The Meeker Town Board Monday night voted to move forward and put in place a Trust Authority by authorizing its legal counsel to contact a trust attorney and have the issue on the August agenda.
Town Administrator Dickie Walton told the board the Public Works Authority and the Growth and Development Authority are both trusts. “I want to do it for Meeker,” he said.
The town’s attorney James Hodgens said, “Normally such a trust is tasked with economic development and it consists of five members. Those are usually a member of your council and four business people in the community.”
Hodgens further explained, “A trust can purchase and sell property and also borrow money without a vote of the people. You can associate with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce,” he stated.
He advised the board there are entities that can provide the trust with resources to help with economic development.
The attorney suggested the board could call it the Meeker Industrial Authority.
Walton said he had spoken already to OG&E and Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative about it.
Board member Donna Weber said, “Sounds like a win-win situation to me.”
Board member Rick Hill echoed her comments, “It’s a win-win deal.”
Weber made the motion to authorize Hodgens to contact attorney Allan Brooks in Oklahoma City and Board member Richard Coleman seconded it and it passed 5-0.
In other action, the board voted unanimously to waive the prohibition against alcohol consumption of intoxicating liquor in public for a specific event of Oct. 3 this year for the Pumpkin Festival. Walton said at this time the Growth and Development Authority have it tentatively planned for that date.
Board members also agreed to take no action on changing the Itinerant Venders permit application requiring a $500 Surety Bond payable to the Town of Meeker to cover any damages arising from conduct of a vendor while conducting the sale or exhibit in the town as stated in the Code of Ordinance book.
The board voted 5-0 to table action until the August meeting on doing anything with the amount of the Occupational Tax levied relating to the sale of alcohol in the Town of Meeker.
Sandy Hemingway of the Shed restaurant in Meeker read a letter she had written to the board members and also addressed them claiming the $500 tax exceeds the amount of the ABLE Commission.
She said Prague just charges $50 for the original fee and $25 for renewal. Hodgens told board members Stroud and Chandler charge the same amount as Meeker and Walton noted several businesses in town that sell beer and wine already have paid their $500 this year.
After some further discussion, Mayor Aaron Head suggested the board table the issue and the other members agreed.
On reopening of City Hall for rental to organizations, the board unanimously decided to wait until Jan. 1, 2021 to rent it, pointing to the considerable costs to have it cleaned before and after an event as one of the reasons.
Former board member Jeff Eulberg spoke to the members regarding dilapidated houses. He mentioned he and another former member Rita Ballard pushed to clean up the town and indicated he thought that effort had slowed down a little bit.
He talked about several locations he thought needed some attention. However, he also praised the police and the board for their efforts to continue moving forward. He further acknowledged, “Police are doing a great job.”
Walton stated, “We’ve done nine dilapidated houses in two years with zero budgeted for that,” as he pointed to and named the those locations. “Some property owners are easy to work with, others are more diffi cult,” he added.
He also echoed Eulberg’s comments, saying, “the police are doing a great job.”
In other business, following a brief executive session, the board voted to deny a claim brought by Foshee and Yaffee Attorneys at Law concerning some kind of traffi c violation. Walton said prior to the meeting he could not be any more specifi c than that.