The Guthrie Public Works Authority, City Council and the Guthrie Industrial Development Authority all met for their regular scheduled meeting Tuesday evening with all three needing an Executive Session for business.
The GIDA was the last group to be called upon as they met for an executive session and upon returning asked City Attorney Randel Shadid to file a lawsuit in District Court against Excel-Jet, a Monument, Coloarado based company. Read more on the suit.
In the public comments portion of the GPWA, Mayor Chuck Burtcher honored Guthrie High School’s Landry Chappell and Bryan Dutton for their accomplishment of winning state championships last year in wrestling. Read more on their honor.
Next under public comments, Kathy Saunders spoke about the ducks and geese that were taken from Mineral Wells Park from a non-profit wildlife rescue without making contact with anyone that they were taking the animals.
Saunders, who came up to City Hall after watching the ducks topic on television in the City Council Workshop, told the council that someone placed a call to Wild Care of Norman, a wildlife rescue center, about their concerns of the animals not having water in the park’s pond.
City councilwoman Patty Hazlewood was disturbed by the group for not asking anyone first from the City before taking the ducks from the city park. However, City Manager Matt Mueller told Guthrie News Page that the ducks leaving may benefit them.
“The group was evidentially acting on a complaint from a citizen and to my knowledge, was not contacted by the City. I don’t know that it is really a bad thing as the drought has significantly affected their habitat,” Mueller said.
“While we probably could have benefited from a higher level of communication, I have no doubt that the group was acting with good intentions and without malice. Once we get through the drought, I am sure that waterfowl will return to the area and there will be ducks and geese in the park again,” Mueller concluded.
“They would not take them ever without being asked,” Saunders said. “They did not just come up and grab our ducks. The geese will come back once they are taken care of and are released. They always come home.”
In the GPWA business portion of the meeting, all items were approved unanimously in the consent agenda including: claims and minutes, approval for the Waste Water Treatment Plant to solicit bids for the rehabilitation of the secondary clarifier, approved McAlester Fence Company for $24,217 to contract Municipal Services Facility Chain Link, approved Fleet Maintenance Department to solicit bids for oil change services, authorize city staff to contract with Aetna to continue providing dental and life insurance coverage along with medical for city employee’s in the fiscal year of 2o12 and approval of a lease agreement between Managed Print Service with Standley Systems for citywide lease and maintenance services of multifunction devices.
The GPWA adopted the 2012 fiscal year budget for the general fund, GPWA fund and miscellaneous funds.
In the City Council portion of the meeting, the council reappointed Shadid as City Attorney by a vote of 5-1 after meeting in executive session. Hazlewood was the lone council member to cast a no vote.
Councilwoman Ellen Gomes was not present.
In other council business, all consent agenda items were approved unanimously including: minutes of the Special City Council Budget, Special City Council Workshop and Regular City Council meeting, claims, appointed Lewis C. Robinson to the Guthrie Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, re-appointed Gary Weeks to the Guthrie Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, approved agreement between Jacobs Engineering Inc for land use and park planning for Liberty Lake, approved Fleet Maintenance Department to solicit bids for oil change services, authorize city staff to contract with Aetna to continue providing dental and life insurance coverage along with medical for city employee’s in the fiscal year of 2o12, approval of a lease agreement between Managed Print Service with Standley Systems for citywide lease and maintenance services of multifunction devices, declared the vacant lot located at 409 South First Street as surplus property and authorize staff to sell property by closed bid or by auction and was granted approval to apply for the Oklahoma Emergency Management Grant for Safe Room funding.
In resolutions, the council adopted the 2012 fiscal year budget for the general fund, GPWA fund and miscellaneous funds.
Maybe they can be brought back from Norman and taken to Highland Park??? (Which the city probably should’ve done in the first place so they could stay in Guthrie…)