Commissioners agree to wait before skydiving can resume

Sallisaw City Commissioners agreed with the Sallisaw Airport Advisory Board’s April 20 recommendation to take no action to resume skydiving until all investigative reports are received regarding the Feb. 18 skydiving death of Heather Glasgow of Poteau.

In an unorthodox meeting agenda — in which the city commissioners’ meeting was called to order, recessed to allow the Sallisaw Municipal Authority to conduct a public hearing about an unsolicited offer to purchase the city landfill, then reconvened once the SMA concluded its meeting — city commissioners agreed with Sallisaw City Manager Keith Skelton that waiting on final determinations from the FAA is prudent.

Skelton said he does not want to resume skydiving operations “until some sort of final report is issued by the FAA. I think we have some concerns that were brought up during those jumps (on Feb. 18) that we need to ensure that we’re comfortable with skydiving operations at the airport, because that could possibly open up liability to the city as well.”

Skelton noted that he’s “considered the airport manager, so the final decision rests with me, with guidance from the [airport] board.”

At its April 20 special meeting, the airport board unanimously passed a motion recommending to the city manager “that no action be taken until investigative reports are returned, and until such time as we have had to consult somebody who is extremely familiar with these sorts of operations to make [Adventure Skydive Center’s] permit conditioned to bond our ordinances and upon any other conditions that will lend to the safety of the operations.”

Martens agreed that the city commissioners should concur with the recommendation of the airport board, allowing Skelton to “make the right decision that you need to make. It’s a decision that has to be made by the city manager with advice of the airport board.”

Adventure Skydive Center’s permit to operate at the Sallisaw Municipal Airport was suspended by Skelton in the wake of the fatal skydiving accident. In addition, ASC’s lease for its airplane hangar expires on June 30.

The U.S. Parachute Association is also conducting an investigation, which is superseded by the FAA. Paul Tucker, who along with his wife Sherri Young owns Adventure Skydive Center, told the board on April 20 that he has talked with FAA officials, and that a final report is now underway, but admitted it “might be six to nine months.” He also said “it may be 10 months” to receive toxicology reports. The reports are expected to determine why Glasgow, 44, died on her first solo jump.

Adventure Skydive Center is currently operating from the Siloam Springs, Ark., airport.

Other business

In other business Monday, the city commissioners:

• Approved a resolution authorizing participation in the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG) Recognition Program. The program seeks to strengthen municipal governance and reduce claims through education and selfassessment. Members who gain OMAG recognition are awarded a check in an amount based on the member’s premium charged for the plan year. The program was launched several years ago, and Sallisaw has participated from its inception. City commissioners have completed the required assessment, online training and reviewed the declarations page. Staff and the city attorney have reviewed the council handbook, and found no amendments are needed. City Clerk Kim Jamison will submit the resolution to OMAG certifying participation.

• Approved a work order for Garver LLC in the amount of $46,000 for improvement and rehabilitation to the taxiway and west apron pavement, including crack and seal coat at the Sallisaw Municipal Airport.

• Approved awarding a contract to Third Generation Electrical in the amount of $488,170 for the JSV runway lighting project at the airport. FAA grant funding will pay $439,353, while the city will match 10% funds in the amount of $48,817.

• Approved awarding a contract to MGS Construction Services in the amount of $409,935 for exterior improvements at the Sallisaw Police Department.

• Approved a purchase order to Taylor Rental of Sallisaw in the amount of $10,498.86 for the purchase of a 60” Hustler X-One Kawasaki FX850 mower for the Parks/Cemetery Department.

• Conducted a public hearing to determine if the property located at 107 W. Scott Street is a public nuisance, condemnation of the dilapidated structure and consider abatement. The structure was damaged in a fire on Sept. 11, and was a total loss. The structure is in disrepair and presents a hazard to the community. The Building Development Department believes the structure is beyond repair and should be removed. The city made contact with the owner, Brandon Fraizer, on Nov. 16, but there has been no progress. The city commissioners declared the structure a public nuisance and directed staff to abate the nuisance.

• Conducted a public hearing to determine if the property located at 403 N. Hickory Street is a public nuisance, condemnation of the dilapidated structure and consider abatement. The structure was damaged in a fire on March 24, and was a total loss. There are safety concerns with the structure due to the lack of structural integrity. The Building Development Department believes the structure is beyond repair and should be removed. The city made contact with the owners, Ronnie and Kimberly Bush, on April 17. The commissioners granted the owner a 30-day extension to begin abatement. The commissioners will address the progress at their June 12 meeting.

Current, future projects

Building Development Director Keith Miller provided an update on current and future projects, which include the:

• U.S. 59 project

• Remodel of the police department • Swimming pool and skate park

• Landfill expansion project

• Walking trail restrooms project

• Lee Creek subdivision construction • Reinstallation of the road between No Name and Kerr Boulevard

• Construction of a sewer line for the new bank being built on Kerr

• Ballpark dugout coverings, which “everybody with baseball and softball seem to be really pleased with it”

• Airport runway lighting project

• Future development being undertaken at an 11-acre tract in the 600 block of Kerr Boulevard where the owners intend to develop the front side on Kerr Boulevard as commercial and the back side as residential

• Additional residential development on another 41 acres

• Progress on the Main Street lighting project

Financial status

Robin Haggard, director of finance, provided an update on the financial status of the city, reporting that “April sales tax still remains very positive at $616,000, and the use tax is $58,000, and this is also an increase from the prior year in April.”

She also provided preliminary budget information in preparation for the budget meetings on Monday and Tuesday.

“As you know, we tried to be very conservative on revenues, and overestimate our expenses,” she said. “Looking at the current budget that we’re in right now, the General Fund, we should be at about 83% at the end of April as far as our revenue and expenses are concerned. Our General Fund right now is at 86% on revenues, and expenses at 81%, so we were pretty much right on track. SMA, our taxes are at 88%, Telecom at 99%, sanitation and landfill at 97%, electrical services at 97%, water and sewer 89% and our overall SMA expenses are at 67%.

“The current fiscal year is ending with a pretty positive note, kinda right where we had budgeted, and we hope we’ve done a good job in presenting the [FY2024 budget] to you,” Haggard said.

Economic development

George Bormann provided an update on economic development and grant activities. He said the USDA grant application for storm sirens has been submitted, and another USDA grant application for snow plow equipment is expected for June. He also said a site visit by a prospective business is upcoming — “of course, I can’t go into much detail about it, it’s still a confidential project.” He said six projects, including the Sallilsaw Veterans Center and Big Lots, are currently being pursued.

Administrative report

Skelton reported that the Chunk Your Junk event on April 15 was a success. About 50 customers brought eight loads of trash totaling 26,200 lbs., as well as a load of metal totaling 3,700 lbs. He expects to schedule another Chunk Your Junk event in September or October.

He also said Diamond Daze was “another success.”