Tahlequah Daily Press 05/07/2014

May 8, 2014 2:15 pm /

Copy Reduced to 90% from original to fit letter page
City coffers will take up
to a $20,000 hit to allow
for the removal of a large
pile of brush being stored
behind the street depart-
ment headquarters.
Councilors approved of
the expense Monday night.
The [Department of
Environmental Quality]
has approved a certain
amount of brush to be
stockpiled behind the
street department, and
apparently we are quickly
approaching our limit,
Ward 1 Councilor Diane
Weston said.
Weston said concerns
linger about the possibility
of being fined if the brush
is not removed.
A private contractor
from Grove has offered to
take the job.
Mayor Jason Nichols
said the large remnants of
trees are a result of the
citys giving citizens time to
adjust to new brush pick-
up policies, which limit the
size and amount that street
department crews will haul
away.
Weve just been trying
to ease into it, Nichols said.
At some point, were going
to have to get serious about
the rules or something.
Street Commissioner
Mike Corn said the pile ini-
tially began to accumulate
when the citys wood chip-
per broke down last year.
Later, some residents
noticed the pile and began
hauling their debris to the
site.
Its a problem, Corn
said. We need more PR
on [the citys new brush
pick-up policies]. We sent
it through the utility office,
we had a brochure drawn
up. Everybodys got it, but
nobodys paying attention.
Its making the town look
shabby.
Corn said the only
brush the street department
will pick up now is what
fits into the chipper.
Thats it, period, he
said.
Councilors agreed to
have the brush removed
through a private contrac-
tor, but Nichols urged
councilors to discuss a way
to prevent the expense in
the future.
Its probably a good
one-time thing, said
Nichols.
Ward 4 Councilor Linda
Spyres suggested the city
adhere to its pick-up policy
and begin to leave behind
the debris that does not fit.
She also suggested leaving
notes for property owners
explaining why the brush
was not taken.
Im up for it one time,
but Im not for it recurring,
Spyres said of the expense
to remove the brush.
City to pay $20K
for brush removal
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 3A
W
ard 1 Councilor
Diane Weston
this week was
asked to step aside from her
involvement in the citys
attempts to purchase 19
structures and associated
properties near Basin
Avenue.
Councilors met at length
behind closed doors Mon-
day evening to discuss the
real estate negotiations
ongoing with Century 21
Wright Real Estate, which is
listing the properties for
owner John and Geneva
King.
But when the council
returned from its executive
session, Jasen Wright asked
to speak, and said Weston
should have already or
should now disclose that
she has an active real estate
license for a local firm.
It is requested that
Councilor Weston with-
draw from discussions and
abstain from a vote regard-
ing this real estate matter
due to possible conflict of
interest or perception of
bias as a representative of
the real estate profession,
Wright said.
After a short silence,
Weston responded: Ill
agree to that.
Mayor Jason Nichols
then tried to clarify.
OK to remove your-
self from the situation?
Nichols asked Weston.
Weston responded with
a yes.
Ward 4 Councilor Linda
Spyres said she didnt
understand the request.
Shes not involved in
the numbers or anything
like that. Shes not involved
you and [City Attorney]
Park [Medearis] are doing
this, right? Spyres asked
Nichols. With Wright Real
Estate? I dont understand
this. We all know that she
works for another real estate
company, but... .
Wright told councilors
Weston is required to dis-
close her involvement with
a real estate company
because it gives her an
advantage.
In the last meeting, she
did make the motion to turn
down this property, and she
has also made some state-
ments as to the value of the
property, Wright said.
Medearis told councilors
that being affiliated with a
competing real estate com-
pany doesnt necessarily
require a councilor to
abstain.
I think its more of a vol-
untary thing to abstain,
Medearis said.
Local resident Jim
Smythe then addressed
councilors and expressed
his concern over the pro-
posal to buy the property
with taxpayer money.
It appears that in this
particular instance, if you
dont maintain your proper-
ty, and you wait, eventually,
the city will buy it, because
its just a nuisance, said
Smythe. I agree whole-
heartedly with wanting to
see it become a greenbelt
area, but I dont think pur-
chasing it at a particularly
outrageous price is a pru-
dent use of municipal
money.
Smythe also pointed to
the possibility of soil con-
tamination in the area.
Nichols then responded
that the environmental con-
cerns raised last month are
probably greatly exaggerat-
ed.
But he also said the city
will be responsible for any
contamination that might
be in the area, if it did result
from the use of incinerators
to burn solid waste.
Nichols said the seller
has presented the council
with a new offer that has
alleviated the concern
regarding the appraisal. He
called attempts to buy the
area a 22-year effort that
would make the communi-
ty proud.
To remain indecisive ...
is not something Im willing
to do, Nichols said. One
way or the other, Im com-
mitted to getting this prop-
erty, not simply waiting. Im
interested in hearing other
ideas whatever weve got
to do, whatever arrange-
ment can be made. This
property is invaluable to the
city of Tahlequah. One way
or another, we need to get
hold of those structures and
that property.
Some say councilor has conflict on Basin deal
By JOSHNEWTON
TDP Staff Writer
jnewton@tahlequahdailypress.com
JoshNewtonTDP
City councilors have
once again postponed
action on the request from
AT&T to build two new
mono-pole towers in the
city.
Mayor Jason Nichols
told councilors on Mon-
day that representatives of
AT&T had asked the city
to hold off on addressing
its requests for special use
permits.
The company hopes to
erect one 150-foot tower
on property belonging to
Green Country Funeral
Home, near Commercial
Road, and a second near
the Tahlequah Public
Schools bus barn, across
the street from the middle
school.
When last discussed,
councilors and area prop-
erty owners raised con-
cerns about the aesthetics
of the towers and their
locations.
This Monday, Donna
Eastham again spoke to
councilors and urged
them to work with AT&T
to find a different loca-
tion for the proposed
tower near First Baptist
Church.
Eastham said her par-
ents donated land for the
new FBC facility. She and
her family now own land
adjacent to the proposed
cell tower.
We had proposed this
property for residential,
Eastham said Monday.
We feel if this is
approved, it changes our
ability to use this property
as residential.
Eastham said residents
would perceive health
risks with living close to a
cell tower. She also
believes a tower would
decrease the value of her
familys property.
But Eastham said her
biggest concern is the
impact on aesthetics the
tower would have on the
area. She urged councilors
to familiarize themselves
with ordinances passed in
2003, which address aes-
thetics.
There are a lot of tow-
ers in this area, Eastham
said. Has AT&T tried to
use existing towers [to
expand service]? Were
not asking AT&T to go
away, were just asking
them to go to a different
location. Our hope is that
AT&T would work with
Tahlequah and come to a
solution that everybody
can win.
Eastham said the
stretch of the State High-
way 51 bypass between
Downing Street and
Muskogee Avenue is the
most-traveled road in the
area.
More cars travel that
than any other piece of
road, she said. To some
visitors, thats the only
piece of Tahlequah that
they see. Ask AT&T to go
back to the drawing board
and work with you, and
planning and zoning, and
come up with some reso-
lution thats not right here
on our main area thats by
one of our iconic land-
marks in town.
AT&T officials did not
speak during Monday
nights monthly council
meeting, but previously
told city leaders the com-
pany hasnt upgraded its
towers in Tahlequah in 14
years.
New towers, they said,
are necessary to accom-
modate the increase in
data usage, which has
risen 20,000 percent in
the community in the past
seven years.
Action on AT&T tower delayed
Photo by Josh Newton/Daily Press
Installation of cell towers, like this one in the downtown Tahlequah area, often rais-
es mixed feelings among city leaders and community residents. Councilors are being
asked to approve two permits that would allow AT&T to build new cell towers in the
city.
Tahlequah police arrest-
ed an 18-year-old local
man this week after he
allegedly assaulted a
woman and tried to prevent
her from calling 911.
Isaih Mitchell was
booked into jail for domes-
tic assault and battery in the
presence of a minor and
interfering with a 911 call.
Mitchell allegedly broke a
womans phone when she
was trying to call for help.
The victim alleges Mitchell
crawled in through a win-
dow and poked her in the
nose, pulled her hair and
dragged her.
In other matters, Sarah
C. Ingram, 21, of Tulsa, was
arrested Monday for
allegedly shoplifting from
Wal-Mart.
Margaret A. Soap, 45, of
Dallas, Texas, was arrested
Sunday after she allegedly
entered Wal-Mart intoxicat-
ed.
Officers took an assault
report from Jimmy Wilson
Monday when Wilson said
he was hit in the back of the
head with a rock.
Jerrod Hood reported a
lost or stolen license plate
recently. The tag is Chero-
kee Nation number 252-
49C.
Denise Hooper told
police she lost two rings
recently.
Employees at a local
convenience store called
police after finding drugs in
a restroom Monday.
Aisling Sosa told police
last week that cash was
stolen from her house.
Man arrested after assault on woman
POLICE BEAT
Those interested in pre-
serving family heirlooms or
wanting to learn more about
their family history should
sign up for one or all of
Cherokee Nation Cultural
Tourisms upcoming preser-
vation series classes.
Future preservation series
classes are listed.
June 19: Preserve your
familys heirlooms. Bring
pots, baskets or other
objects and learn how to
best care and preserve them
for future generations. The
class will be taught by Park-
er at the Cherokee National
Supreme Court Museum
from 10 a.m. to noon. The
cost is $25.
July 15: How to protect
your family photographs
and documents. Parker will
lead the session at Cherokee
National Supreme Court
Museum from 10 a.m. to
noon. The cost is $25.
Aug. 14: Genealogy
Class. Learn the basics of
researching your family and
its history at the Cherokee
National Supreme Court
Museum from 10 a.m. to
noon. There is no cost to
attend, but reservations are
required.
All classes are limited to
25 people on a first-come,
first-served basis. To reserve
space or get more informa-
tion, go to www.visitChero-
keeNation.com.
The Cherokee National
Prison Museum was the
only penitentiary building in
Indian Territory from 1875
to 1901.
It housed sentenced and
accused prisoners from
throughout the territory. The
interpretive site and muse-
um show visitors how law
and order operated in Indi-
an Territory. It is located at
124 E. Choctaw St.
For more information on
Cultural Tourism, call (877)
779-6977 or visit www.vis-
itCherokeeNation.com.
By JOSHNEWTON
TDP Staff Writer
jnewton@tahlequahdailypress.com
JoshNewtonTDP
CN Cultural Tourism launches preservation series
By JOSHNEWTON
TDP Staff Writer
jnewton@tahlequahdailypress.com
JoshNewtonTDP