Bartlesville City Councilors, from left, Dale Copeland of Ward 1, Jim Curd Jr. of Ward 3, Trevor Dorsey of Ward 5, Billie Roane of Ward 4, and Loren Roszel of Ward 2 are sworn into office prior to being seated Monday for the first meeting of the new term. Photo by Kelcey Nobles
Bartlesville City Councilors were sworn into office by City Attorney Jess Kane on Monday, kicking off the first meeting of the new two-year term.
All five City Councilors took the Oath of Office before being seated, after which council members elected the mayor and vice mayor. Mayor Dale Copeland and Vice Mayor Jim Curd, Jr., who served in the roles during the previous term, were re-elected to their posts by a unanimous vote.
Copeland ran unopposed in the November election, retaining his Ward 1 seat on the council. Curd successfully retained his Ward 3 seat, as did Billie Roane of Ward 4. Trevor Dorsey was unopposed for the Ward 5 seat.
Newly-elected Councilor Loren Roszel began his stint in municipal politics after winning the Ward 2 seat in a contested election. The post was left open by Ward 2 Councilor Paul Stuart, who announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election to a third term.
The council also determined committee assignments for the next two years and voted to approve the Code of Ethics Policy and rules of order for the conduct of City Council meetings. The rules include some changes, including that speakers addressing the council under the “Citizens to be Heard” portion of City Council meetings must reside within or near Bartlesville.
Other actions by the council on Monday include:
Received the 2021-22 Chickasaw Wastewater Treatment Plant Annual Report
Report highlights include:
- 2.492 billion gallons of wastewater were treated last fiscal year (July 2021 through June 2022)
- The daily average flow through the plant was 6.8 million gallons
- More than 5.40 million gallons of biosolids were land applied, which is equivalent to 868.2 dry tons of material
- The contract with Veolia is structured to share in savings for electrical, gas and chemical use, as well as electrical power savings from the fine bubble diffuser system. The net rebate for the City’s wastewater plant capital reserve fund is $163,984.
To view the report in its entirety, see Report.
Approved communication upgrade for police department
The council approved Motorola Solutions for 800MHz Radio Upgrade to be utilized by Bartlesville Police Department for $1,999,875. The upgrade will remedy issues experienced in recent years, due to outdates systems, with police officers’ handheld radios and dispatch equipment, as well as improve the department’s ability to communicate with other agencies.
Funding for the upgrade was approved by voters in the 2020 General Obligation Bond Election. For more information, see Motorola Solutions for BPD.