 | Citing health and family issues, Henryetta city councilman Bill Goodner is stepping down from the council.
Goodner, who was elected to the councilman at large seat two years ago, has served as mayor until this past April.
In his letter dated June 30, Goodner pointed out that, "at 75 years I no longer have the stamina and drive that I consider necessary to properly fill the office. I'm also seeing health issues arise among family, relatives, and friends that serve as a stark reminder that it's time to turn my attention away from city hall and to the more important things in my life." |
He went on to say the past two years has been, "a challenging experience."
City council members will appoint a replacement.
Goodner said he was proud of the accomplishments of the city including: - Arrived at a fix for the clarifier walls at the water treatment plant.
- Repaired the decades old water leak on the hill at 4th street.
- Resurfaced sections of over 2 dozen of our busiest streets.
- Got street signs installed city-wide for the first time in memory.
- Reduced the loss rate of treated water from over 30% to near 10%. Significantly improved the retirement plan for our non-union employees.
- Resurfaced the roads and parking lot at Nichol's Park, hauled in beach sand and reopened the swimming area, and approved plans for future expansion of recreational activities.
- Reinvigorated HEDA and engaged our civic organizations to help promote Henryetta.
- Actively supported the Living Legends Rodeo.
- Got involved with the annual Christmas Parade and provided the Christmas trees, entered a float, and initiated a program where Santa met the children and passed out bags of candy.
- Hired an experienced city manager.
- Worked with ODOT and got them to overlay West Main from 8th to Dewey Bartlett.
- Got a 5% motel tax passed, the revenue to be used for city beautification and to promote tourism.
- City employees repaired/rebuilt the bridges on Robertson Highway and at 10th and Corporation, saving the city thousands of dollars.
- The Fire Department improved their ISO rating from 4 to 5.
- Relocated the Fire Department to the old Armory so they can bypass trains when they're blocking main street.
- As a result of work by city employees, the consent order was lifted for our waste water treatment operation.
- Approved the construction of a splash pad for use by our children. Approved down town angled parking to provide more parking spaces for shoppers.
- Cleared the brush and trees at East Main and Highway 75, and approved the design and development of a city website.
"We hate to see him leave," said current Henryetta mayor Jennifer Clason. "He is a huge asset to Henryetta and set the standard for what mayors can do in the town." |
