Catoosa won’t fight Indian Trust action

By JOY HAMPTON

CATOOSA — Catoosa City Council members Monday night approved a $4-million budget under the leadership of Mayor Rita Lamkin, who cited the need for investment in streets, infrastructure and equipment to meet the growing city’s needs. The Council also voted not to appeal a decade-old application by the Cherokee Nation to put seven acres of fee land into trust at 161st East Avenue and I-44.

The $4-million budget includes $300,000 for a ladder truck for the fire department, $600,000 for streets, and over $50,000 for parks.

“The city has not invested in itself in a long time,” said Lamkin. “If you want progress for this town, you’ve got to spend. We’ve got to start going out into the neighborhoods and fixing the streets.”

Council members Sandy Meyers and Robert Brown worked on the budget with Lamkin. CPA Jeff Kolker said based on revenue, the city has up to $5 million to budget this fiscal year.

Vice Mayor Mike Appel questioned whether a ladder truck for the fire department should be budgeted or if that money should remain in the Emergency Reserve fund until a truck is found.

The $300,000 allotted for the truck would be a down payment. Used ladder trucks cost upward of $500,000, according to figures supplied by Fire Chief Denus Benton last year.

The money is not earmarked for the truck, and Appel expressed concern it would be spent for other things.

Lamkin and Kolker said all expenditures must be approved by the Council.

“Watch your expenditures and see where you’re at month by month,” said Kolker.

Meyers said she believes the money being held in the emergency reserve fund is adequate under the budget.

“We need to show we’re using it (revenue) for the city,” said Meyers.

One of the biggest increases on this year’s budget is the estimated cost for road expenditures. Last year’s budget allotted $100,000 to roads, said Lamkin. This year’s budget allows $600,000.

The budget passed unanimously. Appel said he was satisfied with the explanations of budget figures given by the committee and Kolker.

In other business, Council members discussed the opportunity to file an appeal with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, U.S. Department of Interior regarding nearly seven acres the Cherokee Nation wants to put into Trust.

Council members voted not to oppose the change from fee to trust.

The acreage is located adjacent to I-44 on the west side of 161st East Avenue. The original Aug. 5, 1996, application by the Tribe states commercial plans for a travel plaza on the site. Those plans have changed.

No definitive plans have been stated for the vacant land, but Lamkin said Principal Chief Chad Smith had mentioned the possibility of a “Native American Historical Display” on the site.

The 1996 application to move the land from “unrestricted fee status” to Trust was opposed by Catoosa a decade ago. Things have changed since that time, said Lamkin.

The Rogers County Assessors Office collected $4,968 in 2007 advalorem taxes on the property. The acreage is zoned commercial.

Trust land is not subject to ad valorem tax.

Shawn Slatton, senior vice president of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, attended the Council meeting at Lamkin’s request, but stipulated the Cherokee Nation owns the property, not CNE. Slatton said the application did not request gaming on the site.

“We have no intention of putting gaming up there,” said Slatton.

Catoosa plans to widen 161st East Avenue and asked whether the Tribe would be agreeable granting easements for the City.

Slatton said the Tribe is usually agreeable to easement negotiations with Catoosa.

“I think it opens an opportunity to do more business with them (the Tribe),” said Appel.

Council members also asked about the possibility of the Tribe building a restaurant on taxable land, a topic which has been raised in the past.

“I think this time next June you’ll be very happy about that,” said Slatton. Slatton said CNE is focused on completing the casino resort expansion project now under way.

Also under discussion were bids for mold remediation and a roof repair or replacement for the city library.

“Putting a Band-Aid on this is not going to work at all,” said Library Board member, Tony Wolters. “We need to replace the entire roof.”

Council members were inclined to agree, leaning toward replacement, rather than repair of the damaged roof.

Also under discussion was whether to stay with a metal roof or go to composition. Appel said in either case, the building needs gutters and down spouts.

The item was tabled for study and to gather more estimates.

WorldWide Restoration, Inc. turned in the only bid for mold remediation.

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