Dear Editor,

(1) lot of 59 lots located in this addition has been annexed into the Town of Mannford

As a resident of Wrights Acres II, it has come to my attention that (1) lot of 59 lots located in this addition has been annexed into the Town of Mannford. It was annexed on October 9, 2014 and was not posted on the property, such as Creek County would do. Further, the notice was not posted in the Sapulpa Daily Herald nor filed with Creek County until November 6, 2014.

Mr. Nunneley told me that the Town of Mannford could do whatever it wanted and I had no recourse

The property in which I refer, I was told, is to be used for an RV Park holding up to possibly 40 units. On March 2, at approximately 6:00 p.m. I went online and made an inquiry to the Town of Mannford about the annexation. At around 8:22 a.m. on March 3, 2016, I received a phone call from City Manager Mike Nunneley, who confirmed the annexation.

According to Mr. Nunneley anyone can ask to be annexed into the Town of Mannford and it will annex them and it does not have to post or notify the public of such action unlike what is required by Creek County. The lot is zoned Residential 2, so I inquired about the statutes concerning the zoning restrictions and was told by Mr. Nunneley that it would allow for an RV Park.

where many vehicles accidently exit the roadway and land in my yard

I then explained my concerns about this lot being in the middle of a curve on Basin Rd, where many vehicles accidently exit the roadway and land in my yard or the two lots south of me, and creating extra hazards for an already busy two lane road. I further stated that it seemed like it would be a conflict of interest to the RV Park located in The Harbor at Cross Timbers, Mr. Nunneley told me that the Town of Mannford could do whatever it wanted and I had no recourse. (In the May 5, 2016, edition of the Mannford Reporter, Mannford City Manager, Mike Nunneley confirmed that the city is zoned for mobile homes, not RV’s.)

none of my inquiries have been answered.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on March 3, I made a call to Mannford City Hall to get information on the City Ordinance regarding the annexation of the property. I also asked about traffic ordinances concerning the frontage size of any property with a business on it. By 2:30 p.m. I was notified by phone that I could pick up a copy of the annexation ordinance and that Mr. Nunneley was looking into my question concerning traffic ordinances. After picking up Annex Ordinance 2014-01, I also inquired how I could obtain copies of their zoning codes/ordinances. To date, none of my inquiries have been answered.

On March 9, at approximately 10:15 a.m. I called Mannford City Hall to speak with City Clerk Joyce Martin, and was informed she did not have an office there. In trying to find out what the protocol is to get on the agenda of the next Board of Trustees meeting, I was told that Mayor Tyler Buttram, who is over Ward 2, was the one I needed to speak with concerning this matter. When I inquired about leaving him a message or how to get to touch with him. I was told to look him up in the phone directory, which I did. One might think that City Hall would have the number of the mayor. I called and left a message that went unanswered. Why is it that citizens do not have accessibility to city officials through City Hall?

After discussing this matter with my immediate neighbors, we decided to attend a Board of Trustees Meeting to see how to get on the agenda so we could state our reasons for being concerned with such a project. On March 10, 2016, at the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting, myself and a neighbor were given a vague answer about getting on the agenda by Mayor Tyler Buttram. He told us that if we did get on the agenda that only 2 people from each side would be given 2 minutes to state their case.

does that make it right

I have to wonder how such action represents our Constitutional right to be heard and address grievances. (Wikipedia: In the United States the right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which specifically prohibits Congress from abridging “the right of the people…to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.) Is our City Council not a “governing entity and isn’t it dutifully bound to uphold the laws of the United States? Where in the First Amendment, or any of the Amendments, does it state the people can only have a limited time to address concerns? Even if it is legal for the City to limit citizens in this manner, how does that make it right to do so?

even if I had a petition with a 1000 signatures from Town of Mannford residents that it would have no bearing on their decisions

Mayor Buttram also stated early in the conversation that he thought that the builders had changed their minds about building a RV park on the property, but at the close of our conversation he stated he really didn’t know if they had in fact changed their minds. Mr. Buttram went on to say, after I asked about a petition, that the opinions of Creek County residents are of no concern to them and would have no bearing on what the Town of Mannford does. Further, he added that even if I had a petition with a 1000 signatures from Town of Mannford residents that it would have no bearing on their decisions and that the Town of Mannford governing body would do what it deemed best for the Town.

Mayor Buttram told me he would keep me updated on situation so we would have a chance to get on the agenda. To date I’ve heard nothing from him. I wondered if we residents of Creek County, that make up the community of Mannford, decided to not spend our hard earned money with the merchants of Mannford, if the Board might place more value on our opinions? For 30 plus years I have been a resident of Mannford, and do so appreciate the Mannford merchants and the peace and tranquility of living here. As a homeowner and resident of Creek County, Mannford, Oklahoma, I feel that my very safety, wellbeing, and tranquility is at stake.

6 registered sex offenders living there

the Daycare center just south and Lakeside Baptist Church just north of the property

The RV Park located just off of Highway 412, built by the folks wanting to install the new one on Basin Rd, has no less than 6 registered sex offenders living there. That being said, the owners did sell this park in August of 2015. Mayor Buttram stated that no registered sex offenders could live in the new RV Park due to proximity of the park at The Harbor at CrossTimbers, failing to mention the Daycare center just south and Lakeside Baptist Church just north of the property. Do we know if all sex offenders/felons are registered? There is no way to control who rents the spaces unless they are registered offenders and someone does a thorough background check. Is it a popular opinion of the citizens of the Mannford Community that another RV/mobile home park is needed or desired in the Mannford Area? It would be interesting to know if City Manager Mike Nunneley, Mayor Tyler Buttram, or the folks wanting to build the RV park would like to have an RV park installed next to their homes.

It is with that thought that I leave everyone to form their own opinions I just want to make sure that the community is aware of what’s going on as the Town of Mannford has no such requirements. My dealings with the governing body of the Town of Mannford has been an exercise in futility. There seems to be no transparency, nor need to answer my inquiries and a lack of regard for opinions of the residents of this community. Keep in mind, if the City can do whatever it chooses without recourse in my neighborhood, it can do it in yours too! And, as of this date, even after assurances from Mayor Tyler Buttram, that my questions would get answered…I still don’t have any! I urge all citizens to ask the City governing agency how not considering what the citizens want is in the best interest of the town.

Linda Carriger

 

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