In a much anticipated Watonga City Council meeting, it was business as usual, which is what many residents turned out to see.
The evening began with a reception for the newly elected council members, four of them, and the former mayor who ended her short tenure.
The new members were sworn in by the city’s attorney and then got down to business.
The first item requiring a vote was the selection of a new mayor. Council selected Ryan Bruner, the lone incumbent, to serve in that capacity. Debbie McGee, who represents Ward# 2 was selected as vice mayor.
Following the approval of the claims – requests for payment – against the city and approval of the minutes of the March 18 meeting, the new council looked at the financial statements from R.S. Meacham. As the meeting fell on the federal tax filing deadline, there was no representative from the company on hand. The city manager ran a slide show and gave a broadbrush overview of the various departments’ financial health.
The contractors for the wastewater treatment and drinking water nitrate removal plant had issued a request for payment, which had been approved by the engineers. The newly seated council, in one of its first official moves, voted to approve the payment of more than $1.3 million.
But the evening had other large requests in store. In September, the previous council had approved a contract for dirt work at the Watonga Regional Airport. The work is the beginning of an apron and partial taxiway project, required before the larger improvement project can get underway.
That contract was to Stuever Dirtworks for more than $1.5 million, which the council approved. Likewise, they approved the first payment to Stuever for $ 60,030.50. That payment request had the green light from Parkhill, the project engineer.
In all, the four meetings held back to back were concluded in less than a half hour, although council members and the general public remained in the building to visit.