Daily admission for the aquatic center will increase by 50 cents when it opens in May. Parks and Recreation Director Tiffany Staheli said the rates were last adjusted in 2012. They are also planning an increase in rates for season passes which will take effect on Oct. 1, 2019 when they begin selling season passes for 2020.
The budget
As the council prepares to approve the budget in June, they are still looking for ways to fund a full time parks event coordinator, a resource officer for public safety, and provide 401K benefits for city employees. Councilman Blake Cevering said he thinks the 401K is non-negotiable and it might be time for the city to have a tax increase after 14 years of not having one.
The water rate will increase by $2.50. The storm water rate will stay at $11.53 per month for residential customers.
The council might raise the age to purchase tobacco products
The council is considering increasing the legal age of tobacco sales from 19 to 21 in North Ogden before the State mandates it in 2021. This wouldn’t make possession of tobacco products illegal for 19 year-olds. A resident could drive to a neighboring city, purchase tobacco products, and bring them back to North Ogden without a problem. Councilman Phillip Swanson said this would be more about sending a message. The city of Lehi adopted this change recently which prompted this discussion. The state legislature is increasing the age to 20 in 2020 and then to 21 in 2021. Councilman Carl Turner and Councilwoman Cheryl Stoker thought it would be best to follow the state instead of restricting sales before 2020 and 2021.