In less than 20 minutes Tuesday the Henryetta city council paid its bills, received a pair of awards, raised fees for the cemetery and airport hangar rentals and approved the new budget.
Henryetta VFW Post 539 commander Otis Seamon presented the city council and fire chief David Bullard with certificates of appreciation for their help in the April 30 Loyalty Day parade and event at Nichols Park.
The new cemetery fee increase changed the rates for the first time in over 20 years according to Jennifer Munholland. She said a survey had been taken of other counties and even with the increase, Henryetta is still lower than them. “We have had people buried here who were not from here because we are lower in price,” she said.
The cost of a cemetery lot now is $800 compared to the $575 that had been charged. Grave openings went from $402.50 to $500 by 3 p.m. and from $460 to $750 after 3.
New rules and hangar rates were also adopted by the council.
It will cost $120 monthly for a single engine airplane to be stored in the hangar and $240 for a twin-engine plane.
The council formally adopted the new budget for the town that will go into effect July 1. The city is expected to take in $17,141,750 and spend #13,432,430 in the coming 12 months.
Three changes were made in the budget affecting the city garage, library nd airport. Appropriations for those departments saw a decrease of $5,177 for the garage, $8,776 for the library and $2,688 for the airport.
Munholland said a representative form the Oklahoma Aeronautics Authority would be meeting with the city over guidelines for the airport. She said a grant contract for the airport expires in July.
Henryetta Chamber of Commerce executive director asked the council to allow the town to be part of a county-wide garage sale July 14.
On that date, Henryetta would join with the Okmulgee and Beggs chambers of commerce to promote grace sales in those communities as well. “The idea is to get more people here from other parts of the county,” Richmond said.
He was asking he council to allow people with garage sale items to set up along Main Street, a proposal that drew some concern over interfering with existing retail businesses that day.
Richmond said any participants would not be allowed to set up in front of a business that is open.
Council members approved the project but stipulated the businesses that are open could not be blocked in and vendors would have to clean up when they leave.
The Henryetta Municipal Authority approved a $37,962 payment to the Oklahoma Water Resource Board.
Also approved was an agreement with Myers Engineering for work on the water and sewer lines. A payment to Myers of $6,779 was also approved.
The final $74,183.45 was paid to Time Blasting and Coatings that closes out the water line work along Trudgeon and US 75.

Cemetery rates