News from the City government

 Kerrie Little, the City Manager, gave a presentation to the Watonga Kiwanis Club on Wed., July 27, 2022.    

Ms. Little told the group that the Chamber of Commerce has been "absorbed by the City", and in fact will be governed  by the recently reinstated WEDA (Watonga Economic Development Authority) committee.  Who makes up that committee?  We assume the city councilmen and mayor but the specific question was not answered.  

Questions were asked about this year's cheese festival, in light of the Chamber going "inactive." Kerrie said that it has also been taken over by WEDA. Evidently, plans for the festival have been in the works and we were told that the festival committee meets about every month; vendors have been contacted, the cheese tasting line will be moved to the City Hall building on Main Street, and they want the Kiwanis Club to sell Watonga Cheese in the City Hall building. We were told that the cheese festival committee doesn't publicize an agenda and they have no set day of the month they meet, but we were told that the meeting is open to the public.  Kerrie said that anyone interested in anything to do with the Cheese Festival should contact Kerrie Little at City Hall. 

We learned that the City has a new website, where the public can get information about City business. The new website's address is:  www.watongaok.gov.   Terri Crawford from the library is in charge of maintaining the website. Looking at the new website, we see that the City Council's agendas and minutes are posted there; there are no agendas or minutes posted for any meetings in July so far.   

Ms. Little was asked if the City is or can do anything about the weeds outside of the former Dollar General store. She said that the City has implemented a new process for code enforcement.  So far that process hasn't produced much results but "it takes time."  Kerrie Little said that the City will send out a "warning" letter to a property owner as a courtesy, and if the situation in violation of the Code is not remedied, they will send out a citation.  Once a citation is issued, the property owner will have to go to City Municipal Court to have the judge give or reduce a fine.  A group has already purchased the building, but habitation and putting in a business there has been stalled after questions were raised by local citizens and business owners about what kind of cannibis business was planned to go in there.  All we were told was that it would be a research facility, and not a retail business.  After a canceled meeting of the zoning committee, the new owners seemed to have backed off, so the property is empty and the lot has not been tended to for some months.  Kerrie said that the warning letter has gone out to the property owner  of the former Dollar General store.