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City Council holds August meeting

The Cherokee Development Authority meeting of August 26, 2020 was called to order at 6 p.m. Mayor Karen Hawkins led the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation. Roll call was performed; all members were in attendance. David Collins made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 12, 2020 meeting, and Adrienne Wessels seconded. The minutes were approved.

Claims were presented; Lance Miller made a motion to approve the claims, and Collins seconded. The claims were accepted.

Tracy Reed of RS Meacham presented the July 2020 financial reports. Cash balances and income were both increased during July despite the drop in oil and gas activity and the business effects of Covid-19. Wessels made a motion to accept the report, with Jeremy Hickman seconding; the motion carried.

The CDA discussed and considered approval of Resolution 2020-007, which will allow the City to submit police and fire department salaries for reimbursement from the Cares Act and the Coronavirus Relief Fund. By designating all public safety personnel costs as “substantially dedicated” to the Covid-19 response efforts of the City throughout the ongoing state of emergency, we are approved to be reimbursed for those salaries up to a cap of $114,000. Wessels made a motion to approve the resolution, and Miller seconded the motion. The resolution was approved.

Since City Manager Mike Jones was on annual leave, City Clerk Amber Wilhite presented the City Manager’s Report. Ms. Wilhite distributed a report showing that the Corrosion Inhibitor Program has been very effective, and the results are good.

The August 2020 progress report on the City of Cherokee Water Master Plan was distributed. Guernsey contracted with RJN to perform acoustic leak detection tests. RJN found five leaks, which have all been fixed. The fire hydrant near the school needs repairs, which will be done soon.

Water tower inspection of the North Water Tower was completed on August 13. We are still waiting on the official report, but the inspector was overall happy with the tower and did not report any urgent problems.

Miller made a motion to adjourn, and Wessels seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 6:10 p.m.

The Cherokee City Council meeting of August 26, 2020 was called to order at 6:10 p.m. Roll call was performed, and all Council members were in attendance. Wessels made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 12, 2020 meeting, and Miller seconded; the minutes were approved.

The claims list was presented. Hickman made a motion that the claims be approved, and Collins seconded the motion. The claims list was approved.

Reed of RS Meacham presented the results of the July 2020 financial reports. Sales tax revenues are ahead of the budgeted amount, which is a good sign. Revenues and expenses are keeping in line better than was expected. Wessels made a motion to accept the report, with Miller seconding; the motion carried.

In the absence of City Manager Jones, City Clerk Wilhite presented the City Manager’s Report. Jones had a positive exposure to COVID-19 on 8/9/20. Although he has tested negative, the Oklahoma Department of Health recommends anyone with a positive exposure to quarantine for a period of 14 days following the exposure. Working from home, Jones was able to attend the online City Manager’s Association of Oklahoma conference last week. He is currently on annual leave, and will return on Saturday, August 29.

Maintenance on the 2013 Chevy Colorado has been completed.

The City has received a $500 grant from Main Street to pay for the City Hall signage and emblems that have already been installed.

The air conditioner in the Cherokee Police Department Tahoe has been repaired at Croft; the vehicle is now at K&K to repair body damage. The City received a check for $2,348 from insurance for the body damage. K&K quoted a price of $1,497.65 to repair the damage, leaving a balance of $850.37. Depending how much the graphics cost, it is being considered to use the excess monies to have graphics on the Tahoe updated to match those on the new police vehicles. The new vehicles have an expected delivery date of mid-October.

City Clerk Wilhite attending online training on the 2020 NODA REAP Grant, and via Zoom attended the Governor’s conference on additional CARES funding. The City of Cherokee has just over $114,000 available of CARES funding available. This money can be used to reimburse all public safety salaries and benefits (police and fire department) from March 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020.

The City has one CD for $250,000 that matured Monday, August 24; the City has ten days from maturity to update the CD. We also have 10 other CDs for $102,500 each; all CDs are held at Gateway First Bank. Amber will be looking for the best rate for renewal.

The City Pool is open only on weekends since school has started. There are still private parties and private swimming lessons taking place. The pool will be drained at the end of August.

In new business, Collins mentioned that mowed grass is ending up on the street in many locations; there is an ordinance prohibiting this practice. There is a property owned by Perry Sciava on West Main Street where a car is stacked upside down on mattresses, creating a hazardous situation. This property is zoned as industrial, not commercial.

The City is attempting to sell the old elevator; there is some dispute as to who actually owns the elevator, which is why it has not been mowed recently.

There was no new business. Collins made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded by Wessels. The motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

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