Agency Histories
Ogden (Utah). Parks Department
Prior Names
Abstract
Biography/History Notes
Prior to 1907 parks and public grounds had been overseen by a sub-committee of the city council. In March 1907 the State Legislature passed a bill requiring cities of the second class to establish a board of park commissioners "for the purpose of giving more time, care and attention, to beautifying and parking the public grounds, streets and sidewalks of cities of the second class." Commissions were to consist of three members appointed by the mayor with consent of the city council (Laws of Utah, 1907 Ch. 112). In the city council meeting of 20 May 1907 the mayor presented three candidates for appointment to the board and the council approved the appointments, creating the Board of Park Commissioners (City Council Minutes, 20 May 1907).
In 1912 Ogden City changed from a council form of government to a commission form. Each commissioner was responsible for overseeing various departments in the city. Since one of the commissioners was to oversee parks, the commissioner and the Board of Park Commissioners had overlapping duties. In 1914, with the State Legislature was considering a repeal of the 1907 law creating the boards of park commissioners. With passage of the repeal seeming certain, the Ogden City Council accepted the resignation of the park commissioners on 9 March and the board ceased to exist, leaving a city commissioner to oversee the operation of parks in the city as Superintendent of Parks and Public Property.