Ogden council moves $700,000 to park property reserve on 4-2 vote; Taylor Canyon purchase advances

Decisions at a glance

Agenda, item by item

1. Item Work session · Other

   Managed parking program update

   Discussed · Downtown Ogden, 25th Street

   Management Services Executive Director Lisa Stout said the paid parking system had been live about six weeks with limited trend data, so no financial report was given; one is expected in September. No citations had been issued in the paid zones, only warning flyers, and first-time tickets in nearby residential areas are being forgiven. Permanent signs are due by the end of September, with A-frame signs in the meantime, and signs now say DMV customers do not pay. Ambassadors patrol until 8 p.m.; kiosks cost about $10,000 each and none more are planned. Council Member Alicia Washington raised kiosk accessibility, Council Member Kevin Lundell relayed business and resident concerns, and Vice Chair Dave Graf asked about a safe crossing on Wall Avenue at 25th Street, which the city has discussed with UDOT.

2. Item Work session · Public safety

   Wildland Fire Deployment Program

   Discussed

   Fire Chief Mike Slater said the program, begun about a month earlier under a state agreement and a federal mutual-aid compact, has 12 volunteer off-duty firefighters selected from 15 to 20 who applied. The city spent about $40,000 on gear from existing funds. The team spent 9 to 10 days on the Babylon Fire near Monticello, and over $100,000 in billable costs to the state is expected, about $30,000 of it for overtime and direct costs, with the rest to go to an equipment account. Deployments are voluntary and the city can decline any request.

   • Purchase$40,000 Individual wildland firefighting gear. Paid from Existing city funds
   • Payment$100,000 to State of Utah Expected reimbursement for first month of wildland deployments (over $100,000)

3. Item Work session · City code

   O-1 Open Space Zone text amendment

   Discussed · 4th Street Park and O-1 Open Space zone, citywide

   Planning Director Barton Brierley presented a text amendment driven by planning for the 4th Street Park expansion. It would cut the front setback from 30 feet to 15 feet and equalize and modestly reduce side and rear setbacks, applying only to park property. It also sets fence rules: a 4-foot solid or 6-foot see-through maximum in front and street-facing yards, 7 feet on sides and rear, with dark open-mesh ball-containment netting allowed above 7 feet. The Planning Commission recommended adoption. Council Member Jeremy Peterson asked about notice to owners and a site plan; Brierley said owners were notified and a zone change application for the park would follow. Council Member Ken Richey asked why the old setbacks were so large, and Washington asked for a map of O-1 land. Chair Richard Hyer asked that the separate full zoning rewrite not alter policies unintentionally. No action was taken.

   Follow O-1 Open Space Zone text amendment in the development tracker →

   Follow 4th Street Park expansion in the development tracker →

4. Item Work session · Other

   Closed session

   Approved · 7-0

   The Council voted to go into a closed session under Utah's open meetings law at about 5:00 p.m.; the minutes list the permitted purposes but do not state which applied. The meeting reconvened at 6:03 p.m. and adjourned.

   Moved by Vice Chair Dave Graf (Council Member Dave Graf), seconded by Council Member Kevin Lundell. Vote: 7-0

5. Budget

   Ordinance 2026-15: transfer of $700,000 to the Future Park Property Reserve

   Approved · 4-2-1 · Former Taylor Canyon School site, Ogden

   The ordinance moves $700,000 from the Council's Allocated for Future Projects account into the Future Park Property Reserve at no net cost, mainly to buy about 1.91 acres of the former Taylor Canyon School site from the Ogden School District for about $700,000 after the district subdivides the parcel. The reserve held about $692,000 after earlier purchases. Council Member Peterson recused himself and left the chambers. Six residents spoke at the hearing, mostly supporting the purchase; Steven Van Wagoner questioned cost per acre and earlier redirected funds, and Annie Dunaway questioned taxpayers paying twice. Staff said the $700,000 came from Business Depot Ogden lease revenue and unused general fund balance, not the Quality Neighborhoods Initiative. Lundell moved to cut the transfer to $10,000 so the full reserve could be debated separately; Washington seconded, saying she wanted Council approval for future acquisitions. The amendment failed 2-4. Richey, Graf and Hyer favored refilling the reserve so staff can act quickly. Lundell and Washington said their no votes did not oppose the Taylor Canyon purchase.

   • Land deal$700,000 to Ogden School District Purchase of about 1.91 acres of the former Taylor Canyon School site. Negotiated surplus-property sale. Paid from Future Park Property Reserve, funded by $700,000 transfer from the Council's Allocated for Future Projects account (Business Depot Ogden lease revenue and unused general fund balance)
   • Amendment to cut transfer to $10,000: failed 2-4
   • Moved by Council Member Kevin Lundell, seconded by Council Member Alicia Washington; yes: Lundell, Washington

   Moved by Council Member Ken Richey, seconded by Vice Chair Dave Graf (Council Member Dave Graf). Vote: 4-2; Council Members Kevin Lundell and Alicia Washington voted no; Peterson recused. Voting no: Council Member Kevin Lundell, Council Member Alicia Washington

   Follow Taylor Canyon park parcel purchase in the development tracker →

What residents said

Taylor Canyon park purchaseICE hold room permitFlock license plate camerasCouncil vacancy processManaged parking signage

Robert Hunter suggested intergovernmental cooperation with the school district and earlier public comment. Carolyn Quinn asked who would maintain Taylor Canyon and whether the unsold portion could be developed. Sarah Fisher, Blake Ham, Kim Haslam and David Belnap raised the ICE holding facility's permit compliance and asked for a Planning Commission review and public data. Jesse Deener, Alexa and Carter opposed Flock license plate cameras. Several residents (Jonathan Smith, Thomas Fried, Ron Pippen, Stewart Taylor, Teresa Bramwell) welcomed Peterson; Laura Lewis asked whether private contacts affected the vacancy vote; Heath Satow raised possible recusals from Peterson's real estate background. Ron Pippen asked about a short-term rental zoning designation near 1200 East and 1600 South. Annie Dunaway proposed buying the whole Taylor Canyon parcel for conservation or a land trust. Carolyn Klingbeck promoted voter registration.