City Council accepts Poteau P.D. Chief’s resignation; Hooper sworn in as new chief
The Poteau City Council approved the resignation of Poteau Police Department Chief Stephen Fruen during its August meeting Monday night at Poteau City Hall.
Poteau Mayor Scotty White said that Fruen thought it was getting time to make a decision, and he didn’t want to run for re-election, win the race and then just months into his new term decide to retire.
The City Council then approved the Poteau Police Committee’s recommendation that Poteau P.D. Det. Billy Hooper succeed him, so after the meeting City of Poteau Attorney Marc Bovos swore in Hooper.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him (Hooper) take it (Poteau P.D.) to a new level,” White said.
Fruen will stay with Poteau P.D. as an officer over evidence.
The Poteau P.D. had numerous other personnel matters on the agenda. The City Council approved the Police Committee’s recommendations to give promotions for Brandon Richie to lieutenant, Jody Thompson to detective, Justin Dodson to sergeant and Matthew Goodrich to corporal.
The City Council approved the Police Committee’s recommendation to hire Dakota Witt and John Brooks.
The City Council also approved the City of Poteau Personnel Committee’s recommendations to award full-time benefits to dispatchers Angela Killion and Gail Piersant as well as to Poteau Parks Department staff member Nicholas Jackson.
Two individuals, Poteau P.D. officer Kurt Morsund (15 years) and Poteau Nutrition Center staff member Alberta Davis (five years), were to receive service pins, but neither individual was in attendance, so they will get their service pins at a later City Council meeting.
There also were several property issues on the docket for the City Council, which approved the authorization to have the city remove such conditions determined to be a detriment or a hazard at 206 Park Street, while approving the city to clean up the property across the street at 205 Park Street.
Andrew Johnson, who also lives in the 200 block of Park Street, said both are being overrun by cats. He said he called both the Poteau P.D. and Animal Control, but both said there is not much they could do, “so I came here,” Johnson told White. City of Poteau Code Enforcement Officer Mark Collins concurred with Johnson’s summation of the two pieces of property.
The City Council also approved cleaning up properties at 308 Dewey Avenue, 603, 603B and 609 Dewey Avenue, 100 Thompson Avenue and 306 North Earl Street — the latter is the site of the old funeral home at the corner of Hopkins Avenue and North Earl Street.
However, one piece of property, 810 South Harper Avenue, had been cleaned up, so the City Council decided to not take any cleanup action against the property.
Another piece of property, 201 South Saddler Avenue, is going to be put on the September City Council meeting agenda to be looked at to see if it needs cleaning up or not.
The City Council approved a resolution to support White being appointed to the Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors, approved a resolution to adopt the LeFlore County Hazard Mitigation Plan so the City of Poteau can receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds when and/or if needed and approved a resolution to accept the City of Poteau Planning Commission’s recommendation to award a specific use permit to Charlotte Holly to put a daycare center in at 312 1/2 South Saddler Avenue.
The City Council approved a recommendation by Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG) to deny a tort claim for Bubba Whitman, which stemmed from his complaint about the problems caused when stop signs had to be used at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue and Ben Klutts Drive when the signal lights went out which he claimed caused an accident that allegedly damaged his vehicle.
The City Council also approved payment of purchase orders as signed and approved by the City of Poteau Finance Committee, approved the acceptance of department reports and approved budget transfers for July.
The first meeting of the tripleheader of meetings was the Poteau Industrial Authority board meeting, in which Poteau Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Director Karen Wages gave a Chamber update.
Wages told the board the Chamber is gearing up for its fall events, namely the 15th annual Balloonfest in October, September events that include the Jeff Shockley Memorial Golf Tournament, the Barbecue Smackdown and the Old Frisco Trail Run and the Boys and Girls Club of LeFlore County’s Daddy/ Daughter Dance on Aug. 20. She said 2022 Balloonfest will cost the Chamber at least $95,000.
Wages also told the board that last week’s Back-toSchool Supply Giveaway (“Bash”) was a huge success as 400 backpacks with school supplies sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center were handed out as well as about 500 children attending the event.
Wages also mentioned the LeFlore County Development Coalition’s Oct. 5-7 event, “The Poteau/Southeast Hog Hunt,” to help bring potential site consultants to Poteau and LeFlore County to showcase the area for potential business opportunities.
Wages reminded those in attendance that the Chamber’s “Positively Poteau Cruise Night” will be from 7-10 p.m. Friday as patrons can cruise up and down Broadway as well as drive into downtown Poteau on Dewey Avenue, and that the Chamber’s Facebook page has about 96 percent of the general public checking it out.
Wages’ final item of her report was about how the LeFlore County Museum at Hotel Lowrey and the LeFlore County Historical Society will have an organizational meeting at noon Aug. 30 at the LeFlore County Museum to help get things started on doing an Independence Day celebration on July 4 of next year to coordinate with the annual Historic Downtown Poteau fireworks show put on Poteau Fire Department.
The board also approved payment of purchase orders as signed and approved by the City of Poteau Finance Committee, approved the acceptance of department reports and approved budget transfers for July.
The second meeting of the night was the Poteau Public Works Authority, in which the board also approved payment of purchase orders as signed and approved by the City of Poteau Finance Committee, approved the acceptance of department reports and approved budget transfers for July.