Elephant at Airport Meeting is Ignored

The elephant was in the room for the regular monthly meeting of the Grove Airport Trust Authority Board, but no one…the board members, the airport manager, or those in attendance, could see it.
Looking for a scapegoat for recent screwups involving FAA funds and overpayment to a contractor for taxiway work, they blamed the only person not at the meeting, the Engineering Consultant, although he had been invited a week earlier to attend.

It seems that the resurfacing project for the airport taxiway was to have cost $273,000 but the contractor billed for $318,000 and the city paid the bill. City Treasurer Lisa Allred recently found the mistake and is in the process of getting the extra $41,000 back from the contractor. The bill had been approved for payment by the airport authority before submission to the city.

And, a $182,000 FAA grant for fencing part of the airport was missed because the paperwork was not filed by Sept. 30, the deadline date. The money is not lost, but will be rolled over into the 2008 application, but no fencing work will be done in 2007. Also, the previous five year plan submitted by the airport authority to the FAA was not updated and the airport is not in compliance with the plan, according to the FAA.

Despite the fact that the airport has a full time manager paid $38,000 a year to oversee things, the board looked away and will ask the engineer to visit the next board meeting in January to explain why these mistakes occurred. There were also some attempts to blame "the sponsor," a buzzword for the city.

The board did go into Executive Session for over an hour to discuss the airport manager's employment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation, but took no action. Prior to the session, board member Harry Halterman made a motion to delete the word "executive" and just discuss the matter in open meeting, which was met with much applause from the audience. "These executive sessions are not worth a damn," he said, "and I have been watching them for 40 years. "Let's do it out in public where everyone can hear the discussion," he added. His motion failed for lack of a second.

Metcalf and City Settle Lawsuit

Former Grove Emergency Management Director Gary Metcalf and the City of Grove have settled a long standing lawsuit filed by Metcalf in March, 2005.

The settlement included:
1. Release of a letter "To Whom It May Concern" by City Manager Bill Galletly, confirming that Gary Metcalf was employed by the city as Emergency Management Director and was terminated by the City on June 18, 2004 "for the good of the service."
"Mr. Metcalf was not terminated, as the media widely reported, because pornography was found on his City computer," the letter stipulates.

2. Payment of $100,000 to Metcalf as a settlement amount for emotional distress, of which $30,000 is included for Metcalf's attorney compensation.

3. Release of all claims against Randy Jobe, David Adzigian, Dave Helms and Carolyn Nuckolls, all serving on the council at the time of the firing. Also named were City Manager Bill Galletly, released as well, and Assistant City Manager Debbie Mavity. In a court ruling in March 2006, Mavity was excused by U.S. District Judge Terrence Kern for the Northern District of Oklahoma. (see full story on his rulings in issue dated March 10, 2006, The Observer).

4. Express Denial of Liability by Released Parties.

Actual cost to the city is $1,000 which is the insurance company's deductable amount.

Efforts to reach Metcalf were unsuccessful prior to deadline.

Groundwork Laid for New Swim Facility

The Blue Ribbon Committee of Grove area residents appointed by the City Council has been working for several weeks with Kimley-Horn, a Dallas/Chicago firm specializing in new water parks and swim facilities. The next public meeting will be held Jan. 4 at City Hall, with a final presentation scheduled for Feb. 5.
Connie Brewer, one of the committee members, outlined for The Observer what has been going on to date.
"The ultimate objective is to have a new facility that is affordable, reaches out to all segments of the community. Ideally, it would have year-round use with both indoor and outdoor pools; an indoor pool for adults for swimming, exercise, therapeutic use; and an outdoor facility for teens, a kiddie play area, a place to give swimming lessons, and more."
"Every child in Grove needs to have swimming lessons, after all, we live on a lake," she said.
Brewer said the committee had discussed the project with school officials, hospital executives, and the YMCA for their input.
The city is currently wasting $69,000 a year on an old leaking pool at Honey Creek State Park.
"It has seen its day, and frankly I would not want my child left at that pool for safety reasons," Brewer said.
"We want a new facility that will appeal to everyone, and be affordable. If the consultants come back with a facility that we cannot afford, we will drop the idea," she said. "We have already weeded out some scenarios that we cannot afford, like a wave pool, which is too extravagant."
The consultant is to report back to the committee on management costs, maintenance costs, user fees, new chlorinization techniques, synergies between the indoor and outdoor pools, and the cost per home.
"We have no idea as to the costs as yet," she said. "But it will be affordable or we won't do it."
Kimley-Horn was selected from eight firms based on a number of criteria and has designed parks in Rolla, Kirksville, Joplin, Waco and Mesquite, TX. Committee members may travel in the next few days to Independence, KS and Owasso to look at their facilities, she said. The committee also may explore outside financing through corporate sponsorships and benefactors.
"This will not be an extravagant swim facility, but it will serve all segments of the community," Brewer said.
Cost of the consultant is about $45,000 which the committee feels is money well spent, Brewer said.
"No one is trying to force this project on the city, it was actually suggested by City Council more than a year ago," she said. If it is not affordable, we won't pursue it."
She said the consultant will come back with proposals, three to four options, plans, concepts, space requirements, suggested locations for consideration, at another public meeting.
Everything must be finished by February in order to be placed on the ballot for April 2007.
The committee will also take up the civic center issue probably in January, she said.
Some have criticized the makeup of the committee, with four of seven members living outside the city limits. But most have businesses within Grove that require a heavier investment than just purchasing a home.

Fooling the Trash Man

It appears that the trash company has snookered the city and council members.

Allied Waste Services of Galena, Ks., the company that picks up the trash in Grove and surrounding area, stated at the Sept. 19 City Council Meeting that it would continue to pick up leaves as it had for the past 10 years, if a new contract was issued. But the first contract was rejected as illegal so another bid was put out and the leaves issue was not addressed in the second contract, says the waste firm.

Awarded a new contract higher than the previous one, and with only one pickup a week instead of two, they have now reneged on their first promise and are searching the trucks looking for bags of leaves picked up on the streets, as they come into the dump area. They will take action against any drivers that pick up leaves, The Observer has learned.
Therefore, Citizens, we must organize against this fowl deed and launch a campaign of "Fool the Trash Man."
This could include tying a luggage tag around the neck of the bag stating "Live Snakes Inside" which would prohibit anyone from searching for leaves.
Or, putting your dog poop on top of the leaves after allowing it to sit out in the sun and work up a good smell. If you don't have a dog, pick up the neighbor's dog poop. That failing, go to a cow pasture and pick up some patties, nice and moist. Or, you could just poop in the bag yourself if everything else fails.
The Observer welcomes new ideas to "Fool the Trash Man."
Meanwhile, lawyers for the city and the trash company are talking, according to city manager Bill Galletly.

Observations...

Thursday night's Grove Ridgerunners playoff game will be available locally on TV via SuddenLink Cable system on channel 13, and also on Channel 44 or 44.1 digital, from Tulsa via rooftop antenna, if you can get it. We get snow on Channel 44 but a really clear picture on 44.1. You need a digital tuner to receive 44.1. Contrary to published reports, channel 52 is not available in this area…If there were a contest for exterior Christmas lighting efforts, the home of City Clerk Bonnie Buzzard would certainly qualify as a winner. Be sure to drive by the home on Baycrest and take a look. She says her husband did it all…Your Editor certainly appreciates the get well cards and many emails during our recent neck surgery and our recovery continues until the next big event Dec. 27 at the House of Pain in Joplin. Now we know how a chicken feels when its neck is about to be separated from the head. .. Former Councilman David Adzigian is still recovering at home from hip replacement surgery Nov. 16, making steady progress. Adzigian is a member of the GIDA and Airport Trust authorities…While we were out of service, former city councilman Charles Rowe passed away and we nearly missed the announcement in the newspaper, buried back in the Obituaries section on page 7. Now we don't care if you agreed with Mr. Rowe or not in his decisions, but his 16 years on the city council and longtime service on a number of trust authority boards certainly qualified him for a front page death notice. There is a time and a place for people to come together…Installation of fire hydrants has been completed at Patricia Island and Lighthouse Cove, thanks to a joint project from GMSA, the City of Grove, Rural Water District #9, homeowners, and developers. The area is now up to fire codes…Notably absent from the contribution list was the largest homebuilder in the area...We give Merchant of the Year award to Bill Fernandez of Grove Home Center for going above the call of duty in loaning us a refrigerator for one month, while ours waited on a new compressor. A fridge in the kitchen sure beats a little box in the garage…We hear that former Grove Police Chief Mark Wall, now working for the Delaware County District Attorney's office, is filing a lawsuit against the city for his firing last summer. Details not available at press time…Overheard at this week's Rotary meeting: "Maybe we could get Earl Barnes to negotiate with the trash company."…Progress on the Highway 59 utility relocation project is moving on schedule, with access to businesses being kept open, good cleanup, and no complaints so far from affected businesses, says City Manager Bill Galletly...Earl Shero, who lost his lawsuit against the City in November, has filed an appeal...We'll see you on the other side of 2006 and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! The Editor.