The Maysville Board of Trustees voted to approve a change in their agreement with Town Attorney Tyler Perryman, during their regular board meeting July 18, allowing Perryman to attend board meetings virtually through Zoom, rather than in person.
Trustee Janet Davis said she added the item to the agenda because she felt the board needed to vote on the change, which was presented to the town in a letter from Perryman dated May 16.
“I think it’s all really new to us, but I think we ought to give it a chance,” Trustee Joe Couch said.
“It’s cheaper to do it that away,” Trustee David Uhles, added.
Perryman previously charged the board $175 per hour to attend meetings in person. The charge for attending meetings virtually will be a flat fee of $250.
Trustees also voted to open a $100 savings account to be used by a new D.A.R.E. program to be started at Maysville Schools this year by Paoli Police Chief Bradley Uhles. Donations to the program will eventually be placed in the account, which is designated to be used for supplies and needs of the program.
Uhles, who recently completed the two-week training course for the D.A.R.E. program said he plans to start the curriculum at both Paoli and Maysville this year. He will be conducting the programs on his own time.
D.A.R.E. is a national pro gram, which began an antidrug program for school children in 1983. Uhles said the curriculum has modified its message in recent years, shifting the focus to helping children develop good decision-making skills to lead safe and responsible lives.
The board then voted to enter executive session to discuss six separate agenda items. They remained in executive session for nearly two hours, before returning to open session to act on four of the items.
On an agenda item to determine the responsibilities and benefits of K9 officers and handlers employed by the Maysville Police Department, Trustee David Uhles made a motion that once handlers and dogs are both certified, if the handler leaves employment with the town, the handler will retain custody of the dog. In addition, handlers are responsible for all maintenance of the dog while employed by the town. Trustees voted unanimously to approve the measure.
They then turned to the town’s legal representation for two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims, one filed by former Maysville police officer Sheryl Fields and a second filed by former Maysville officer Paul Bush. Both officers were terminated by Maysville’s Board of Trustees in January of 2022.
Trustees voted to have Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group, who provides the town’s municipal liability insurance, to take the lead. Town Attorney Tyler Perryman will also provide limited representation in the cases.
The board also considered an item which appeared on the agenda, in part, as, “Consideration…in regards to Avery’s grant for police – to let the police spend on what is needed not the board or supervisor be in control.”
Mayor Cindy White said the agenda item should have been written as the police chief and the trustee responsible for supervising the police department will make decisions regarding police grant money.
“I got to say a firm no on that one,” Trustee Couch said.
Couch said he is supportive of any purchases the police department needs to make, but it is the board’s responsibility to oversee expenditures, not to mention their duty ethically and legally.
Trustee Uhles clarified what the police department is asking for is that any grant money the police department is awarded be used for the purposes designated by the grant and not be absorbed into town funds.
Uhles made a motion that if Avery (Jones, Maysville police chief) receives a police department grant it will be spent on the police department only, with all expenditures being approved by the board.
Trustees Uhles, White and Davis voted in favor of the motion. Trustee Couch voted against the motion.
In other business, trustees,
•approved work by city employees to improve drainage along 8th Street, with a limit of $3,000 allotted for the project.
•approved removing the merry-go-round at the walking trail.
•approved collecting at least three quotes for trustees to consider for the purchase of a side-by-side utility vehicle to be used by the city’s maintenance department.
•approved paying off the bank loan on the police department’s 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe, using proceeds from the sale of a 2016 Ford Taurus police unit.