On Monday, Alicia Washington, Kevin Lundell and incumbent Council member Ken Richey were all sworn in at a special ceremony in the council chambers of the Ogden Municipal Building.

Absent during Monday’s induction ceremony was Council member-elect Flor Lopez, who was on a trip outside of the country and unable to attend. She will be sworn in at 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 13 ahead of the day’s City Council work session. Outgoing Council member Angela Choberka will hold on to her seat until Lopez is sworn in.

Following the oath of office, the three council members took their seats and were invited to speak.

Washington said that, going into Monday, she’s been reflecting on the meaning of the word “community.”

“I am so proud to be a part of this community, but also to be in community and to continue the work that I do in a greater capacity,” she said.

Richey said some things really haven’t changed from the first time he was sworn in.

“Four years ago when I first was elected, it was a little bit intimidating not knowing what I was getting into, entirely,” he said. “Here we are four years later and it’s still intimidating knowing what I’m getting into for another four years.”

Lundell said Ogden’s diversity is ultimately one of the city’s greatest strengths.

“Sometimes, people don’t get us from the outside,” he said. “But when you put it together, it’s something that’s really, truly beautiful, and in my opinion, that is Ogden’s super power — it’s its diversity in thought, it’s its diversity in people.”

Following the ceremony, he told the Standard-Examiner that Monday was an exciting day.

“I think Ogden ushered in change with the last election with big victories by myself, Alicia Washington and Flor Lopez — although she wasn’t here today,” he said. “I think it’s exciting to see how that change will get implemented in the future.”

Richey told the Standard-Examiner that the work begins almost right away.

“There are a lot of issues facing Ogden,” he said. “As soon as we turn the New Year, we always start thinking about the budget, there’s a lot of work that goes into the budget and making sure enough money is allocated to the right places and moving Ogden in the right direction. There’s a lot of great things going on. There really is a lot of positive momentum in the city and I hope we can continue that.”

Washington told the Standard-Examiner that there was a lot to celebrate on Monday.

“What a beautiful day for the community to come together and celebrate the City Council and us as a community and the momentum that we’re building to build a better Ogden together,” she said.

The Ogden City Council is set to meet with its new makeup tonight (Tuesday).