Mayor says there is more to do

Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey spoke as a guest for the Ralph Nye Lecture Series on Thursday February 5 at Weber State University. Godfrey is a graduate of Weber State University where he received his bachelor's degree in finance and his minor in Spanish. Afterward, he went on to receive his master's degree in professional accounting. During his time at WSU he was actively involved as a member of the Track and Field team and was recently inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame. As a lifetime resident of Ogden, Godfrey has a passion for the city and is the youngest Mayor in its history. He was first elected in 1999 and has since been recognized as one of the driving forces behind many of the changes that have come to Ogden during the last decade. Though Godfrey never planned to run for Mayor, he was motivated to do so after he experienced some of the challenges of living in Ogden in the 1990s. Following graduation, Godfrey obtained a position at Iomega and was asked to move repeatedly despite his desire to stay in the city. "It was at that time that I realized I would not be able to have gainful employment in the Ogden area if something didn't change," Godfrey said. He went home to his wife and they discussed the possibility of him running for office. "I said, 'Well I can sit around and complain about it or I can get involved and make a difference,'" Godfrey said. Though he thought a win was unlikely, he said he believed that at least it would force a discussion about what needed to happen in the community. Godfrey's vision for Ogden resonated with voters and he was elected into office. With the goal of revitalizing Ogden, Godfrey set out to embrace Ogden's existing strengths while bringing the change necessary to re-energize the city. Godfrey explained that Ogden's identity used to be centered on being "the old railroad town." While that worked well in the past, the trends in transportation changed significantly during the late 1950s. Ogden's once prosperous days dwindled and the city saw a steady decline during the next forty years as train travel diminished greatly. Godfrey and his team believed that a new identity had to be shaped in order for Ogden to flourish once again. This meant focusing on the unique things that Ogden has to offer that set it apart from the rest of the world. "We have this unique historic urban core with unparalleled access to recreational opportunities," Godfrey said. Focusing on the high adventure and recreation experiences available, the redevelopment of downtown Ogden began. "We knew we had to clean up downtown," Godfrey said. "We had to clean up the core, create activity and bring new jobs into the area." This task required aggressive plans, many of which faced opposition. Godfrey remained focused, however, and many projects have already seen great success. The Solomon Center on Washington Blvd has attracted numerous people from out of town as well as the surrounding community. 60 acres of redevelopment downtown have been completed with plans currently underway for an additional 150 acres. Many of the plans are centered on showcasing and expanding Ogden's recreational opportunities. Activities such as rock climbing, bouldering, mountain biking, ice climbing and golfing are readily available to Ogden residents. Fans of kayaking can take advantage of the two rivers and two kayak parks within five minutes of downtown. For those interested in skiing and snowboarding, Ogden is ideally located within 25 minutes of two world-class ski resorts. "Powder Mountain is the largest ski resort in the country, which is a little known fact," Godfrey said. "Snowbasin is one of the best resorts in the world." These resorts and Ogden's location have attracted more than 20 ski companies to relocate to Ogden to be close to the sport. "We have more ski companies in Ogden, Utah than any city in the country," Godfrey said. "We've become the hub of the ski industry." Ogden's revitalization has garnered national media attention with dozens of articles appearing in publications such as Sunset Magazine, Ski Magazine, Outside Magazine, National Geographic Adventures, and many more. Ogden is highlighted as being one of the top cities in the country for recreation. Throughout all of this progress, Godfrey shared what pushed him to succeed. "The reason that I ran for this office," Godfrey said, "was because I grew up in this area and I love Ogden. I think this is a terrific place to live." WSU business administration senior Joe Clayton said he is impressed to see the many changes that have taken place in Ogden. "It's amazing to watch how it's changed," he said. "I like a lot of the sports that they are promoting so it's exciting for me to see this happen." WSU business administration junior Breck Smith said she was also encouraged to hear about the direction Ogden is going. "Mayor Godfrey did such a great job of conveying the amazing things that are happening in Ogden," Smith said. "It would be great to see more people appreciate Ogden for what it is." Godfrey expressed that he alone is not responsible for all of the progress Ogden has seen.