The Watonga City Council met in special session Tuesday evening. There were two items on the agenda, approval of the NODA/REAP affidavit of completion and the process of finding a new city manager.
The NODA paperwork was to seek reimbursement for moving a radio repeater from north of town out to the Y intersection of Highway 270/281 and Highway 33. There was a grant offered for approximately half the $80,000 cost, but the completion paperwork had not been sent in since the project ended in 2024.
Council member Neal Riley asked for more information on the project. “I want the money back,” he said, “But I need some accompanying paperwork.”
Fire chief Robert Daugherty said he was unsure of the completion date, but Mayor Ryan Bruner found a date of December 19, 2023 on the file he had.
When council member Roy Hampton also admitted being a little confused, a sentiment echoed by council member Debbie McGee, the matter was tabled until all the information was compiled and the request approved at the regular meeting, set for August 19.
The discussion then moved to filling the vacant city manager’s seat. Street and alley department head Justin Woldridge is acting city manager until a selection is made.
The city had previously considered hiring the OMMS – Oklahoma Municipal Management Services – to assist in the search, but some council members balked at the $12,000 price tag.
Riley asked if there had been any success in contacting another head hunting group to do the job. Bruner said the city attorney had reached out but received no response.
Hampton wondered if the search through OMMS would accept only applicants from outside the city, but was told the opening would be posted on the website Okmms.org – and anyone could apply through it. Riley also suggested running an advertisement in the newspaper.
Council member Howard Hursh asked Bruner whether he had ever worked with OMMS. Bruner said no, but pointed out that when Watonga changed from mayor-council government to the managercouncil format, OMMS had located an interim manager, Larry Mitchell, who served until a full time permanent manager was hired.
“We tell them what we want, it’s fair and open to everybody. But we have to decide what we want, then decide if we can afford what we want,” Bruner said.
He also said the city is under no obligation to pay the out of pocket expense for applicants to come visit the town, although it could if so desired.
McGee asked how quickly the position could be filled. Bruner said the process could move very quickly once the contract with OMMS was signed and an initial meeting held with the director, Steve Whitlock, was held to outline the job requirements.
Riley provided a copy of the job description and desired qualifications he had taken from another town’s job posting. There ensued a discussion about the position summary, minimum qualifications and what education was preferred.
Riley pointed out the swiped description was not set in stone, but simply a possible guideline of what one tailored to the city of Watonga might look like.
After talking about what the job could entail, Bruner said “I’d be happy if we could find someone with all those qualifications for $62,000. We may have to be flexible.”
“We are flexible,” Riley quipped back. “It can always go down.”
In the round, the council decided to approve the contract and resolution to put OMMS on the search for a new city manager, hopefully with a short turn around time.