Council Holds Public Hearing on Changes

In photo, Sergeant Jerry Bohannan is presented with a Employee of the Month award by Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls at Thursday's Council Meeting.


Grove City Council members spent nearly half this week's council holding a public hearing on amendments to city ordinances dealing with changes in parking space sizes, changes in off-street parking requirements, and storage and parking of trailers and commercial vehicles. A 21-person committee has been discussing the changes for more than two years with subsequent approval by the Grove Planning & Zoning Board, yet several citizens and two councilors said they were opposed to some of the recommendations.

Larry Sadler said many people could not afford to park their boats and trailers elsewhere, or build a fence or screen to hide them. "We don't have to change everybody's life in Grove," he said. Mayor Carolyn Nuckolls agreed.

Bill Miller, a member of the P&Z board who has worked on the changes, said the proposed changes are less restrictive in many ways than the current ordinances.
For example, the new ordinance proposes to limit to three days the amount of time a motor home can be parked in a driveway; the current ordinance forbids it completely, he said. His neighbor, Gus Schaefer, said "I don't understand a damn thing that you have written." Dave Rieden, another Grove resident, said the new proposals were "too restrictive," tougher than Buffalo Shores South where he lives. Judith Read, a member of the P&Z board, said "I have a problem with this…we can't force the entire town to be like a gated community."

City Manager Bill Galletly said the existing parking space size requirements are "anti-business, making a lot of land unusable, citing the former Emerald Bay Restaurant as an example. "Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater," Galletly said. Council members seemed to approve the commercial side of the ordinances but had problems with the residential portion.

In the end, they voted 5-0 to continue the discussion at the next council meeting July 18 and then set a date for a joint Council-P&Z Board meeting to hammer out the issues. One P&Z Board member said it was like dragging people kicking and screaming into the 21'st century.

In other action, Council:
--voted 5-0 to deny payment of a Tort Claim from Pete Crow, publisher of the Grove Sun Daily, for water damage to an abandoned building adjacent to his newspaper office, but deferred the issue to GMSA.
--voted 4-1 to keep two payroll systems in place to handle city employee paychecks. Galletly said only three out of 87 employees had a problem with direct deposits of their paychecks and in a few years the bank would require all paychecks to be direct deposited.
Only Councilman Terry Ryan supported the issue. Mayor Nuckolls said "I have a problem forcing people to do what they don't want to do."
--removed the absolute requirement of a Master Degree from the advertisement for a new city manager, stating that a Bachelors Degree would be required, with a Masters Degree preferred.
--named Jerry Bohannan Employee of the Month. The Grove Police Department Sergeant began his career 21 years ago and this year coordinated the BASS Sooner Run event, responsible for establishing and coordinating all of the traffic control efforts within the city limits, and supervising the citizen volunteers in parking efforts at the North Beach site.
--approved 5-0 amendments to the city Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual relating to city employees, one regarding a clothing allowance to reflect the uniform allowance to be "adjusted as approved in the annual budget", the other regarding workers compensation not paying the first three days off resulting from injury on the job. New rules approved by Council now allow for the employee to use accumulated sick and vacation leave benefits to offset salary losses during the period for which no benefits are due.
--approved 5-0 authorization to apply for a REAP grant from Grand Gateway to build an irrigation system for Lendonwood Gardens, using Grand Lake water, with Lendonwood being responsible for all engineering work, approvals, etc.
--approved 5-0 going to bids for the Downtown Revitalization and Storm Drainage project.
--approved 5-0 to go to bids for the City Hall Parking lot project.
--went into Executive Session at 4:30 p.m. to discuss ongoing negotiations with the Grove Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #171, and to discuss issues regarding the City Treasurer.

After coming out of executive session Council reported that the city had entered into a two year contract with FOP #171 giving cost of living increases up to 3.8% for '06'07 and 2% not to exceed 3.5% increase for '07-'08, and increased the clothing allowance by $300 a year.

They also voted to increase the salary of City Treasurer Lisa Allred to $42,294 effective July 1 but removed an item in her contract which gave her the ability to hire people in her department.

City Managers to Converge on Grove Next Week

City Mangers and their families from across Oklahoma will be in Grove Wednesday through Friday of next week attending their annual summer conference. The group voted in January to come to Grove.
"This is more of a social event than the Winter Conference," Grove City Manager Bill Galletly said, but it is a feather in our cap to host these managers." The winter conference is always held at OSU, he said.
Stonebrook Inn is host hotel but the group will be scattered all over the city. On the event schedule is a dinner cruise Thursday night on the Cherokee Queen and a Golf Tournament at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Patricia Island Golf Club. A Welcome Dinner is set for Wednesday night at Stonebrook Inn.

An Editorial...Hiring a New City Manager

The search for a new Grove city manager is now on, with current City Manager Bill Galletly set to depart from that position Oct. 10. That doesn't leave much time. Word is going out on the qualifications, the main one being five years of previous city management experience. Rookies need not apply. One change has already been made, the requirement for a Masters Degree in public administration or similar, has been eliminated. It was discovered that this a rare bird, nearly extinct, and one that would be difficult to bag.
Hopefully, the requirement for completion of Pre-K will still hold.
One can only wonder about the management types that may apply.
--the 'get things done' roadgrader style will probably not be hired, been there, done that.
--the 'never been to a rodeo before' type maybe? Clean as a whistle.
--the 'Mr. Cool' type, one who can just sit at council meetings, never say anything, but look good.
(we had those in our college fraternity. We called them face men.)
-- the 'take no action, do nothing, don't irritate anyone, make no waves and therefore get nothing accomplished' type. We'll bet on this one.
--the recently 'resigned' city manager from another town, another place. (the hunt for his baggage will be on)
--a civil attorney with lots of experience in being sued, thus saving the city money on more lawsuits if they come. He can just defend himself and also preside as city attorney, saving even more money.

Meep, Meep, here comes the Roadrunner with application in hand, headed for Grove.

Observations...

GRDA directors have changed the 125-foot rule in effect for more than 30 years to 150-feet.
The one-third of the cove rule still applies. Applications to extend docks out to 150 feet, to achieve a depth of eight feet of water, can now be approved by GRDA staff instead of going before the board. So why the change? There's been no official explanation, but maybe GRDA has plans to draw down the lake to generate electricity, something that has been lacking since last September, and the permanent dock extensions will help reduce the public clamor. Last October GRDA went to FERC seeking approval to drawdown to 738 to fill W.R. Holway and Lake Hudson, which FERC denied. Temporary dock extensions were to be granted to avoid beaching. FERC is less likely to disapprove a request to take Grand Lake to 738 or lower if the request is to generate electricity. The change in the 125-foot rule was made at the June GRDA Board meeting and there was no discussion or public input. In fact, at a previous meeting the general feeling was the rule should be left alone. We take a dim view of board actions which appear to bypass public comment. We also take a dim view of GRDA's media department putting out self-serving press releases but failing to answer specific questions put to it. We continue to wonder why GRDA hired Chronicle Media to handle a public relations program, over long established award winning firms in Tulsa and elsewhere...Look for the opening of 18th street soon, as the final coating of asphalt has been applied, with centerline painting finished. We think people are going to be amazed at how narrow the roadway looks, for the cost...Deadline for the Grove Flag Design Contest is July 31 so get your entries in to City Hall soon...Only three of 87 city employees did not want their paychecks to be deposited directly in the bank, so Council went with the three. This is good example of upside-down thinking. Following this train of reason, the three people who want to park their boat trailers in their front yards will probably kill changes in city codes currently being proposed...Work is progressing on Precision Wireless' new broadband product for Grove, and not a moment too soon. Businesses interested in relocating to a new city formerly asked about education and taxes, now they want to know about broadband internet service...

Library Presents Mark Ogle

The Dog Creek Stagecoach Station Holdup with Mark Ogle telling the tale will be the program for the Grove Public Library Summer Reading Program on Wednesday, July 12, at 1 p.m. The program is open to children of all ages.
Ogle will relate the tale of a little boy named Jacob and his adventures as he solves a 137-year-old mystery and discovers the missing loot from the Dog Creek Stagecoach Station holdup. He will bring along the lock box with the loot for the kids to see.
Ogle lives near Claremore where his job is manager for the Rogers/Mayes Counties American Red Cros service center. He also writes mysteries for groups to put on as fund raisers. He entertained the Third Thursday audience recently.
The last summer reading program of the year will be Paul Pharris, juggler, who comes to the Grove Library on Tuesday, July 18, at 1 p.m.

A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round

ARE WE REALLY FREE?
“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)

I was comparing the nutritional values on the back of different cereal boxes recently when an older gentleman said, “I can’t believe how many different cereals there are today. It’s hard to decide which one to buy when there are so many choices.”

I had to agree with him. But it’s not just cereal. Stroll down the bread aisle and you won’t just find white and wheat anymore. Let’s see, there’s whole wheat, multi-grain, whole grain, honey wheat—now there’s even whole grain white—or something like that. It’s confusing.

Each day we are faced with choices. Some choices are insignificant while others determine our future. If we choose to eat a doughnut instead of a healthy bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, it may seem unimportant at that moment. Continue to make that choice every day and you’ll soon be wearing those doughnuts on your hips and thighs and your cholesterol will be off the charts.

Freedom is the capacity to exercise choice but if we are not careful, we can become slaves to our desires, slaves to bitterness, slaves to hatred and slaves to our pride. Any choice that keeps us from being the person that God created us to be keeps us in bondage.

For many years, I was a slave to other people’s opinions of me. I became a people pleaser instead of doing those things that I knew pleased God. I could not become the person He wanted me to be because I wasn’t seeking His guidance. Instead, I was seeking the approval of man.

God empowers us to make the right choices but fear of rejection or of others’ disapproval often leads us to compromise what we believe or what we know in our hearts is right.

Being bombarded daily by media messages that tell us we must look and act a certain way does not help. We get a distorted image of ourselves because we think we don’t measure up and we become slaves to society’s definition of freedom. True freedom is realizing that a daily walk with the Lord is all we need to break the chains of oppression.

Recently, I was reading a devotional by noted pastor and author, Charles Stanley, whose article posed the question, “Are you free?” In America we would say, “Yes,” based on the fact that we can go almost anywhere we choose and do what we like without anyone interfering.

Man’s definition of freedom and God’s definition, however, are not the same. While the constitution grants us many rights as citizens of the United States, true freedom is won within the boundaries of God’s word.

Scripture reveals to us how to release those chains that hold us hostage. If we allow our human natures to be in control, then we are stepping outside the boundaries and we are not free.

Will you choose the path that leads to true freedom? Choose God.

Absentee Ballot Deadline Nears

Voters in Delaware County who want to have absentee ballots mailed to them for the July 25, 2006 Primary Election should apply now, County Election Board Secretary Earlene Bradford said today. Although the County Election Board can accept applications for absentee ballots until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, 2006, Bradford urged voters who want to vote by absentee ballot to apply early. Absentee ballot application forms are available at the County Election Board office located at 225 South 5th Street in Jay.

“At least two mail transactions must be made,” Bradford said. “The County Election Board must mail the ballots to the voter and the voter must return the voted ballots by mail.” Ballots must be in the hands of the County Election Board by 7 p.m. on election day in order to be counted.

Bradford said that any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in any election in which he or she is eligible to vote. It is not necessary to give a reason ---or excuse---for voting absentee. “While anyone can vote absentee without giving a reason, the law still provides several excuses and it is to the advantage of some voters to use one of them,” Bradford said. By stating one of the following reasons on their applications, these voters can activate some special conditions that make it easier for them to use absentee ballots.

The reasons are:
--Voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may vote absentee. They may apply only by mail or by fax.

--Voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may vote absentee. An Absentee Voting board actually goes to the nursing home a few days before the election, sets up a small polling place and allows these persons to vote under circumstances similar to those at a regular precinct polling place. They may apply only by mail or by fax.

--Military personnel and residents of the county living overseas and the spouses and dependents of each group are eligible to vote absentee without being registered. These voters may apply only by mail or by fax. Military personnel should contact the Voting Service Officers in their units for application forms and additional information. Residents of Oklahoma living overseas can obtain the same materials from any United States military installation and from United States Embassies and Consulates.

GRDA Hosts Events on Water Quality Issues

With an eye towards maintaining a focus on water qualities issues in the Grand River watershed, the Grand River Dam Authority and other agencies continue to form beneficial partnerships. Two recent events, sponsored in part by GRDA, and bringing together water and conservation agencies from the tri-state region serve as examples of those partnerships.
In mid-June, GRDA hosted to a portion of the “Boundaries and Natural Resources” 2006 Kansas Field Conference for the tri-state region. According to GRDA Director of Ecosystems Management, Dr. Darrell Townsend II, Ph.D, that conference focused on natural resource issues that cut across state lines, and certainly, that related to the Grand River system.
“The Grand River watershed consists of nearly 12,000 square miles of runoff through parts of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and other tributaries from Arkansas also feed into Grand Lake,” said Townsend. “So it’s certainly beneficial for agencies from these states to come together to discuss watershed issues.” In fact, while the majority of the Grand Lake watershed lies in Kansas, the majority of people residing in the watershed live in Missouri. “It is easy to see why tri-state cooperation on these issues is so important for Northeast Oklahoma and Grand Lake,” added Townsend, who served as a presenter during the three-day field conference, explaining GRDA Ecosystems’ efforts to other agencies.
“The relationships we’ve been able to develop with these other agencies can only serve to benefit our efforts,” said GRDA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Easley, “and we appreciate the opportunity to come together and focus on issues effecting the watershed.”
One such issue is waste water treatment around the lake shore. GRDA and other agencies had a chance to focus on this during a late June workshop, also hosted by GRDA. Intended for professionals responsible for installing or inspecting waste water treatment facilities around Grand Lake, the “soil profiling” workshops was a cooperative effort between GRDA, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Dr. Brian Carter, professor of Soil Morphology at OSU, led that workshop.
According to Townsend GRDA will host another interstate, interagency watershed meeting later this summer with representatives from Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Conservation Commission and other partners, including county extension offices in the lake area.
“That meeting just represents a chance for all these people to sit down together to discuss issues that we all deal with,” said Townsend. “All these agencies are taking the initiative to work together and bring to the table as much information and expertise as possible.”
Information gained from these other agencies has proven very beneficial to GRDA Ecosystems, said Townsend. Meanwhile, water studies conducted by GRDA are also making an impression with the scientific community, he said. “I think the mutual respect we’ve seen for every agency’s efforts is really a testament to the contributions everyone is making to stewardship of the natural resources of the Grand River system.”