[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6384680,"mediaKeyId","2122039-329bbd3786cc4574b38f987a70df17d4","parentId",2122039,"title","Stilwell council approves routine agenda items, hires and contracts; confirms appointments","audioSeconds",695,"startMs",1520000,"endMs",2215000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2122039-329bbd3786cc4574b38f987a70df17d4&start=1520&end=2215","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2122039-329bbd3786cc4574b38f987a70df17d4/thumbnail_1520000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6384680/Stilwell/Adair-County/Oklahoma/Stilwell-council-approves-routine-agenda-items-hires-and-contracts-confirms-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6384680-e85554b9e47cd7c12f992e7f33e18425/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167239&Signature=BDPTiXXVGmrhEBkJs9KyhYUFv9SnIF4eKwmvN7ELnx4DiDYtXPNQEg0S4cyLx2Mb7TF3QzcyZMyuAYrzPbQKi1xsKOe~H7LlxSKASfagn4JMaMOB6~EUx7bNVzkp57JHjJOffw6QI7zsQjCWWqMHVPfkgX9KdcW1vqMPgzRHWG9zk0eMo3hrF4dWUgPm1QgM8RmEJZsGSVTCkBXnBSn2mJ-lI9oyYoq~0WimSJNSsh2OBANWwlwPW6dI8tR-N6E15kEkjksxOkSdje1KNv98DiHn6cFcytmXyc-ULDiXzg4wYN0slvHa4aCnygRi-BA15yB033~x6pbu~B~AUKS86g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Stilwell, OK","date","2025-01-06T00:00:00Z","article","The Stilwell City Council approved a series of routine budget, staffing and contract items at its most recent meeting, including workers'comp insurance renewal, equipment rentals for a city golf-course project, and several personnel confirmations.

Key actions taken

- Consent agenda: Approved (motion by Lane Tindall; second by Debbie Coy). Roll call: Debbie Coy, Barrett Harris, David Johnson, Jim Sprague, Lane Tindall, Jean Ann Riley — all yes. Motion carried.

- Utility-board appointment: The council confirmed Kelly Conberg to the unexpired term on the Stilwell Municipal Utility Board/SADA board (motion by Coy; second by Lane). Vote: unanimous yes.

- Bridge railing paint cost sharing (Highway 100, West Locust Street): Council approved paying up to $2,250 from the Capital Improvement Fund to cover half the painting cost; motion by Jim Sprague; second by Debbie Coy. Vote: unanimous yes.

- Workers'comp insurance: Approved renewal with CompSource Mutual at an estimated premium of $177,815 for 2025 (motion by Jim Sprague; second by Lane Tindall). Vote: unanimous yes.

- Equipment rental for golf-course groundwork: Approved renting an excavator and a dump truck to support golf-course work; motion by Jim Sprague; second by Lane Tindall. Vote: unanimous yes.

- Negotiating team for police lodge (Paternal Order of Police) contract talks for FY 25-26: Council designated Jean Ann Riley, Lane Tindall and Jim Sprague as the city negotiation team (motion by Jim Sprague; second by Barrett Harris). Vote: unanimous yes.

- Abatement approvals: Council authorized the mayor and city clerk to jointly approve abatement costs up to budgeted amounts (motion by council). Vote: unanimous yes.

- Election resolutions and election administration: The council approved Resolution 01-2025 to call a municipal election for April 8, 2025, and a related charter-resolution notice (motions by Lane Tindall; second by Jim Sprague). Both passed unanimously. The council also approved election staffing and compensation for poll workers and a $15,000 budget adjustment to cover municipal election costs (motions by Debbie Coy and Jim Sprague; seconded). Votes: unanimous yes.

- Easement and road-widening related approvals: The council approved granting an easement for a highway project (Linewood Road/Highway 100 widening project) after city staff reviewed environmental protections and a lease for a fire station; motion by Jim Sprague; second by Lane Tindall. Vote: unanimous yes.

- Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) board resolution: Council approved Resolution 01-2025 supporting Jean Ann Wright's appointment to the OML Board of Directors, District 2. Motion passed unanimously.

Personnel confirmations (from executive session)

- Confirmed hires (motions and seconded; unanimous votes):
- Justice Shimmers, part-time reserve officer, effective 08/15/24.
- Justin Reed, full-time dispatcher, effective 11/18/24.
- Destiny Sellers, full-time dispatcher, effective 09/10/24.
- Dylan Martin, full-time officer, effective 04/29/24.

Items discussed with no action

- Item 18 (personnel issues in volunteer department): discussion only; no action.
- Item 19 (volunteer fire-department ordinance): tabled for further discussion (see separate coverage).

Votes, procedure and next steps

Nearly all motions passed by unanimous roll call. For items requiring further work (notably the volunteer fire-department ordinance), the council directed staff to convene follow-up meetings with affected departments and return recommended language for council consideration.

Ending: Council members said they expect administrative follow-up on several items and asked staff to schedule required reporting and negotiations ahead of the next meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Stilwell City Council Meeting January 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its January meeting the Stilwell City Council approved a package of routine items — including insurance renewal, equipment rentals and multiple personnel hires — and confirmed a utility board appointment. The council also designated negotiators for upcoming police contract talks and approved an easement related to a road-widening project.","taxTitle","Stilwell, Adair County, Oklahoma","taxId",74421,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6384686,"Stilwell council tables overhaul of volunteer fire department bylaws after hours of public comment",3820,7340000,11160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2122039-329bbd3786cc4574b38f987a70df17d4&start=7340&end=11160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2122039-329bbd3786cc4574b38f987a70df17d4/thumbnail_7340000.jpg","/articles/6384686/Stilwell/Adair-County/Oklahoma/Stilwell-council-tables-overhaul-of-volunteer-fire-department-bylaws-after-hours-of-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6384686-f5dd7620d3c5eff4ae9e5f7bad51c260/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167239&Signature=lX1HJpjznrkZAZgEiaxnaQR9QOdrg1-CuWpDe7pHa4Ckom-1RlldbljOgNrEIm097fnuXYFFl7i6jpYX~vgW1y7jimkI8cz7RsJinF5YXPDdYYFyqH4Pm1jhrVxAVSwt5ojsTljMUbDS8x6QqYB-r4PhFFWz2~g5RgXvQES945~OI4Rti-m7eOv0HIs4lXehD3lM8rX5rv55lYZ5yByvKU2MIoJKfL-P8mQCoJ0-Yu86LtVlYzNVrPkTRn3S9Ia5OxZjef6HyXEV0ZwIjl2hg-W1bCfkced6-I9wukwnsG1URJRyddLCa7O1pJN-GjF4awbiQqxo5hsN8-masGNwCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stilwell City Council on Tuesday tabled Ordinance 440, a proposed update to the city's volunteer fire-department bylaws, after more than two hours of public comment and debate about qualifications, chain of command and liability.

The ordinance, introduced earlier on the agenda as Item 19, would revise rules governing the volunteer fire department and repeal several earlier city ordinances. Councilmember Lane Tindall moved to table the measure; Councilmember Debbie Coy seconded. The motion carried on a unanimous voice vote: Coy, Barrett Harris, Debbie Coy, David Johnson and Jim Sprague voted yes; the mayor confirmed the motion was carried.

Why it matters: The proposed changes would shift governance of the department and create a paid chief position, a step council members said is intended to improve accountability for city-owned equipment and reduce legal exposure. Speakers at the meeting said the changes could also affect volunteer recruitment and local mutual-aid arrangements.

Community members and fire volunteers filled the public-comment period. Heath Jones, who identified himself as representing the Bell Fire Department, told the council he opposed certain parts of the new bylaws that would prioritize Firefighter I/II certification over years of service. \"I don't necessarily agree with the bylaws as far as you took out years of service,\" Jones said, arguing that experience mattered more than a training certificate for some longtime volunteers.

Multiple rural residents described confusion over how mutual aid and dispatch currently work. One resident said 911 calls placed from parts of the county route through multiple dispatch centers and that rural departments sometimes have no daytime responders; that, they said, can delay requests for Stilwell assistance. City officials and others repeatedly said Stilwell will respond when formally requested, but that the city cannot unilaterally assume responsibility for calls when rural departments do not request aid.

Several volunteer leaders and department members asked for time to adapt to any new rules and for a seat at the table to shape policy. \"Let us have our election and choose who goes in these positions and then show y'all what we can do,\" one volunteer told the council. Charlie (listed in public remarks as assistant chief) said he and other department officers had not been fully informed about the proposed changes and asked the council for clearer communication and an opportunity to participate in drafting the final text.

Council members said the proposed ordinance aimed to bring the department into closer alignment with city oversight because the department uses city-owned vehicles and equipment. \"This department is an arm of the city,\" one council member said during debate, \"and we find ourselves in this bad spot because the fire department has not followed their own policies.\"

After extensive back-and-forth the council agreed to form a negotiating group: city representatives will meet informally with officers and volunteers to try to resolve differences and produce recommended language. Acting on a motion by Tindall, seconded by Coy, the council voted to table Ordinance 440 and directed city staff to schedule the follow-up meetings.

What happens next: The council said it will reconvene the discussion after the negotiating group meets; several speakers urged a 30- to 60-day period for talks before any final vote. Councilmembers emphasized that failure to fix communication and governance issues could leave the city exposed to liability.

Notes: No final changes to the bylaws were adopted at the meeting. The council also confirmed several personnel hires and approved unrelated routine items earlier in the agenda; those votes were recorded separately.

Ending: Council members encouraged volunteers and rural departments to participate in the negotiating process and said they wanted an outcome that preserves volunteer response while providing clearer city oversight of equipment and policy.

","The Stilwell City Council postponed a vote on Ordinance 440, which would revise rules governing the volunteer fire department, after extended public testimony raised concerns about qualifications, communication and liability. The council voted to table the item to allow a negotiating committee and further talks with fire volunteers.","actionData","errors"]

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Stilwell council approves routine agenda items, hires and contracts; confirms appointments

Stilwell council tables overhaul of volunteer fire department bylaws after hours of public comment