Monday night was standing room only at the Alva City Council meeting. This rarely happens. I’ve been covering council meetings for news a long time, far longer than any of the current council has been in office.
Monday’s meeting didn’t quite reach the numbers who came to hearings a few years ago when Integris wanted to open a clinic in Alva, but the citizen attendance was still impressive.
Some of the audience members were there in official capacity. There were a couple of people from Oklahoma Natural Gas about the renewal of their franchise. The fire chief and a firefighter were there to show a commemorative coin and an award. The police chief, assistant police chief and public works head were tricked into coming so they could receive awards.
But most of the audience apparently had something to say to the council. It was a long meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. A little before 8 p.m. everyone in the audience had moved to the lobby while the council conducted an executive session.
I assumed most people attended to protest or ask questions about the proposal to start charging for fire calls. The rate schedule called for $275 an hour for heavy apparatus like engines, aerials, rescues, etc. Light apparatus such as brush units and support vehicles were $195 an hour with command staff vehicles at $175 per hour. Other equipment and materials had costs of $795 for extrications without hydraulic tools and $1,945 with hydraulic tools. A list of supplies used also had associated costs.
Apparently after the agenda was posted and publicized, the mayor and council members had plenty of calls and comments from citizens objecting to the fees. So Mayor Kelly Parker recommended the council table the resolution and send it back to committees for more work. That’s what the council voted to do before they went into the closed executive session.
Some of the crowd left while the council met behind closed doors to discuss firefighter union negotiations. I assume those who left were there about fire calls and decided there was no point in commenting.
It was surprising to me how many people lingered in the lobby where there was very little seating. As I talked to a few people, I learned most were there for an entirely unexpected reason. They were protesting the city’s spraying for mosquitos.
Once we returned for open council session, citizens were invited to speak. Comments are limited to two minutes, according to the agenda. Most speakers were brief and to the point. The commenters included a couple of college professors, a couple of college students and a number of other Alva residents. Nearly all wanted to talk about the city’s spraying policy.
Last year, the city sprayed mainly in Hatfield Park and in the downtown area. On the city’s Facebook page (City Hall – Alva, Oklahoma) on June 5, they announced the intention of spraying for mosquitos the next morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. and if required in the evening from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Small children and those with breathing issues were advised to stay indoors during those times.
Numerous comments were posted about this announcement including a suggestion by Dr. Aaron Place that people attend the June 17 city council meeting to make comments.
Most of the commenters said they believed the spray was killing bees and other beneficial insects. One expressed concern about the possible toxic effect on humans. And another complained posting the notice on Facebook the afternoon before did not give citizens enough time to see it.
A couple of other issues were addressed, but the citywide mosquito spraying was the main topic of concern. Mayor Parker explained before the comment period that the council members would not comment during that time, but they would listen to all comments.
Several of the council members thanked the citizens attending for their comments. From my contact with the city council over the years, I’ve found council members willing to listen and discuss citizen concerns and questions as long as they are presented in a polite manner.
A video of the entire meeting (with the executive session, it was two and one-half hours long) is posted at AlvaReviewCourier.com. The Friday and Sunday editions of the Alva Review-Courier will
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