If it was a last ditch effort to avoid angry citizens, it didn’t work. Making them stand outside city hall in sweltering heat and wait for the building to be opened five minutes before the meeting began had not happened before. Neither had having an emergency response team of Oklahoma Highway Patrol on hand, or having the team leader let those waiting know they would brook no nonsense once the meeting began.
When the doors opened, each head was carefully counted. The meeting room was packed, every seat filled and some standing in the open spaces. Eventually the same state trooper allowed more chairs brought in.
All this took place while the city council was in executive session, discussing the employment of Karrie Beth Little, the embattled city manager. She had been manager for about four years, but the rumblings of discontent about that management had grown into a full-blown howl of outrage from the residents and some council members. The matter was brought to a head by simultaneous disclosure of the proposed contract for Little’s continued employment and the discovery of a deceased animal and abominable conditions at the city dog pound facility.
Judging by the discussions going around the room during the hour and a half the council was sequestered, there was small hope that anything would change. It was anticipated the contract would be approved and the discontent would continue.
So it was with surprise that the seated assembly heard the announcement that the returned council was entertaining the question of a separation agreement – basically to let Little go. There was stunned silence as the council voted unanimously to approve the agreement, ending her employment and appointing Justin Woldridge as acting city manager. Woldridge is the director of the streets and alley department.
Once the vote was counted, the council returned to business as usual, with one exception. The mayor, Ryan Bruner, addressed the audience. He thanked Little for what he described as her hard work and dedication to the city. He thanked the city staff and its first responders and reminded the residents it has been a time of trial for the elected officials, many of whom had only been on the council 90 days. He asked the people encourage and support the city employees and asked them to consider volunteering. “Commit to make the change,” he said. “We commit to do good for Watonga.”
One of those opportunities to volunteer came from Adam Lovitt, who explained the work of the planning and zoning committee and the board of adjustments. Lovitt said the city wants stricter compliance with planning and zoning, which is responsible for looking at the town as a whole. It considers what might do well in certain areas, and learning where the town wants to grow. It works on a comprehensive five to-10-year plan, looking at future land use and zoning for that land.
The committee is made up of five residents who must live within the city limits, and it recommends regulations such as building heights, setbacks and lot size to the city. The members are appointed by the city council. The council then has the authority to accept or reject the recommendations.
The board of adjustments is slightly different. It too has five members, appointed by the council. It addresses code appeals and zoning exceptions, such as operating a business in a residential neighborhood. Those seeking a zoning variance come to the committee and plead their case in a public hearing.
“Both planning and zoning and the board of adjustments are crucial as we look to the future,” Lovitt said.
The city council will accept letters of interest from the public for seats on either group until noon on August 4 so that the volunteers may be reviewed and selected before the next meeting.
The council also wrangled with some weightier issues. One was an agenda item to accept a quote from CivicPlus to rewrite the city codes and ordinances. Many of those are either outdated or refer to the old form of government. State statute requires city codes be updated every two years and reissued every 10. Watonga has not kept up with that schedule.
The cost of $25,146, however, was objectionable to council member Neal Riley. “It seems like an awful lot,” Riley said.
City attorney Jared Harrison explained this recodification would be much more substantial than the every-other-year revamp, because of the change of government types. “I’m afraid it would take more of my time than that,” he said. “It’s going to be a heck of a job.”
Harrison did, however, offer a solution. There are other firms that can field the work, but the city had asked CivicPlus because there was already a working relationship between the two.
The matter was tabled pending more quotes being supplied.
The council also tabled filing an affidavit of completion for a NODA/REAP project because no one was able to determine which project the affidavit referred to.
Lastly the city ended its real estate listing and sale contracts with Stewart Real Estate because they designated Abstract and Guaranty as the title company. Neal Riley owns that company and would profit from the city business, a clear conflict of interest. The issue is that Abstract and Guaranty is the only such company in the county and therefore the only viable choice. However, the city attorney said he was researching a work around that would satisfy all parties while negating conflict of interest concerns.