The Vian Board of Trustees handled a full agenda during its regular meeting on July 21, approving a major property sale, personnel changes and several community improvement projects. The meeting began with discussion on the Vian Youth League and softball fields, where Suzanne Sullivan, Callie Prier and Seth Sloan provided updates on progress and future plans.
One of the key actions of the evening was approval of the sale of surplus town property— the west 80 feet of Lots 1 through 6 of Block 25 in Original Town Vian.
The property was sold at auction on July 17 to the highest bidder, Logan Coffee, for $110,000. Coffee will also cover the 6% broker’s commission and the cost of a lot survey.
Proceeds from the sale will be directed toward developing downtown public parking on remaining portions of the lots owned by the town.
The board also addressed several staffing matters. Trustees accepted the resignation of Kevin Kirk, approved the part-time hiring of Micah Harvey, and moved Travis Michael Reed into full-time employment.
In addition, the board approved the retirement and resignation of longtime fulltime employee Kenneth Terrill, while simultaneously authorizing his re-employment on a part-time, as-needed basis.
Two new members, Laramie Lee and Graylen Fletcher, were appointed to the Vian Volunteer Fire Department. Trustees also accepted both the police and fire department reports, covering citations, fire runs, attendance, water usage and budget updates.
Several infrastructure projects moved forward as the board voted to release bids for both the Main Street Project and the Downtown Parking Lot Project.
Trustees also accepted the sanitation, street and parks report, which included updates on current and upcoming projects.
Routine financial approvals were also handled, including the treasurer’s report, purchase orders and fuel reports. The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
Following the town meeting, the Vian Public Works Authority (VPWA) convened to discuss water system improvements and legal matters.
The board approved repairs to the Thornton Meadows lift station, authorizing Municipal Maintenance to rebuild the secondary pump, or purchase a replacement if necessary.
The authority also entered executive session to discuss the ongoing case of Sequoyah County Water Association vs. VPWA (Case #CJ-202526). After returning to open session, trustees tabled action on the matter.
The VPWA wrapped up by approving its treasurer’s report before adjourning at 9:03 p.m.
This news story is based on the unofficial minutes from the board meeting and could be in error if the minutes are changed prior to adoption.
