The Grady County Commissioners voted on Monday to let the contract with Blackboard Connect’s Connect CTY service expire in June, 2010.
The service, which costs taxpayers $16,000 per year, has not met the expectations of the Grady County Emergency Management Office.
The service gave the county a systematic way to contact residents by telephone or e-mail to alert them of emergencies such as severe weather.
“It sounds really good, but it’s just not working the way we need it to,” Deputy Director of the GCEMO Paulette Nicholas said. “It doesn’t have all the necessary phone numbers in its data base and we have not gotten the customer service we expected.”
While the company requires a three-year agreement for the service, the county is restricted to one-year agreements and will discontinue the service after June. Payments that have been going into an account to pay the second $16,000 installment will go toward other needs such as dispatching.
The board denied a request from the pardon and parole office to reduce its rent by five percent. Because of revenue shortfalls, the office has been directed to cut its budget accordingly. However, the board denied the request to lower the rent from $500 per month to $475 per month.
“We understand, but we’ve got our own problems,” District No. 3 Commissioner Jack Porter said. “Our electricity is not going down and our janitorial service is not going down. I move we leave it like it is.”
GCEMO Director Dale Thompson told the board the National Weather Service has announced more bad weather coming into the area on Thursday with rain and freezing rain that could be significant.
“We will keep an eye on it like we always do,” Thompson said.
Thompson also presented a breakdown of the costs of the Dec. 24 winter storm, which far surpassed the $147,000 threshold for the county.
The total cost estimate for the county is $1,439,051.05, with $1,343,097 of the total being damage to roads and bridges in all three districts, the sheriff’s office, Minco and Tuttle.
The estimates for Tuttle include $17,177.45 for protective measures like overtime pay for public employees, fuel costs and damage to city vehicles, and another $95,097 for damage to roads and bridges in the Tuttle area.
Thompson said items needed for possible federal funds include photos of the damaged roads and bridges, plus their location, GPS location and a breakdown of the cost to restore them to pre-storm condition.
Local News
January 27, 2010
County to let contract expire
- Local News
-
-
BC basketball homecoming queen crowned
Breaden Jantzern was crowned 2012 Homecoming Queen during Bridge Creek's basketball homecoming coronation last week.
-
City to earn green for going green
The City of Tuttle will receive a check for $2,661.85 from Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) as an incentive for retrofitting several City facilities with high-efficiency lighting.
-
A Royal Evening
Mariah Hickman was crowned wrestling homecoming queen last week by king Sterling Hawkins.
-
Groundbreaking held for new city hall
On Tuesday evening, local current and former elected officials, city workers and others taking part in the construction of the city's planned $3 million new city hall and storm shelter met to ceremoniously break ground on the project.
-
Local residents affected by Tuesday power outage
Local residents with electric service from PSO were without power for over an hour on Tuesday afternoon. The outage affected much of downtown Tuttle, and many on the north side of Hwy. 37.
-
Students get close-up view of legislature
While you might not realize it, high school students often play an integral part at the state capitol.
-
Williams asks Council for tax break
Jeff Williams, owner of William’s Discount Grocery, addressed the Tuttle City Council on Monday about offering incentives to build a new store.
Williams discussed options like a one-cent sales tax over the life of the note which he said would cost the city “zero dollars.” -
Area towns REAP benefits
State Senator Ron Justice and Representative Leslie Osborn presented several ASCOG REAP grants during Monday’s county commissioners meeting.
Mayors and other representatives from the towns of Alex, Amber and Verden were on hand to accept the grants. - Helpful hints to prevent the “Silent Disease” CHICKASHA, Okla. –Osteoporosis is a disease where over time the bones become porous, thin and easily break. Bones that tend to break easily are those in your spine, hips and wrists.
- POLICE REPORTS
- More Local News Headlines
-
