With city council. You know, you've had two meetings, two official meetings so far. You had you had a workshop kind of an orientation as well that was still open to the public, but actually going in making decisions. You've had two official meetings so far, and you and I've chatted a little bit. It's it's been a you tell me, it's been a a little bit of a learning experience for you as well, right.
Oh, absolutely, Just as I was saying earlier, every day is uh, well really finding out how much I.
Don't know, uh, just trust me. I I do that every day as well.
Yeah, So it's it's definitely been educational all the way around, and have just you know, appreciated people's patients as we're trying to learn the ropes and figure out how to navigate this and try to do.
What's best for Martinsville. Absolutely absolutely, and I think that that's what all of our council members have in common. It's the first of all, the willingness to serve and the willingness to do, even with disagreement, what you feel is best for the City of Barlowsville. And uh, this last meeting in January, it was a kind of touch
and go there for a little bit. And uh, you know, one specific item that that that came up was the the grant from from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries for the Barlowsville Public Library that served to pay the salary of a of an assistant there who does a literacy program specifically on citizenship classes in bilingual education. Now, that ended up in a two to two stalemate on both sides of the vote. And and I know you've had some time to think a little bit about.
That, Larry, Yes, absolutely, what I what I really wish I had had seen coming with that. I well, first off, well something I kind of listed there that I'd like to talk about. I'll jump down to this US to come back. But is preparation for our meetings. So you know, we get the packet comes out on either Thursday or Friday before the meeting that anybody can go out there and see. And so we we get those and we're trying to go through all of that and and digest all that's gone.
A small document I think the last one to think, like four hundred and fifty pages.
Yeah, there's there's quite a bit out there, and so trying to read through the details of that. I you know, I sent several questions back to our city manager there, Mike Bailey, and he was quick to respond and get
me answers to those, which really helped. And and up until I think Monday afternoon, I knew exactly you know, where I was headed as we as we went into that meeting, and so but I got some new information and someone questioning, hey, you know this this library grant thing, that's a that's even though it comes through the Oklahoma Department of Life, Berryers is is granted from the federal level. And uh, the intent with that program is for those who are here legally. And so that question arose in
the meeting. Uh, And so it seemed right to me at the time, you know, hey, we should we should be requesting some sort of id to to determine for sure that someone's here legally before they take advantage of
the services. And then when that didn't pass due to a stalemate, I wish I had thought at that point, or maybe even before then, to say, hey, let's table this until next month so we can get more information and understand more about this program and and really what we're dealing with, and and so uh uh but but
we didn't do that, so uh it it failed. Uh and uh definitely I learned that you can get a lot of people up uh in in their passion about things just by one word of either yes or no. And so so I got a lot of feedback and and do UH definitely appreciate that. I mean, all feedback is a gift and uh and that's that's helpful.
Uh.
And so I had a lot of emails come into my council inbox. I saw a lot of activity there on social media and uh in which I'm still learning to navigate. Never never did social media before this campaign. So uh, guy with no social media, that's right, Yes, that's right. Uh And so uh so, you know, taking in all of that, and then also had the opportunity to talk with Kylie there at the library as well and to understand a little more about the program.
And so.
As it stands with with rules of order, whoever has to be someone who helped defeat uh something in order to bring that back up for reconsideration at a other council meetings. So that's where I've recommended that be brought back up. It's it's on the agenda for the next meeting and so we'll get to get that so that we don't lose that grant and to h and to
make sure we're in compliance. Everything that I can gather so far says we are, because there's there's actually in speaking with Kylie, there's actually a fifty page report that they have to turn in every year to not only give statistics in that sort of thing with who's gone through the program, but to actually share stories of of how you know, so and so did this, And I don't know that they necessarily share names, but to say, hey,
you know, we're we've led people successfully through this program. There's a lot of benefit being had in it. And also there are no consumable resources involved as I understand it, with this program, So whether they're teaching the class asked to five people or ten people or whatever, they they have reusable resources that they're using for class after class. And so anyway, oh that's helped me see better a
little more about the program. Also, we have the city has an external audit done periodically that that will verify that we're using funds appropriately and all of that. So anyway, I'm happy to see this be able to be brought back up and get across the finish line.
Yeah, very good, and so that will be again on the first meeting in February where the Council will revisit that literacy grant with the library. So now another thing that was that was kind of some questions were asked, what was this grant from Phillip sixty six that would be in cooperation with Up with Trees to do some additional tree scale if you will, along Highway seventy five and Frank Filds Boulevard in that area, playing some trees back we're in the medians there after the tornado came
through and and did all that. Now we the council pushed that to another meeting for some additional research, right.
Yes, yeah, there's there were some concerns raised about alignment
with the Comprehensive Plan, which which we're we're revisiting. By the way, there's a committee we've we've had our first meeting on that as well, just trying to you know, figure out what really aligns with our city versus you know, there's some alignment in the plan with with un goals and so there was some concern around that and so but my really my concerns and and you know, allowing voting to yeah, let's go ahead and defer this until
we learned more about the comprehensive plan. Was really just I was looking at where they were going to be playing the trees and and the times of trees, and I had a little bit of concern around them getting out to the roadway a little bit or you know, causing damage to the curbs or streets there, and so I just kind of wanted a little better understanding around that. Should have should have said something about that at the time,
just to gain better understanding. Uh, but that's also being I think going to be brought back up as well, so you know, we don't we don't want to lose those grants either. And we appreciate Phillip sixty six and and up with trees and and uh being willing to help.
Us with that. Yeah. Yeah, And there were some questions about that, especially after the tornado. I believe the trees that were in the median in that area that those were those Bradford Pear trees. I believe and we all know, of course, we have our gardening expert here every Saturday that the Bradford Pear is not a strong tree, and so I can I can certainly understand when you make sure that the type of tree that that would would go there would be something that could handle Oklahoma weather
and also not damage our infrastructure. Of course Highway seventy five that state infrastructure, but you know along along thing Phills Boulevard that would be city owned infrastructure. So you know, it's good to always look at that and get the appropriate answers to that as well. So as far as far as going in and another ittem that that did pass, it was a three to one vote. It was on the U those electric carts for the golf course and for the police department. So talk a bit about that.
Now you voted in favor of that, yes, talk about that and what were some of the concerns that were being had with that one at the council level.
Yeah, I think I think the initial concerns rays were again around you know, a green agenda. Yeah, you know, and to be clear there obviously we want to conserve and take care of our resources and and the earth and all that we have there, but uh, just not not elevating that over practical desires of a community and
and all of that as well. So that, you know, once I understood more about those carts, to me, made made perfect sense to have those both for the golf course and for the Bartisville Police Department to be able to use Pathfinder specifically. I know there was also some concerns raised about the code around motorized vehicles.
Run the path find. There is an ordinance against vehicles, yeah.
Yes, but I think written in there also is an exception for safety and and that sort of thing that would be fine for fire department, police department to be able to use motorized vehicles there.
Sure, yeah, so that that's something that will be come up and get its two utility style golf carts for the of course that they'll be using for maintenance and that type of thing, and then the two carts for the police department are basically your standard once if you see health there on the golf course, except instead of where you put your your your golf bags on the back, I think they're gonna have another bench there so that they you know, if somebody needs assistance on the Pathfinder,
they will be able to do that. And you know, I think Lisa Beeman, the city's grant administrator, she made a good point that the city is not going to a a electric vehicle perspective, you know, and she I think she made it very clear that she understands that that's something the council would not approve if they were going to say, oh, let's go to a battery operated you know, patrol vehicle. No, that that's something that this council probably would not be in favor of, So she
wouldn't even take the time to write the grant. This is one where the city has always had electric powered, battery powered golf carts at the Adams and it just it just fit.
Yes, yeah, absolutely definitely makes sense there. And I we I don't know exactly where this was brought up to me sometime in the last week or so, but they there was actually a report given to us that I that the I think the previous council looked at sometime in the last couple of years about the possibility of that and and it was it would not even be feasible costwise to even move that direction.
Yeah. So yeah, well, I think I think that's one thing that we all know is that we have a great professional city staff who look at the big picture on things and they're not going to do something outside of the Council's direction. Yeah, really a lot of time, a lot of time. Now you have a big workshop that's going to be coming up. I think it's next Monday, right, Yeah,
So this is again a city council workshop. It's into the public absolutely, but this this workshop is going to be kind of a discussion piece on a on a hot topic here in the community and that is, uh, the the drag queen shows, the outdoor drag queen shows that have been occurring here recently during the annual Pride festival. So what what are you hoping to learn? I know there was a during your orientation, uh to the attorney Jess Kane really talked a lot about some of the
constitutionality and and all of that related to that. What are you hoping to gain from this workshop?
Well, that's a good question. Uh, it's it's going to be more education hopefully around that. If there's anything else that that he can share, I think word for Council Member Aeron Kirkpatrick may also have some some ideas of of how we uh can best approach this sort of thing.
And so.
It's it's really just gonna be talking around that, and you know, I've been trying to do some more reading and research myself on what's out there, what's available. I went back and listened just yesterday to what just presented to us at the orientation, and so yeah, just trying to get educated and figure out where we go from here.
Sure, sure, and you know that's that's the thing I see that this council was doing. I mean, it's it's now three of the new members. Have you guys haven't been in government before, and so learning about procedures, learning about law and what is within the authority of a municipality to do, staying within the law. That's always a learning curve that goes with that.
You know, Yes, absolutely, there is a lot to learn around the municipal code we have and and just upholding that our state constitution, our US Constitution. I have lots of education to get around those as well. And I think they also the the you know, the rules of order.
Uh.
I know, for a lot of people, especially if you you know, took debate growing up or anything like that, you probably have a good handle on a lot of that. I didn't personally.
Uh.
In fact, I had one constituent that brought that to me an email like, you know, y'all need to understand better all of this, and I said, you're absolutely right, and and I'm I'm definitely working on that, studying those rules to try to make sure I understand our procedures better and you know, just be able to keep more professionalism going through that.
So absolutely well, again, it is a learning thing, and and being in public office, Larry is Is can be very rewarding. It can be also extremely challenging as well, and getting those phone calls and those emails all the time, being receptive to your constituency as a whole is something. Again, It's a constant learn That's what I've learned myself in covering unicful government for two decades now. So I don't envy you. Let's put it that way. Let's put it that way.
Well, now, there were lots of people, you know that the after the election giving both congrat congratulations and condolences at the same.
Time exactly exactly, well, we we know that we you had that willingness to serve, and thank you for for doing that for our city and sticking your neck out there and sometimes learning as you're going. And let's say, hey, all right, let's revisit something so that that that speaks to your character, that really does.
I appreciate that. Another item, if we do, we.
Have another, that's one minute. Yeah, go ahead, there's another quick item.
I know I've had some out to me with concerns around the price, fields and maintenance and management of those, and so I know the current contract expired at the end of December, and so I'm just I'm trying to gather more information about where we are in that process and what we can do to make sure getting a new contract or renewed contract or whatever it doesn't interrupt
the cycle, because I understand it. They're already you know, needing to accept registrations for the spring season and everything, and so we are looking into that as well.
That's the request for qualifications on the management of process. All right, very good, very good, absolutely well Ward two City councilor Larry East. It's been our pleasure having you here on city batters today.
Thank you, Nathan.
All right, you're very welcome.