Alva Review-Courier -

Budgets for next year will highlight Alva city meetings Monday evening. A new item is a resolution to allow the fire department to bill for hourly rates and materials used when responding to incidents. The city council will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.

After voting on the consent agenda, the council will hear reports from various city-related meetings. The mayor and the city business manager will also give reports.

The council will discuss and vote on an ordinance granting One Gas, Inc. through Oklahoma Natural Gas the right to install, operate and maintain a distribution system in Alva. The current franchise agreement with ONG expires in 2019 and will need to be renewed. A franchise election is expected to be held in September. The new franchise would increases the current franchise tax to ONG by one percent.

An annual investment policy resolution will be discussed with a vote to follow.

Resolution 2019-006 authorizes the Alva Fire Department to charge for certain fire protection related services. An example is $275 per hour for a heavy apparatus response with one unit. The minimum rate is for one hour. Additional apparatus may be billed in half hour increments. Light apparatus such as brush rigs are billed at $195 per hour. The council will discuss and vote on whether to pass the resolution.

Council members will discuss and vote on the budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. Another item calls for discussion and vote on renewal of the city’s workman’s comp insurance with OMAG for $136,327.

The council is being asked to approve declaring several items, mostly vehicles, as surplus so they may be sold or disposed of.

An executive session is scheduled to discuss negotiations with the firefighters’ union. Action may be taken on that matter following return to open session.

At the end of the meeting, citizens present may address the council with remarks or inquiries limited to two minutes per speaker.

Council members will then have the opportunity to make remarks or inquiries on any topic.

The Alva Utility Authority (AUA) meeting will follow. In addition to the consent agenda, the trustees will discuss and vote on next year’s budget. There will be discussion and action on a change order adding 55 days to the well field chlorination station project. The AUA will also vote on declaring a truck and a commercial freezer as surplus.

The Alva Economic Development Authority will meet after the AUA. They will have discussion and voting on the consent agenda and the budget for the next fiscal year.