Cy Wheeler, Kellyville Youth Football President, made a compelling case for the Town of Kellyville to build a youth sports complex. He began his presentation by thanking the Board for allowing the local wrestling club to use the town’s community center.
“From our wrestling club, we would like to thank the Town of Kellyville for allowing us to use the town facility for our club. I have always thought that if our kids in Kellyville are given the same opportunities as kids in Sapulpa, or Bristow, or Kiefer, our kids can be just as successful…this is our first year to have wrestling back in Kellyville for some 15-20 years.”
Wheeler informed the Board that there were two wrestlers that won the State Championship in the Novice Division and that three other wrestlers won medals, and again thanked the Board for the use of the municipal facility and said it helped to build the local wrestling program.
Wheeler then addressed the urgent need for a Youth sports complex.
“I want to talk about a need I see, that I have always seen, the town of Kellyville is on the precipice of a sudden expansion in population. There is a town real close to us that had the same thing happen, it starts with a “K” too, but I won’t say their name.”
Wheeler said the “unnamed” nearby community had started a junior high wrestling program, and stated they had a “pretty good” football program. He lamented, “All of our baseball and softball goes to Sapulpa and that there are postings that occur nearly daily on the Kellyville Chit Chat page of parents asking where to sign up their children for tee-ball.
”The comments are always on there, ‘take your kid to Sapulpa or Bristow.’ I, for one, do not understand why we would encourage our youth to go play sports in a different town,” said Wheeler.
“I think the town should take a real forward, good look at maybe figuring out a way, whether it be through a tax increase, or a bond…something like that, or grants, to find some land around Kellyville that can be annexed and owned by the Town of Kellyville. Youth sports is no longer the way it was when we were kids, youth sports is a major business, millions of dollars…You build a complex and they are playing ball here, when they are done, they are going to run and get something to eat. They have got something to eat, there is sales tax on there, that is revenue for the city.”
Wheeler was quick to point out that when the kids are playing sports in Sapulpa they eat there. “They go to Whataburger, or McDonald’s, or wherever. We are giving our money away, I never understood that, it makes zero sense to me. I would like the City Council to explore, and I am more than willing to sit and talk with anybody, about trying to build a complex that is low maintenance, low utilities, therefore, low cost. This could also bring teams from all over to play ball.”
Board members were in agreement that a complex was needed. Trustee Cliff Barnes said, “We are all in the same place here, we all wanted something like that here. It would take, maybe, a donation of some land to start off, you have got to have a starting place somewhere.” Trustee Terry Voss said, “We all want it.” Trustee Russ Howard said, ” It is definitely something we should look into and explore, I come from the same place that you do.
Town administrator Shelly Garrett said, “ I’ll start looking into some grants and things like that, that’s where we have to get the ball rolling from.”
Wheeler asked if the increase in housing would raise the tax revenue. Russ Howard replied, ”We have to have the money up front, we can’t just borrow it from the tax, build it and pay it off. We have to have the funds in place to purchase it before we do it. That’s the problem, getting the capsule to get something like that established. That is where the donations come in, you have some great points and I agree with everything you are saying….we are a long ways from being able to shell out a million dollars for a sports complex, or even half a million dollars.”
Wheeler asked about a bond, and Howard replied, “That is just saying you are going to take a tax for a certain amount of time, and I think that money still has to be collected first before you move forward.” Town attorney Andrew Nestor concurred.
Barnes said, “It is worth exploring and seeing what is out there. A donation for some land from somebody would be a good starting point…..It has been brought up several times but no one cared enough or done the footwork to actually see what can be done.”
Mr. Wheeler lamented the fact that the number of students in Kellyville schools has decreased.
“They are leaving, and if they are leaving, so is your tax money.” He then asked why the school could pass a bond to fund projects. The Town Administrator said, “The difference between the Town and the school is that the Town can’t go into debt…we have to be able to pay for things.”
Gerald Lewis, a resident who was in attendance, said that he had helped to raise money for a similar project in California and much of the work was done by volunteers. He then offered Mr. Wheeler his assistance.
In other business, the Board passed the Consent Agenda, which consisted of previous minutes and a regular claim for $58,196.28.
The Board adopted an ordinance establishing a fine, not to exceed the most expensive fine, for failure to appear in municipal Court, granted an annexation on West Highway 66, approved the Appraisal and Premium Comparison Report, and approved the FY2021 audit conducted by Ralph Osborn.
The board went into executive session to discuss damages incurred by TDS/Landrun LLC, no action was taken once in regular session.
Action of granting a permit to TDS to place fiber-optic cable in Kellyville using Landrun LLC was tabled.
During public comments, Gerald Lewis, Liberty National Insurance, spoke to the Board regarding employee benefits that his company provides.
The Kellyville Public Works Board subsequently convened. The first order of business was to approve the Consent Agenda , which consisted of previous minutes and approving claims of $20, 396.55.
The next order of business was to go into executive session to discuss the hiring of Jordan Jones as a laborer. The Board approved hiring Jordan for $14 an hour once they re-entered the regular session.
