The Watonga City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening.
In response to a move by council member Neal Riley, the city proclaimed April 24 as Arbor Day in the city, the first step in gaining Tree City status. That status will make the town eligible for free trees from the Arbor Day Foundation each year and, Riley hopes, begin the work to replace the broken, dead or dying trees on public property and install new shade trees at the city parks.
The council also fielded the insurance renewal for city employees. As with everything else, the rates have increased, and the council had to decide whether the city would continue to pay the same portion is has or pass the increase – 11.88% - on to the employee. There is no substantial change in the coverage provided.
The council agreed to continue to pay the same percentage as it previously had for the employee, with each party seeing a slight increase in costs.
With the budget process in full swing, City Manager Leroy Alsup warned the council that income projections remain flat. That consideration became evident when Weatherford based Wright Media made its proposal that the city continue to underwrite the cost of live streaming the football and basketball games from Watonga High School.
The station offers 1,000 30-second spots to the city for its use. Alsup suggested the spots be split with 500 showcasing the school facilities and academics, and the remainder promoting events such as the Cheese Festival or the Kiwanis trail rides. The cost to the city is $6,950. Students in the broadcast program at the high school do much of the filming and teachers or coaches usually provide the play-by-play.
The council agreed to the proposal, with the caveat that the city may not sign the new contract if the budget process finds it is no longer an affordable option.
The same held true for a proposal from the Friends of the T.B. Ferguson Home that the city contribute $30,000 toward the cost of a museum director and a docent. The matter was taken under consideration and the proposal will be included in the budget process, with the understanding that there may not be sufficient income at the city level to make that allocation.
In other business, the council approved renewing the city contract with Weatherford to handle dispatching duties for emergency services at an annual cost of $53,647. This has been the arrangement since Blaine County discontinued its own dispatch service.
Council also approved a change order from BRB, the company constructing the wastewater treatment plant. This change is to account for a pipe the plans specified as powder coated that had been installed as non-coated conduit. Public Works director Justin Woldridge said the life expectancy of the non-coated pipe was shortened by only five years, and when it needs to be replaced in about 20 years, it is a simple replacement.
BRB offered a cost reduction of $35,000 that the council agreed to. The project has come perilously close to consuming its entire contingency fund and the deduction will help cushion that account.
Council also heard and approved a proposal for a 2.7% increase in garbage collection rates. That increase is in the city’s contract with Veteran’s Waste Solutions and is tied to the consumer price index issued annually by the federal government. The price hike will cause residents to pay about $21 per poly cart. The city can consider new collection services in the 2027/28 budget cycle.