In a regular meeting that could challenge the record for brevity, the Watonga City Council worked through a variety of topics. The speed with which they were accommodated was credited to a new agenda format. That format, used by other public service entities such as school boards, allows the council to pass the consent agenda as a whole, while still providing council members with the opportunity to pull out single items for discussion, should they so choose. In the instance of the city council under the new format, the claims – bills presented to the city – and the minutes of the previous meeting are part of the consent agenda.
The council next heard from Dacia Phillips of RS Meacham, the city’s accounting firm. The financial report showed that three months into the fiscal year, the city is hitting its financial goals. Those goals are to have revenues at 25 percent of the annual budget or above, while expenditures should be at 25 percent of the annual budget or below. City income from all sources is hovering close to 30 percent, with expenditures at 24 percent.
The light and water department showed an income at 40 percent of the projected yearly income, which Phillips determined was because of a hotter than average summer. City Manager Karrie Beth Little noted that this was the first summer the Lucky Star Casino was using power the entire summer, which could also contribute to the above average income.
The city also received grant funds from Northern Oklahoma Development Authority for a mapping program, a Federal Emergency Management Authority grant from the Rhea fire, and a forestry grant of some $10,000. This excludes the grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration for work on the airport. That $2,039,850 project is winding to a close.
In other business, the council agreed to permitting for a new double wide mobile home at 602 S. Burford. There had previously been a mobile home at the location, but it was removed more than six months ago, and a new application had been made to planning and zoning in keeping with city ordinances. Planning and zoning had recommended the council approve the location, and the members agreed.
The council also agreed to release the first payment to Inman Excavating for the work it has done on the sewer line project at the intersection of highways 33 and 281. The payment was $105,310.
The city also accepted the proposal from Clean Slate Solutions Drug and Alcohol Testing LLC to provide those testing services for employees. The locally owned company will test employees at random, as well as conduct pre-employment, post-accident and Department of Transportation testing.
Council member Adam Tock was slightly surprised – in a good way- at the rate for the service, about $50 per test.
“Wow,” Tock said. “That’s a screaming deal!” Mayor Bill Seitter commented he had worked with Clean Slate when he was serving as school superintendent and found the business responsive, affordable and easy to work with.
In order to streamline administrative paperwork, the city passed a purchase order for $176,000 to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oklahoma. This allows administrators to simply pay the insurance premiums as they come due, rather than having request, prepare and have signed a purchase order each month. That could, from time to time and depending on the date of the council meetings, cause the payment to be late, resulting in fees to the city. The earmarked money represents the health insurance benefit for city employees for nine months.