Watonga City Council met in special session Tuesday evening. It was considered a special session because the date deviated from the annual calendar issued in December. The date change was so that the city budget could be approved and sent to the state auditor within time limits set by statute.
As an annual bit of housekeeping, the city renewed multiple contracts with various entities. They included Clean Slate Solutions for drug and alcohol testing, Harrison and Mecklenburg as city attorneys, the judges for municipal courts, the Watonga Community Theater Group and the Friends of the Ferguson. Contracts were also approved with the school district for Huff-Lorang Park and Mercy Clinic.
The contracts are reapproved annually even if there are no changes because by statute a city or town is not able to enter into a contract for more than one year so as not to saddle incoming council members with a deal they do not wish to maintain.
A single contract was pulled from the consent agenda, that being with Google/SADA for email and data services. Instead of an annual agreement, the city elected to exercise the month-to-month option. While that choice comes with a higher monthly price tag, it is also severable with 30-day notice. The city wanted that ability because it is going to change to Microsoft Suite for its email and data services. Microsoft is more commonly used and will dovetail with the needs of the city. The price is comparable, with Microsoft coming in slightly cheaper than Google.
The city also declared a utility vehicle as surplus. The mule-like buggy has been unused for the last eight years and was stored at a local business. The business owner, who operates a lawn care company asked about purchasing the vehicle. In order for that to happen, it had to be declared surplus first.
Moving ahead with the capital improvement plan, a 200 kilowatt generator was ordered to power City Hall in the event of a protracted power outage. That size is sufficient to run the building and cost $93,975. There is a generator at the old city hall building, which now houses the police department, but it will remain in place to keep the lights on in the PD and fire departments in the event of an emergency situation.
The council blew past appointments for the planning and zoning committee and the board of adjustment, because there there had been no applications for the open slots on those boards. It did appoint Patt Curtin to a one-year term on the library board to fill out the unexpired term of Melanie McCrary. Curtin had served on the board previously and had asked to be reappointed.
A purchase order request for WarCon was approved as well. That is the company the city has tapped to build a home on Weigle Avenue near the Christian Church, which donated the lot to the city. The city also authorized City Manager Karrie Little to approve pay applications and remit payment to WarCon.
The pay request was for $24,500 with an estimated $9,000 due at a later date. Once the home is completed, it will serve as a show home for two months, then be sold at a moderate price.
The council members also approved the purchase of the property at 116 E. Third Street, the second half of the housing lot being used for the WarCon/Zona Verde home. There is an uninhabitable home on the lot, which will be demolished. The odd-sized lot is a very good fit for a second Zona Verde home with a single bed and bath. The cost of the lot was $7,000 and the money was earmarked from the sales tax fund.