Councilperson Wicks Requests Canyon Closure Time Be Bumped To 10 PM

Guest Post from Amy Wicks

I made the request to bump the canyon closure times to 10 pm and the attached document is the response I received from the Ogden City utility manager who is one of the staff members assigned to oversee the project.

On a related note, I am making contact with Horrocks on Monday to discuss delays and travel times. I was stuck in Ogden Canyon for over an hour and a half headed home to Ogden from Snowbasin on Friday...as were many many others. I understand the snowy weather creates challenges, but cars were moving eastbound so I'm curious why there was no westbound movement. For almost an hour, It seemed as if the only westbound movement was from vehicles inching forward as others were giving up and turning around.

That type of delay is completely unacceptable and I will let you know what I am able to find out. I am also interested in hearing from others who have encountered problems traveling through Ogden Canyon so I can try to work through the issues with the construction company and make sure UDOT is aware of the problems as well, since they are the entity granting permission for closures and delays.

You are welcome to post this on your blog as an effort to help keep the public aware of what is going on.

Amy Wicks
Ogden City Council
At Large Seat C

Click here to read the response for the Ogden City Utility Manager

HB 477 Legislative Roundup

This evening we will direct you to Rudi's riveting Forum where he offers this doozy about our 'work under the cover of darkness' legislators:

Friday Morning HB477 News Roundup

The 2011 legislative session ended on a very disappointing note with our extreme right wing governor selling out his constituents by signing yet another severely flawed bill.

We find it perplexing that the Utah lawmakers passed SB 165 which prohibits any electronic signatures on ballot propositions while also passing HB 477, which makes most electronic government communications (email, text messages, voice mail, etc.) off limits to Utah citizens.

A sad day for transparency and open government.  What are they trying to hide?

We will end with some footage of a 'peaceful' demonstration inside the hallowed walls of the State Capital.

Pay particular attention to Ogden's All-Star Council women Amy Wicks who proudly holds a couple of signs that are visible in the middle of the stairway at 2:15.  One side said "Only COWARDS and CROOKS hide from the PEOPLE they represent" and the other, which you can see, says "I'm an elected official that supports open and transparent government. What are you?"   Congrats Amy and thanks for representing the people.

Standard Examiner Endorses Weber County Commission Candidate Amy Wicks

The Standard-Examiner editorial board endorsed current Ogden City Council member Amy Wicks this morning for the Weber County Commission seat "B."

Our old pal Rudi has done a masterful job of compiling a couple of Standard Examiner articles along with video interviews of both candidates:   Standard All Star Amy Wicks and Kerry Gibson.

• Standard-Examiner: Our View: Wicks For Commission Seat "B"

Be sure to watch the end of Amy's interview where she discusses "openness in government."  Wouldn't openness be a refreshing change for Weber County politics?

County Commission Candidates Respond To Our Questionnaire -- UPDATED

On October 12, 2010 the Ogden Valley Forum sent out a Questionnaire via email to the five Weber County Commission Candidates.  We asked six questions of the candidates that were related to Ogden Valley issues and allowed the candidates unlimited space for additional comments.  We set a deadline for the responses of October 20th.  We sent a reminder out to the candidates on October 20th as a couple of the candidates had not yet responded.

Ultimately, we received responses from every Commission Candidate except Kerry Gibson.  Interestingly, in the November 1, 2010 issue of the Ogden Valley news, a letter to the editor from Kerry Gibson states,

First, a warm thank you to the owners of The Ogden Valley News for donating space to the many candidates to publish their biographies.  This is a public service that cannot be underestimated.

It would appear that I was one of the few candidates that didn't supply the Valley citizens with my contact information via my biography.  While slightly embarrassing, I promise it was unintentional.  Mistakes happen.  It's how we handle them that counts.  Rest assured, I am available.  My constituents can attest to this.

 Mr. Gibson goes on to tout his relationships with his constituents and fellow Legislators.

We will leave it to our humble readers to decide who best will serve the interests of not only Ogden Valley, but the entire Weber County.

Click here to read the responses to our questions

What say our Ogden Valley faithful about the upcoming Weber County Commission election?

UPDATE: 10/27/10 @ 9:30 PM

We just received a classic follow the money tip from a faithful follower.

Before you make that final decision on who to vote for, be sure to see who has supported the candidates with their pocket books.  We found some very peculiar and interesting donors.

• 2010 Campaign Finance Disclosures - Major Weber County Candidates

Of particular interest is Kerry Gibson, who raised some $48,000 in his campaign war chest (15 TIMES the amount of his competitor).  Some of his larger "donors" include The Utah Association of Realtors ($2,500), Powder Mountain Resort Managements ($1,000), Gregg & Amy Greer [CEO of Powder Mountain] ($1,000), Energy Solutions ($600) and others.

Click here to view Kerry Gibson's Campaign Financial Report 2010

Jan Zogmaister's is also interesting.  Contributors include:  Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors ($1,000), Infamous Huntsville developer Ron Catanzero ($200) and others.


Click here to view Jan Zogmaister's Campaign Financial Report 2010

We will note that when we set out to question our candidates several weeks ago, we had no intention of following the money.  Our intent was to provide an unbiased overview of the candidate's views on a variety of issues facing Weber County so our readers could more easily make an informed decision.

While we had heard rumors that certain candidates were Realtor and developer shills, we tried to look at this important race without bias.  In this "pay to play" state of Utah politics, it would appear that some candidates are being supported by interests that don't align with those of most residents.

With a war chest 15 times that of his opponent, it is no wonder Mr. Gibson feels safe in snubbing the lowly folks at the Ogden Valley News and the Ogden Valley Forum.

Follow the money!!

County Commission Race Heats Up

Don't miss Rudi's important run down on the latest in the Weber County Commission Seat B race:

Standard-Examiner: Salomon Center Fundraiser Free-For-All

Mayor Godfrey is supporting Mr. Gibson, but it seems as though he should be supporting watch dog Amy Wicks so the watchful eyes would be shifted from City Hall to the Commission Chambers.

Amy Wicks meets the GEM Committee

Amy Wicks, one of the two candidates for the Weber County Commission seat B this November was the guest at the GEM Committee meeting at the Huntsville Town Hall last night.

Amy said she works for a private firm that provides support to abused children. She has also been elected to two terms as an Ogden City Council member.

Amy appears to be a straightforward, self confident candidate, and easily fielded questions on many wide ranging subjects about Ogden Valley and Weber County.

Ms. Wicks stated she is a supporter of private property rights, but also of long range planning and zoning. She indicated she is not a supporter of Eminent Domain where government agencies can simply take peoples’ land when they deem it is appropriate.

When asked about Ethics Reform, Amy stated it is needed in Utah and she does support meaningful ethics reform for our legislature.

She was asked her opinion about the MOU Powder Mountain has before the Weber County Commissioners. Amy said she did not see any compromise on the part of Powder Mountain in the MOU.

Amy was asked about the difficulty of running as a Democrat in Weber County. She responded that she has been mostly nonpartisan in her political career on the Ogden City Council, and it is difficult to get the financial campaign support needed running as an independent. She plans to address most issues with a nonpartisan approach.

Bischoff Defeated 377 - 126 -- Change is Coming!

Ogden Valley and Weber county residents will see change in 2011 as Weber County Commissioner Bischoff was soundly defeated during Saturday's Weber County GOP convention.  Don't miss these sage comments by "Time for a change" in response to this morning's Weber County Forum report.   

While we assume he has done some good for some in the County, on many occasions over the years, we at the forum have tried to contact Mr. Bischoff via phone and email, and not once has he responded.

We hope our replacement commissioner will remember the citizens whom he or she is supposed to represent.

Don't miss the rest of the comments below the post, then be sure to return here to add your 2 cents.


By Time for a change

What great news for Weber County citizens that Ken Bischoff will no longer be a member of the Weber County Commission after November.

Goodbye and good riddance. He was never a friend of the citizens of Ogden Valley with his rude and boorish behavior while on the Commission.

He was the one Commissioner that seldom responded to e-mails or telephone calls from citizens, and acted like he worked for the developers and real estate people rather than the citizens of Weber County.

There was also a little matter of when he refused to recuse himself from a hearing on a property issue in Ogden Canyon that somehow resulted in a favorable ruling for a family member.

We now have a wide open race for that County Commission seat and we all should support Amy Wicks. It is time for the people of Weber County to stand up and be counted for a needed change in philosophy and attitude with our elected officials.

Amy Wicks For the Weber County Commission

Amy Wicks For the Weber County

Commission

The Ogden Valley Forum supports Amy Wicks for the Weber County Commission. Amy has shown to be a skilled politician and a highly regarded Ogden City Council member.

If you would like to work on her campaign go to www.amywicks.org

If you wish to financially support Amy Wicks in her run, please send your contribution to:

Amy Wicks for Weber County Commissioner

P.O. Box 6131

Ogden, UT 84401

Amy Wicks Highlighted in Today's Standard

Weber County Commission candidate Amy Wicks was profiled in todays Standard Examiner.

• Ogden's current, former members hope to be elected to larger role

From the article:

She said it took a long time to decide whether to run.

"I had people trying to talk me into running for a while," she said. "I lost a lot of sleep over it and finally decided to file."

She believes people asked her to run because of the fiscal responsibility and transparency in decision-making she would like to add to the commission.

Many right here in Ogden Valley have been encouraging Amy to run and we at the Forum feel she is the right choice for not only Ogden Valley residents, but the entire county.

Bischoff has done a good job, she said, but has served for quite a while, so she thinks a change would do the commission some good.

Although Wicks has filed as a Democrat, she said she is not used to partisan politics.

"Most of the time, I've voted for the issue or the person, not the party, so this is a whole new ballgame for me," she said. "Hopefully it can bring some common sense and transparency to the commission."

That is precisely what we need, Amy.  Thanks for stepping up to the challenge!

Breaking News! Ogden Council Member Amy Wicks Running For Weber County Commission

You will hear much more in coming months, but Amy Wicks has filed as a candidate for the position of Weber County Commissioner.  Amy is a very strong supporter of Ogden Valley and our issues and has an impressive resume' which includes a stint as Chair of the Ogden City Council.

Quite simply, Amy will bring some common sense, fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency into the Weber County Commission.

Be sure to visit the Weber County Forum today for more and don't miss the readers comments section.

Here are two posts you cannot miss:

Standard-Examiner: Candidates File; Caucuses Up Next 

Breaking: Councilwoman Wicks files to run for a County Commission seat

Wow a Legal Lottery In Utah!!!

A quick lesson on how the Utah Association of Realtors maintains power and influence