Ogden City Council approves amendments to align with HB261

OGDEN — The Ogden City Council unanimously approved ordinance amendments to align with HB261, or the ‘Equal Opportunity Initiatives’ bill on Tuesday.

According to the release, council members unanimously approved ordinance amendments impacting advisory board regulations and the city’s Diversity Commission to align with the bill passed by the Utah State Legislature in 2024.

“The amendments reflect Ogden’s commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and engaged community rooted in unity and service while complying with new state requirements,” a release stated.

HB261 was a controversial bill passed in January of 2024, which ended most state-sponsored diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in their current form. HB261 was passed, with the intention of expanding programming to all people, regardless of factors such as race. The traditional focus of the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs was those from marginalized groups.

Changes in approved amendments

The Ogden City Council renamed the Diversity Charter as the Ogden Community Engagement Charter, “reaffirming the original values, mission, and vision, while acknowledging the need to adapt to new legislative requirements.”

The Mayor’s Office of Diversity Affairs was renamed as the Office of Community Engagement.

Key changes in the approved amendments include:

• Removal of diversity requirements: The amendments eliminate the requirement for diversity related to personal identity characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, and other factors, from advisory board regulations.
• Limiting service extensions: The changes restrict the time a board member may serve beyond their expired term to no more than six months.
• Alignment with state legislation: These amendments ensure compliance with HB261, which prohibits institutions of higher education, the public education system, and governmental employers from engaging in practices based on personal identity characteristics.

The release stated that technical corrections were also made to the charter, including grammatical and structural updates to the ordinance.

“It’s important to note that there is no language that has changed in the actual charter itself,” Ken Richey, council chair for Ogden City Council, said.

Changes to the Diversity Commission Ordinance include:

• Revised membership criteria: Removal of requirements related to specific expertise, advocacy experience, community involvement, and personal identity characteristics.
• Prohibited practices: The commission will be prohibited from engaging in practices deemed discriminatory under HB261.

Marcia White, the Council’s vice chair, said that the council discussed how important the amendments were.

“I believe that these changes will actually allow us to expand and be even more inclusive to everyone in Ogden,” White said. “I appreciate the opportunity to see a new light, rather than just being mad about the change, as I was in the beginning.”

The charter was established in 2016, and was envisioned to help Ogden foster a more engaged and welcoming community.