Mayor Janet Wampler

2026-Q2: Looking Back, Moving Forward
By Mayor Janet Wampler - 11 July 2026
​
Summer is now in full swing, and with the second quarter behind us, I've been reflecting on just how much our community has accomplished together over the past few months. Building a city from the ground up isn't glamorous work. Much of what happens takes place behind the scenes, but those efforts are what create a strong foundation for the future. Over the past three months, your City Council, volunteer staff, and community partners have been hard at work putting that foundation in place.

The second quarter is always one of the busiest times of the year for any city because it's when municipalities prepare and adopt the annual budget. For Ogden Valley City, however, it was especially challenging. We managed two separate budget processes while navigating Utah's Truth-in-Taxation procedures and defending our city's right to participate in that process. Throughout it all, we remained committed to being open and transparent. We held numerous public meetings and hearings, including more than required by law, and kept residents informed through public announcements, newspaper articles, our website, and local media. While our legal case continues, we'll keep protecting the city's interests and keeping you informed every step of the way.

At the same time, the everyday work of managing the city's finances never slowed down. We completed cash flow analyses and audit activities, paid off our initial bank loan while securing additional financing for future needs, pursued new grant opportunities, fulfilled the state's fraud prevention requirements, and continued managing taxpayer dollars responsibly.

One of our biggest accomplishments this quarter was adopting the city's new Land Use Code. This was months in the making and involved extensive public input, collaboration, and careful review. Completing the code before the end of June allowed the Council to repeal the development moratorium, which means we are now processing land use applications under a clear, consistent, and predictable set of regulations. We deeply appreciated the hard work of the Planning Commission to get their recommendations to the City Council. We also completed impact fee studies, adopted updated fee schedules and construction standards, established operating procedures for both the Planning Commission and Land Use Authority, and strengthened our permitting and code enforcement process through a partnership with Beacon Code.

Our Public Works efforts continued to focus on building the systems every successful city depends on. This quarter we adopted a Floodplain Ordinance, Road Maintenance Plan, Public Works Standards, and an ordinance prohibiting engine braking within city limits. We also developed the scope of work for a Transportation Utility Fee, should future financial conditions require it, and continued regional discussions about wastewater management and future service districts.

Public safety remains one of my highest priorities. Through careful financial oversight, we reduced our Fiscal Year 2027 contract costs with the Weber County Sheriff's Office while continuing to review daily call logs to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately. We adopted a civil citation ordinance that gives the city greater local control over parking enforcement, participated in emergency management trainings, and worked alongside our public safety partners in responding to the Middle Fork Fire and several tragic incidents that affected members of our community. We also adopted updated fireworks and fire prevention ordinances that better align our local regulations with state law and the Weber Fire District.

Behind the scenes, we continued building the administrative systems every new city needs. We implemented electronic signatures to improve efficiency for our distributed workforce, recruited additional volunteers (including candidates for Treasurer), established a municipal internship program, and finalized contracts with Beacon Code, Eden Valley Trails, and the Weber County Sheriff's Office. We also negotiated franchise agreements with Comcast and Enbridge, adopted insurance claims procedures, expanded our city's website, and continued developing the city's long-term vision and organizational structure.

One of the things that continues to impress me most is the willingness of our residents to step forward and serve. We worked alongside our Agricultural Advisory Committee to ensure our new land use regulations preserve our rural heritage while supporting local agriculture. Councilmembers helped the Naming Committee partner with Weber State University to complete a citywide naming survey, bringing us another step closer to selecting a permanent city name. We also established a new Dark Sky Committee to help preserve one of Ogden Valley's greatest treasures - our incredible night skies.

Keeping residents informed continues to be one of our highest priorities. During the past three months alone, we held more than 25 public meetings, conducted over 150 office hours, hosted eight district town hall meetings, and responded to countless phone calls and emails. We also continued sharing information through our website, mailed notices, email updates, newspaper articles, and by staying active at community events, business openings, and July 4th celebrations.

Outside of City Hall, I continue representing our community on several regional boards and organizations, including the Weber Area Council of Governments (WACOG), where I serve on both the Housing and Solid Waste Subcommittees; the Wasatch Front Regional Council's Joint Policy Advisory Committee (WFRC-JPAC); the Weber Fire District; regional Olympic planning efforts; and the Utah League of Cities and Towns. Those partnerships help ensure our community has a seat at the table as regional decisions are made.

As we move into the third quarter, our pace will not slow. We expect to bring the city name forward for a Council vote and complete the remaining steps in that process. We'll continue evaluating opportunities to bring additional municipal services in-house when it improves efficiency and lowers long-term costs. Thanks to the $175,000 Transportation and Land Use Connection (TLC) grant awarded by the WFRC, we'll also select a planning consultant and begin several important long-range planning efforts. These include updating our General Plan, developing the city's first Transportation Master Plan, drafting a new Village Zone and ordinance, creating a Transferable Development Rights (TDR) ordinance, and making additional updates to our Land Use Code as needed.

In addition, the following major planning efforts will move forward: Storm Water Master Plan, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Plan, Moderate Income Housing Plan, annexation mapping, and the Fiscal Year 2026 financial audit. With the development moratorium lifted and impact fees now in place, development applications will be moving through the new review process. Depending on the outcome of our current litigation, we may also begin implementing portions of our Road Maintenance Plan and Transportation Utility Fee.

Building a city from the ground up is challenging work. It takes thoughtful planning, difficult decisions, long hours, dedicated volunteers, committed workers, and residents who care enough to stay involved. Many of the accomplishments I've shared aren't the kinds of projects that immediately catch your eye, but they are creating the financial, legal, and operational foundation that will support this community for generations.

Thank you for your continued trust, your engagement, and your willingness to help shape our future. It is an honor to serve as your mayor, and I'm excited about the progress we're making together. I look forward to sharing even more with you in the months ahead.

Mayor Janet Wampler