The Morris City Council convened for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, at the Morris Community Center to discuss a range of municipal matters, including infrastructure projects, personnel discussions, and financial approvals. The council reviewed and approved the minutes from the Feb. 11 meeting and authorized the payment of claims for the city’s expenses.
As part of the meeting agenda, representatives from the city’s key departments provided updates on their activities:
• Police Department – Chief Kenny Boyd reported approximately 130 contacts; 20 citations written – 14 municipal and six tribal. The MPD received another grant from East Central Electric, for coverage for the truck beds and then laptop mounts for the trucks and Durangos for the new laptops. The new radio system was installed on top of the wa- ter tower, and a check of the system has been completed, and it’s working for any questions.
• Fire Department – Chief Tim Stewart: City side – one miscellaneous run. On the rural side, one structure fire, four grass fires, one Motor Vehicle Accident, one false alarm, two lift assists, one first response and one canceled in route. “I might add on what Kenny said about the system. We used it quite a bit this afternoon, and are working well.”
• Morris Public Works Authority (MPWA) – For the month of February, there were three water leaks; one sewer jet- a clogged sewer line filled with wipes. Replaced crushed tin horn; two aerators at the lagoon were down, but the director stated they were fixed, and then another went down, which is now being repaired.
The council also approved the employment of Tammy Checotah as a reserve officer for the Morris Police Department.
Several significant maintenance and infrastructure projects were reviewed during the meeting:
• Cemetery Mowing Contract – The council reviewed two bids for the mowing of the Morris Cemetery for the 2025-2026 period. The bid was awarded to Austin’s Lawn Care.
• Roof Replacements – Bids for roof replacements on three municipal buildings – the Morris Community Center, Morris City Hall, and Morris Police Department—were presented. The council approved the acceptance of the most suitable quotes to proceed with these much-needed repairs following last year’s tornado which caused damage. Part of the funding is coming from insurance and FEMA.
• Surveillance System Upgrade – A quote from Oklahoma Electronic Security Specialists, LLC, for the installation of surveillance cameras at City Hall, the Police Department, and the Fire Department was reviewed.
“We actually will own it,” Mayor Joe Berryhill said. “It’s not a lease, it’s not something like that. We actually own it, and the warranty comes with it. If there’s any issues … he’ll come back and walk us through anything that we need.”
The council voted in favor of the purchase to enhance security at city properties.
The board also approved a Contractor Payment Request (second) from Field Point Energy Services for the Young Street Project. Work was expected to be completed this week.
– Morris Public Works Authority Meeting Immediately following the City Council meeting, the Morris Public Works Authority (MPWA) held its regular meeting. The agenda included:
• Approval of the Feb. 11 meeting minutes.
• Authorization for the payment of claims.
• Approval of a quote for surveillance cameras for the Public Works yard from Oklahoma Electronic Security Specialists, LLC.
In conclusion, Mayor Berryhill thanked the Public Works staff for their hard work to help with improvements in the city.
