“We are broke and broken,” Sulphur City Treasurer Ginger Cornell told council members Monday night during the group’s regular meeting. Cornell told members that working on next year’s budget has been hardest thing she has ever had to do.
City officials have no way of knowing what the impact of the loss in sales tax revenue as well as utility collections will have on the city finances for the coming year, making it very hard to propose a budget, she said.
In other business, council members approved several ordinances adopting the 2018 ICC (International Code Council) International Codes.
Codes adopted were fire codes, building codes, residential codes, mechanical codes, plumbing codes and maintenance codes.
No action was taken on the electrical codes due to an error in the ordnance.
Members also took no action on seeking legal counsel estimates from law firms to review and update the city personnel policy; no action was taken on the downtown revitalization board and downtown long term recovery plan; and no action was taken on employment contract terms for the city manager after the scheduled executive session was tabled due to the absence of the city attorney.
Members did awarded an emergency roof bid for the Arbuckle Historical Society Building to Quality Roofing in the amount of $48,107.00 The contract for the purchase of a property easement approved in September between the City of Sulphur and James Harden/ Harden Propane was approved by members with a few corrections noted in the agreement.
City Judge Becky Johnson addressed council members concerning the penal code codifications prior to members approving the Sulphur City Court Fine schedule.
Other agenda items approved at the meeting included:
•an ordinance of the City of Sulphur adopting and enacting the (2024) “Sulphur Code of Ordinances” to include and incorporate ordinances passed thus far in 2024; compiled, revised and published by the authority of the Council for the City of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
•a resolution of the City of Sulphur notifying residents of said city of the adoption of newly compiled “Code of Ordinances;” for said City of Sulphur, Oklahoma, in compliance with the laws of the State of Oklahoma.
•approved the audit engagement letter from Michael W. Green, CPA for the fiscal year 2023-2024 audit;
•approved allowing City Manager Andy Freeman to apply for a SODA Reap Emergency Grant;
•payment to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality for water and sewer license renewals in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00; and
•awarded a bid to CD Brown Construction in the amount of $2,673,962.00 for the irrigation line project for the OWRD/Chickasaaw Nation Grant Project.
Members tabled action on a City of Sulphur Water Rights Agreement at the request of the city manager.
In consent agenda the board approved the following:
•payment to FirstNet, a branch ofAT&T for cell phone service in an amount not to exceed $900.00;
•approximate payment amount of $15,000.00 and $10,000.00 to Finish Line for fuel expenses for June;
•payment of $$2,534.59 to SORD Landfill for May 2024 Roll Off Landfill services; and
•payment of $16,570.01 to SORD Landfill for the May 2024 landfill services.
In correspondence and updates, City Manager Andy Freeman updated members on the weekly FEMA meetings and developments for cleanup and revitalization in the storm areas; on the ongoing annual city audit; fuel farm at airport; OWRD/ Chickasaw Nation Grant; lead line repair bids, TAP sidewalk grant; etc.
All five council members were present at the meeting.
