Showing posts with label hb 466. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hb 466. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Latest on the evolving and ever changing HB 477 Front - To Repeal or Not Repeal
Once again, Rudi at the Weber County Forum is right on top of the latest happenings regarding HB 477 (does anyone else find it ironic that the flawed Powderville bill was HB 466? {466 - 477} Kind of a pattern we thinks).
Monday, February 22, 2010
More Powder Mountain Ink... This Time From the Deseret News
Hot off the press from the Deseret News by way of the Weber County Forum is an article about the latest Saga at Powderville.
Click here to read Rudi's most excellent post, complete with all of the requisite links.
Click here to read Rudi's most excellent post, complete with all of the requisite links.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
HB 218 Under Intense Fire! It is time for Ogden Valley To Step It Up!
HB 218 is under fire in committee and in fact has been taken off the table as Rudi reported today on the Weber County Forum.
Show time is NOW! The legislative session will be over before we know it and our friends at Powder Mountain will pull the rug out from under our Powderville neighbors if we don't step it up - FAST and HARD!
A recent fund raiser for Powderville victims was a sellout. Ogden Valley residents have a history of banding together when times get tough, and now is that time.
Make it happen Ogden Valley Faithful!! Tomorrow may be too late!!
Show time is NOW! The legislative session will be over before we know it and our friends at Powder Mountain will pull the rug out from under our Powderville neighbors if we don't step it up - FAST and HARD!
- Read today's post at the Weber County Forum
- Contact your legislators
- Contact your neighbors, friends and relatives throughout the state and have them do the same.
- Sign the petition in support of HB 218
A recent fund raiser for Powderville victims was a sellout. Ogden Valley residents have a history of banding together when times get tough, and now is that time.
Make it happen Ogden Valley Faithful!! Tomorrow may be too late!!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Residents Fear Powder Mountain (aka Powderville) Can't Pay For Itself
Don't miss the excellent Di Lewis article in this morning's Standard. The entire article is linked here, but we will pull out some mouthwatering quotes for your morning feast.
The article starts out with:
It’s always about the money. Finances are the largest problem facing the fledgling town of Powder Mountain, say a few residents who applied to be a part of the town government.
Later:
Bill Dowell said he believes the biggest challenge Powder Mountain must deal with is money for the construction and upkeep of town infrastructure. With fewer than 60 families in the town, Dowell said, the only sources of income for Powder Mountain are the resort and property taxes. However, with the resort’s income fluctuating based on the whims of Mother Nature, Dowell said he is worried the town will run up a large bill putting in the necessary roads, snow removal and fire and law enforcement, then unincorporate and leave residents saddled with the debt. Dowell said he volunteered for the council to protect civil rights of residents and make sure the resort’s wants are not the sole focus of the town.
Jim Halay, a fellow Powder Mountain resident and the owner of Eden’s Alpine Pizza, shares many of Dowell’s concerns. He said there’s little income for the town, a byproduct of the state law that allowed the resort to incorporate without an independent feasibility study to see whether the town could support itself. While he believes the council should work with the resort developers, Halay said he believes it will be hard to give developers everything they want. “I believe the town is destined to fail,” he said. Halay said the town will receive only a small road fee for plowing, with the other income from sales and property taxes, but there are few businesses in Powder Mountain and he cannot see a way to fund the town “without taxing ourselves to death.”
But there is more:
And for Blaine Belnap, it ultimately comes down to an issue of fairness.
Belnap, who said he is a good friend of Powder Mountain founder Alvin Cobabe, believes the incorporation of the resort as a town without input from residents was “a violation of being an American citizen.” Being on the council would be, for him, a way to look after the welfare of the town. He also strongly believes the town should not pay for a private enterprise or for the many expensive maintenance issues Powder Mountain will soon face.... He said keeping the town running will be a balancing act, but one he hopes people can work on together.
You may recall the Di Lewis article from early September in which Powderville cronies Lavar Lowther and Doc Cobabe had their say, and today's article is apparently the fair and balanced side of the Standard giving some of the Powderville Lost boys their say. By lost boys, we mean those valiant men and women on the County commission's list of potential council members, but excluded from the arrogant developers dream team.
While we were critical of her original article, we applaud Ms. Lewis' "Fair and Balanced" approach.
What say ye now, Ogden Valley-ites?
The article starts out with:
It’s always about the money. Finances are the largest problem facing the fledgling town of Powder Mountain, say a few residents who applied to be a part of the town government.
Later:
Bill Dowell said he believes the biggest challenge Powder Mountain must deal with is money for the construction and upkeep of town infrastructure. With fewer than 60 families in the town, Dowell said, the only sources of income for Powder Mountain are the resort and property taxes. However, with the resort’s income fluctuating based on the whims of Mother Nature, Dowell said he is worried the town will run up a large bill putting in the necessary roads, snow removal and fire and law enforcement, then unincorporate and leave residents saddled with the debt. Dowell said he volunteered for the council to protect civil rights of residents and make sure the resort’s wants are not the sole focus of the town.
Jim Halay, a fellow Powder Mountain resident and the owner of Eden’s Alpine Pizza, shares many of Dowell’s concerns. He said there’s little income for the town, a byproduct of the state law that allowed the resort to incorporate without an independent feasibility study to see whether the town could support itself. While he believes the council should work with the resort developers, Halay said he believes it will be hard to give developers everything they want. “I believe the town is destined to fail,” he said. Halay said the town will receive only a small road fee for plowing, with the other income from sales and property taxes, but there are few businesses in Powder Mountain and he cannot see a way to fund the town “without taxing ourselves to death.”
But there is more:
And for Blaine Belnap, it ultimately comes down to an issue of fairness.
Belnap, who said he is a good friend of Powder Mountain founder Alvin Cobabe, believes the incorporation of the resort as a town without input from residents was “a violation of being an American citizen.” Being on the council would be, for him, a way to look after the welfare of the town. He also strongly believes the town should not pay for a private enterprise or for the many expensive maintenance issues Powder Mountain will soon face.... He said keeping the town running will be a balancing act, but one he hopes people can work on together.
You may recall the Di Lewis article from early September in which Powderville cronies Lavar Lowther and Doc Cobabe had their say, and today's article is apparently the fair and balanced side of the Standard giving some of the Powderville Lost boys their say. By lost boys, we mean those valiant men and women on the County commission's list of potential council members, but excluded from the arrogant developers dream team.
While we were critical of her original article, we applaud Ms. Lewis' "Fair and Balanced" approach.
What say ye now, Ogden Valley-ites?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
vote against incumbents...they have earned our disdain said...
This comment promoted to the front page
vote against incumbents...they have earned our disdain said...
Truthfully, if anyone (other than direct relatives) vote for incumbents at the County level... (Dearden is up for re-election this year), or the State Legislative level (Representative Gage Froerer is up for reelection), they deserve to continue to pay and pay and pay more and more property taxes and fees.
If you vote to keep Commissioner Dearden and Representative Froerer in office, I would suggest you are simply uninformed ...or ignorant. When Bishoff and Zogmaster and Assessor Cheryl Madson come up for reelection, we need to also remember them too. Senator Christenson has done nothing in office but attend boon doggles and accept bribes disguished as hunting trips, etc.
We all need to remember last year, and previous years they have been in office. The legislation they have passed, like the developer's dream bill, HB 466 (Powderville enabling), and many other realtor/developer friendly legislation and decisions are arrogant and blatantly offensive to decent people and rightful thinking citizens.
Representative Froerer sponsored a bill to make it legal for developers to by-pass local Planning Commissions and to go directly to County Commissions, for example. And there is more...much more, from a rabid "lapdog" of the Utah Realtor's Association...Gage Froerer. He said and did nothing while Ogden Valley property taxes continue to shoot through the roof. He said nothing while the illegal and outrageous HB 466 passed without a single vote, nor question, raised against its authors...The Utah Realtor Association. Previous to 2006 when he was "elected", Froerer served as the President of this nefarious organization.
Why would anyone want another Realtor/Developer representing our District (Ogden Valley or Ogden)? Oh...I also forgot...there ARE more than 10,000 members of the Utah Realtor's Association. They of course will virtually all be voting for more of the same graft and corruption within the Utah State Legislature. Their "dues" (amounting to more than $10,000,000
a year, are funneled into PACs (Political Action Committees), often disguised such as "The Citizens for Personal Property Rights" ironically, which are used to pay off about 60% of the Utah State legislators. This outright bribery is further disguised as "Campaign Contributions or Donations", all legal in Utah, since these bottom feeding, unethical and immoral slime control the laws.
The ONLY way out of this Utah Realtor/Developer scheme is to vote all of them out of office at every level of government.
Sat Sep 20, 05:34:00 PM 2008
vote against incumbents...they have earned our disdain said...
Truthfully, if anyone (other than direct relatives) vote for incumbents at the County level... (Dearden is up for re-election this year), or the State Legislative level (Representative Gage Froerer is up for reelection), they deserve to continue to pay and pay and pay more and more property taxes and fees.
If you vote to keep Commissioner Dearden and Representative Froerer in office, I would suggest you are simply uninformed ...or ignorant. When Bishoff and Zogmaster and Assessor Cheryl Madson come up for reelection, we need to also remember them too. Senator Christenson has done nothing in office but attend boon doggles and accept bribes disguished as hunting trips, etc.
We all need to remember last year, and previous years they have been in office. The legislation they have passed, like the developer's dream bill, HB 466 (Powderville enabling), and many other realtor/developer friendly legislation and decisions are arrogant and blatantly offensive to decent people and rightful thinking citizens.
Representative Froerer sponsored a bill to make it legal for developers to by-pass local Planning Commissions and to go directly to County Commissions, for example. And there is more...much more, from a rabid "lapdog" of the Utah Realtor's Association...Gage Froerer. He said and did nothing while Ogden Valley property taxes continue to shoot through the roof. He said nothing while the illegal and outrageous HB 466 passed without a single vote, nor question, raised against its authors...The Utah Realtor Association. Previous to 2006 when he was "elected", Froerer served as the President of this nefarious organization.
Why would anyone want another Realtor/Developer representing our District (Ogden Valley or Ogden)? Oh...I also forgot...there ARE more than 10,000 members of the Utah Realtor's Association. They of course will virtually all be voting for more of the same graft and corruption within the Utah State Legislature. Their "dues" (amounting to more than $10,000,000
a year, are funneled into PACs (Political Action Committees), often disguised such as "The Citizens for Personal Property Rights" ironically, which are used to pay off about 60% of the Utah State legislators. This outright bribery is further disguised as "Campaign Contributions or Donations", all legal in Utah, since these bottom feeding, unethical and immoral slime control the laws.
The ONLY way out of this Utah Realtor/Developer scheme is to vote all of them out of office at every level of government.
Sat Sep 20, 05:34:00 PM 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Standard Examiner Steps up Again
The editorial in today's Standard Examiner is right on point once again
regarding the Powder Mountain issue with Weber County. We appreciate the
unbiased assessment provided by the editorial staff.
No one knows where this saga will go next, but the citizens of Weber
County and Ogden Valley can take heart at the fortitude recently
displayed by the Weber County Commissioners and the Standard Examiner.
Larry and Sharon Zini
Ogden Valley
Blogmeister Update 8/22/08 @ 9:28 am
This is a classic Editorial and we would be remiss not to include some of its passages for all to view front and center. Of course, just click on the link above embedded within the original post to read this masterpiece in its entirety. Here are some classic quotes chosen at random:
regarding the Powder Mountain issue with Weber County. We appreciate the
unbiased assessment provided by the editorial staff.
No one knows where this saga will go next, but the citizens of Weber
County and Ogden Valley can take heart at the fortitude recently
displayed by the Weber County Commissioners and the Standard Examiner.
Larry and Sharon Zini
Ogden Valley
Blogmeister Update 8/22/08 @ 9:28 am
This is a classic Editorial and we would be remiss not to include some of its passages for all to view front and center. Of course, just click on the link above embedded within the original post to read this masterpiece in its entirety. Here are some classic quotes chosen at random:
- The utter freakishness of the town-incorporation law passed by the Legislature in 2007 continues to defy common sense in Weber County.
- Their [Commissioners] reasoning: Maybe it’s possible to put a shine on this lump of ... coal.
- ...only one Top of Utah incumbent legislator, Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, did not vote for House Bill 466 — she wasn’t present when the vote was taken. Every other member of the House and Senate in the Top of Utah voted in favor of this bill.
- ...HB 466 was such a grotesque piece of legislation, it allowed significant manipulation by petitioners/developers
- Commissioner Jan Zogmaister’s sarcasm was apropos when she remarked that if those people [Powder Mountains list for Mayor and Council] were appointed, a family reunion could constitute a quorum of city government.
- This process is a joke. The developers are taking advantage of the oneyear gift provided by a developers’- lapdog Legislature.
And the best saved for last, with our emphasis added:
- What we’d like to know about the whole affair is this: Did all the lawmakers who voted in favor of this bill get something in return from the developer lobby? Or did they vote in favor of it because they were too incompetent to understand what they were doing? Either way, are these the people voters want representing them at the Capitol?
We at the forum have said it before, but if someone in the private sector had created a mistake such as the Legislature did for us, they would be kicking sand all the way to the unemployment line.
The November elections are rapidly approaching, and we say throw the bums out!
UPDATE @ 10:05 am
Our old friend Rudi has been busy this morning. Don't miss his take where he states, "Std-Ed editorial board launches a no-holds-barred editorial barrage..."
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board Finally Weighs In On The Powderville Debacle - Powder Mountain Investors Beware!
It seems as though the local papers are jumping on the anti Powderville Incorporation band wagon. Yesterday, we highlighted an excellent Standard Examiner editorial on the topic and today the Tribune chimed in.
Also, be sure to read Curmudgeon's insightful post on the topic.
What say ye humble Ogden Valley supporters?
We say it's time for all residents, Valleywide, Countywide and Statewide, to support our Powderville residents in a lawsuit to defend their Constitutional rights.
Any takers? Or givers?
Also, be sure to read Curmudgeon's insightful post on the topic.
What say ye humble Ogden Valley supporters?
We say it's time for all residents, Valleywide, Countywide and Statewide, to support our Powderville residents in a lawsuit to defend their Constitutional rights.
Any takers? Or givers?
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Kimbal Wheatley's Act III (aka round 2)
We received Act III from Kim Wheatley yesterday, and with the recent and official incorporation of Ogden Valley's second town, we ring the bell for Round 2 (this time without the gloves) - any volunteers for a Round girl?:
Friends,
We are dealing with people without scruples (which gives them an advantage), motivated by greed (maybe a disadvantage), and seemingly immune from public, government, and agency opinion (a bit naïve I think). But in the end they are dependent on investors who are probably not as ruthless, greedy or stupid. I say it is time to take the gloves off and go directly to their current and potential investors in their primary language…their money and risk to their money and, for some, their reputation and risk to their reputation.
It appears Act III of the PERPS of Powderville will officially begin tomorrow around noon, but the county has likely revealed their intention to the PERPS. Here is what I think it means in the short term:
The county is accepting HB466 as something they can’t do anything about, saying they merely administer the law; their only latitude being able to appoint council members, not necessarily accepting the slate put up by the PERPS. The town residents must continue to challenge HB466, now including litigation. The rest of us in the valley must put up money to help fund the legal battle.
Some kind of dance will take place between the county and PERPS about who gets appointed to the town council. The town residents must demand a fair and impartial council, especially when it comes to decisions about Powder Mountain Resort. The more this can be done in print and in public meetings, the better. We all need to YELL FOUL when conflict of interest is apparent. Every issue on every agenda must be scrutinized for conflict of interest on the part of the council; council members must know they are being carefully watched and conflict of interest violations will be prosecuted.
Probably the first thing the town council needs to do is to hire competent legal help to advise them on issues and law. Under no circumstances should town residents (and the council) accept the sole opinion of the PERP attorneys. We have seen from the Development Agreement proposed to the county that they do not consider balanced opinion, instead preferring to distort the law wherever they can to achieve their ends.
During their time courting the town residents the PERPS made a lot of promises…like putting up $750K to finance the town. Given their proclivity to changing the game, many will be conveniently forgotten. The town residents must document as much as they can and bring it up in public meetings.
Mission one for the PERPS is to get the high density they want granted in an irrevocable way; that way, even if the town collapses (a likely scenario) they want the density to be a “right” which the county would have to take away from them (a “taking” of their property rights). Their attorneys have been working on this for at least a year, so they likely already have created the zoning and planning laws and ordinances they want. They will request the town council immediately accept their proposals. The residents must be ready for this with a substitute resolution: “…until a proper sorting out of the planning and zoning issues takes place in the public arena, the town adopts, across the board, the zoning and planning laws and ordinances as they currently exist in the county…”. The issues are huge for this new town and due diligence is a moral imperative…the decisions will affect generations to come.
The PERPS are attempting to create a “company town,” reminiscent of old mining and railroad towns where the corporation holds all the cards and no one is accountable for the impact on the residents or environment. They even named the town Powder Mountain because they think it will aid in promoting their scheme. However, the residents of the town don’t have to accept Powder Mountain as the name of their town and may have much better ideas. The town residents must resist the company town concept at every turn and, unless they really like it, should immediately change the name of their town to something more to their liking. The town will be a legal construct with many powers and responsibilities as granted to its residents and required under Utah State law. The PERPS, and the developers they intend to sell to, need to get the message that they are NOT a company town, and they have most of the votes.
Kim
Monday, August 04, 2008
Powderville To Become A Reality?
The Powderville Saga has been ongoing for more than a year and it seems as though things will come to a head during the Weber County Commission meeting Tuesday morning (10 am @ the Commision Chambers).
It sounds like Round 2 of a scheduled 5 round bout will begin Tuesday at noon as the Commissioners are implying their only choice is to approve the Powderville Incorporation. We strongly disagree and urge the commissioners to stand up for the Constitutional rights of their constituents and say "Hell No" to our greedy neighbors. We are certainly not holding our breath as the county will likely be on the wrong side of a pending, lengthy legal battle, and we are betting Powder Mountain will not tapout anytime soon.
Don't miss the latest update compliments of our friends at the Weber County Forum today, and don't miss the unveiling of the new Powderville Mayor. Could it be "Dr. C?" (Alvin Cobabe), Ogden Valley Planning commissioner Jamie Lythgoe (granddaughter of Dr. C)? Rickie Stearman?
The next episode of our evolving soap opera should be exciting - arrive early for what is sure to be a packed house.
Just when we thought it couldn't get any better....
It sounds like Round 2 of a scheduled 5 round bout will begin Tuesday at noon as the Commissioners are implying their only choice is to approve the Powderville Incorporation. We strongly disagree and urge the commissioners to stand up for the Constitutional rights of their constituents and say "Hell No" to our greedy neighbors. We are certainly not holding our breath as the county will likely be on the wrong side of a pending, lengthy legal battle, and we are betting Powder Mountain will not tapout anytime soon.
Don't miss the latest update compliments of our friends at the Weber County Forum today, and don't miss the unveiling of the new Powderville Mayor. Could it be "Dr. C?" (Alvin Cobabe), Ogden Valley Planning commissioner Jamie Lythgoe (granddaughter of Dr. C)? Rickie Stearman?
The next episode of our evolving soap opera should be exciting - arrive early for what is sure to be a packed house.
Just when we thought it couldn't get any better....
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