The Kingfisher City Commission is now a member short.

Debbie Burpo resigned her commission seat during Monday night’s regular July meeting.

“It has been a privilege to serve on the board and contribute to Kingfisher’s endeavors to plan, grow and thrive as a community,” wrote Burpo in her resignation letter.

The move was prompted as Burpo and her family recently moved outside of city limits. It’s required to live inside city limits to serve on the commission.

Mayor Geoff Covalt accepted the resignation and the commissioners told her they appreciated her service to the community.

Covalt noted that citizens were encouraged to write letters of interest to fill the vacant seat by appointment by the commissioners, with the understanding that they would then need to run for the seat when elections will be held in April of next year.

City Manager Jim Thomas and City Attorney Jared Harrison said that letters of interest would be accepted through Aug. 7 and then the commissioners would review those letters and select a replacement to fill the seat at the Monday, Aug. 11, meeting.

Vice Mayor Jeff Wittrock and commissioners Kyle Mecklenburg and Dawn Taylor were also present for the meeting as were City Clerk Brittney Hladik and City Treasurer Anita James.

Gary Wilson, Kingfisher Golf Course manager and club professional, presented a recap of the year’s activities at the golf course, which the city supports, and Kingfisher Golf Association President Bill Loyall and Secretary Derrick Wolf were also present.

Wilson said that membership, green fees paid and activity at the course were at an all-time high, with the golf course completely full every weekend of the summer months and strong turnout for every high school invitational tournament, playoffs for the OSSAA, as well as tournaments and scrambles for area members and guests.

He said the course has hosted 22 such tournaments this year.

New greens foundations were in the process of being replaced, with pea gravel, peat moss and sand, which allowed for the grass to take root and drainage to be complete, Wilson said, thus allowing for healthy greens with no dead spots, as had been the case before the foundations were laid.

He said it was an ongoing process, with exceptional results.

He also commented that a new 20-stall cart barn was planned, as the other barns were completely full and approximately 25 to 30 members were on waiting lists to house their carts.

Therefore, Wilson said, the new barn would be immediately at full capacity once completed.

Covalt commended Wilson for his work at the golf course and Thomas said the golf course drew visitors from a wide area because it was so well maintained and managed.

Savanah Storey, manager of the K-Town Kove at Vernie Snow Aquatic Center, gave a similar presentation for her report.

She noted that attendance was up at the indoor swimming facility, with no problems whatsoever with the newly-installed equipment that cost the city approximately $250,000 a little over a year ago.

In other business, the commissioners approved conditional use permits for two storage buildings built on personal property in the Meeker Addition and also approved the plans of Bill Croell of Croell Ready Mix Concrete of the north side of East Robberts Avenue for plant improvements and construction of new, updated facilities.

Harrison said it would involve re-zoning of some streets to accomplish the task, with which he saw no problems.

Steve Manek of TEIM Design Engineering presented what he saw as preliminary preparation for the repair of the intersection of Will Rogers Avenue from U.S. Highway 81 west to 13th Street.

The board approved plans for the firm to begin work on assessing the costs and associated issues with the project.

Regarding Kingfisher Public Works Authority, the commissioners approved the second purchase of electric and water meters from the Nighthawk company for a cost of $249,709. Electric Department Superintendent Mark Gambill told the commissioners that the project was now 25 percent complete, with a total of $1 million projected for the purchase and installation of the meters over the next three years to complete the project, at an annual cost approximately $250,000 each year.

The commissioners also approved Resolution No. KPSA 2025-001, which is a route approval of the bond structure for the construction of the Kingfisher Junior High School on 13th and Will Rogers, which began in the year 2020.