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Henryetta council members returned a $6,500 donation to Don Laughlin Tuesday night.
The approval for the refund was made at the March 2021 council meeting. Laughlin made the donation to defray expenses of tearing down the caretaker’s house at Nichols park. That building had been unoccupied for over five years and had fallen into disrepair.
Steve Sanford has been working since last fall toward restoring the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed building. He told the council Tuesday that architect renderings of how the building can look will be presented at the April meeting. He called the building “100 percent savable.”
Mayor Jennifer Munholland said the original plan by Laughlin was to tear down the building and keep the rock structure around it and turn it into a patio so people could picnic there.
Removal of the damaged interior and ceiling had been undertaken last fall but put on hold after live embers from a fire were placed into a roll off dumpster and started a blaze. With the donation return, the city will have to pay for dumpster rental as well as cost of removing asbestos from the 80-year-old building.
Sanford said his original agreement with the city was to spend six months to see if the building could be salvaged. “Who is going to take care of that?,” Munholland asked. Sanford said he has already had people contact him about donations of money and material for the renovation.
During the meeting, the council reappointed Robin Lollis and Nora Donation to the Henryetta library board. Each will serve a five year term.
Munholland and councilman Michael Dickey were named to represent the city in negotiations with the firefighters union.
An extension until April 20 was given to Toni Null for work on rehabilitating a house on 105 East Smith. That building had been scheduled for abatement in September but the council approved several extensions of time to allow work to be completed. They were told that the work would be finished next month.
Grass Grabbers was awarded the contract to mow city lots and parks this coming season. That bid was for $705 for the 14 city-owned parks or $1045 if workers had to pick up trash and debris. The same company was also contracted to mow privately-owned lots around town if the property owners fail to keep them mowed. The cost of mowing would be placed as a lien on the property.
Munholland pointed out the second motel on the QuikTrip project land had been demolished. She said company officials expect the new facility to be, “running in about a year.”
She said city officials have been working with developers of a travel center to be built on the property just south of the 237 exit on I-40.
Both projects are expected to be big economic boon for the town.