Meeker Board Addresses Bookkeeping, Library Growth, Tree Assistance, Police Personnel and Water Pressure

By Market Meeker · August 18, 2026 · Government

The Meeker Board of Trustees worked through a wide-ranging agenda Monday evening, Aug. 17, including bookkeeping needs, municipal court costs, grant opportunities, library programs and a personnel matter involving the police department. The Meeker Public Works Authority later heard directly from residents who say they have struggled with low water pressure for more than two years.

The regular meeting was called to order at 6 p.m.

Pumpkin Festival Plans Presented to Town

During public comments, Veronica Tessier, working on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce through Market Meeker, gave trustees an early look at efforts underway to revive and expand the Meeker Pumpkin Festival.

Tessier said organizers are exploring many of the activities offered in previous years, while also considering hot cider, mulled wine and potentially other alcoholic beverages within a designated festival area. She asked the town what liability insurance would be required both with and without alcohol and said organizers would continue working with the town on licensing, road closures and other requirements.

A community kickoff meeting is planned for Monday, Aug. 24, at LaDonna's. Tessier said roughly 10 volunteers had already expressed interest and organizers were working to fill approximately 15 areas of responsibility with about 60 days remaining to plan the event.

Board Takes No Action on Bookkeeper Proposals

Trustees considered proposals from two outside bookkeeping services as the town works to clean up older QuickBooks records and begin preparing more proactively for next year's budget.

Town Clerk Kimberly described wanting assistance not simply to hand off bookkeeping work, but to clean up several years of records, develop budget spreadsheets and learn the processes herself so the town is better prepared before next spring's budget crunch. Availability, pricing structures and contract terms were among the issues discussed by trustees.

After reviewing the proposals and questioning representatives, the board voted to take no action on hiring a bookkeeper at this time.

Library Reports More Than 8,000 Visitors

The Meeker library reported significant activity over the past year, including 65 new library cards and 8,320 visitors.

According to the annual report, patrons checked out 1,748 physical books and 1,968 e-books, while the library added 290 books to its collection. The library's collection now includes 13,886 items.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library program currently serves 133 children, with another 108 children having graduated from the program after reaching age five. The library also recorded 1,750 uses of its public computers and 1,040 Wi-Fi sessions.

The library also received a $7,000 health-literacy grant for a Storybook Walk at Lanecrest Park. Seventeen pedestals are expected to be installed throughout the park, allowing families to follow pages of a children's book along the walking route. Stories are expected to change monthly.

The summer meal program was another major undertaking. Between June 8 and Aug. 3, volunteers distributed 1,947 boxes containing 10 meals each — a total of 19,470 meals for children.

Town Looks Toward Additional Park Improvements

The town's grant administrator told trustees the Healthy Incentive Grant will soon reopen and suggested Glenn Crest Park as a potential candidate for additional investment.

Among the areas identified as needing attention were deteriorating basketball courts, the volleyball area and weather-damaged picnic tables. A formal proposal could return to the board in September.

The town also plans another attempt at the Farmers Market Grant after receiving feedback on last year's unsuccessful application. Officials said much of the groundwork, including renderings and competitive pricing, has already been completed, giving the town more time to strengthen this year's application.

Tree Grant Could Help Residents Remove Damaged Trees

Trustees also authorized moving forward with a grant application aimed at helping residents within town limits deal with fallen, dead or storm-damaged trees.

The proposed program would allow qualifying residents to request assistance when they lack the equipment or resources necessary to remove damaged trees or limbs from their property.

The grant would require no matching funds from the town, although officials cautioned that the program is expected to be highly competitive. Trustees voted in favor of applying.

Fuel Card Policy Tabled

The board discussed developing a written policy governing the town's WEX fuel cards after concerns about cards being used by different individuals.

Officials discussed requiring receipts to be signed and establishing consistent procedures across all town departments. The item was tabled until the next meeting while officials research and develop a proposed policy.

Declining Citations Prompt Review of Municipal Court Schedule

Meeker may eventually move from monthly municipal court sessions to every other month as the number of citations has fallen sharply.

Officials reported 492 citations and warnings in 2024, 270 in 2025 and only 37 from January through July 2026.

Town officials said the current volume may not generate enough revenue to justify the expense of holding court every month, including the cost of paying the municipal judge.

Trustees stopped short of changing the schedule Monday. Instead, they voted to table the issue so officials can first speak with the judge about how a reduced schedule would affect his availability and compensation.

Board Enters Executive Session Over June Police Incident

The final major issue before the Board of Trustees involved a June 24 incident in which a service weapon was left inside the Meeker Public Library.

Trustees initially voted against entering executive session. Following discussion about handling the matter as a personnel issue, the board rescinded that vote and subsequently voted to enter executive session.

The board returned to open session at 7:25 p.m.

Once back in open session, trustees debated what disciplinary action, if any, should result from the incident.

A motion was ultimately made to place a written disciplinary warning in Police Chief Norton's file concerning a safety incident. After discussion over whether the incident should be characterized as "serious," that word was removed from the final motion. The motion for the written warning passed.

Trustees then approved a separate motion taking no disciplinary action against Officer Walters, with discussion noting that he was in training.

The Board of Trustees then adjourned before the Public Works Authority meeting began.

Residents Bring Long-Running Water Pressure Problems to PWA

During the Public Works Authority meeting, residents Chad and Alyse Walker brought forward concerns about low water pressure they said they have experienced for more than two years.

They told the board the problem can become severe enough that water stops while someone is showering and said they have replaced two dishwashers and two washing machines during the period in which they have experienced the pressure problems.

Town crews recently replaced a three-quarter-inch connection with a one-inch tap and line to the meter, but the residents said the pressure problems continued.

The discussion quickly broadened when other residents reported pressure issues in the same general area.

Town Administrator Jeff Wilbourn described several attempts already made to isolate the problem, including replacing a meter, adjusting valves, replacing the connection between the main and meter and installing pressure gauges.

The town administrator said they would continue investigating and could contact Shawnee regarding the pressure being supplied to Meeker.

Other residents questioned whether additional valves or flow restrictions elsewhere in the system could be contributing to the problem and suggested comparing flow rates on the city side of the system with those reaching individual homes.

Rather than declaring the matter resolved, the PWA directed staff to continue investigating the cause of the water-pressure problems and work toward a solution.

The Public Works Authority meeting adjourned at approximately 7:47 p.m.