Poteau water bills to increase

By KEN MILAM

POTEAU – Water bills will go up for Poteau residents next month.

The City Council approved a 10 percent rate increase beginning Aug. 1 at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting. That raises the base residential bill from $40 to $44.

Mayor Scotty White said the increase was necessary because the city’s water supplier, Poteau Valley Improvement Authority, last month raised its rates by 6 percent.

The council also wrestled with a couple of zoning issues.

The owner of FlavorTown Farmz was denied a specific use permit to allow a cannabis growing facility at her residence at 615 Country Club Lane. She said she already had a facility at another site, and wanted to be able to move it to her residence on 15 acres if she sold the other property.

White and some council members said they were concerned about allowing a commercial business in a residential area, saying it would set a precedent making it hard to control businesses-popping up in other residential zones.

For the same reason, a special use permit was denied for Wryan Webb. Webb sought the permit to allow a food truck and commercial kitchen to supply it at 505 S. Webb Lane. White said the food truck might be allowed because it would generate sales tax revenue, the commercial kitchen could not.

The board accepted a bid for $2,782,525 from Brothers Construction to construct a sanitary sewer interceptor. White said the project originally was estimated at $1.8 million, and the cost would continue to increase if delayed any longer.

The Police Department is losing three officers and hiring two other employees, pending physicals. James Sprayberry and Michael Jackson are retiring July 22 after 25 years and Jerimy Emmert is resigning after 10 years, effective Friday.

The council approved hiring Yaquelin Aguero and Stephanie Syrock to the department. The council accepted the resignation of Dustin Armstrong as a volunteer firefighter and secretary-treasurer for the Fire Department. Jeff Gibson was named secretary-treasurer in his place.

Several employees received pins marking their years of service to the city – Jay Sommers, 20 years in the Fire Department; Billy Hooper, 10 years, Michael Jackson, 25 years, Jody Thompson, 10 years, and Brandon Richie, 10 y7ears with the Police Department; Billy Cook, 10 years with the Poteau Area Recreational Complex; and Sheila Schneider, five years with the Nutrition Center.

The council also approved renewal of the airport manager contract, investment policies for the city and P-card implementation and E-payables from Arvest Bank. White said the city would earn 1 percent cash back on purchases with the deal.

The owner of a house at 201 S. Sadler was given 30 days to finish demolishing the stricter.

In her Historic Downtown Poteau report, Director Mary Parham said Shop Local Oklahoma Day is planned July 16, with businesses participating along with food vendors in the HDP Event Center on Dewey. Other upcoming events include a Back-to-School Bash in August and a car show Sept. 24.