The two were appointed Tuesday night filling unexpired terms. Duggan will finish out the Ward 3 term for Henry Koelzer and Duke will complete the slightly more than a year term left by Goodner's resignation. He will be the council member at large.
Prior to the start of the September council meeting, both Goodner and Koelzer were given plaques by mayor Jennifer Clason recognizing them for their service. Clason pointed out the accomplishments by Koelzer and Goodner over the past two years included reducing the water waste through repairs to the Fourth Street line, organizing a candy giveaway for youngsters at Christmas, fixed the clarifier walls at the water plant, installed new street signs throughout the town, resurfacing over two dozen streets and eliminated the need for letters being sent to residents regarding water treatment, hiring an experienced city manager and passage of a motel tax.
Other appointments included Dr. Clayton Flanary to another five-year term on the Hospital Authority and Christy Jeffcoat to the Henryetta Economic Development Authority.
Tulsa attorney Ron Barnes urged council members to pay $40,000 toward a $103,000 repair bill to the sewer line that runs under Fountain View Manor nursing home."We have a sewer problem and the city was aware of the problem," he said. Barnes said the issue was not affecting the nursing home but did affect other residences on the line.
After the nursing home paid Mullin Plumbing to diagnose the problem, it was determined the line needed repairs. Barnes said the nursing home had paid for work to find the problem.
He pointed out the sewer line does belong to the city and, "had served it's life."
That line required several months of work earlier this year with plumbers cutting through over 18 inches of concrete and digging down some 13 feet to reach it.
He said Fountain View had already paid $63,500 toward that repair bill.
On July 31, Barnes pointed out he filed a tort claim for the entire $103,9530 amount. "Last month I received a collection call from Mullin Plumbing." He said he doesn't get those calls. "We do all the things a good corporate citizen should do," he said."To me, having a good corporate citizen such as Fountain View getting dunning calls and letters is wrong."
He said the solution should be easy. "There's $44,849 remaining. Granted, it is under our facility. It's not our sewer line. All we ask is the city pay that amount and Fountain View would absorb what has already been paid."
Barnes did say that in the event the city did not pay the balance, a lawsuit would be filed. He pointed out that would result in increased costs through legal fees and court filings.
"It's not right for us (Fountain View) to have to come up with the money to fix the city's sewer line." He pointed out the city didn't have to allow the sewer line to be built over but they did.
He said at one time, the city was requested to do the repairs but the city did not have the equipment to do it. Also discussed was moving the sewer line but that would have caused issues with the existing connections by Fountain View.
