North Ogden, Utah

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 and canning plant, which helped increase the area’s population. It also caused a high demand for potable water. As a result, North Ogden incorporated in 1934; later becoming a city in 1950. Today, it’s a community with a full range of amenities and is the ideal place to run a business or raise a family. Scott Hess has been the city’s Planning Director for approximately six months and grew up in the area, working all along the Wasatch Front. He describes North Ogden as “a very nice, ‘destination’ community and a great place to work. As a community we’re in this beautiful mountain setting, but we’re also close to many job opportunities, despite not really being a job providing center. It’s a community of neighborhoods that’s an amazing place to live, work, and raise a family. People who grew up here tend to come back with their own families because the quality-of-life is so high. We’re a few miles drive off Interstate 15, without a major freeway or transit line. People choose to be here; they don’t find themselves here by accident.” With the population growing 10 percent over the last two years, there are many reasons for the 21,000 residents to choose North Ogden for their home. The excellent Weber School District is one. The city and the school district have a great partnership, and even though Hess’s department isn’t responsible for the district’s planning, he’s kept up-to-date on developments like selecting future school sites. Since the city’s population is steadily rising, the school district has been proactive in purchasing property. According to Hess, “We now have a few future school sites embedded within future neighborhood areas. It’s important we’re prepared because our location in Northern Weber County tucked into the Wasatch Mountain range means we share services with the communities of Harrisville and Pleasant View. This includes our education system; we have kids from those cities attending our schools, especially the Junior High and High Schools.” NORTH OGDEN, UTAH