The council adjusted the ordinance regulating amplified sound from the Barker Park Amphitheater after listening to residents who live near the park. Sean Casey, who said he is a sound expert, urged the council to not make decisions regarding the sound restrictions without understanding the sound terminology used in the ordinance. He said the sound from the amphitheater could potentially be heard throughout the city. Randy Win said “I don’t think Sean is exaggerating…” The council later asked Casey for his recommendation in adjusting the ordinance.

Casey said to change DBA to DBC and to reach out to universities to do a study on the sound output from the amphitheater. The council changed the terminology in the ordinance. They also incorporated a clause to revisit the ordinance once the amphitheater’s permanent sound system is installed. Swanson said he would like the city to do a study using data from the first performance with the permanent sound system installed so they can better determine what sound levels are appropriate for the park.

City attorney John Call said the city will not rent it to non-city sponsored events until there are permanent speakers in place. He said at that point “We [will] know where the dial is and where the peak sound is.” He said however, they need something in place before the 4th of July and the city play so they don’t violate our ordinance.

Aaron Christensen said he adamantly believes the amphitheater doesn’t belong there. He mentioned Leonard Grassley, a world renowned landscape architect, who made plans for Barker park and did not incorporate an amphitheater of this scale into the plan according to Christensen. He said it was meant to be an environmentally friendly park where they would preserve the natural hollows and the wildlife would not be driven out. Christensen said there have been claims that sound will be kept in the bowl as much as possible. Todd Whiteley said his house is directly in line with the front of the amphitheater. “We will take the biggest impact of that sound.”

Several residents expressed their gratitude for the council listening and apply the suggestions community members gave. Sean Casey said this shift to DBC is a massive shift. Randy Win, thanked the council for being sensitive to the community. Aaron Christensen said it seems they are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and they should have dealt with these problems earlier instead of dealing with them retroactively.

 

Firework ordinance

The council amended an ordinance to adjust the firework boundary to 3300 N to give a larger buffer to prevent fires on the hillside. Councilman Blake Cevering said he was uncomfortable with 3550 N as the boundary. Councilman Ryan Barker said the fire department wanted a consistent boundary from Pleasantview to North Ogden but was ok making the change.

 

North Ogden Junior Posse

Royalty for the North Ogden Junior Posse is Queen Jamie Rasmussen and All Around Cowboy Lex McCormic. Cadence is the second princess just turned 8 and her sister Mckaybree competed last year and won the county contest. They invited the council to attend the Junior Posse Cherry Days on July 3 at 6:00 in the North Ogden arena.

 

Agreement with Double Ott Ranch

The city council is buying 6.6 acres for 1.32 million dollars. The developer will help build improvements in lieu of paying impact fees. Call said they need to maintain the property around the detention basins with either sprinklers and grass or stone work to keep weeds from encroaching. He said since the grass is already there, they figure it is also a good space to use as a park or a recreational facility. The council is holding off on approving this agreement. Councilman Phillip Swanson said he wants to wait until July 10 before they move forward one way or another.

Political signs

The council considered allowing small political signs to be posted in the park strip in front of established homes. Councilwoman Cheryl Stoker was not supportive of the action since it was previously discussed and they already went through a lot of debate on the subject.

 

RE20 zone changes

The council approved the recommended changes for RE20 zones after Rob Scott the city planner gave recommendations for additional standards. He said the maximum height would be 35 ft for RE20 zones. Scott Love said he agree to the proposed amendments to put an end to 4,000 sq ft warehouses.

 

Other items

The council discussed the purchasing policy.

Cevering said he noticed some of the roads that go into the mountains don’t have signs that say ‘no motorized vehicles’. Mayor Brent Chugg asked for him to bring a list of all the roads that need signs.