Bart E. Blair Neil K. Garner Caitlin K. Gochnour Doug Stephens Amy L. Wicks Council Executive Director Bill Cook Council Deputy Director Janene Eller-Smith Council Policy Analyst Glenn Symes Communications Manager Amy Sue Mabey Also present: Mayor Mike Caldwell Acting Chief Administrative Officer Jay Lowder City Attorney Gary Williams City Recorder Tracy Hansen Deputy City Recorder Abbie Zampedri Chief Deputy City Recorder Lee Ann Peterson At the request of the Chair, all present stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance led by Vice Chair White. A moment of silence was observed. Officials from Hof, Germany Chair Hyer stated the City has enjoyed a long standing sister city relationship with Hof, Germany, which is in its 61st year. The Council is grateful for the opportunity it has had over the past few days to become familiar with the visitors from Hof and experience their culture. He thanked the Hof dignitaries for visiting Ogden and allowing the entire City of Ogden to rub shoulders with them. Council member Blair then spoke in German addressing the visitors from Hof and thanking them for their visit to Ogden. Mayor Caldwell echoed the comments made by Chair Hyer and added he had the opportunity to ski with some of the Hof dignitaries yesterday at Snow Basin and it was very enjoyable. It has been great to share cultural ideas, similarities, and differences with the group over the past few days. He stated it has been an honor to host the visitors from Hof and he noted he hopes to have the opportunity to visit Hof in the next year. Chair Hyer presented the Hof dignitaries with a gift in the form of a painting by world-renowned artist Eric Dowdle. As Mr. Dowdle travels the world he immerses himself in the stories, experience, and the people that create the character of the places he visits. The painting represents many of Ogden’s prominent locations and highlights its history. Chair Hyer commented he hopes the Hof dignitaries will enjoy the painting. He then recognized each visitor by name and invited them to address the City Council. Oberburgermeister (Mayor) Dr. Harald Fichtner thanked the Council and Mayor for their hospitality. He said it is a great honor to address the Council this evening. His visit is nearly finished, but behind him are many great impressions and being in attendance at tonight’s meeting is the highlight of the visit. The main reason for visiting Ogden is to attend the Hof German Festival established by Scott Sneddon 20 years ago. The Festival is still young and alive and gives a lot of people from Ogden and Weber County the possibility to have a good impression of the typical Bavarian way of life. Musicians from Hof enjoyed their stay very much and they are still skiing in Park City. He commented the contact with Siegfried Meyer, who was the caterer of the Hof Festival, was wonderful and the trip that he experienced could not have been booked through a travel agency. He thanked the City of Ogden for its warm welcome beginning with the arrival at the Salt Lake City Airport and the dinner at the Union Station. He stated he was also thankful for the hotel accommodations and the rental vehicles, which gave them the ability to be independent while on their visit. He mentioned his visit to Antelope Island where he saw a bison for the first time in his life and then pointed out two hours later he ate a bison burger. Visiting the Golden Spike Museum gave the visitors a very good impression of the history of Ogden and for him, as a great sports fan, the visit to Park City will be unforgettable. Dr. Fichtner continued by saying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert was also amazing and his visit to the Mormon temple will also not be forgotten. Skiing with Mayor Caldwell at Snow Basin was also a highlight. He thanked the Police and Fire Departments of the City for hosting them today during their brief visit. He noted it is the challenge of the Ogden City Council and the Hof representatives to maintain the sister city relationship; the world in the 21st century is full of challenges and if the European Union and United States stay together it will be possible to maintain the values of freedom and democracy. Friendship exists between nations, but also between people and he mentioned and thanked his great friends Bill and Melissa Bennett and Brian and Sandy Heward who did so much for them during their visit and in recent years. He again thanked the City Council, especially Council member Wicks who maintains constant contact with the representatives of Hof, Germany. He thanked Deputy Director Eller-Smith for organizing such a great program and itinerary for the Hof dignitaries during their visit. He said he also hopes to see Mayor Caldwell in Hof within the next year. He will leave Ogden and the United States with a lot of good impressions, new friends, and a deep feeling of confidence; he hopes the relationship between Germany and America will live for a long time and into eternity. Chair Hyer remarked the City is grateful for the opportunity to have sponsored the Hof dignitaries and he hopes they have enjoyed their stay; he looks forward to continued associations into the future. Proposed Joint Resolution 2015-3 recognizing Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo for being honored as one of the five best large outdoor rodeos in the United States A joint resolution regarding the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo came before the Council for consideration. Council member Wicks read the joint resolution, after which she MOVED THE JOINT RESOLUTION BE ADOPTED, AND THE CHAIR BE AUTHORIZED TO SIGN THE SAME. MOTION WAS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHENS, ALL VOTING AYE. Chair Hyer then presented the proclamation to representatives of the Ogden Pioneer Days Foundation. Alan Hall, Foundation Chairman, addressed the Council and Mayor and stated it is his delight to be present tonight to receive the special recognition on behalf of all of the volunteers that produce one of the best rodeos in the United States. The rodeo is an icon in Ogden and he invited all the City Council members to participate in the 2015 Pioneer Days events. It is a treat for the group of volunteers to come together annually to celebrate the great tradition of Pioneer Days and carry out the legacy of the forefathers of the community who actually rode horses every day of their life. The intent of the Foundation is to continue to improve the rodeo to the point that it is the best rodeo in the United States. He thanked the City Council and Mayor for their support of Pioneer Days. He pointed out the rodeo was recognized in a national magazine and the Council’s actions to dedicate money to cowboy hospitality was recognized in that article, where the cowboys are responsible for voting for the top five rodeos. He provided each member of the Council with a copy of the magazine and also showed the national award recognizing the Pioneer Days rodeo as one of the top five rodeos in the United States. He noted the award was given during the recent National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada and he encouraged the City Council to make plans to attend a future National Finals Rodeo as it is one of the most amazing events he has ever participated in. Dave Halverson briefly focused on the article in the Pro Rodeo Magazine referencing the Pioneer Days Rodeo. He reiterated Mr. Hall’s comments regarding the efforts to improve hospitality for the cowboys and cowgirls that participated in the rodeo, after which he summarized the demographics of participants and spectators of the rodeo. The Foundation has focused on improving marketing efforts to reach other counties and states regarding the Pioneer Days celebration. He then noted a survey was given to the rodeo participants asking them to rate many things about the Pioneer Days events, specifically the rodeo, and noted that their positive feedback is part of the reason that the rodeo received national recognition. Desiree Cooper-Larsen then stated that it is unbelievable for a rodeo from the State of Utah to be included as one of the top five rodeos in the United States, considering the competition throughout the nation. It was a great step for the rodeo to be nominated and selected and that would have not been possible without the support of the City Council and Mayor. She presented the Council and Mayor with a token of the Foundation’s appreciation. Mr. Hall again thanked the Council for this recognition. He noted that due to the Foundation’s desire to continue to make the event bigger and better, they have executed a contract with Comcast and Channel 2 to broadcast into every home north of North Salt Lake information about the Pioneer Days events and why it is important to participate. He stated this will assist in growing the economy of the City. He also invited the dignitaries from Hof, Germany to attend the Pioneer Days events next year. Mayor Comments Mayor Caldwell recognized the Pioneer Days Foundation and all of the volunteers that dedicate their time and energy into making the event a success annually. He also personally thanked the City Council and Council staff for everything they did to host the dignitaries from Hof, Germany; it has been a great experience for everyone involved. Council member Comments Council member Stephens stated he was the Pioneer Days Parade Director for seven years and he has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to organize the events associated with Pioneer Days; it is truly the volunteer effort that makes the event a success. Volunteers spend a lot of time, money, and effort to make sure the Pioneer Days event is the best in the United States. He noted many Miss Rodeo Ogden winners have gone on to win Miss Rodeo America and that is because of the foundation they come from. Mr. Hall, Mr. Halverson, and Ms. Cooper-Larsen provide great leadership, but the success is not only due to their efforts, but due to the efforts of the volunteers as well. He then stated it has been a wonderful experience to host the Hof dignitaries over the past week. He thanked Ms. Eller-Smith for the amount of time and effort she put into creating a vibrant itinerary that showcased Ogden and the surrounding community. He enjoys the relationship between Ogden and Hof and stated that they share the same values and concerns about providing a better life for the citizens that they represent. The value of freedom is also shared by the two communities and he thanked the Hof dignitaries for coming. Council member Wicks also thanked everyone that has had a hand in making sure the guests from Hof were well taken care of and comfortable. She thanked them for making the trip to Ogden and indicated she is hopeful she will be able to return to Hof in the near future. Council member Blair echoed the comments that have been made regarding the effort that went into hosting the guests from Hof. He also recognized the Hof dignitaries for taking the time out of their lives to visit Ogden and for keeping the sister city partnership going strong. Chair Hyer also recognized the Hof dignitaries for coming to Ogden at their own expense; he stated it is a great sacrifice and it says a lot about them and their dedication to their community. He stated he hopes they plan to visit Ogden often. There being no further business to come before the Council, COUNCIL MEMBER GARNER MOVED THE MEETING ADJOURN AT 6:37 P.M. MOTION WAS SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR WHITE, ALL VOTING AYE. ________________________________________ LEE ANN PETERSON, MMC CHIEF DEPUTY CITY RECORDER ________________________________________ RICHARD A. HYER, CHAIR APPROVED: March 17, 2015