Meeker’s Town Board, meeting as the Public Works Authority, voted unanimously this week to increase the fees on water taps, water meter taps and sewer taps.
The water tap fees initially will begin at $400 per tap, water meter tap fees will start at $400 per meter tap and sewer tap fees will begin at $200 per tap, the Trustees said.
Each of the fees could be amended without further notice depending on the cost of supplies to install the taps.
Town Administrator Jeff Wilbourn explained that the increase was needed due to the rise in cost of supplies and materials.
Prior to Monday night’s action, the water tap fee was $200, the water meter tap fee was $200 and the sewer tap fee was $150.
The Authority approved the emergency clause meaning the increases will go into effect immediately.
Also meeting as the Authority, Trustees voted to seek a new rural infrastructure grant through a program started by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and the Department of Environmental Quality.
Lindsay Roland, ORWA Program specialist, made a presentation during Monday night’s meeting explaining the program.
She advised the Trustees the program offers up to $100,000 in funding per project, funding 80 percent of the project cost and the other 20 percent would be matched by Meeker through dollars or in-kind contributions.
The Authority also approved paying OMAG the premium for liability insurance renewal in the amount of $2,601.50.
Meeting as the Board of Trustees, they approved a new application for a Central Oklahoma Economic Development District REAP grant to purchase fire protection equipment.
They also voted to have Mayor Donna Weber, as the Town’s chief elected official, to sign the documentation for the REAP grant.
According to the application, the Town plans to use the grant to purchase two used pumping apparatus. The application seeks a grant of $60,000 with the estimated cost of the pumping apparatus $82,000. Meeker will use $22,000 from its General Fund to make up the difference.
Before approving all of the that, the Trustees voted to rescind the actions they took during a special Sep. 28 meeting where they approved seeking a REAP grant for water and sewer improvements.
In other action, the Trustees voted to approve a donation from the Thomas Gilcrease Foundation of two checks for $10,000 each totaling $20,000 for the Meeker Police Department.
Then they voted to purchase a 2022, 48 volt electric golf cart for the Meeker Police Department for $9,800 to be paid for from the Thomas Gilcrease Foundation donation.
Trustees, without going into executive session, voted unanimously to change Delanya Wolford’s title from Librarian to Director of Library. It was explained this was just a title change needed mostly due to grant issues.
The mayor explained, “All the grants ask for the director to sign. There’s no other change of duties,” she added.
The board heard from Dawn Weaver, who 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.”
Weaver told the Trustees, “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.”
During the regular September meeting of the Trustees, they heard from Brandon Lowe about opening up a trail for bikes. Lowe, who said he was raised and grew up in Meeker, told the board, “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.
Wilbourn said he had a meeting set up with both groups but it didn’t happen yet. “We still need to have that meeting,” he advised the Trustees.
They took no action Monday night. Trustees also heard from Nancy Dunn who addressed them about a deserted house at 122 N. Decker, across the street from her residence.
She said roaches were migrating from that residence to across the street, and it looked like containers of chemicals are outside.
Meeker Police Officer Wade South advised that a notice had been put on the house, but that it is still owned by someone and “We can’t just go get those and take them.”
It was explained the owner still has the rights to that house and an abatement process would be needed.
Dunn said, “I’ve even called the police on that house cause there was someone over there the other night.”
Wilbourn said, “It ultimately falls back on the owner.”
The Trustees’s legal counsel Jim Hodgens suggested, “she can initiate a complaint with the police department and I’ll sign off on it.”
Trustees took no action. Trustees also approved a remodel permit for Lee Spurgin, 515 Loy Street in Meekre, to add on to the existing structure.
The board approved paying $8,723.50 to OMAG for the liability insurance renewal premium.