The Locust Grove Town Council  met Monday night.

Mayor Terry Cooper and Trustee Jo Hallford were absent. The meeting was presided by Vice Mayor Health Holman. The two other members present were trustees Martha Pierce and Brenda Williams.

Blanket purchase orders for the start of the fiscal year were approved.

The fire department reported 40 runs and 186 man hours. The police department had 231 calls, 10 towed vehicles, five animal pickups, 64 incarcerations (34 town residents, 30 from other towns), and 95 citations.

The street and alley department is sending out bids in the next two weeks for Broadway Street bridge repairs.

The first order of business was hearing from Locust Grove resident Roger McKinney who has property in town and claims he is having trouble with the federal government over his property being in a flood zone. He showed the council maps and photos of his property. Town attorney Tammy Ward told McKinney he should contact Rep. Dan Boren’s Claremore office or Senators Coburn and Inhofe.  Ward said this is a matter for federal representatives and not the town.  

The council approved Tamatha Ogilvie as court clerk for the town. She will remain town clerk in addition to her new role.

The council approved hiring Angela Dawson as deputy court clerk at a pay rate of $9 an hour.

The council approved removing police dispatcher Ashley Gillick from probationary status and hiring her full-time at $9.50 an hour.

Justin Odle was hired as a non-paid reserve police officer.

Ashley Gillick will be sent to Oklahoma Law Enforcement Training School in Oklahoma City from Aug. 21 to 24.

The police department requested an additional 30-day review extension for  dispatcher Neva Flood. The council approved an additional 30 days.

The police department recommended Debbie Sellers as a part-time dispatcher for $9 an hour. The council approved the recommendation.

The council approved hiring Elizabeth Henson as a part-time dispatcher for $9 an hour with a 90-day probation period.

The council approved raising the pay of dispatchers from $8 and hour to $9 an hour.

The council approved changing the fines for speeding and failing to stop at a traffic sign at the request of town attorney Ward. She said Locust Grove will still have the lowest fines of any community in the area. Speeding six to 10 miles an hour was $51; in 30 days, it will be $81. Failure to stop at a stop sign was $71; now it will be $115. The higher the speed, the higher the fine.  For school zones, the fine is higher.

The council approved raising the rate charged for housing inmates by $2 from $18 to $20. Locust Grove houses inmates from Adair, Chouteau, Disney, Salina and Sportsmen Acres.

There has been a proposal to raise the rate of pay for police officers should they live in the town of Locust Grove by $1 an hour.  Police Chief Wade Henderson said he wished to amend that proposal to within three miles of the town limits, because he is concerned that police officers who live in town might invite reprisals from criminals if their address are known. The council approved the initiative to raise the pay for officers by $1 an hour if they live in town or within three miles of town.

Tony Ballou with the Cherokee Nation spoke to the council about a proposed 5K run through town, to be scheduled in the fall of 2013. Ballou wanted to know if the town wanted to be a sponsor. The council did not discuss being a sponsor.

The council approved amending the town ordinance on fireworks to be in line with the state ordinance. This ordinance pertains to time of selling fireworks and when they may be detonated.

The council approved termination of the employment of Edward J. Kelley from the street and alley department.

The council decided to table discussion of insurance premiums for town employees.

The council tabled discussion of speed limits on scenic Highway 412 on the west side of town as they consider speed limit signs the prerogative of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. One sign going west says the speed limit is 45 and the sign going into town (east) says the speed limit is 40.

The council approved paying the invoice from Garver Engineering for $1,632.38 for a storm water evaluation done on May 21 for the bridge on Broadway Street.

The council approved transferring $3,000 from the public safety fund to the general fund for workers compensation.

The council approved the resignation from the town council of Jo Hallford.