The Stroud City Council chose Charles Palmer as the next city manager while also issuing a special award to Stroud Police Officer Brent Berry at its regular meeting on Oct. 8.
The Council convened an executive session to discuss the new city manager after listening to a presentation from Oklahoma Municipal Management Services on their services for providing help with candidate searches.
When they returned, the motion was made to hire Palmer at an annual salary of $85,000, with an effective start date of Nov. 16. The motion passed 3 to 2, with Gary Babinec and Jeff Stiner against.
Earlier in the meeting, Police Chief Clint Gaylord presented the Lifesaving Award to Ofc. Berry for helping an elderly man who had a cardiac event on Aug. 11.
“Without hesitation, Officer Berry recognized the seriousness of the situation and began performing CPR. While Lincoln County Deputy Mark Kelly retrieved an AED, Officer Berry continued his life-saving efforts. Together, Officer Berry and Deputy Kelly worked tirelessly until emergency medical personnel arrived and took over care. Their quick actions and willingness to step forward during a life-threatening emergency made a difference when every second mattered,” Gaylord said.
He continued that the individual later underwent heart surgery, was released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Council approved a three-month trial on adjusting Friday hours at City Hall. The office will now be open from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. In three months, they will reassess and decide whether to continue the hours or adjust accordingly.
Current City Manager Bob Pearman said that Fridays are very slow, with most of the business coming in during the mornings. He said they were also down one employee. He suggested a three-month trial until they could find another employee or change their minds to see if it would work. After hours calls will continue to transfer over to dispatch.
The Council also voted to close down Main Street between 1st Avenue and 6th Avenue for Trick or Treat on Oct. 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Oct. 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for the Homecoming Parade.
It also approved a grant application for the Rural Economic Action Plan Fund for $108,000 for the fire department and the accompanying resolution. The funds will be used to purchase 14 sets of bunker gear, 25 sets of wildland gear, 25 helmets and boots. Additionally, the Council approved a surplus, Christmas hams for employees and firemen and a request to rezone 102 E 1st Street from commercial to residential.
The Council voted to remove a resolution adopting an official social media and public communications policy for the City of Stroud from the agenda with the plan to bring it back later.
The Stroud Utilities Authority met following City Council to approve the consent agenda, which included minutes from the previous month’s meeting, payment of purchase orders/claims, payment of special purchase orders/claims and approval of financial statements.