Published: August 14, 2009 10:53 am      

Split vote ends Broadway debate

Konawa — Konawa City Council’s debate on allowing first floor residences on Broadway ended in Thursday evening’s meeting with a 3-2 split vote.

All council members were present at the meeting to address the letter of request from Cliff Moore to reside on the first level of a building on Broadway which is zoned as a business district.

At the last council meeting on July 9, council was left with a stalemate vote.

Thursday night, Mayor Bob Rounsaville made the same motion: to allow a grandfather clause, with specific wording that the property owner must be the primary resident(s). If the current owners move, sell the property, die, or transfer the title, the location must be reverted back to business.

“I’m still against it,” Councilwoman LaDonna Bryce said.

“We still have to protect that business district.”

Bryce said Moore isn’t even residing in the building on Broadway, but rather in a residence outside of Konawa.

After Rounsaville made the motion, Councilman Larry Chesser seconded it and said he doubts new businesses would be coming to Konawa.

“We’re lucky if we get one,” Chesser said. “Let’s face it, traditional downtown is becoming a thing of the past.”

Chesser went on to say towns such as Holdenville, Wewoka, Seminole and even Ada downtowns were dying, although many businesses are thriving in these downtown districts.

“So what’s the prognosis for Konawa?” Bryce asked Chesser.

“I have no idea,” Chesser said.

The heated discussion ended when Rounsaville called for a vote on the motion.

Rounsaville, Chesser and Councilwoman Karla Coffee voted for the motion while Bryce and Councilwoman Latrelle Ellis maintained their votes against it.

In other business, council authorized an application for a new drinking water engineering planning and design grant that was recently opened up with federal stimulus money. Council hopes to be one of the first to be approved for the grant.

An application for a REAP grant and a funding proposal for a USDA grant for a fire pumper truck were also approved.