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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue IV December 1, 2022 FEASIBILITY STUDY cont. from page 1 corridors, peace and tranquility, dark skis, clean air and water; and abundant wildlife and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and safe, healthy neighborhoods. CORE VALUES - Ogden Valley’s core values include sustainable development complementary to its rural heritage, including adequate primary and secondary water supplies, ample infrastructure, open spaces and parks, trail systems, public safety systems, affordable housing, varied transportation networks, dispersed recreational resources; and protected agricultural and natural resources, including clean water, dark skies, and friendly neighborhoods; and transparent and responsible governance. WILL OUR TAXES GO UP? Weber County’s 2021 financials showed that Ogden Valley produced more than a $1 million budget surplus for that year. However, a feasibility study is required to confirm this number, and to see if incorporation of Ogden Valley is economically feasible. What Ogden Valley does with its dollars will be our choice. Revenue generated here will stay here. WE NEED YOUR SIGNATURE Ogden Valley property owners, we need your signature on a petition for the next step—the feasibility study, which will be conducted by an independent third-party contractor. The cost of the study is borne by the state of Utah. Signed petitions endorsing a feasibility study to see if incorporation is viable may be signed at the Valley Market in Eden. Please remember that by signing the current petition, you are not indicating that you want to incorporate Ogden Valley. This petition is only an endorsement for the feasibility study. If the study—conducted by a third-party, unbiased contractor (Zions Bank)—shows that it is economically viable for Ogden Valley to become their own municipality, then another petition will move forward, asking community members to sign on for the Valley to become their own town. Points for Clarification - A number of questions and concerns have arisen as I’ve spoken with people about the desire to incorporate and moving forward with the first step—a feasibility study—to see if it is economically viable for Ogden Valley to become their own legal administrative entity. Below is a Q & A to help answer some of these questions. Concern: This effort is driven by a bunch of “new” people to the Valley who want to take over control for their own economic reasons. Answer: The incorporation effort is not driven by “new” people, but by, primarily, longtime residents. It’s a small group of individuals with all but one having lived here for over 25 years. Two of the committee members’ ancestors were some of the first settlers of Ogden Valley. A feasibility study is one of the first steps, as required by state law, required for selfgovernance. To move forward with the incorporation of Ogden Valley, findings from the feasibility have to show that, if incorporated, the new community can function, economically, for at least five years without having to raise taxes. Question: Why shouldn’t we continue business as usual? What’s wrong with being ran by the three-member county commissioners who run unincorporated Weber County? Answer: Currently, the three-member County Commission functions as the administrative, legislative, and even judicial executives of all unincorporated Weber County—including Ogden Valley (except incorporated Huntsville Town). That’s a lot of power in the hands of three individuals, two of which don’t even live in Ogden Valley. And it hasn’t been uncommon in past years for none of the elected commissioners to be from Ogden Valley. That’s because the entire county votes for the commissioners, and Ogden Valley’s voting pool is relatively small compared to the rest of the county. Thus, the commissioners are often making decisions that may not be in the best interest of our community, which is very economically, geographically, and demographically distinct from the rest of the county. Why does this matter? Politically it matters. Let’s say the community goes to the commissioners and requests them to pass something that is very important to the community. For instance, restrictions on short term rentals. Under Utah law, if your elected officials aren’t listening to a request by their constituents, they can petition to get the issue on the ballot—a specific ballot initiative. However, we would have to have a large and significant number of signatures from all of the various communities representing the entire county. Most likely, others across the county would not be interested in this, or many other ballot initiatives Ogden Valley residents may want to see passed. In other words, currently our voice as a community is disenfranchised, as it becomes diluted by the western portion of the county, making it nearly impossible to ensure our Ogden Valley voice is heard. Likewise, if the three-member commission votes to pass something—like the large and overbearing Nordic Valley development—typically, the checks and balances set up by law to protect citizens against decisions that a community doesn’t favor, would also be diluted by the rest of the county if Valley residents wanted to move forward with a referendum— getting placed on the ballot a veto of a decision made by elected officials. However, to get a referendum on the ballot, a petition would have to be signed by voters representing the rest of the county, too. How successful do you think Valley residents would be in collecting enough signatures—that have to represent all parts of the county—to succeed in getting the Nordic Valley development on the ballot, then, once on the ballot, defeated? How likely would it be that the rest of the county would care enough to sign a petition, or even vote to deny it? How expensive would it be to local citizens to efficiently educate all of Weber County? On the other hand, if you have your own town or city, like Huntsville, you have local control over planning and zoning issues. If the community doesn’t like a decision by locally elected officials, signatures for a ballot initia- tive or a referendum only have to be collected from the incorporated Ogden Valley community. We would not longer be disenfranchised; our vote and voice would more readily count. Because of the imbalance of population between this side of the Wasatch Mountains and the other in western Weber County, the voice of Valley residents will, more often than not, be diluted by the rest of the county, as they most commonly are. They consistently, through the years, have diluted our voice, even on who we want to represent us at the county level. Also, because of the tremendous rapid growth in the county, Weber County’s planning, zoning and enforcement staff have become inadequate to efficiently and effectively handle all the accompanying issues and problems associated with this growth. For instance, Weber County only has one code enforcement officer for the entire county, whose population has exploded over the last ten years. When Ogden Valley incorporates, what form of government would we adopt? Once a feasibility study shows that turning Ogden Valley into its own legal entity, a governing city, with input from Valley residents, residents can select which form of government would be most effective for the community. There are a few options: • Three-commissioner form of government, which we are currently administered under at the county level. • Commission-led form of government but expanded to five or seven members, with the body still holding legislative and executive duties. • Strong mayoral form of government who holds executive duties with legislative duties handled by an elected county council, such as seen in Huntsville Town. • Executive duties can be shifted to an appointed manager with legislative duties handled by a county council. The council would select the manager. Local administrative control of a community is always efficient and responsive to the desires of community members—regardless of the form of government. America is steeped in a rich tradition of local control where the voice of the people is heard and represented; thus, actually contributing to good and sound governance. Please take the time to sign the petition for a feasibility study so we, as a community, can determine if it makes economic, as well as political sense, to take local control of Ogden Valley. For answers to questions or for more information, visit our Facebook page at Ogden Valley Incorporation or email ovincorporation@gmail.com; or contact Mark Ferrin at 801-745-0445 or Shanna Francis at 801-7452688. You can also sign the petition below, cut out, then drop off at the drop box at Valley Market in Eden. GENERAL MANAGER cont. on page 10 that’s very enjoyable to us “skiing lifers.” When I asked about what he saw as the identity of Powder Mountain moving forward, he said “We want to make sure we have a place that families can come together and can create iconic memories.” He is committed to bringing more adventure to Pow Mow, with snowmobile tours every day, snowshoeing, and a first tracks program that will allow skiers and borders to get some skiing in before the lifts officially open. Kevin stated that he was “impressed by the dedication and commitment of the staff, many having been here a long time, and they are very good at what they do.” Changes we can expect this year? A major uptick in the quality of food service. All burgers will earn the “gourmet” designation, sandwiches and Lucky Slice awesome pizza will now be upstairs at the Timberline Lodge. The amazing Powder Keg, one of the west’s best, Apres ski venues, will feature an extensive Pho Noodle menu. Also, those hankering for a cup of morning jo, midday or evening meal, will be able to stop on the Mountain Road at Bower Lodge with coffee available in the morning and a great menu and beverages for lunch and dinner. As in all businesses, the employees feed off the manager, and his enthusiasm and attitude will be tangible to all guests. If you have a chance and see Kevin on the mountain, let some of his great positive attitude rub off on you. Optimism reigns at Powder Mountain. onstration team. Only the very best… the very best, elite skiers, can qualify for the PSIA demo team. He observed the growing enthusiasm for snowboarding and became an ASI examiner. He was involved with developing snowboard education when snowboarding was taking off as an alternative Kevin Mitchell to skiing. Soon afterward, Kevin was appointed as General Manager of Homewood ski resort, literally, right on the shore of Lake Tahoe. He worked there for ten years where “My proudest achievement was the institution of a successful snowcat program serving 1,850 vertical feet.” Not adverse to having fun and adventure on the mountain, Kevin admitted to me that he actually skied down Homewood and out onto the dock of the lake! I interviewed Kevin only five days after he started his position as general manager of Powder Mountain. Due to our early snowfall, he actually had a chance to ski on Sundown by the time we met. He says he “loves the layered snow, the snow lifted my soul, the powder itself is iconic.” It’s obvious in talking to Kevin that he is a “real skier.” He can talk skiing with the best of them. And Locally Roasted Drips Espresso Double Shot Caffe Americano Bullet Proof Drip Cappuccino Cortado Flat White Latte Sunlife Ceremonial Matcha Blue Lotus Chai Brewed Teas MarieBelle Hot Chocolate Mocha: Mint / Mexican Milk/ Dark/ White Nitro on Tap Wasatch Cold Brew Mamachari Kombucha +Alt Milks & Syrups We’re Almost There! The Skyhawk-Sprite with Blue Raspberry and lime The Valley Bull Dog-Sprite with Cherry and Lime Baja Explorer - strawberry, coconut topped with coconut cream Bedazzlr - strawberry& lime Berry Avalanche - grape & cherry Lime Rickey - lime & grape Powder Days - vanilla, lime, coconut, topped with cream Nordic Cupcake - strawberry & vanilla topped with cream Super Hero Fuel - cherry & vanilla Taste the Rainbow - raspberry & coconut topped with coconut cream The Scallywag - coconut & cherry topped with coconut cream Basin Blast - strawberry, raspberry & blackberry, topped with vanilla cream Soda Pop • Coke & Diet • Dr. Pepper & Diet• Mountain Dew & Diet • Sprite • Pepsi • Topo Chico • Lemonade • Rockstar• Syrups • Banana •Blackberry• Blue Raspberry • Cherry Coconut • Grape • Lime • Peach• Raspberry • Strawberry•Watermelon Real Fruit Puree • Strawberry • Peach • Raspberry• Mango• 2555 N. Wolf Creek Dr. (Next to Valley Market) |