New Hotel Announced at Shangri-La

A new 160-room hotel and condo development at Shangri-La on Monkey Island has been announced by Peter Boylan, owner, including new meeting and conference facilities, restaurant and bar, wellness center, spa, pool and fitness facility.

Boylan said the developer is a Texas company which put together the Las Colinas Four Seasons Resort, site of the Byron Nelson PGA golf tournament each year, and has some 15 other hotel properties in its portfolio.

Target opening date is summer 2008 and "will define a new quality level never seen before on Grand Lake," Boylan said.

City's Financial Audit Finally Completed

The City's annual financial audit for fiscal year 2005 was presented by Carlson & Cottrell, CPA's to the Grove City Council at this week's meeting, with a letter dated Dec. 22, 2005 which called for more internal control over financial reporting, pointed out competitive bidding requirements for projects of more than $25,000, and recommendations on trustee bank accounts. Otherwise, the city is in good financial shape, underspending its budget by $900,000 while taking in $373,000 more than anticipated.

The report, presented by Ron Cottrell, was late, he said, because he had moved his office to Grove and "got behind." This caused a delay in reporting to the state auditor which caused about $1500 in gasoline taxes to be held up in payment to the city.

Regarding the internal control matter, he recommended that the city implement procedures to ensure that capital assets are properly recorded in the detail subsidiary records and general ledger control accounts, in a timely manner, and that periodic reconciliations of the detail be performed to ensure that all assets are properly recorded.
The city has acquired new software with a fixed asset module which should correct the problem, he noted.

His report also noted that GMSA paid two different vendors more than $12,500 each on the White Building sewer/gas project with one being in excess of $25,000, with no documented approval by the board of trustees for such expenditures, and formal bids "were not solicited for the project." The report recommended that solicitation of competitive bids be carried out for the benefit of the city or public trust. In March, this project was the basis for a bid-splitting conviction, a misdeameanor, for the city manager. He is appealing the jury decision.
The report noted that city management has amended the city's purchasing policies and procedures to bring them in line with state statutes and will be "more diligent in our purchasing practices to help ensure that we comply."

The Dec. 22, 2005 letter to the city manager also noted several management observations and recommendations, not significant enough to put in the Audit Report. These included ownership and title to land at the airport, which has since been resolved; trust bank account activity should be recorded on a monthly basis as the trustee statements are received; principal payments on long-term debt should be recorded as the payments are made to reduce the debt balances in the general ledger; and better procedures and controls over Municipal Court citations should be instituted.

Carlson made it clear to the council that his firm had found no embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, or fraud in the three years his firm had audited the city.
"The city has made tremendous improvement in its financial reporting the past three years," he said.

Council Takes No Action on Legal Counsel

(Above, Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls presents an award honoring Jim Reiling at Employee of the Month, at this week's Council meeting. Reiling is gas foreman in the utility department.) (At Top, the city's only bridge rated "deficient" by an engineering firm, located on Main Street over Spring Creek Branch).

The Grove City Council and its attorney spent an hour and a half in Executive Session at Tuesday's meeting but took no action on either item. Council discussed, according to the Agenda, a pending claim directed to the City Council in the form and substance of a Taxpayers' demand for recovery of public funds, and a discussion of the Grand Lake Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #171 negotiations as authorized under state statutes.

Honored as Employee of the Month at the meeting was Jim Reiling, Gas Foreman in the utility maintenance department.

Council agreed to waive the standard $1,000 per day rental fee for the Northeast Oklahoma Kenel Club's annual dog show, and authorized a grant application for the Grove Fire Department for the purchase of a new rescue truck with the city paying 10% of the cost; also included was hiring of new personnel under the SAFER Grant which allows the city to budget additional full time employees for four years, with the city paying 100% of the cost for the fifth year and thereafter.

Council also approved $2,000 for foundation design for a "Welcome to Grove" sign at Sailboat Bridge, and declared Saturday, April 8 as "YMCA Healthy Kids Day." Council also heard a report from city manager Bill Galletly on the city's bridge inspections from Kelly Engineering & Associates, Inc. which showed only one of the city's bridges structurally deficient. This bridge is at Spring Branch Creek on Main Street north of Highway 59. Estimated cost to fix it is $270,000, according to Kelly Engineering.

A presentation from Ron Cottrell of Carlson & Cottrell, CPA's was made to Council regarding the city's annual financial audit (see separate story).

An Editorial...Stop the Civic Center Giveaway

Everyone wants to use the Grove Civic Center and pay nothing for it, judging from the parade of people petitioning the City Council each month. Last year's rental income was $14,500 and expenses were more than $100,000. This year will be worse. Users get free rent and the taxpayers get the garden hose.

The Grove Industrial Development Authority needs to get a handle on a user study of the Grove Civic Center building. How much rent to charge, which groups get free rent and which don't, etc. Many of the trade shows using the facility charge admission fees or registration fees to make a profit, and then ask for free rent for the facility. This adds to their profit at the expense of the city.

The Civic Center costs money to heat, cool, clean, manage, and keep up. If the city wants it to be a charity case, then declare it so and charge no one rent. Otherwise, come up with a plan. It seems to us that if the event charges admission and generates income, it should pay rental; non-profits that use the center and don't charge admission should get free rental.

At this week's Council Meeting Travis Taylor appeared for the Northeast Oklahoma Kennel Club seeking three free days rent, or $3,000, and stated that some 1100 dogs would be in the show. He did not state the cost per dog for the registration fee. This show has traditionally paid rent to use the center in the past.

But Council is in a giving mood these days and so all you have to do is show up and ask for free rent and they will grant it. Hello Taxpayers, get ready for the soaking.

Grove Airport Has Cheapest Gasoline

Attention all pilots: Grove Municipal Airport is the best place to purchase gas in the South Western Region, according to the website GlobalAir.com. Fuel (100LL) was selling at Grove for $3.15 per gallon this week, according to airport manager Terry Abercrombie.

By comparison, the regional average was $4.10, of 46 airports surveyed.

In Fayetteville, 100LL was $3.94; at nearby Grand Lake Regional on Monkey Island it was $3.85; in Okmulgee it was $3.38; at Bartlesville it was $3.43; at Branson-Springfield it was $3.94 and at Jones Riverside in Tulsa it was $3.25. The highest price we could find in the region was at Dallas Love Field's Business Jet Center, at $5.76 for 100LL.

Sale of fuel at Grove Municipal Airport is the main source of income at the airport.

The Canine Corner...by Missy MacTavish

Well now we know the best time for a Tornado to sneak up on us…Saturday night. After watching TV and endless hours of logos, crawls, interruptions and their SuperViperWarnMaxDoubleDribblers2 radars the past few weeks, a tornado snuck up on Tulsa last Saturday night near the airport and smushed a motel.
There were no warnings because the weather people take Saturday night off. This is when they go out dancing and partying and no one is in the TV studio except for a couple of technicians who push buttons. So, people, you are on your own Saturday nights. You will just have to look out your doors and windows to see if a tornado is coming.
The weather people's union contracts don't allow for working on Saturday nights anyway. In fact, there is a tiny logo at the bottom of the weatherman's screen that says: "Not responsible for Tornadoes on Saturday night." You probably haven't noticed it because it is very small, but I, with my great vision, can see it. It is also true that I have great instincts and can predict tornadoes. So if you hear me barking Saturday night trust me, one is coming.
Maybe I can get my own TV weather show. I would be known as the Fearless Forecaster and could stand in front of the weather map so you couldn't see it, like the real guys do. I would explain highs and lows and the adiabatic lapse rate.
Until next time, be kind to each other and Bark On. Miss Missy.

This Week's Opinion Poll--The Jail

The Delaware County Jail is continually overcrowded. The only long term fix is expanded jail space. Commissioners are discussing two methods of raising the money, property tax increases or an increase in sales tax, both of which could be temporary.
Please vote your preference as follows:

Put "Property Tax" in the Subject line. Or,
Put "Sales Tax" in the Subject line.

Send to groveobserver@yahoo.com by Thursday noon, April 13. Poll results will be announced in the next issue. Thank you for voting.

Commissioners OK Beverage License for Tiramisu

Delaware County Commissioners finally approved a mixed beverage permit for wine and beer sales for Grove's Tiramisu restaurant, which had been tabled for several weeks. The delay was to allow the District Attorney's office to check out statutes regarding the permit, since Tiramisu was within 300 feet of a building owned by Grand Lake Family Fellowship Church.

The District Attorney's office said that since the church-owned building's primary purpose was for non-religious meetings, and Tiramisu's primary purpose was as a restaurant, the permit could be allowed.
Church officials had previously told City Council members that their building would be used as administrative offices and that religious services would be conducted at the Kountry Kousins Theatre on Highway 59. Council and the Grove Planning & Zoning Board had denied the organization's building as a church because of lack of parking.

In other action, some discussion was devoted to the lack of jail facilities and possible solutions. District Attorney Eddie Wyant said short term solutions included reduction of prisoners by releasing non-violent offenders early on "OR Bonds" (own recognizance)
such as child support violations and DUI's, but that a long-term solution would need to be the construction of additional jail space.
This option included an addition to the courthouse to the north on the parking lot, a new jail elsewhere, or leasing portable cells. A multi-story facility with parking on the ground floor could be built on the current Sheriff's office parking lot.

Commissioners agreed the problem was urgent and decided to contact an engineering firm for recommendations and have the State Jail Inspector and Fire Marshall come to Jay for their assistance.

Wyant said that paying for the new facility could be accomplished through either an additional sales tax or raising the property taxes. A jail addition should be able to hold at least another 60 prisoners bringing total capacity to 120, he said.
Discussions on this issue will continue on a weekly basis at future Commissioners meetings, they agreed.

The state jail inspector, Don Garrison, has given the county 45 days to reduce the population in the jail or face closing or fines of $10,000 a day.
Inmate population on Monday during the meeting was 87, with 61 the maximum permitted.
The Commissioners also approved platting of Apache Coves subdivision, amended, near Zena, removing five lots from the previously approved plat. Lots are to be sold from $30,000 to $225,000 depending on location, and homes will be built from $150,000 to $400,000.
Also discussed were new security measures for the Courthouse. Bids will be advertised for equipment including five interior control doors for the Court areas, walk thru metal detector, unarmed security officer, wireless panic button system, and the commissioners agreed to seek a bid from ADT on the entire system for price comparison.

Observations...

The U.S. Air Force Band will perform at the Grove Civic Center at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are free and can be picked up at a number of Grove businesses, including the Grove Sun Daily…Saturday marks the 18th Annual ODOT "Trash Off" in Grove. Join your city manager and several councilmen in picking up trash along the highways and byways of Grove. Grove Rotarians will meet at 9 a.m. in front of Cheapo Depo to join the effort…Calling all golfers--The Grove Rotary 13th Annual Golf Tournament will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 20 at Patricia Island Golf Club to raise money for the club's many projects in Grove, including the new Centennial Park which is nearing completion. Format is a four-person Scramble with many cash prizes and lots of fun, including a Poker Run. Grand Lake level is holding steady just a tad above 742, while the Lake Hudson level continues to climb towards normal at 617.93 (normal is 618)... District Attorney Eddie Wyant said he expects the Attorney General's office to pick a prosecutor sometime within the week in the Grand Jury investigation of Grove officials set for April 24...

YMCA Sets Summer Camps

Summer camp is an adventure that generates life-long memories. And since summer is right around the corner, now’s the time to enroll your children in YMCA’s Summer Day Camp.
Boys and girls six to 12 years old will enjoy the YMCA’s week-long day camps that provide an active week of indoor and outdoor activities that are a tremendous alternative to day care.
In addition to camp activities such as hiking, skits, songs, games and swimming, the YMCA integrates its character development values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility into each facet of the program.
Camps run for 10 weeks from May 30 through August 4, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 6 pm. An early pick-up (4 pm) discount is available. The camp bus leaves Grove Lower Elementary each morning for area parks and returns in the afternoon.
Campers are asked to bring a sack lunch, swim suit, towel, sun screen and bug spray.
Throughout the 10 weeks, campers will enjoy day camp themes such as Summer Blast, Animal Planet, Sports, Art and the Great Outdoors. A parent/family program is featured weekly on Friday afternoons.
There is a one-time $25 registration fee regardless of how many weeks attended. Weekly fees are $75 per week ($60 for early pick-up) for YMCA members; $90 per week ($70 for early pick-up) for non-members. The family discount provides a discount of $10 per child per week if more than one child is registered.
Membership and program scholarships are available with the help of the annual Strong Kids campaign for low income or needy individuals or families.
For further information or to register call the Grand Lake Family YMCA at (918) 786-5774. The Grand Lake YMCA is located at 206 Elk St. in the old library building.

Society Seeks Old Photos of Schools

The Delaware County Genealogical Society is still seeking pictures showing classes and buildings from old Delaware County Schools, said Rose Stauber. “The pictures are for use in the reprinting of The History of Delaware County Schools. "We have received many pictures,” Stauber said, “but we still have schools that we have nothing on. Even if we have something on a school, there may be other pictures out there that would be wonderful to see in the book.”
Stauber said that all photos loaned will be returned as soon as possible, usually in about two weeks. The photos are being scanned into a computer and stored. Credit will be given in the book to everyone making photos available.
To contact the society, call Rose Stauber at 786-3569 evenings, or leave the photos at the Grove Public Library. Be sure that your name, address, and phone number are attached. Stauber asked that anyone with photos, contact the society as soon as possible.