July 1, 2020 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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a g Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Weekday Edition City terminatesCommissioners approve prison three employees labor, part-time help to trim costs By Don Munsch, Editor The Elk City City Com- sion, and it was stated that lots of times we have trou- a smaller group to choose from. tures and said the program operates without federal mission at a special called ble reaching that 35 mark,” Ivester said he asked the or state funding, explain- By Don Munsch, Editor meeting Friday approved Mayor Nick Archer said as warden whether the contract ing the funding comes from Elk City interim City Manager Tom Ivester dismissed some prison laborers for the meeting opened, explain- would be affected if the city various local sources. The three city employees in a cost-cutting move in the last two certain jobs and gave its ap- ing the numbers fluctuated. wanted to drop the number Meals on Wheels program weeks. proval for the city to hire Interim City Manager Tom of prison inmates it wanted, operates with two staff staff Jim Mason, director of economic and community de- other workers for some city Ivester said he spoke with and the warden said no. members: a cook and a din- velopment, and Tad Boone, safety officer, were let go last departments. the prison warden, Dwayne “They did say that they ing room server/attendant. week, while Kye Harper, director of human resources, was Commissioners approved are now requiring a COVID In addition to paid staff, Janis, and said the contract terminated June 19. Their combined total salaries and ben- on a 4-0 vote — commission- plan to be in place, and the the program also has some terms would be the same efits amount to around $250,000. All of those employees’ er Larry Muck was absent except for the number of city would have to prepare inmates helping. Meals on job duties will be distributed to other current employees, — to contract with the Okla- inmates and the associated one of those and submit it,” Wheels serves between 90 to Ivester said. homa Department of Correc- costs with that. The cost is Ivester said. 120 meals daily to the com- “The details have got to be worked out,” Ivester said, tions for nine prison laborers $135 per month per inmate. Department heads then munity, with volunteers, city referring to how those duties will be dispersed. and then fill other positions The prison wanted a contract discussed how the laborers and church groups and local Mason had been at the city since October 2012. Harper with part-time people. The in place by July 1, which is affected their departments. businesses delivering the had been with the city since October 2015, and Boone had inmates will be dispersed the start ofthe fiscal year. Mark Norton, —execu- meals, Norton said. worked for the city since July 2017. He managed the safe- among the Elk City Housing Ivester said the prison tive director of the Elk City “We would like to have at ty training programs for the city. Authority, rock yard and the labor pool for the city has Housing Authority, said least four [inmates] if it all Because of the budget situation at City Hall, Ivester convention center, and the shrunk because of the sen- he oversees the Meals on possible, but I understand watches his own office budget. He does not use a city car part-time people would be Wheels program, conducted with everything going on, tencing reform bill, as a lot and does not take a cell phone allowance. He also draws a hired for the Route 66 muse- of the people are no longer from the housing authority we'll take what we can re- smaller salary than the previous city manager. um and Fairlawn Cemetery. in prison because of commu- offices. ceive,” Norton said. “These Tvester said he made sure that the city commission was The city contracts with the tations. “The Meals on Wheels men are great assets, help- informed of the employee dismissals and that they would Department of Corrections “Those folks who either program is a very valuable ing with heavy lifting, mop- be in accordance with the plan commissioners wanted for the workers. The contract are not in prison or were re- program to us,” he said. “We ping, dish-washing, etc., in moving forward. Ivester, though, emphasized he made the that the city was to consider leased were primary work are definitely for having the kitchen area. The work decision to terminate the employees. was for 35 inmates at $4,725 release DOC inmate candi- them here.” release program has been a “Like all businesses out there, the city has been forced per month. dates to come do the work,” He described the pro- valued program for almost to make some changes because of the economy, and we’re “T know there was discus- Ivester said. Thus, there is gram’s background and fea- See Labor page 2. using this an opportunity to go ina different direction with some of these job duties and disperse them throughout city government,” he said. “And mainly because we have an obligation to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money. I think these are prudent actions in light of our economic Fishing Derby held Saturday downturn.” The city is planning for not only right now but also where leaders think the economy is going to go in the near term, and it’s just a smart move to tighten the belt, Ivester said. Residents should be wary of fraudulent contact tracing From the Beckham County Extension Office As the novel coronavirus continues to make its way back and forth across the country, scams related to COVID-19 continue to multiply. Fake contact tracing has added to the growing list of ways to take advantage of people. Oklahoma has been seeing a spike in the number of cases of the virus as businesses begin to open up across the state, said Cindy Clampet, Oklahoma State University Extension = cit assistant resource management specialist. Top left, Javier Lara and his daughter, Nevaeh, 9, of Elk City enjoy fishing Saturday at the “One of the provisions of the federal CARES Act allows Fishing Derby at Ackley Park in Elk City. state health departments to hire what are called ‘contact trac- Top right, Caryn Coleman stands with her son Ryder Colman, as he holds the $100 bill for his ers’ in an attempt to help slow the transmission of the virus,” sister, Sierra White, 14, of Arapaho, who was one of the winners of the prize fish at the Clampet said. “We have about 600 contact tracers in Okla- Fishing Derby Saturday at Ackley Park. Kneeling with Ryder is Gabe Edney of KECO radio, homa.” which sponsors the Fishing Derby. A contact tracer will contact the person who has tested Bottom, the Fishing Derby attracted lots of people on Saturday at Ackley Park in Elk City. See Fraudulent page 2. Photos by Terri Chervenka. Weather Vol. 118, No. 54 Mail delivery View online ALAM tomorrow 174 cons, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com