The first play at the new Barker Park Amphitheater sold out four of the six nights it was performed according to Mark Daniels, the director of the play Once on this Island. Daniels said the sound was below the City’s required level and there always seemed to be a few extra parking spaces each night. Parking and sound have been two frequently discussed issues during previous council meetings.

Daniels said he instructed the cast and crew to park their vehicles at Wadman Park and walk to the amphitheater from there to make sure attendees had plenty of parking. Daniels also said he instructed the cast to be respectful of the views surrounding the amphitheater, be good citizens, and be mindful of the neighbors. Greg Young, who participated in the production with his family said, “The director told us to respect the neighbors and friends who are in opposition to the amphitheater and abide by the city ordinances.”

Aaron Christiansen who has been in opposition to the amphitheater said parking wasn’t a problem except for one car that parked on the resident’s side of the street the first night. He also said there was great participation, the sound levels others reported on were accurate, but it was still loud.

Peggy Barker said she attended the play and wished it was louder where she was standing near the back. She said it was hard to hear some of the characters.

Daniels said there were 160 community members who helped make this production happen and he described it as “extremely successful.” He said he feels like it is time to have a summer program sponsored by the city similar to the city sponsored soccer program. He said their budget was $19,997 and five thousand dollars of it was sponsored by a RAMP grant. The remainder of the budget was funded by the city with the understanding the city would be paid back. Daniels said they made a ten-thousand-dollar profit after they paid back the city.

Other residents who attended the meeting voiced their concerns revolving around the new amphitheater. Scott Hinrichs said he and Cami Hinrichs were cast members in the production and he wants to make sure the amphitheater is managed and doesn’t end up vandalized like some of the benches in the park. Greg Smith said he thinks it is cool to have a summer play but “there are other needs we have in the community.” Rod Barker said he thought the amphitheater should have been scaled smaller, but he is opposed to tearing it down.

Barker Park agreement

Later in the meeting, the council discussed the agreement that will limit the number and size of events held at the amphitheater. They discussed potentially allowing up to three events per week for 400-800 attendees, and one large event per month with less than 1,200 attendees.  The council decided to revisit the agreement over the amphitheater on Aug. 14 when all council members will be there to weigh in their perspectives.

Special exceptions for cul-de-sac standards

The council approved an amendment to make special exceptions to extend cul-de-sac length to 750 ft. The planning commission drafted the amendment which included specific criteria required to approve an exception. Rob Scott, the City Planner, said the city will approve cul-de-sac length extension only if there is not a reasonable option to connect it to another road. Also, the change needs to make sense with the entire city, and those hoping to qualify for this exception must go through the application process with the city.

Youth City Council

Ritchie Armendes, Hope Elmer, Kate Hepler and Kilee Coleman were sworn in as the new Youth Council after. Turner said every Monday 20-25 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors participate in service projects.

The City Museum

The council discussed how to help the volunteers at the North Ogden Museum manage a raccoon problem, remove weeds, and clean out the gutters on the roof. The council suggested involving the Youth City Council, suggesting it to be an eagle scout project, or posting the service opportunity on JustServe.org.

Other items

The council accepted phase one of the Woodfield farms subdivision. The council approved the Stone creek subdivision conditional acceptance. The council accepted the annexation petition for the Mackley’s  2.94 acres.

The council discussed waiving the fence requirement along the boundary of lots within the Northhampton Estates subdivision located at approximately at 2650 North 1350 East. They discussed the steep decline drainage channel to the canal and they are trying to decide how to keep residents safe. Homeowners and developers are usually the ones who decide to put a fence up. The council talked about how property rights are important but there are some very legitimate safety conditions.