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Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski delivers the State of the City address at Copper Nickel Events Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

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People dance after Wednesday's State of the City address Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski greets attendees ahead of the State of the City address Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

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Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski tosses T-shirts into the crowd at Copper Nickel Events following his State of the City address Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

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OGDEN — Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski’s presentation of the State of the City address Wednesday night quickly turned into a celebration of the city.

“I see a whole room of winners,” he said, enthusiastically greeting the large crowd assembled for the address at Copper Nickel Events. “I see a city of champions built by champions. Every person in this room is a champion. Every person in this room has given their blood, their sweat and their tears for this city. That’s what makes us great.”

With food, a live band, dancing, a performance by Ben Lomond High School’s Bagpipe Corps, T-shirt tosses and dozens upon dozens of people clamoring to get photos with Nadolski, Wednesday’s State of the City event appeared more pep rally and campaign event than political tradition. However, unlike the usual campaign event fare of lofty goals and promises that may or may not ultimately be met, Wednesday was a chance to tout where promises are being fulfilled and describe the work ahead.

‘A paradigm set around people’

During his speech, Nadolski called the state of the city “impeccably strong.”

While discussing the accomplishments of the previous year, he said there was a very distinct theme for the evening.

“It’s a theme about people,” he said. “It’s looking back at the year that we had and how we put people first and how we made it happen and how we’re going to use that to spring forward into our future.”

One area Nadolski noted as an example of putting people first was the Ogden-Hinckley Airport.

“If anybody pays attention in this city, you would know that the airport has been a little bit of a challenge,” he said. “It’s been more than a challenge, you guys. It’s been the hardest thing we’ve worked on since I became mayor.”

He said it was one of the first things he began working on after winning office in 2023.

“The next morning, the very first phone call I made was to Rep. Katy Hall, who had run the legislation that tipped off and started the legislative audit that would inform our future at the airport,” he said. “I thanked her for that audit and I asked her, ‘Where do we begin?’ That’s how long we’ve been working on it, it was the first thing. And we begin with people. It always comes to people, and we were, shall I say, enemies at that time.”

Over the past year, the airport has seen a new director brought in, the return of commercial airline service, the beginning of a major terminal expansion and the arrival of fixed-base operator Avflight.

Nadolski said that has also been accompanied by a major shift in how the city approaches those who utilize the airport.

“We are joined tonight by a number of airport users and stakeholders who used to be not friendly,” he said. “They are our closest friends and closest allies today because the paradigm has changed. It’s no longer us telling you, it’s us asking you, ‘What do you need to succeed?’ It’s a paradigm centered around people.”

Nadolski also touched on his first 100 days in office, the ongoing construction of the Marshall N. White Community Center, breaking ground on the WonderBlock, reconstruction of 20th Street, getting the ball rolling on a brand new general plan for the city and moving forward on a new water line to the city.

Building hope in challenging times

Nadolski noted that, for all of its successes, the last year wasn’t devoid of challenges — especially for many youths in the community.

“We have to act deliberately,” he said. “There are kids in our community that are struggling. We can celebrate every accolade that we win all we want, but no number and no accolade means anything if we aren’t recognizing the challenges of our families and our future — our youth. We have to understand that we’ve got families in this city that are struggling to put food on the table, struggling to find hope.”

He said a conversation he had with the Black Student Union — now the Urban Student Alliance — at Ben Lomond High School highlighted the need for the community to lift its youth up.

“They said, ‘Mayor, the number one challenge is that our student body is losing hope,'” he said. “There are too many people among us — too many kids and too many families — that are losing hope in their future. I believe that we can win, but we do have kids that don’t, and that’s a shame. Shame on us. It’s up to all of us to wrap our arms around those children and make them be seen.”

Nadolski also brought up a more recent challenge — last Saturday’s construction site fire — and how the city’s first responders met it.

“We rushed downtown, again, not wanting to be a distraction because the men and women of Ogden Fire were pretty busy,” he said. “What I encountered was the perimeter. What I encountered was the men and women of the Ogden Police Department protecting the people because the heat that was coming off the fire was so great. They had already backed up the perimeter because it was going to hurt people, melt cars, etc. An enormous crisis unfolding. I went to every perimeter that I could reach and talked with the officers. You know what they told me? They said, ‘Mayor, you wouldn’t believe the heroics of your fire department.’ Our police department, the men and women of OPD, bragged about our firefighters. They said, ‘They are the best. You wouldn’t believe what we’ve witnessed today.'”

He said this was the epitome of what makes Ogden City what it is.

“As we watched them surround that fire and put it out, they kept it from burning down our downtown,” he said. “They are as good as it gets, and that is why the state of this city is strong.”

The Ogden way

Looking ahead, Nadolski said it’s imperative to create a city of service and a community of opportunity.

“‘The Ogden Way’ is more than a slogan,” he said. “It’s an ethos. It’s a spirit that’s within us. The Ogden Way is also a framework, a framework that allows all of us to work collaboratively all towards the same goals. No more competing with each other. No more fighting with each other.”

He said the focuses of the coming year will be seven principle pillars that make up the Ogden Way: safety, lifelong learning, stable neighborhoods, a vibrant economy, strong infrastructure, healthy lifestyles and meaningful connections.

“In 2024, we set a standard, we set an expectation,” he said. “I’m here tonight setting a direction. In 2025, we’re going to set the table so we can set a baseline for our city. When we set that table, I promise you, in 2026 and beyond, we are going to set record as a community.”

To view a replay of Wednesday’s State of the Community, visit https://www.youtube.com/live/-LrYrOwnBmc.