Council Meeting is Warm & Fuzzy

This week's City Council meeting had such a warm and fuzzy feeling to it that attendees were pinching themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming. All that was lacking was a chorus of Kumbaya. And the room was packed to the walls with people standing out in the hall.

The council voted unanimously to offer a compromise solution to the current controversy with the airport authority; Councilman Larry Parham complimented fellow councilman Terry Ryan on his handling of the issue, and even invited City Manager Bill Galletly to partner up in an upcoming charity golf tournament, with Parham paying all expenses.

Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls read a letter from resident Ben Hynam that commended the city manager for his work the past two years and urged reconciliation among residents.

In the discussion on the airport/risk matter, Council voted 3-1 with Gary Bishop abstaining and Parham voting nay to disregard the current proposal on the table from the airport authority which would carve up various pieces of the airport, some going to the city, some remaining with the authority.

In a new motion, council voted 5-0 to co-title a portion of land on the northeast corner of the airport and value it at $100,000; issue a letter of understanding to the authority that the property is a "significant asset" alleviating concern that there are no substantial assets left with the authority; the city will rescind a previous vote to resign as the beneficiary of the trust and deny further approval of funds to the airport; and the airport authority will deed and title all other property to the city 100%. The removal of the $83,000 note from the Purchase Order Registry was also accomplished.

The motion included the fact that a response from the Authority was expected by Thursday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m. in order to be put on the agenda for the next Council meeting March 7.

Parham said he wanted to commend Councilman Ryan for his handling of the matter and said "I feel the city should have had title to the land from Day One. If it will better the city and airport then we should act on it."

Troy Kyman, an airport user, said we have "lost focus, we've had a communications breakdown between the council and airport authority, driven by passion on both sides.
We need to focus on the risk issue," he said.

In other action:
The Council voted to fund the American Heritage Festival with a $15,000 appropriation through the Grove Industrial Development Authority by a 4-0 vote with Mayor Nuckolls abstaining; approved the assignment of the Cox Cable TV franchise to Cebridge Acquisition Co. LLC; and unanimously approved a motion to support an upcoming Civil Air Patrol Campout and Young Eagles Rally on May 5-6 at the Grove Municipal Airport.
Council also voted to table for 60 days a proposal to rename Highway 59 from Sailboat Bridge to Leisure Lane "Freedom Blvd," and get procedural input.
Council also endorsed the city's participation in the 18th Annual Oklahoma Trash-Off set for April 8.
The only issue that Council could not agree on was regarding the advertisement signage at the Beauchamp Baseball Field, presented by Bret Bouher, Grove High School baseball coach. Council voted 3-2 to table the issue until details can be worked out on how to handle the revenue, with Councilmen Bishop and Parham voting not to table.

Assistant City Manager Debbie Mavity announced that Grove, for the first time ever, would host the statewide City Managers Summer Conference July 12-14, with 60-75 city managers from across the state attending.

Larry Parham announced that the benefit night for Ed Kraft, Grove policeman who is undergoing cancer treatment, raised more than $20,000 last Friday night, and offered Galletly an opportunity to be his partner in Sunday's Ed Kraft Benefit Golf Tournament at Patricia Island Golf Club.
Galletly said that with his golf skills, "you need to be ready for a long day." The format is a two-man scramble and golfers that wish to sign up can call the golf course at 786-3338.