By John Dobberstein, Editor
Coweta has hired a new city manager, and it will be a familiar face for many residents – Assistant City Manager Julie Casteen.
The City Council voted recently to hire Casteen for the role after seeking candidates to replace Roger Kolman, who resigned last fall.
“I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the new City Manager. It is an honor to step into this role and contribute to the growth and well-being of our community,” Casteen said in a written report to city councilors.
“I am committed to working diligently to uphold the responsibilities that come with this position. I look forward to collaborating with each of you, the city staff, and our residents to create positive change and enhance the quality of life for everyone.”
Casteen also thanked Lisa Taylor, who has served as interim city manager since last October after Kolman’s departure. Taylor had considered applying for the full-time job in Coweta but said she was unable to relocate.
“Lisa has handled many difficult situations during the last few months and has helped position us to better navigate some of the challenges ahead,” Casteen said. Taylor will remain with the city for another week until Casteen takes the reins.
Upon leaving Kolman became eligible for a separation payment of nearly $62,000 and other benefits. He was briefly hired by the city of Pawhuska for $60 an hour to act as a city management consultant, then in January the city of Muskogee announced Kolman was hired as the assistant manager.
Casteen is the third person to be in the city manager’s seat in less than a year and takes the helm with a number of serious challenges waiting ahead, while the city and Wagoner County as a whole are dealing with development pressure. The city is addressing deficiencies with its water and sewer systems, some of which have led to violation notices from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Some major road projects are coming in the next year and some key positions at city hall must still be filled to relieve pressure on current employees who have been performing double duty because of the vacancies.
On Monday, a special meeting will be held to consider approval of an agreement to begin engineering work for improvements and repairs to the Skyview Water Tower. Casteen said a recent field inspection revealed several deficiencies that must be addressed. The inspection was completed in response to a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued by the state in January.
Casteen said the city plans to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant to help with the cost of the project, which is estimated at $818,000.
“Our ability to qualify for the CDBG grant is dependent upon the income level of our community. We will soon be surveying our citizens to determine what percentage of our population falls into the low- and moderate-income category,” Casteen told city councilors in a memo.”
Last week the city also published a request for proposals for outsourcing solid waste collection. The city has struggled with staffing issues, vehicle maintenance costs and rising landfill fees for years, and city officials want to review alternatives.
Taylor recently notified city councilors in February that the city’s sanitation vehicles were in a constant state of disrepair and unreliable, forcing the city to rent a truck from American Waste Control and attaching a trailer to process trash pickup.
“Repairs have been a huge, unexpected burden on our budget this year. And it appears that due to several issues (job vacancies, dated equipment, etc.), our service has not always been the most reliable in recent years,” Taylor told the City Council.
Casteen said the city will analyze the RFPs to determine whether it makes sense to continue to invest in equipment and personnel as Coweta grows or look for providers. “We are hopeful that we may be able to provide curbside recycling as well,” she said. Casteen plans to present the results of the RFPs on April 1.
The City Council and staff also have a budget workshop on April 5 and will be facing a bevy of capital projects and requests to be addressed. Casteen says a revised capital plan is needed to guide the city’s future investment in infrastructure and capital needs.
Leave a Reply