The Meeker Town Board, during its most recent meeting, gave the go ahead for a bicycle and horse trail at Meeker Lake with the signs to be posted by Jan. 1.
Brandon Lowe, who said he was raised and grew up in Meeker, first addressed the board during its September meeting about the proposal. He advised the board members at that time, “We had it (the bike trail) in 2017 but it got taken away by the horses. Now there are no horses either. It would be nice to have that, do a community agreement,” he noted.
“We could alternate between bikes and horses,” he suggested to the board, and he let the Trustees know he and a group he was representing were willing to clean it up and groom it.
During their October meeting, Dawn Weaver spoke to Trustees briefly about the proposed bicycle and horse trail at Meeker Lake. Weaver said she represented the horse interests and suggested an “odd and even day system.”
“I think it’s a great idea to have both. But I think an odd and even day system is better than a weekly system,” Weaver told the Trustees.
Last week, Lowe once again was present at the board’s monthly meeting, and reaffirmed, “the bike people are all for doing a big work day.”
Trustee Mike Orman made the motion “to do it,” and the board gave the nod for the bike and horse trail, advising Lowe, “they go ahead and beginning cleaning it up.”
Town Administrator Jeff Wilbourn informed the Trustees he had attempted to set up meetings with both groups to no avail, but the groups seemed to be in agreement.
Lowe asked that the bicycle riders have the odd days.
Trustees heard a presentation from a Generation Citizen class at Meeker High School who proposed to have a community pool constructed in Meeker, pointing to the benefits to local citizens and surrounding communities.
High School Juniors KimberlyBynumandErica Cline addressed the board, as members of their class and their instructor Pat Hargis were there, as well. They noted that what they termed “a rough estimate” to build the pool could be upwards to $200,000.
However, they pointed to the Prague pool which they said makes nearly $200 a day and is open for five months. They said based on those figures that pool generates nearly $30,000 annually and that a local poolinMeekerwouldbring “a hometown feel.”
They also listed possible sources of revenue they could find in the way of grants to help pay for the pool’s construction.
Orman told the students “to embrace it” and all five Trustees seemed acceptable, concurring with the students’idea and proposal. Trustees pointed out the two main concerns for the students’ proposal is a location and funding, telling them, “those are the two major hurdles.”
In other business, the Trustees: Approved the regular meeting dates for the calendar year 2023 for the Trustees, the Municipal Planning Commission and the Meeker Municipal Court.
Agreed to allow city hall to close on Dec. 23, 2022 for the Christmas Holiday with employees taking a day of their accrued leave.
Heard a presentation on the 2021-2022 audit which was unmodified, the best a community can receive.
Voted to declare several items surplus to be destroyed.
Were advised by Wilbourn thattheannualMeeker Christmas Parade will be at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3.
Later, meeting as the Public Works Authority, the Trustees approved a new three-year contract with Central Disposal for the collection and disposal of residential, commercial and industrial waste.
The contract also calls for an additional two renewal periods.
They also approved allowing only poly carts at residents’ houses and no longer offering dumpsters to residents.