Water district petition, employment matters dominate discussion for Vian trustees

The Town of Vian and Vian Public Works Authority’s regular monthly meetings took place on March 17, with the board of trustees addressing employment issues, along with a water district petition.

The trustees discussed several items, beginning with the controversial Ground Lease Agreement with Vian Youth Baseball, which was tabled from the February meeting. No decision was made on the matter at this session.

In a significant move, the board approved the Lake Vian Hilltop Run to take place from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2026. The motion, supported by Trustee Shane Kolbe and seconded by E.O. Jr. Smith, was unanimously passed. The trustees also voted to approve full-time employment for part-time employee David Garvin, despite some dissent from Mayor Fletcher. The vote was 4-1, with Fletcher voting against the proposal. Additionally, Skylar Green was approved for part-time employment, with Fletcher abstaining from the vote.

Other motions included the acceptance of various reports, including the police, fire, sanitation, streets, and parks reports.

The town clean-up event has been set for April 22-23. The treasurer’s report, covering prior meeting minutes, financial details, and purchase orders, was also approved.

VPWA meeting Following the town council meeting, the Vian Public Works Authority (VPWA) convened at 7 p.m.

A significant portion of the meeting involved an executive session to discuss legal matters, including the Sequoyah County Water Association lawsuit against the Vian Public Works Authority (Case #CJ-2025-26) and a petition to incorporate a rural water district in Sequoyah County. No action was taken on the lawsuit, but the council voted to attend the upcoming county commissioners’ meeting to discuss the petition for the rural water district. Town Attorney Justin Vann was tasked with drafting a legal notice for the commissioners and court.

The VPWA also approved the treasurer’s report, including the prior meeting minutes, financial details, and the OWRB (Oklahoma Water Resources Board) report.

The meeting adjourned at 7:34 p.m., with all members voting in favor.

This news story is based on the unofficial minutes from the board meeting and could be in error if the minutes are changed prior to adoption.