Council OKs city manager contract, awards bonus

By Traci Chapman
Published on January 17, 2007

City Council members renewed City Manager David Cockrell’s contract Tuesday, giving him a one-time 5-percent bonus.

The one-time bonus will amount to $4,900. Ward 6 Councilman Len Scott said Cockrell’s contributions to the city are “immeasurable.”

“He has really helped move the city forward,” he said. “He truly is an intregal part of our success.”

Cockrell became city manager in 2001. Prior to taking the post, he was Mustang police chief.

In other business:

• Cockrell advised debris cleanup is ongoing, and staff anticipates the project will be complete by the end of this week. Council approved an additional $50,000 for cleanup expense, if needed. Cockrell said while those funds may not be necessary, the approval will allow him to complete cleanup efforts without delay.
• “This has been a learning process for us. We did definitely miss the estimates. As of last night (Monday), 36,900 cubic feet had been picked up,” he said. “We have been seeing a lot more debris than we anticipated.”
• The city’s cleanup contractor, Bamaco, will bring in five more trucks to speed up completion of the task.
• Richard Andrews, Oklahoma Department of Transportation state byways director, and Pamela Lewis, University of Oklahoma byways representative, gave a presentation on their collaboration with Mustang Chamber of Commerce and the Mustang Historical Society to designate portions of the Chisholm Trail located near Mustang a state scenic byway. Andrews said the designation would make the area “potentially eligible for federal funds,” and Lewis said there are a number of benefits to communities participating in the program. Chamber Director Becky Julian said a committee is working with Mustang Historical Society members to work on grant applications and move the process forward.“We think this would be a great economic development feature, while also incorporating our history and heritage,” she said.
• City Human Resources Director Laura Anderson outlined a new Workplace Safety Action Plan being implemented this month. Cockrell said the plan was devised when a “slight spike” in workplace accidents among city members was noted in the last 18 months. Anderson said the goal was to promote education and training.

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