Last week in updates from Meeker Town Hall, my name was listed as one of the properties that had been cleaned up as “O” in the list. I really do not appreciate being listed as someone who has been successfully forced to clean up, mow, etc., by the Town of Meeker.
Chris and I own several properties in town and have been cleaning up, remodeling and improving properties for several years now, only in Meeker. We do it because we want to help Meeker clean up and raise values, not because we are forced by the Town of Meeker. We have pride in our properties and want them to be attractive and to improve each neighborhood where each property is located.
As we have been able, we have upgraded and improved all of our properties, but we do not have a lot of heavy equipment or big crews, so it may take us longer, but we are always working on one of them.
We have put new roofs on approximately 12 properties. We have completely remodeled several and are in the process of remodeling several more. We do a lot of the work ourselves or have very capable people help us. We have taken several houses in town and cleaned up the yards and try to keep them cleaned up.
I got 12 tires out of the yard at 320 S. Koonce when we got it. My three daughters have also taken properties in town and have improved them or are in the process of doing so. My son is doing the same thing with properties in Shawnee that he has acquired.
I may be wrong, but to me it seems like over the past few years we have done nothing but work to help make Meeker a more attractive town and help bring up values overall, not junk up or trash properties. None of what we have done was because we were coerced into it by the town of Meeker. We want to do it anyway.
So, I would appreciate the updates from Town Hall articles not making us appear to be lazy and that we have to be forced into improving our properties.
One more thing: Since Meeker replaced the sewer line down the alley in the 300 block between Koonce and Culver, the sewer may be better, but the job was not finished. The residents that have to use the alley have had to deal with baseball size chunks of rock on the south end and mud on the north end for months.
The alley was not returned to its former condition, graveled and at least, all-weather traversable. The condition of this alleyway is more important, and should be, than playground equipment. I have contacted the city and the county and each one puts it on the other entity as their responsibility that they have shirked.
I believe that the sewer line job is not really done until the alley is as good as it was before the sewer line installment and should be completed. Especially, before it is bragged about in the newspaper to be one of Meeker’s accomplishments in the recent past.
Beverly Bowen
Meeker