Ogden council rejects 2850 Washington Boulevard rezone 5-1 and adopts $118.4 million budget amendment

Decisions at a glance

Agenda, item by item

1. Item 1 · Appointment

   Reappointments to boards

   Approved · 6-0

   The council reappointed Eric Bauman to the Public Safety Employee Appeal Board and Kaiya Clark, Derek Martinez-Lopez, Erika McDonald and Lena Morgan to the Sustainability Committee on separate motions, each 6-0. Council Member Richey was not present for the votes.

   Both: moved by Council Member Richard Hyer, seconded by Council Member Shaun Myers. Vote: 6-0; Council Member Ken Richey was not present

2. Item 2 · Budget

   Fiscal 2024-25 budget amendment of $118,395,800 (Ordinance 2025-12)

   Approved · 6-0

   The council recognized $118,395,800 in new revenue and appropriations: $77 million in bond proceeds, $21.3 million in state and federal grants, $4 million of excess fund balance, $3 million of interest and $13.1 million from other sources. Uses include $87.5 million for the canyon waterline, $11.4 million for Airport projects, $3.5 million for Union Station, $750,000 for golf and $4.9 million for refuse trucks and equipment. Chair White asked whether more large police pay increases are coming; Finance Director Justin Sorensen said 95 percent of the $30 million police budget is payroll. Council Member Graf said a past $1 million Airport allocation returned about $10.5 million. Council Member Choberka said the funds arrived after the original budget was adopted. Linda Sanchez, the only speaker, raised police training and use of force.

   • Budget$118.4 million FY2024-25 city budget amendment. Paid from Bond proceeds $77,000,000; grants $21,317,075; excess fund balance $4,000,000; interest $3,000,000; other $13,078,725

   Moved by Council Member Blair, seconded by Council Member Hyer. Vote: 6-0; Council Member Ken Richey was not present

   Follow Ogden Canyon waterline and Pineview crossing in the development tracker →

3. Item 3 · Zoning

   Rezone of 0.61 acres at 2850 Washington Boulevard (rear) from CP-3 to R-3/CO (Ordinance 2025-13)

   Denied · 5-1 · 2850 Washington Boulevard (rear lot)

   Heritage Land Development asked to rezone 0.61 acres from CP-3 Regional Commercial to R-3/CO Multiple Family Residential with a conditional overlay, for roughly 11 condominiums or townhomes. The Planning Commission recommended approval 5-2. Council members questioned the single shared driveway, which would need a variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustments, fire and garbage truck access, and a future commercial building next door that could be built to the property line. Applicant Selvoy Fillerup said he had tried for over a year to buy the neighboring parcel without a response. Linda Sanchez and Teresa Bramwell supported the use; Ty Chaston raised utility, fire access, snow and lighting issues. Council Member Myers called it the highest and best use, and his motion to adopt died for lack of a second. Council Members Choberka, Graf and Hyer cited limited access and said the case would be stronger with more land; they and Chair White voted to reject.

   • Applicant: Heritage Land Development (Selvoy Fillerup)
   • Acres: 0.61
   • Current zone → proposed: CP-3 → R-3/CO
   • Planning Commission: recommended approval 5-2 on Feb. 19, 2025, with conditional overlay and development agreement
   • Units: about 11 allowed under R-3

   Moved by Council Member Hyer, seconded by Council Member Graf. Vote: 5-1 to reject; Council Member Shaun Myers voted no. Council Member Ken Richey was not present. Voting no: Council Member Shaun Myers

   Follow 2850 Washington Boulevard rezone (Heritage Land Development) in the development tracker →

4. Item 4 · Budget

   Tentative fiscal 2025-26 budget; public hearing set (Ordinance 2025-14)

   Discussed · 6-0

   Assistant Executive Director Glenn Symes said the total FY2025-26 budget is up 7.5 percent, about $20 million, with no property tax increase (the city would adopt the county's certified rate), $2 million of unused wages and benefits carried forward, and 698 full-time positions. It includes a 2.97 percent cost-of-living raise and 42 capital projects totaling $29.7 million. The council voted 6-0 to hold the public hearing June 3 at 6:00 p.m.; a budget open house was set for May 27.

   • Budget$20.0 million Increase in total FY2025-26 budget over FY2024-25 (7.5 percent)
   • Budget$29.7 million 42 capital improvement projects in the FY2025-26 budget

   Moved by Council Member Hyer, seconded by Council Member Choberka. Vote: 6-0 to set a June 3 public hearing; Council Member Ken Richey was not present

5. Item 5 · Other

   Closed session

   No action · 6-0

   The council voted 6-0 to go into closed session at 8:06 p.m. and reconvened at 9:01 p.m. The minutes record no action. Council Member Richey was not present.

   Moved by Council Member Blair, seconded by Council Member Choberka. Vote: 6-0; Council Member Ken Richey was not present

6. City code

   Work session: wildfire-risk restrictions on fire and fireworks (Hazardous Environmental Conditions amendments)

   Discussed · Hazardous areas, including land east of Harrison Boulevard

   Fire Marshal Kevin Brown proposed amending Ogden Municipal Code 11-6-3 to define hazardous areas, including brush and grass areas, land within 200 feet of waterways and trails, and wildland-urban interface land east of Harrison Boulevard, and to let the fire marshal declare Yellow, Orange or Red restriction levels. Yellow bars aerial fireworks and unattended ignition sources; Orange bars open flame and all fireworks except attended, landscaped fire pits and appliances; Red bars all ignition sources. Council members worried about public confusion and fireworks near the benches. Brown also briefed members on state House Bill 48 on wildland-urban interface fees and building standards. He asked for adoption before the 2025 fire season.

   Follow Hazardous environmental conditions (fire restriction) ordinance in the development tracker →

7. Budget

   Work session: fiscal 2025-26 departmental and Redevelopment Agency budgets

   Discussed

   Community and Economic Development Executive Director Jared Johnson said General Fund programs would fall 4.38 percent, and that the department's capital projects total $45.7 million with $1.26 million requested for FY26. Fire Chief Mike Mathieu said wages and benefits rise $482,400 and requested $1,735,000 in capital funds, including $1.5 million for facility maintenance from the Medical Fund balance. The Redevelopment Agency budget is $16,850,075, down 16.91 percent because the Fairmont and Lincoln districts expired; the plan uses $4,850,050 of Business Depot Ogden lease revenue, including $3,019,750 for WonderBlock debt, $780,300 for the Union Station land purchase and $500,000 for an interfund loan.

   • Budget$16.9 million Proposed FY2025-26 Redevelopment Agency budget
   • Budget$1.74 million Fire Department FY2025-26 capital requests. Paid from Medical Fund balance $1,500,000; Business Depot Ogden lease revenue $235,000

What residents said

Access to the 2850 Washington Boulevard siteSexually oriented business zoningPolice accountabilityProperty taxes

Linda Sanchez spoke about the Constitution. Ty Chaston thanked the city for help but raised trash and unsecured dumpsters at a nearby property and urged changes to the land use code on sexually oriented businesses. Heath Satow thanked staff for budget outreach. Walt English criticized the Police Department and said he would sue the city over the golf course trail.